Research in Chemistry

Students may receive academic credit for participation in faculty-supervised research through the courses CHM 1990 "Introduction to Research in Chemistry" and CHM 3990 "Research in Chemistry". Those interested should:

  1. Review the listing of faculty research project descriptions, and contact those professors whose research appeals to you for additional information.
  2. Consult with the faculty member(s) with whom you'd like to work, and reach an agreement on the details of your planned appointment.
  3. Complete, sign, and submit to the Department Chair the "Departmental Laboratory Worker Agreement and Consent Form".
  4. Register for the section of CHM 1990 or CHM 3990 specified in the "Agreement and Consent Form"

Requirements for CHM 1990 will determined by the supervising faculty member and documented in the "Departmental Laboratory Worker Agreement and Consent Form". Specific details will vary, but all will be guided by the course's catalog description:

CHM 1990. Introduction to Research in Chemistry

Intended for a student’s first research experience, this course involves close faculty supervision and guidance on literature and laboratory work directed towards a common research objective. A detailed laboratory notebook will be maintained and submitted to the supervising faculty member at the conclusion of the course. Pass/Fail grading. Credit, 1 semester hour. PREREQ: Consent of Department Chair.

Requirements for CHM 3990 will also vary somewhat depending upon the faculty supervisor / student agreement, but they will conform to general guidelines developed by our department faculty:

Schedule: Approximately 3 hours per week should be spent on research activities for each credit hour received for CHM 3990. Your work schedule [day(s) and time(s)] should be mutually agreed upon by your faculty advisor and you at the beginning of the semester and should be adhered to as closely as possible. Deviations from this schedule should be avoided if possible; requests for rescheduling a period(s) should be made to your faculty advisor in advance.

Lab Work: Students will be supervised by either their faculty advisor or a Department staff member when conducting laboratory work. This supervision is necessary for both safety and liability reasons.

Course Requirements and Grading: Again, the specific details of work assignments and grading schemes will depend upon the agreement reached between student assistant and faculty supervisor and will be consistent with the course's catalog description:

CHM 3990. Research in Chemistry

This course involves student research on projects supervised by departmental faculty. Both laboratory and literature research are typically included, and a detailed lab notebook and formal report of results will be submitted to the supervising faculty member at the conclusion of the course. Pass/Fail grading. Credit, 1‑3 semester hours. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 semester hours. PREREQ: Completion of or enrollment in at least one 2000-level chemistry lab course and consent of Department Chair.