The steps in our program include courses, qualifying exams, presentation of an original
research proposal, presentation of a research plan, and the writing and defense of
a dissertation. Each of these steps is detailed below. The final outcome expected
for a PhD degree is published original research. Students are advised throughout the
program by a primary research advisor, an advisory committee, and the departmental
Graduate Programs Committee (GPC).
The timeline for specific Department of Chemistry requirements follows:
Activity |
Time |
Form |
Orientation |
Two weeks before first semester |
|
Advisor selection |
Before 10th week of first semester |
Departmental |
Begin research work |
Week 11 of first semester |
|
Advisory committee meetings |
As needed |
|
A timeline to degree for all Michigan Tech graduate students and copies of the forms
used to document your progress are available from the Michigan Tech Graduate School website.
Plan for First-Semester Graduate Students
Students entering the PhD program must arrive on campus at least two weeks before
classes begin. Incoming students will participate in the department orientation program,
including an introduction to the faculty, an explanation of student responsibilities,
laboratory safety training, and teaching assistant (TA) training. During this period,
placement exams and English-proficiency exams (for nonnative speakers) will also be
administered.
All entering graduate students (PhD and MS) will take placement examinations in four
subject areas: organic, inorganic, and physical chemistry, plus one additional exam
in analytical, polymer, or biological chemistry. The results from these exams will
be used by the Graduate Programs Committee to assign course requirements and appropriate
levels (3000-, 4000-, or 5000-level courses). In cases where serious deficiencies
are revealed by the exams, the committee or research advisor will require a student
to earn a grade of B or better in the appropriate undergraduate course or to retake
one or more placement exams at a later date. A serious deficiency is defined as a
score less than 50 percentile in the student's major area or 25 percentile in cognate
subjects.
Advising of Entering Graduate Students
The chair of the Graduate Programs Committee acts as the advisor for entering students
until they have chosen a research advisor. This temporary advisor will guide initial
course selection and assist in selection of a research advisor. Before the second
semester of enrollment, students will have a research advisor who will approve subsequent
course work.
Course Requirements
Advising for Course Selection
When selecting courses, all students must consult their advisors for approval. To
assist in this process advisors and the GPC review copies of student transcripts at
the end of each semester.
Performance on the placement examinations and review of the student’s undergraduate
and graduate transcript will be used by the Graduate Programs Committee to guide course
selection during the first year of graduate study using guidelines established by
the chemistry faculty. Grades and research needs will guide later course selections.
In their first year of full-time study, all PhD students are required to complete
a minimum of 5 courses or 15 semester credits. Two of these courses must be in the
student’s major area of research, and one course must be completed in each of two
other areas of chemistry. Students may petition to the Graduate programs Committee
to replace one of the secondary areas of concentration by an area outside of chemistry.
CH5990, CH6990, and CH5900 (seminar and research credits) do not count towards these course requirements. Additional
courses may be required by the GPC and the student’s advisor based on the student’s
background and performance on the placement exams and departmental courses.
For the spring semester of the second year, each student must register in CH5900 (Chemistry Seminar) and present their research plan as part of the CH5900 course requirement.
All graduate students are required to attend the weekly departmental seminars as well
as graduate defense seminars.
All graduate students must register for exactly 9 credits each semester of the academic
year and one credit for the summers. Students engaged in research may register for
up to 9 credits of CH6990 per semester. A minimum of 60 credits, including at least 24 credits of CH6990 (research credits), is required for graduation.
Previously earned credits may not be transferred to the Chemistry degree program except
in very limited situations. Specifically, credits may not be transferred from any
program in which a degree was awarded. Transfer of credits from uncompleted programs
may be considered only if appropriately related to the student's current program of
study. Any such request must be made to the Graduate Programs Committee within one
term of the student's arrival on campus.
