Foundational Course Requirement

Students beginning the program after May 2023 must earn credit, with a grade of “B” or better, in at least one course designated by their disciplinary research division as a Foundational Course. The purpose of the foundational course requirement is to ensure that each student has learned foundational knowledge appropriate to the graduate level in their chemistry research area.

The current Foundational Courses are:

Analytical: CHM 69600: Fundamentals of Analytical Chemistry (to be offered for the first time in Fall 2024, to be converted to a permanent course number after first offering).
Biochemistry and Chemical Biology: CHM 63400 Biochemistry: Structural Aspects (offered every fall)
Inorganic: CHM 64100: Advanced Inorganic Chemistry (offered every fall)
Materials: CHM 69600: Introduction to Soft Materials (to be offered for the first time in Fall 2024, to be converted to a permanent course number after first offering).
Organic: CHM 65100: Advanced Organic Chemistry (offered every fall)
Physical: CHM 67100: Advanced Physical Chemistry (offered every fall

At a minimum, students may meet the Foundational Course requirement with only a single course from their declared DRG. However, all Plans of Study must be approved by a student’s advisor and committee, so the committee may, at their discretion, place additional expectations that a student take further Foundational Courses in other areas, or take specific additional courses in the student’s own area.

Students are encouraged to take more than one Foundational Course, and are advised to take at least their preferred Foundational Course in the first semester.

Students who change their declared research division will need to take the Foundational Course in the new division, unless they receive expressed written approval from their Advisory Committee to meet the requirement with the Foundational Course from their old division.

Students may not meet this requirement through a “test-out” or transfer courses from other universities or MS programs.

For the additional information related to Foundational Course Requirements, please visit the Revised 2023 Graduate Student Handbook.

Students who started in the PhD program in Spring 2023 or earlier must pass at least five cumulative examinations (or “cumes”) within the first four semesters (fall and spring) of graduate study. Please see the October 2021 version of the Chemistry Graduate Handbook for details. The Foundational Course Requirement applies to those students who began the program after the Spring 2023 semester. Please see Future Exam Dates (PDF) for upcoming exam dates.