Graduate Course Descriptions

The following directory lists the graduate courses which the University expects to offer, although the University in no way guarantees that all such courses will be offered in any given academic year, and reserves the right to alter the list if conditions warrant. Click on the links below for a list of courses in that subject area. You may then click “View Classes” to see scheduled classes for individual courses.

5300. Independent Study

1.00 - 3.00 credits | May be repeated for a total of 12 credits.

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

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5301. Microstructural and Morphological Analyses

Also offered as: IMS 5301

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Lecture on sample preparation and analyses for optical and electron microscopy methods including scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, focused ion beam methods, and electron energy loss spectroscopy.

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5302. Structural Analysis

Also offered as: IMS 5302

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Lecture on sample preparation and analyses for X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, X-ray imaging, Rietveld refinement, Thin Film X-ray Analyses, and In Situ methods.

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5303. Compositional Analyses

Also offered as: IMS 5303

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Lecture on sample preparation and analyses, for characterization of compositions of materials. Methods to be discussed include titrations, atomic absorption, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, infrared, Raman, Ultraviolet visible, fluorescence, chromatography, and mass spectrometry.

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5304. Surface and Interfacial Analysis

Also offered as: IMS 5304

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Lecture on sample preparation and analyses for surfaces and interfaces, including scanning Auger microscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, contact angle measurements, and temperature program methods.

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5310. Seminar

1.00 credits | May be repeated for a total of 3 credits.

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory

Reports and discussion of topics of current interest in a variety of fields of chemistry.

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5324. Advanced Inorganic Chemistry I

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Synthetic methods in inorganic chemistry; the application of physical methods to the investigation of inorganic compounds.

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5325. Advanced Inorganic Chemistry II

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: CHEM 5324.

Grading Basis: Graded

In depth study of general principles of inorganic chemistry; the structure of the elements and of inorganic compounds; group theory; different approaches to understanding the chemical bond.

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5326. Advanced Inorganic Chemistry III

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: CHEM 5325.

Grading Basis: Graded

Main group and transition metal compounds with inorganic and organic ligands; the study of the transition metals is in preparation for CHEM 5327.

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5327. Advanced Inorganic Chemistry IV

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: CHEM 5326.

Grading Basis: Graded

Transition metal chemistry; organometallic and coordination compounds of the transition elements, including the lanthanides and actinides; selected topics in bioinorganic chemistry.

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5331. Advanced Instrumental Analysis

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: Recommended preparation: A course in advanced Analytical Chemistry.

Grading Basis: Graded

Provides graduate students with the foundations necessary to understand and apply chemical analyses and instrumental techniques.

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5336. Electroanalytical Chemistry

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

A study of the theoretical and practical basis for electroanalytical methods. Topics include voltammetric methods of analysis (including polarography, cyclic voltammetry, rotating disk voltammetry, pulse and square-wave methods, and stripping analysis), coulometric, and chronoamperometric methods. Recent advances using micro- and modified electrodes, thin-layer and flow cells, electrochemical sensors and detectors, and bioelectrochemistry may be included.

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5337. Optical Methods of Analysis

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

A discussion of fundamental principles, instrumentation and applications of some spectroscopic techniques of analytical chemistry including Raman spectroscopy, molecular fluorescence spectroscopy, atomic spectroscopy.

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5338. Separation Methods

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

A study of the theoretical and practical basis for modern separation methods. Topics to be discussed include the various methods dealing with gas-liquid, liquid-liquid, liquid-solid, gas-solid, ion-exchange, size exclusion, chromatography, electrophoresis, and mass spectrometry.

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5340. Electronic Interpretation of Organic Chemistry

2.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Approaches to writing organic reaction mechanisms.

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5341. Advanced Organic Chemistry

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Review of the fundamentals of bonding, stereochemistry and conformations and basic reactions from undergraduate organic chemistry. These fundamental principles will then be elaborated to include more advanced concepts of reactions and reactivity.

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5343. Organic Reactions

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Nomenclature. Classes of compounds. A focus upon those reactions in which C-C bonds are formed. Emphasis on the fundamentals of each reaction, their utility and applications. A background of functional group exchanges; reaction control by steric, electronic, and topological considerations.

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5344. Concepts in Organic Chemistry

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: CHEM 5343.

Grading Basis: Graded

Structure and mechanism. Such topics as chemical bonding, stereochemistry, conformation, molecular orbital theory and applications, acids and bases, and study of organic reaction mechanisms, including kinetics, substitutions, rearrangements and photochemical reactions.

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5345. Determination of Organic Structures

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: CHEM 5343.

Grading Basis: Graded

Structural problem solving using fundamental data including spectroscopic and wet chemical techniques.

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5347. Organic Synthesis

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: CHEM 5343 and CHEM 5344.

Grading Basis: Graded

An investigation of efficient strategies for the synthesis of natural and unnatural organic molecules. Topics include: retrosynthetic analysis, synthetic strategies, common carbon-carbon bond formation reactions, multiple bond disconnection strategies (applications of pericyclic reactions), organometallic coupling reactions, radical and carbene reactions in organic synthesis, strategies to construct carbocyclic and heterocyclic ring systems.

