Chemistry

Degrees Offered

• Master of Science (Chemistry; thesis and non-thesis options)
• Doctor of Philosophy (Applied Chemistry)

Program Description

The Department of Chemistry offers MS (thesis and non-thesis options) in Chemistry and PhD degrees in Applied Chemistry. In addition, interdisciplinary MS and PhD degrees are also offered in Geochemistry, Hydrological Sciences and Engineering, Materials Science, Nuclear Engineering, and Quantitative Biosciences and Engineering. 

Prerequisites

A candidate for an advanced degree in the Chemistry program should have completed an undergraduate program in Chemistry which is essentially equivalent to that offered by the Department of Chemistry at Colorado School of Mines. Undergraduate deficiencies will be determined by faculty in the Department of Chemistry through interviews and/or placement examinations at the beginning of the student's first semester of graduate work.

Professors

Thomas Albrecht-Schönzart, Distinguished Professor

Thomas Gennett, Department Head

Richard C. Holz, Provost

Mark P. Jensen, Grandey University Chair in Nuclear Science & Engineering

Daniel M. Knauss, Associate Dean of Energy and Materials

Matthew C. Posewitz

James F. Ranville

Ryan M. Richards

Alan S. Sellinger

Jenifer C. Shafer

Bettina M. Voelker

David T. Wu

Associate Professors

Svitlana Pylypenko

Brian G. Trewyn

Shubham Vyas

Assistant Professors

Dylan Domaille

Annalise Maughan

C. Michael McGuirk

Christine Morrison

Teaching Professors

Renee L. Falconer, Assistant Department Head

Angela Sower

Teaching Assistant Professors

Christian Beren

Amanda Jameer

Kara Metzger

Jonathan Miorelli

Research Professors

Mark E. Eberhart

Kim R. Williams

Research Assistant Professors

Shane Galley

Jessica Jackson

Yuan Yang

Joint Appointees

Matthew Beard

Todd Deutsch

Jesse Hensley

Justin Johnson

Calvin Mukarakate

Bryan Pivovar

David Robichaud

Daniel Ruddy

Affiliated Faculty

Samuel Bryan

Stosh Kozimor

Lieve Laurens

Joseph Meyer

Kathleen Smith

Angela Stelson

Professor Emeriti

Scott W. Cowley

Dean W. Dickerhoof

Mark E. Eberhart

Ronald W. Klusman

Donald Langmuir

Donald L. Macalady

Patrick MacCarthy

Michael J. Pavelich

Mark R. Seger

E. Craig Simmons

Kent J. Voorhees

Thomas R. Wildeman

Required Curriculum

Chemistry

A student in the chemistry program, in consultation with the advisor and thesis committee, selects the program of study. Initially, before a thesis advisor and thesis committee have been chosen, the student is advised by a temporary advisor and by the Graduate Affairs Committee in the Department of Chemistry.

Master of Science

MS Degree (Chemistry, thesis option): The program of study includes coursework, research, and the preparation and oral defense of an MS thesis based on the student’s research.  The required courses are:

A minimum of 30 credits, including at least 18 credits of coursework, is required. At least 15 of the required 18 credits of coursework must be taken in the Department of Chemistry at Mines. Although full-time students are expected to maintain continuous enrollment in CHGN560, only one credit of CHGN560 may be applied to the 18-credit coursework requirement. The total hours of coursework required are determined on an individual basis by the student's thesis committee.

Research-Intensive MS Degree: Mines undergraduates who enter the graduate program through the combined BS/MS program may use this option (thesis-based MS) to acquire a research-intensive MS degree by minimizing the time spent on coursework. This option requires a minimum of 12 hours of chemistry-focused coursework up to 6 hours of which may be double counted from the student's undergraduate studies at Mines (see below). Although full-time students are expected to maintain continuous enrollment in CHGN560, only one credit of CHGN560 may be applied to the 18-credit coursework requirement. 

