Chemistry, MS

The Department of Chemistry at the University of Kentucky offers two graduate degrees-the MS and the PhD (doctoral) degree. In the MS degree program, the student has the option of pursuing the MS Plan A, which involves research and a thesis, or the MS Plan B, a non-thesis or course work-only option. A Master’s degree is not a prerequisite for the PhD degree.

Admission Requirements

Four years of chemistry covering the areas of general, organic, physical, and analytical constitute the normal minimum requirement for pursuing graduate work within this Department. Additional prerequisite undergraduate work includes one year of college physics, mathematics through calculus, and training in some foreign language. In special cases, exceptions to these rules may be made by the Director of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Program Committee. An undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 (based on a 4-point system) normally shall be required for admission as a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry. The Graduate Program Committee shall, however, be authorized to admit students with averages as low as 2.75, based on such evidence of ability as high GRE scores, recommendations, or excellent preparation.

No students with undergraduate averages below 2.5 will be admitted.Graduate Students who lack specified prerequisites, or are found to be deficient in the Proficiency Examinations given during the orientation program, may make up their deficiencies by registering in and successfully completing the appropriate (usually undergraduate) courses.

Please see the Department of Chemistry Graduate Program Handbook for more information related to the Graduate Program.

Please visit the Department of Chemistry website for more resources and information.

Degree Requirements

Course work for the MS shall include four core courses, one from each of four of the five areas of chemistry: analytical, biological, inorganic, organic and physical. Students who entered the program prior to the Fall 2014 semester must select one course from each of the two areas where the lowest proficiency examination scores were obtained. The following three-credit courses are officially the Core in each area.

Students will not be making satisfactory progress unless they have completed at least 12 hours of course work other than research and seminar by the end of the first year and 24 hours of course work by the end of the second year. In addition, any time a student’s GPA falls below a 3.0, this is automatically considered to be unsatisfactory performance. Students who are not making satisfactory progress after three semesters will be ineligible to serve as teaching assistants and may be terminated in the graduate program.

The first course listed in each area is usually offered in the fall; the second course usually in the spring:

Analytical Chemistry Area

Biological Chemistry Area

Inorganic Chemistry Area

Organic Chemistry Area

Physical Chemistry Area

Plan A - Master’s Thesis Plan

A minimum of 30 graduate credit hours, 15 of which must be at the 600- or 700-level (Graduate School requirement). The advisory committee may require additional courses.

Plan B - Master’s Course Work Plan

A minimum of 30 graduate credit hours, 15 of which must be at the 600-or 700-level (Graduate School requirement). The advisory committee may require additional courses. Of these 15 advanced credit hours, the Council on Postsecondary Education currently requires that 12 credit hours be in Chemistry (CHE) courses.