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Program Requirements for Chemistry and Biochemistry (Chemistry)
Applicable only to students admitted during the 2018-2019 academic year.
Chemistry and Biochemistry
College of Letters and Science
Graduate Degrees
The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry offers the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Chemistry, and the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Biochemistry, Molecular and Structural Biology.
Chemistry
Master’s Degree
Advising
Initial academic advising is handled by the appropriate faculty area adviser. Students continue to consult with this adviser each quarter until completion of their course requirements. During this period, students also choose a Research Director to supervise their thesis research. The Graduate Studies Committee, consisting of the graduate advisers and faculty area advisers, reviews each student’s progress quarterly. Notification in writing is given to students who are performing at a very high level and to those who are not making adequate progress. The faculty graduate adviser, faculty area advisers, and Director of Graduate Student Services are available for personal consultation.
Areas of Study
Chemical biology, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, materials chemistry, biophysics, theory/computation, and analytical chemistry/measurement science and technology.
Foreign Language Requirement
None.
Course Requirements
At least nine quarter courses (36 units) are required, of which at least five (20 units) must be graduate courses and the remainder upper division courses. Students must take a minimum of two courses in their major area and one course in an outside area. Choices may be made from the major areas as described under Doctoral Degree.
Substitutions may be made with consent of the faculty area adviser. With the consent of the faculty graduate adviser, courses of directed individual study, but not research courses, may replace any of the courses listed above.
Up to 24 units of Chemistry and Biochemistry 596 or 598 may be applied toward the total course requirement; up to 20 units may be applied toward the minimum graduate course requirement.
Teaching Experience
Not Required. Students who serve as teaching assistants must enroll in and receive a grade of S for Chemistry and Biochemistry 375 for each quarter they teach in order to continue teaching.
Field Experience
Not Required.
Capstone Plan
There are two options for the master’s degree: the capstone plan and the thesis plan.
For the capstone plan in Chemistry, students must complete the course work requirements of their specialization, in addition to a Capstone Project. The Capstone Project involves writing a research proposal. It is intended to develop an ability to identify, analyze, and solve problems independently.
The Proposal
The proposal must involve a topic in chemistry that is not directly related to any research performed previously. The proposed research should not be too broad or too narrow, and should have a scope that could lead to a publication. Once students have an idea for what they would like to propose and have learned enough about it to think it will be a suitable subject for their proposal, they may wish to consult with the Graduate Specialization adviser.
The proposal should be in the format required for federal grants such as NSF or NIH. The text (including Figures) must not be longer than twelve pages of double spaced typing (1 inch margins, 12 point Times font), but the reference section can be as long as necessary. A reasonable format would be as follows:
Specific Aims: Provide an overview of the proposal, with specific aims (1 page max)
Significance: Describe why the proposed studies are important (1/2 – 1 page suggested)
Research Design and Methods: Describe proposed studies, citing ample and appropriate literature to support ideas (roughly 9 – 10 pages)
Proposal Submission and Grading: Students should solicit the mentorship of two Chemistry/Biochemistry faculty members who will read and grade their proposal. There are no specific deadlines for submitting the proposal, but as proposal review and revision may take some time, it is suggested to submit as early as possible during any given quarter (assuming the student wishes to earn the Masters degree that same quarter).
Three faculty members will read the proposal and send an e-mail grade & review to the student within 3 weeks. The grading is Pass/Fail. Two “P” grades require no further revision (and the Capstone Project is completed). If one or more of the readers does not rate the assignment as a “P”, the student will be required to revise and resubmit within one month. Students are welcome to receive help and mentorship from faculty members as needed. After resubmission, if the student receives two “P” grades, no further revision would be required (and the student has completed the assignment).
Thesis Plan
For the thesis plan in Chemistry, students must complete the course work requirements of their specialization, in addition to a master’s thesis. Every master’s degree thesis plan requires the completion of an approved thesis that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research.
Time-to-Degree
From admission to completion of courses: Three academic quarters (one calendar year).
From admission to award of degree: Three to seven quarters (one to two calendar years).
| DEGREE | NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters) | NORMATIVE TTD |
MAXIMUM TTD |
| M.S. | 7 | 7 | 11 |
Doctoral Degree
Advising
Initial academic advising is handled by the appropriate faculty area adviser. Students continue to consult with this adviser each quarter until completion of their course requirements. During this period, students also choose a research director to supervise the dissertation research. The Graduate Studies Committee, consisting of the faculty and staff graduate advisers and faculty area advisers, reviews each student’s progress quarterly. Notification in writing is given to students who are performing at a very high level and to those who are not making adequate progress. The faculty graduate adviser, faculty area advisers, and Director of Graduate Student Services are available for personal consultation.
