Chemistry, Ph.D.

Admission

To be admitted to graduate programs an applicant must have a bachelor’s degree and an adequate background in chemistry or biochemistry. An undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 is required; however, students with industrial experience in chemistry and averages below 3.0 may be admitted on probation at the discretion of the graduate advisor and with permission of the Graduate School.

Applicants must achieve acceptable scores on the Graduate Record Examination.

Applicants from non-English speaking countries who have not received a degree from a United States university must satisfy English proficiency requirements, including a minimum TOEFL score of 80 on the internet-based exam, or 550 on the paper exam. Applicants from non-English speaking countries may submit a minimum score of 6.0 on the IELTS exam in place of a TOEFL score.

Core Courses (15 hours)

Select either the life or physical sciences core:

Restricted Elective Courses (6 hours)

Select one of the following concentrations:

Unrestricted Elective Courses (6 hours)

Choose two 6000 or 7000 level chemistry courses or two other courses offered by the University with prior approval of the graduate committee.

Residence Requirements

At least two consecutive semesters in residence as a full-time student at The University of Tulsa are required.

Advisory Committee

A student in the Ph.D. program will be advised initially by a graduate faculty member recommended by the graduate program advisor and approved by the Dean of the Graduate School. The student should select a general research area and a research advisor or co-advisors for the dissertation by the end of the second semester after enrollment in the program. The advisor or co-advisors, after consultation with the student, recommend the other members of the advisory committee to the Dean of the Graduate School. The advisory committee must have at least four members, three of whom must be from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. One member must be a faculty member from a department other than Chemistry and Biochemistry or may be a qualified expert in the research area from outside the University. The advisory committee assists with the student’s program of coursework, approves the dissertation topic, and administers the final dissertation oral examination.

Qualifying Examinations

By the end of their second year, students will be expected to pass five of fourteen possible qualifying exams which will demonstrate proficiency in the core courses. Three exams will be offered per semester and one exam will be offered in the summer. Two faculty members, on a rotating basis, will be responsible for each qualifying exam. Each faculty member will be responsible for proctoring exams on a rotating basis. Faculty will announce the exam topics two weeks prior to the scheduled exam. Exams will be given on a Saturday and students will have three hours to complete the exams. A 70% or higher score qualifies as passing. Qualifying exams will be made available for all faculty members to examine after they are graded by placing a copy in the student’s departmental file.  Student who have not passed five exams by the end of their second year will be dismissed from the Ph.D. program. Students who have been dismissed may be immediately admitted to the appropriate master’s program (chemistry or biochemistry) upon petition to, and approval by, the faculty and the Dean of the Graduate School.

Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal Examination

By the end of their second year, students that have successfully completed their qualifying examinations will have one semester to take the Ph.D. dissertation proposal examination. The examination, which is given by the graduate advisory committee, consists of a written and oral defense of students’ preliminary dissertation research accomplishments and plans.

Admission to Candidacy

A student in the Ph.D. program cannot apply for candidacy until 36 credit hours of required graduate course work have been completed. Admission to candidacy is recommended by the research advisor upon successful completion of the qualifying examination and acceptance of the dissertation research proposal.

Dissertation and Defense

The final requirement for the Ph.D. degree is the completion of a satisfactory written dissertation of a student’s research, along with successful presentation and defense of the dissertation to the student’s advisory committee which is open to the public. Dissertations must be presented to the committee at least two weeks prior to the defense date, and public disclosure of the defense date must be given at least one week prior to the defense.