Program Overview
The Chemistry and Biochemistry M.S. program prepares students for careers in teaching, research and industry and for entrance to Ph.D. or professional degree programs. The M.S. degree offered in Chemistry and Biochemistry is thesis-based.
Research opportunities are available in organic, physical, analytical, inorganic, biochemistry and computational chemistry. A student will normally select one of the above areas as their major research focus along with a second area of specialization for their minor. A student may elect to complete minor requirements in another suitable department with the permission of the department chairperson.
As a graduate student, you will be guided toward enhancing your critical and analytical thinking skills and attaining modern research expertise essential to your career progression. Students in this M.S. program are provided various opportunities for research in the following areas:
- Biochemistry
- Engineering therapeutic proteins for improved efficacy
- Molecular cell signaling in relation to neurogenesis and angiogenesis
- Analytical and physical chemistry
- CVD synthesis and functionalization of graphene, N-doped graphene and graphene oxide
- Noble metal nanoparticle-decorated 2D layered materials for chemical sensing
- Making connections between structure-property relationships in oligomers and polymers
- Inorganic chemistry
- Synthesis and characterization of novel chromium-and molybdenum-bromide complexes
- Synthesis and characterization of novel transition metal complexes
- Organic chemistry
- Natural product chemistry
- Designing and synthesizing molecules to treat neurological disorders
The department has an impressive list of state-of-the-art scientific instrumentation, including the following:
- Bruker 400 MHz
- Horiba Raman-Atomic Force Microscope system with four different lasers
- A research-grade Horiba Fluorolog-3 fluorimeter;
- Shimadzu GC-MS system
- Perkin Elmer atomic absorption spectrometer