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Doctoral Program in Chemistry

The Ph.D. degree is awarded in any of five main areas of chemistry: analytical, inorganic, organic, physical, or polymer chemistry. The degree recipient must demonstrate scholastic breadth in chemistry and contribute significantly to scientific advancement in a chosen major area. Requirements of the program include coursework, candidacy examinations, a chemical information retrieval or technical writing course, and successful completion of a publishable Ph.D. thesis.

Course Requirements
Ninety credits of graduate-level work must be completed for the Ph.D. degree. The Chemistry Department requires 30 credits of coursework in chemistry (outlined in the Course Requirements section of the M.S. program). The balance can be made up of advanced special topics courses and research credits.

Candidacy Requirements
To become a candidate for the Ph.D. in chemistry at Drexel, a student must pass a prescribed set of cumulative examinations and must present and successfully defend a research proposal in an area not directly related to his or her Ph.D. thesis research.

Cumulative Examinations
Written examinations designed to test a student’s background in his or her major area are given monthly during the academic year and occasionally during the summer at the discretion of the faculty. Students should begin taking these examinations after having completed three courses in the major area (usually the main sequence courses). Full-time students normally begin taking these examinations in the fall term of their second year.

Research Proposal
The research proposal is an attempt to confront the student early on with the problem of defining and evaluating a worthwhile research program. The subject of the proposal is distinct from that of the thesis research. The examination at which the research proposal is defended is held no later than 90 days after the notification of a student’s completion of the cumulative examination requirement. A written proposal is submitted to the committee no later than two weeks before the examination. A passing grade on this examination admits the student to Ph.D. candidacy.

Thesis
A Ph.D. thesis — the heart of the Ph.D. degree — must be written, accepted by the research supervisor, presented to a Ph.D. Thesis Examining Committee, and defended orally to the satisfaction of the Examining Committee. It is the responsibility of the student, not the research supervisor, to submit an acceptable thesis.