Minimum Progress. Students are required to join a research group by the end of winter quarter of the first year. At the end of the first and second year, the overall progress of each student is evaluated by the Graduate Studies Committee, taking into account performance in courses, written examinations, teaching, and research. The committee may recommend that students (1) proceed to the oral examination, (2) be redirected to the M.S. program, or (3) be terminated.
Major Fields or Subdisciplines
Inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, materials chemistry, biophysics, theory/computation, and analytical chemistry/measurement science and technology.
Foreign Language Requirement
None.
Course Requirements
Candidates in each area of specialization should normally complete as a minimum the course work indicated below. Some of these requirements can be met on the basis of orientation examinations and courses taken prior to entry into the graduate program. If the projected research falls in an area which differs appreciably from that anticipated by the field requirements listed below, students may be permitted appropriate modifications.
Chemical Biology: (1) Students entering the program should have a broad undergraduate training in chemistry covering general, organic, and biochemistry course work. Required background material: Chemistry and Biochemistry 30A, 30B, 30BL, 30C, 30CL, 110A, 153A, 153B, 153C; (2) Chemistry and Biochemistry 205A, 269A, C; (3) choice of 244A or 243A; (4) three courses from Chemistry and Biochemistry 240, 243A, 243B, 244A, 244B, 262, C264, 266, 269B, D and E, C279, C281, CM227 or other courses with approval of the chemical biology area adviser; (5) Chemistry and Biochemistry 205B, 206A-C, 203B or 250, and 400; (6) one department seminar course each quarter (choice of 247 or 268); (7) Chemistry and Biochemistry 209; (8) Chemistry and Biochemistry 249B in winter and spring of the first year; (9) two optional laboratory rotations; one can be taken in the summer; (10) Chemistry and Biochemistry 210 in fall of year 2. (11) Suggested Core Courses – Biomaterials Focus: Fall: 269A, 269C; Winter: 243A; Spring: 205A (Electives as so desired).
Suggested Core Courses – Synthetic Focus: Fall: 269A, 269C, 244A; Spring: 205A (Electives as so desired)
Suggested Core Courses – Biochemistry Focus: Fall: 269A, B, C, D, E ;Winter: 243A; Spring: 205A (Electives as so desired).
Inorganic Chemistry: (1) Required background material: Chemistry and Biochemistry C172 or its equivalent, and satisfactory performance on the inorganic chemistry orientation examination; (2) Chemistry and Biochemistry 207, C275, C276A,and C280; (3) one elective course from the following: Chemistry and Biochemistry CM205A, C213B, C215B, 215D, C223A, 232, 236, 241A through 241Z, 242, C243A, C243B, 244A, 244B, C245, 271, C274, 277, or other graduate courses with the approval of the inorganic chemistry area adviser. If the C274 requirement is waived, two electives should be selected from this list: (4) Chemistry and Biochemistry 278 and one quarter of Chemistry and Biochemistry 282; (5) Chemistry and Biochemistry 203B and 209; (6) Chemistry and Biochemistry 400; (7) Chemistry and Biochemistry 249B in winter and spring of the first year; (8) Chemistry and Biochemistry 210, in fall of year 2.
Organic Chemistry: (1) Required background material: Chemistry and Biochemistry 30A, 30B, 30BL, 30C, 30CL, 136, and satisfactory performance on the organic chemistry orientation examination; (2) Chemistry and Biochemistry 236, C243A, 244A; (3) three courses from Chemistry and Biochemistry 205A, 207, C243B, 244B, C245, C281, and 241B through 241Z, or other courses with approval of the organic chemistry area adviser; (4) Chemistry and Biochemistry 248 (minimum three quarters); (5) Chemistry and Biochemistry 249B (one quarter); (6) Chemistry and Biochemistry 400; (7) Chemistry and Biochemistry 203B and 209; (8) Chemistry and Biochemistry 249B in winter and spring of the first year; (9) Chemistry and Biochemistry 210, in the fall of year 2.
Physical Chemistry: (1) Required background material: Chemistry and Biochemistry 110A, 110B, 113A, and satisfactory performance on the physical chemistry orientation examination; (2) Chemistry and Biochemistry C215A-C215B, C223A-C223B, or equivalent; (3) Chemistry and Biochemistry 228 each quarter; (4) Chemistry and Biochemistry 218 (one quarter). Substitutions may be made with consent of the physical chemistry area adviser: (5) Chemistry and Biochemistry 400; (6) Chemistry and Biochemistry 203B and 209; (7) Chemistry and Biochemistry 249C in winter and spring of the first year; (8) Chemistry and Biochemistry 210 in the fall of year 2.