MS Degree (Chemistry, non-thesis option): The non-thesis MS degree requires 30 credits:

The program of study includes coursework, independent study on a topic determined by the student and the student’s faculty advisor, and the preparation of an oral presentation of a report based on the student’s independent study topic. As part of the 24 credits of required coursework, students must complete CHGN560 as well as three of the four core courses (CHGN502, CHGN503, CHGN505, CHGN507; 3 credits each). 

Full-time students are expected to maintain continuous enrollment in CHGN560, and all credits received for CHGN560 can count towards the coursework requirement for the non-thesis MS degree.  At least 21 of the required 30 credits must be taken as a registered master’s degree student at Mines. Up to 9 credits of graduate courses may be transferred into the degree program, provided that those courses have not been used as credit toward a Bachelor's degree. The student’s committee makes decisions on courses to be taken and transfer credit, and examines the student’s written report and oral presentation resulting from the independent study.

Dual Degree Program Option:  Students have the opportunity to earn two degrees with the dual degree option.  Students complete coursework to satisfy requirements for both a non-thesis MS in Chemistry from the Colorado School of Mines and a Master of Science of Physical Chemistry and Chemical Physics from the University of Bordeaux. 

Mines’ Combined Undergraduate / Graduate Degree Program

Students enrolled in Mines’ combined undergraduate/graduate program may double count up to 6 credits of graduate coursework to fulfill requirements of both their undergraduate and graduate degree programs. These courses must have been passed with B- or better, not be substitutes for required coursework, and meet all other university, department, and program requirements for graduate credit.

Students are advised to consult with their undergraduate and graduate advisors for appropriate courses to double count upon admission to the combined program.

PhD Degree (Applied Chemistry)

The program of study for the PhD degree in Applied Chemistry includes coursework, a comprehensive examination, a thesis proposal, research, and the preparation and oral defense of a PhD thesis based on the student's research. The Doctor of Philosophy requires 72 credits beyond the bachelor’s degree.

Coursework. The required courses are:

PhD students must receive at minimum a B in required core classes; students who receive a B- or lower need to demonstrate subject competency to continue in the PhD program. At least 18 credits of coursework are required for the PhD degree.  Only one credit of CHGN560 and one credit of CHGN660 may be applied to this coursework requirement. The total hours of course work required are determined on an individual basis by the student's thesis committee. Up to 24 credits of graduate-level coursework may be transferred from other institutions toward the PhD degree provided that those courses have not been used by the student toward a bachelor's degree. Up to 36 credits may be transferred if the student has completed a master's degree. The student's thesis committee may set additional course requirements and will make decisions on requests for transfer credit. 

Seminar requirement. Full-time PhD students are expected to maintain continuous enrollment in CHGN560 until they have passed their CHGN560 seminar, which must be completed no later than the end of the student's second year of graduate studies at Mines. The semester after completion of the CHGN560 seminar, students must enroll in CHGN660.  They should maintain continuous enrollment in CHGN660 until they have passed their CHGN660 seminar. The CHGN660 seminar must include detailed research findings and interpretation of the student's PhD thesis research and must be presented close to, but before, the student's oral defense of the thesis. 

Comprehensive examination. The comprehensive examination comprises a written literature review of the student's field of research, an oral presentation and defense of the literature review before the student's thesis committee, and oral answers to questions posed by the thesis committee during the defense. The literature review must be completed prior to the end of the student's second year of graduate studies. A student's thesis committee may, at its discretion, require additional components to the comprehensive examination process.

Thesis proposal. The thesis proposal should include a statement of the hypotheses, goals and objectives of the proposed research, the significance and novelty of the research in the context of previously published studies, a description of methodology and results to date, a timeline with milestones, and a description of how the student has contributed to the creation or direction of the project.  The thesis proposal must be orally defended before the student's thesis committee prior to completion of the student's third year of studies.

Geochemistry

Please see the Geochemistry section of this bulletin for more information.

Courses