If a student has completed an MS degree or equivalent in chemistry or a related field
he/she may petition the Graduate Programs Committee to be exempted from some of the
required coursework described above. However, the student may still be required by
his/her advisor or Advisory Committee to complete further coursework related to his/her
dissertation work.
Research
Selection of Research Advisor
Graduate students must select a Research Advisor within 10 weeks of beginning their
first semester of full-time study. During this period students are encouraged to speak
with all faculty members about available research topics, and to visit their labs
and research group meetings. To assist in the process, the Graduate Programs Committee
will provide all incoming students with a list of specific faculty members whom they
must interview. A student can submit a Chemistry Department Research Advisor Declaration
Form only after signatures are obtained from all professors on his or her interview
list.
Advisory Committee and Thesis Examining Committee
In addition to a research advisor, each student also has an Advisory Committee which
helps monitor his/her progress, assists in evaluating progress, and acts as the final
examining committee for the dissertation. Members of this committee may also be consulted
for help with research or academic issues. The Research Advisor, in consultation with
the student, forms the Advisory Committee by the end of the student's second semester
on campus. The Advisory Committee is made up of three members of the Michigan Tech
graduate faculty. The student is responsible for submitting the D4-A form (Recommended
Advisory Committee) to the department chair for approval. For the final Examining
Committee, another member of the graduate faculty from a cognate department must be
added to the committee. All four members must sign the D7 form for scheduling the
dissertation defense; the completed and signed D7 form must be submitted to the Graduate School at least two weeks before the oral defense.
Review of Graduate Student Progress
First year graduate students will be evaluated by the Graduate Programs Committee
after their first semester of enrollment. Performance in course work and as a teaching
assistant will be evaluated, and those students who show unsatisfactory progress or
performance will be placed on departmental probation.
Each semester student progress will be documented by the Research Advisor, or the
Advisory Committee, in a memo addressed to the Graduate Programs Committee. A copy
of the progress report must be sent to the student and the Department Chair. Students
who show unsatisfactory progress may be placed on departmental probation. Continued
financial support will depend on these evaluations.
Research Plan
During the spring semester of the second year each student orally presents a research
plan describing the objective of his/her thesis research, the results of a literature
search, and descriptions of intended experiments or procedures. Preliminary results
may also be included. Presentations are 20-30 minutes in length.
This presentation takes place within the context of the seminar course (CH5900). The instructor distributes to faculty and graduate students a schedule of dates
and topics of presentations for students enrolled in the class. All presentations
take place during the regularly scheduled class hour. Students who are scheduled to
present a Research Plan distribute to their Advisory Committee members a few days
before their talk a 1 page abstract of the presentation (or a hardcopy of the PowerPoint
slides). If a committee member is unable to attend the presentation, these provide
information for the absent advisory committee member(s) to determine if they will
sign the Report on Research Proposal Exam (D6) form. The advisory committee may also
ask for a repeat presentation at a time when the entire committee is available.
When the Advisory Committee approves the plan, the Report on Research Proposal Exam
(D6) is submitted. In terms of the timing of events, this talk takes place before
(and is not a substitute for) presentation and defense of an original research proposal,
which is part of the Report on Qualifying Exam (see the original research proposal section).
Qualifying Examinations
All doctoral students will take a Qualifying Examination (QuE) in the 4th semester
of their Ph.D. study.
Examination Requirements
The examination focuses on the research component and tests for student's research
progress and the mastery of a general knowledge in chemistry and the area of research.
Schedule and Exam Format
Students will form their Ph.D. Advisory Committee before the end of their 3rd academic
semester. The examination should be scheduled by the student considering the availability
of the graduate committee members. The QuE includes: a written research report, an
oral presentation, and an oral examination. The student must pass both the written
and oral components of the QuE to remain in the program.
Source of Test Material
Literature review in the area of research; course materials.
Appeals Process
The Graduate Programs Committee (GPC) and the Advisory Committee will review the appeals
and may allow for a repeat examination.