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5350. Advanced Physical Chemistry I

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: Not open to students who have passed CHEM 5351, 5352, 5353, or 5356.

Grading Basis: Graded

Thermodynamics, quantum mechanics and reaction dynamics, including enthalpy, entropy, free energy, equilibrium, quantum behavior of electrons and molecules, atomic and molecular spectroscopy, and theories of reaction rates.

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5351. Quantum Chemistry I

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Concepts of the quantum theory starting with an historical introduction and proceeding to the formulation of the Schrödinger equation and its exact solutions. Other topics include group theory, angular momentum, and approximate methods with applications to atomic and molecular structure and spectroscopy.

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5352. Quantum Chemistry II

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: CHEM 5351.

Grading Basis: Graded

Selected topics in quantum chemistry, building on the concepts developed in CHEM 5351.

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5353. Chemical Kinetics

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Empirical and theoretical treatment of reaction rates. Experimental methods and treatment of data. Simple kinetic forms. Deduction of reaction mechanisms. Reaction energetics. Theories of elementary reaction rates. Diffusion. Homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. Extrakinetic probes of mechanism.

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5354. Molecular Modeling

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Current topics in molecular simulations and modeling with hands-on computational experiments: molecular mechanics and its implementation via molecular dynamics, modeling of ligand-protein interactions, free energy calculations, molecular orbital theory, ab initio and density functional theory methods, quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics, and computational chemistry software.

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5356. Statistical Mechanics

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Equilibrium properties of macroscopic systems from a molecular point of view.

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5357. Surface Science

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: Not open for credit to students who have passed CHEM 5393 when offered as "Surface Science."

Grading Basis: Graded

A study of the fundamentals of surfaces, crystals, adsorbates, and surface analysis techniques. Application of general, physical, and analytical chemistry concepts in surface science.

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5360. Biological Chemistry I

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Recent advances in understanding the mechanisms of chemical processes in biological systems. Chemical perspectives or problems of biological significance at the interfaces of the various divisions of chemistry.

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5361. Biological Chemistry II

1.00 - 3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Selected topics in Biological Chemistry. Building on the concepts developed in CHEM 5360.

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5370. Environmental Chemistry I

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Sources, transport, effects, fate, analytical chemistry, monitoring and management of chemical species; chemical principles, equilibria and reactions. Water and atmospheric pollution; acid rain, global warming, ozone.

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5371. Environmental Chemistry II

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: CHEM 5370 or 4370.

Grading Basis: Graded

Inorganic metals and organic chemicals in the environment; energy sources; fossil fuels, nuclear power, fuel cells, and alternatives.

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5380. Polymer Synthesis

Also offered as: POLY 5380

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Chemistry of the formation of high polymers, including kinetics, mechanisms, and stereochemistry of step growth and addition polymerization. Recent advances in polymer synthesis.

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5381. Polymer Physical Chemistry

Also offered as: POLY 5381

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

A molecular description of the fundamental physico-chemical aspects of polymer solutions and solids. Considers thermodynamics, chain statistics, dynamics, and structure of polymer molecules.

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5382. Polymer Characterization I

Also offered as: POLY 5382

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Experimental techniques for characterizing polymers on a molecular level, with emphasis on the provision of a working knowledge of instrumental analysis. Experiments include dilute solution viscosity, vapor pressure osmometry, gel permeation chromatography, chemical and spectroscopic analysis.

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5384. Polymer Characterization II

Also offered as: POLY 5384

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Experimental techniques for characterizing polymers on a macroscopic scale, with emphasis on provision of a working knowledge of instrumental analysis. Experiments include calorimetry, mechanical analysis, surface characterization, and structure determination.

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5388. Infrared Spectroscopy of Polymers

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

The nature of the interaction of IR radiation with molecules, modern spectrometer design, non-conventional sampling techniques, and applications to polymer-related problems.

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5393. Special Topics in Physical Chemistry

1.00 - 3.00 credits | May be repeated for a total of 12 credits.

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

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5394. Special Topics in Polymer Chemistry

1.00 - 3.00 credits | May be repeated for a total of 12 credits.

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

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5395. Special Topics in Analytical Chemistry

1.00 - 3.00 credits | May be repeated for a total of 12 credits.

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

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5396. Special Topics in Inorganic Chemistry

1.00 - 3.00 credits | May be repeated for a total of 12 credits.

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

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5397. Special Topics in Organic Chemistry

1.00 - 3.00 credits | May be repeated for a total of 12 credits.

Prerequisites: CHEM 5343.

Grading Basis: Graded

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5398. Variable Topics in Chemistry

1.00 - 3.00 credits | May be repeated for a total of 12 credits.

Prerequisites: Open to graduate students in Chemistry and related areas.

Grading Basis: Graded

Themes applicable to students in all divisions of chemistry.

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5695. Special Topics in Biological Chemistry

1.00 - 3.00 credits | May be repeated for a total of 12 credits.

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Advanced concepts and themes centered on topics in biological chemistry.

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