Materials Chemistry: (1) Required background material: Chemistry and Biochemistry 110A, 113A, and either 136 or 172, or their equivalents, and satisfactory performance on the physical, inorganic, or organic chemistry orientation examination; (2) Chemistry and Biochemistry C280 and C285; (3) two classes from the following: Chemistry and Biochemistry 207, C215A, C215B, C223A, C223B, 236, C243A, C243B, 244A, 244B, C276A, C276B; (4) one from: Chemistry and Biochemistry C240, C281, 267, 277, or any class from the preceding group not already taken. Other graduate courses from outside of Chemistry and Biochemistry may also be used with approval of the materials chemistry area adviser: (5) Chemistry and Biochemistry 228, or 248, or 278, every quarter; (6) Chemistry and Biochemistry 203B and 209; (7) Chemistry and Biochemistry 400; (8) Chemistry and Biochemistry 249A in winter and spring of the first year; (9) Chemistry and Biochemistry 210 in the fall of year 2.
Biophysics:
Track A: (1) Required background material: Chemistry and Biochemistry 110A, 110B and 113A or its equivalent, and satisfactory performance on the physical chemistry orientation examination; (2) Chemistry and Biochemistry C215A, and C223 A, B; (3) 8 units from: Chemistry and Biochemistry M230B, 257, 269A, B, C, Physics 220, Physics 241A, B, C; (4) Chemistry and Biochemistry 228 or 268, every quarter; (5) Chemistry and Biochemistry 400; (6) Chemistry and Biochemistry 203B and 209; (7) Chemistry and Biochemistry 249C in winter and spring of the first year; (8) Chemistry and Biochemistry 210 in the fall of year 2.
Track B: (1) Required background material: Chemistry and Biochemistry 153A and 153B or its equivalent; (2) Chemistry and Biochemistry 269A, B, C, M230B or 257, C200 or CM260A, and one quarter of 258; (3) 8 units of additional graduate courses from: Chemistry and Biochemistry M230B, 257, M230D, CM260A, CM260B, Physics 220, and Chemistry and Biochemistry C223A, B; (4) Chemistry and Biochemistry 268 or 228, every quarter; (5) three lab rotations; (6) Chemistry and Biochemistry 203B, 209 and 400; (7) Chemistry and Biochemistry 249C in winter and spring of the first year; (8) Chemistry and Biochemistry 210 in the fall of year 2.
Theory/Computation: (1) Required background material: Chemistry and Biochemistry 110A, 110B and 113A or its equivalent, and satisfactory performance on the physical chemistry orientation examination; (2) Chemistry and Biochemistry C215A, B, C223A, B, and C226A, or C215A, C223A, and either C215B or C223B and 2 courses from the following: Chemistry and Biochemistry C245, C215C, C226A, CM260A, 269A, 269B, C276A; (3) Chemistry and Biochemistry 228, every quarter; (4) Chemistry and Biochemistry 203B and 209; (5) Chemistry and Biochemistry 400; (6) Chemistry and Biochemistry 249C in winter and spring of the first year; (7) Chemistry and Biochemistry 210 in the fall of year 2.
Analytical Chemistry/Measurement Science and Engineering: (1) Required background material: Chemistry and Biochemistry 110A, 110B and 113A, or 172, or 136, or their equivalents, and satisfactory performance on the analytical chemistry orientation examination; (2) Chemistry and Biochemistry C243A and 244A, or C215A and C223A , or 207 and C276A, or C279 and CM205A; (3) Chemistry and Biochemistry C285 or 257; (4) 8 units from: Chemistry and Biochemistry C208, 236, C240, 266, 276B, Bioengineering C204, C231, M225, M248, or other engineering or medical school graduate level courses approved by the area advisor; (5) Chemistry and Biochemistry 228, or 247, or 278, every quarter; (6) Chemistry and Biochemistry 203B and 209. (7) Chemistry and Biochemistry 400; (8) Chemistry and Biochemistry 249A, B, or C in winter and spring of the first year; (9) Chemistry and Biochemistry 210 in the fall of year 2.
Starting the 2018-2019 academic year, students will be required to present their dissertation research before graduating.