Original Research Proposal
A research proposal must be presented in both an oral and written format to the student’s
Advisory Committee by the end of their third year. The preparation and presentation
of an original research proposal is intended to give students experience in developing
an original idea and presenting it to the scientific community. All successful research
scientists must be able to present and defend their ideas to sponsors, including government
agencies, industrial sponsors, or employers.
The topic should not be closely related to the student’s current and previous research
projects, but represent new ideas and techniques developed by the student from his/her
reading, research, and coursework. The student should discuss these proposal ideas
with their advisor before beginning to write. The topic of the original research proposal
and the written summary must be approved by the advisor prior to scheduling of the
oral presentation. Students are encouraged to follow The ACS Style Guide, 2nd Ed., which is available in the departmental office. The written proposal is to be submitted
to the advisory committee at least two weeks prior to the presentation. If the student
wishes to use a pre-formatted original research proposal style, a template similar
to those used within the ACS’s Paragon manuscript submission system is available on
the departmental graduate guidelines webpage.
The proposal should be a maximum of 15 pages (double-spaced, 12 pt type) of text (including
figures). The title page, abstract, and reference section (bibliography) are not included
in the page count.
- Title page: a descriptive title and authors name
- Abstract: a one-paragraph summary of the objectives, approach, expected results, and
significance of the proposed work.
- Introduction: background on the topic and its significance in a broad context.
- Specific objectives or goals: what particular question(s) will you answer?
- Research plan: What is your experimental design?
- Literature Cited: a bibliography in a standard format.
In addition, the proposal should discuss the expected results, their interpretation
and possible problems along with strategies on how to resolve them. Some projects
may include a discussion of novel techniques to be employed, sources and use of unusual
equipment or materials, timelines for long or time-sensitive work, sampling details
for field studies, alternate methods of approaching problems and a budget page. Figures
and diagrams are often very helpful in conveying ideas; properly cited figures from
literature sources may be used.
The oral presentation (about 45 min in length) should describe the original research
concept with clear objectives, documentation from the literature, a defined procedure
and anticipated results as far as can reasonably be expected. Faculty and graduate
students of the department may attend the oral presentation. After the presentation,
the advisory committee will ask questions based on both the oral and written portions.
If the committee determines that the minimum requirements were not met, they may require
further work. If the committee is still not satisfied that the requirements have been
met, they may recommend that the student should not continue in the PhD program or
that the student transfer to the MS program.
The proposal should be presented with the clear understanding that the material is
confidential and remains the intellectual property of the student. A file of selected
summaries produced by earlier students will be maintained in the Chemistry Office
for reference purposes.
This step constitutes part 2 of the D4 form (Report on the Comprehensive Examination).
Dissertation
The dissertation must be publicly presented as a seminar as part of the final oral
examination. The advisory committee attends the seminar and, following open questions,
conducts a private examination of the student. At the option of the advisory committee,
the private exam may occur up to a week after the initial oral presentation. After
the defense, any corrections to the thesis that were requested by the Examining Committee
must be made and new signatures obtained on the final new version. As described below,
there are several optional formats for presenting and submitting the thesis.
Standard Dissertation Format Option
This dissertation format is described on the Graduate School website. Copies of earlier dissertations are kept in the Chemistry Office and in
the library for reference. Students for whom English is a second language are strongly
encouraged to get assistance proofreading the dissertation draft. The Michigan Tech
Multiliteracies Center serves as a good source. The dissertation describes the results
of the student’s research. It contains a review of the literature on the student's
research topic leading to a statement of the objective of the research. This is often
followed by a description of the procedures used during the research, the results
found using those procedures, and a discussion of the implications of those results
leading to a statement of the conclusions from the research. A section on suggested
areas for further research is often included. Many alternate formats are possible
and the student should work closely with his/her advisor during all stages of the
preparation of the dissertation.
