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Program Requirements for Chemistry and Biochemistry (Master of Applied Chemical Sciences)
Applicable only to students admitted during the 2022-2023 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, the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Biochemistry, Molecular and Structural Biology, and Master of Applied Chemical Sciences (M.A.C.S.)
Master of Applied Chemical Sciences
Advising
The MACS Program Director and Faculty Advisors will advise students in the MACS program.
Areas of Study
Materials chemistry and medicinal chemistry.
Foreign Language Requirement
None.
Course Requirements
The program consists of at least 72.0 units. Students are required to take the following core courses: MACS 201A/B, 202, 203, 204A/B, 207A/B/C.
The track-specific courses will be required, including either MACS 205 or MACS 206. Other track-specific courses include CHEM 244L, CHEM 285L, CHEM 244B, CHEM 256, CHEM 280, and CHEM 281. These include two laboratory courses (CHEM 244L and CHEM 285L), which will be taught on the weekends for MACS students with their lecture components taught concurrently with the existing courses during the week. In addition, students will be allowed to enroll in various seminar classes offered by the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. The remaining electives to be taken will depend on a particular student’s interest, as it evolves through the program. A list of electives appropriate for the MACS students will be compiled and a committee will be formed to advise students in their selection. The electives can be chosen among a range of relevant courses offered by the Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Bioengineering, or Materials Science.
Sample Degree Program
| Year 1 | Fall Quarter | Winter Quarter | Spring Quarter |
| Both tracks | MACS 201A, MACS 202 | MACS 201B, MACS 203, MACS 204A | MACS 204B |
| Medicinal track | CHEM 244L | CHEM 244B or CHEM 156 | MACS 205, CHEM 248 or CHEM 268, and elective |
| Materials track | CHEM 285L | CHEM 281 or elective | MACS 206, CHEM 280 or elective, and CHEM 228 or CHEM 278 |
| Year 2 | Fall Quarter | Winter Quarter | Spring Quarter |
| Both tracks | MACS 207A | MACS 207B, MACS 204A | MACS 207C, MACS 204B |
| Medicinal track | Elective | CHEM 235 or CHEM 256 or another approved seminar | CHEM 235 or CHEM 256 or another approved seminar |
| Materials track | Elective | CHEM 272 or CHEM 219 or another approved seminar | CHEM 272 or CHEM 219 or another approved seminar |
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
The requirement is met by the completion of MACS 207A/B/C. The course will occur starting in the Fall until the end of Spring of the second year (three quarters, hence the sequence MACS 207A/B/C) and consists of hands on research experience. Students will either perform research in the group of a UCLA professor or in partnership with a MACS-related company. During the last week of spring quarter of the second year or whenever the annual symposium is scheduled, the students will present their research and be examined via an oral exam. .
Thesis Plan
None.
Time-to-Degree
From graduate admission to award of the degree, the normal progress is six academic quarters (two academic calendar years). Maximum time allowable from enrollment to graduation, including leaves of absence, is three years (9 quarters).
| DEGREE | NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters) | NORMATIVE TTD |
MAXIMUM TTD |
| M.S. | 6 | 6 | 9 |
Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification
University Policy
A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for academic disqualification from 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 academic disqualification of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.