Exit Presentation
PHYSICAL division, and BIOPHYSICS, ANALYTICAL/INSTRUMENTATION and THEORY/COMPUTATION specializations:
All Chemistry graduate students in these areas are required to enroll in CHEM 218: Chemistry Student Exit Seminar sometime during the final three quarters before they submit their dissertation. CHEM 218 is designed as a weekly seminar in which the student will have opportunity to present an hour-long seminar on the findings described in their dissertation. If a student plans to submit their dissertation during the summer session, they must enroll in CHEM 218 sometime during the academic year before submission. The student will be responsible for inviting their doctoral committee. CHEM 218 will be graded on a S/U basis. The grading will be determined by the quality of the presentation.
INORGANIC and ORGANIC divisions, and CHEMICAL BIOLOGY and MATERIALS specializations:
Inorganic students will continue to be required to present a talk, in their 4th year, in the regular Inorganic Research Seminar series. Organic graduate students will be required to participate in the annual organic symposium. Organic students will present their dissertation findings during the academic year in which they file their dissertation. Chemical biology students may participate in either the organic graduate student symposium or the oral thesis defense in the biochemistry division. This choice will be made in conjunction with the student’s adviser based on the norms of their research group. Materials students may present in the CHEM 218 seminar, in the Inorganic Research Seminar, or in the organic graduate student symposium, depending on their area of research. The choice of presentation will be made in conjunction with the student’s research adviser.
Teaching Experience
One year (three quarters) of teaching experience is generally required. Students who serve as teaching assistants must enroll in and receive a grade of S for Chemistry and Biochemistry 375 for each quarter they teach in order to continue teaching and maintain their standing in the Ph.D. program.
Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations
Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass university written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy. Also, under Senate regulations, the University Oral Qualifying Examination is open only to the student and appointed members of the doctoral committee. In addition to university requirements, some graduate programs have other pre-candidacy examination requirements. What follows in this section is how students are required to fulfill all of these requirements for this doctoral program.
All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution.
The written examination requirement is coupled to a graduate student course on research excellence and proposal writing, Advanced Topics in Chemical Research, which students complete during the fall of their 2nd year of graduate studies. The course is designed for second-year graduate students to help them engage contemporary challenges in chemical research and their own research projects. Students will build critical thinking skills and gain proposal writing skills.
Students will submit a written document that describes the background and significance of their research, their results to-date, and plans for future dissertation studies. This report will be due in December of the 2nd year of Graduate Study. The report will be graded (pass/fail) by three faculty members based on several criteria: student understanding of his/her research project, acceptable research progress, planned future studies, clarity of writing, and overall professional quality. A report/proposal that is deemed unsatisfactory by two or more graders may be revised once and will be re-graded. The written qualifying component of the Ph.D. program is fulfilled after the student satisfactorily completes this proposal with two or more passing grades.
The University Oral Qualifying Examination consists of an original research proposal in an area distinct from the student’s dissertation research and done without assistance from the research adviser. The proposal is presented orally to the committee, and the committee questions the candidate on the proposal, general knowledge of the area, and dissertation research progress. The proposal represents independent work and offers the doctoral committee the opportunity to judge the student’s ability to think creatively and to formulate significant ideas for research.
All students are required to take the University Oral Qualifying Examination by June 30 of their second year. The committee’s decision to advance a student to candidacy, to allow the student to repeat all or part of the oral, or to disqualify the student, is based on the student’s overall record at UCLA as reflected in coursework and examinations, and the student’s research ability and productivity.
Advancement to Candidacy
Students are advanced to candidacy upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations. The Candidate in Philosophy (C.Phil.) degree is awarded for the quarter in which students are advanced to candidacy.
Doctoral Dissertation
Every doctoral degree program requires the completion of an approved dissertation that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research and constitutes a distinct contribution to knowledge in the principal field of study.
Final Oral Examination (Defense of the Dissertation)
Not required. The decision as to whether a defense is required is made by the doctoral committee.
Time-to-Degree
The following are normal times to complete the requirements of the program:
From admission to completion of written qualifying examinations (see above for definition/description of these for each major): three to five academic quarters (one to one and two-thirds calendar years).
From admission to advancement to candidacy: seven quarters (two calendar years).
From admission to award of degree: 19 quarters (four to five calendar years).
| DEGREE | NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters) | NORMATIVE TTD |
MAXIMUM TTD |
| Ph.D. | 7 | 19 | 31 |
Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination
University Policy
A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for termination of graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department. University guidelines governing termination of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.
Special Departmental or Program Policy
A student may be recommended for termination by the Graduate Studies Committee. A student may appeal a recommendation for termination to the departmental chair.