As fully described on the Graduate School website, the thesis must be submitted to
the Graduate School Office, (GSO), on a CD as a plain pdf file or a fully linked and
bookmarked pdf file. Alternatively, the student may submit the thesis in an ETD (electronic thesis/dissertation) format in order to have it available via the web, but there are additional formatting
requirements. See the link on ETD instructions available on the Graduate School website.
In spite of the format chosen, the student will always be required to submit a printed
version of his/her thesis to the departmental office.
Alternate Dissertation Format Option: Presentation of Publications
An alternate dissertation structure, based on accumulated literature publications,
may be appropriate to some individual student cases. The student must have the approval
of his/her advisor, who may seek advise from the Advisory Committee, before deciding
on taking this approach to written presentation of his/her work.
A dissertation presented as an accumulation of papers published by the student must
contain the following elements:
- The papers must have been processed into a form consistent with the library requirements
for acceptance and binding.
- The papers must be preceded by a description of the basis for the entire work including
a complete literature review for the research subject (if not included in any of the
publications), a statement of overall objectives and conclusions.
- Each paper, if co-authored, should be accompanied by a statement of the contribution
made by the student and approved by the co-author(s).
- A separate section describing uncompleted and unpublished work, if appropriate, should
be included.
Papers suitable for inclusion in a dissertation prepared in this way include all papers
published or accepted for publication by peer-reviewed journals of a standard acceptable
to the student’s advisor and committee. While it is not possible to define an adequate
standard or number of publications, it would be expected that a PhD candidate would
have sufficient material for three or more publications. A single, outstanding paper
representing a major contribution to knowledge may be sufficient while a multitude
of repetitious publications describing similar work with minor variations may be ruled
inadequate. It is recommended that the student work closely in collaboration with
his/her advisor and Advisory Committee in the preparation of a dissertation in this
form.
Papers prepared as contributions to conference proceedings or for other reasons may
be included if necessary for completeness of the description of the work. Publications
prepared but not yet accepted for publication may also be included as unfinished work.
Financial Support and Continuous Enrollment
Students should not expect to have GTA support for an indefinite period. Normally,
GTA support for a PhD student should not extend for more than five years (a total of six years
for a student obtaining both MS and PhD degrees from our department). GTA support
is contingent upon satisfactory performance of the student’s instructional and research
responsibilities.
The Department will pay tuition for Graduate Teaching Assistants only for those courses that are related to their degree program. The department does not
pay tuition for students who are not resident at Michigan Tech
Continuous enrollment throughout the academic year (fall and spring semesters) is
required through the semester in which students complete all degree requirements.
This means students who wish to remain active in the graduate program must be enrolled
every academic fall and spring semester from their first enrollment through filing
the completed D8 form with the Graduate School in (a) regular courses including independent
study, special projects, etc.; (b) research credits; OR (c) in one of three courses
(UN5951, UN5952, UN5953).* Students who do not maintain active status enrollment (through one or more of
the three course options above) will have to apply for re-admission to regain active
status. Students may request a waiver of continuous enrollment. However, waivers of
continuous enrollment will be strictly limited to one term except in the most serious
situations. For more information, contact the Graduate School.
*Contact the Graduate School regarding these courses. Please note that tuition for
these courses may not be waived and these courses may not be paid from departmental
or sponsored accounts.
Probation and Dismissal
Students placed on departmental probation will be so informed in writing by the department
chair. Students who remain on departmental probation for two consecutive semesters
may be subject to academic dismissal.
The procedures for academic dismissal and the grievance procedures are fully described on the Graduate School website. Decisions on dismissal will be
made by the chemistry faculty on the advice of the Graduate Programs Committee in
consultation with the Department Chair and the student’s Advisory Committee. The student
may be required to withdraw or switch to the MS program if he/she is not meeting expected
standards. The Advisory Committee, department chair and Dean of the Graduate School
are all involved in the process, and the student is given several opportunities to
contest the dismissal.