Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry

Professor D. Max Roundhill, Chairperson.

Horn Professors Bartsch, Dasgupta, Knaff, and Shine; Welch Professor Robinson; Professors Gellene, Holwerda, Nes, Quitevis, and Redington; Associate Professors Birney, Bornhop, Casadonte, Harman, Headley, Marx, Shelly, and Whittlesey; Assistant Professors Korzeniewski, Li, Makhatadze, Shaw, and Wenthold.

This department offers study in the following graduate degree programs: CHEMISTRY, Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy. Graduate students may select from seven areas of specialization: analytical chemistry, biochemistry, chemical physics, chemistry education, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, and physical chemistry.

Students majoring in this department for advanced degrees must pass three diagnostic examinations by the end of their second long semester. These examinations are based on the undergraduate curriculum. Each student is required to take the diagnostic examinations in his or her area of specialization and any two others. These examinations are offered three times a year.

A master's degree program includes a minimum of 24 graduate hours of course work and 6 hours of thesis. Thesis defense or comprehensive exam is required in final semester. At least one graduate course must be outside the area of specialization.

A doctoral degree program includes at least 24 hours of graduate course work taken in residency at Texas Tech. At least two graduate courses must be outside the area of specialization.

Credit for research (CHEM 7000) and thesis (CHEM 6000) applied toward the master's degree should constitute not less than 5 credit hours and 6 credit hours, respectively.

Credit for research (CHEM 7000) and dissertation (CHEM 8000) applied toward the doctoral degree in this department should constitute not less than 34 credit hours and 12 credit hours, respectively.

A cumulative examination system is used as the written part of the qualifying examination for the doctoral degree, with cumulatives offered eight times each year. Passing three cumulatives by the end of the second year and an additional three cumulatives by the end of the third year is required to satisfy the qualifying examination. A successful oral defense of the Ph.D. research plan must be completed before the end of the second year. In addition, the successful oral defense of an independent research proposal is required after satisfying the qualifying examination requirement.

Courses in Chemistry. (CHEM)

5101, 5102. Seminar (1:1:0 each). Prerequisite: Graduate standing in chemistry. Required of all graduate students majoring in chemistry.

5300. Individual Studies in Chemistry (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. A structured independent graduate studies course under the guidance of a faculty member. May be repeated for credit.

5301. Advanced Inorganic Chemistry I (3:3:0). Prerequisite: CHEM 4309 or equivalent. Principles of coordination chemistry. Structure, bonding, properties, and reactions of complex compounds.

5302. Advanced Inorganic Chemistry II (3:3:0). Prerequisite: CHEM 5301. Reaction mechanisms of inorganic compounds.

5304. Topics in Inorganic Chemistry (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Special areas of inorganic chemistry not commonly included in other courses. May be repeated for additional credit.

5310. Polymer Chemistry (3:3:0). Prerequisite: CHEM 4311 or 3307 and 3306, or equivalents. An introduction to the chemistry of macromolecules, including the synthesis, structures, properties and applications of polymers.

5314. Advanced Analytical Chemistry (3:3:0). Prerequisite: CHEM 2501, 3307, 3308, or equivalents. General principles and special methods of analytical chemistry.

5317. Selected Topics in Analytical Chemistry (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Special areas of analytical chemistry not commonly included in other courses. May be repeated for additional credit.

5321. Advanced Organic Chemistry I (3:3:0). Prerequisite: CHEM 3305 and 3306 or equivalents. Principles and reactions of organic chemistry, with emphasis on the most recent developments from the current literature.

5322. Advanced Organic Chemistry II (3:3:0). Prerequisite: CHEM 5321. Principles and methods of synthesis of organic compounds.

5323. Modern Principles of Organic Chemistry I (3:3:0). A survey of modern organic chemistry with emphasis on reactions and contemporary theory. Primarily intended for graduate minors in chemistry.

5324. Modern Principles of Organic Chemistry II (3:3:0). Prerequisite: CHEM 5323. A continuation of CHEM 5323. Primarily intended for graduate minors in chemistry. Will serve as the prerequisite for other graduate courses in organic chemistry.

5325. Topics in Organic Chemistry (3:3:0). Prerequisite: CHEM 5321. Special areas of organic chemistry not commonly included in other courses. May be repeated for additional credit.

5326. Organic Spectroscopic Analysis (3:3:0). Prerequisite: CHEM 3306 or equivalent. Theory and interpretation of spectra of organic compounds: MS, IR, UV-vis, carbon and proton NMR.

5327. Physical Organic Chemistry I (3:3:0). Prerequisite: CHEM 5321. Properties and reactions of organic compounds and the mechanisms of organic reactions considered from the standpoint of the principles of physical chemistry.

5330. Biochemistry I (3:3:0). Prerequisite: CHEM 3401 or 3105, 3106, 3305, 3306 or equivalents. Properties of biological compounds. Chemical processes in living systems. For advanced study by graduate students with majors outside the department.

5331. Biochemistry II (3:3:0). Prerequisite: CHEM 5330. Properties of biological compounds. Chemical processes in living systems. For advanced study by graduate students with majors outside the department.

5333. Proteins (3:3:0). Prerequisite: CHEM 3311, 3312 or CHEM 4303 or BCH 5921 or equivalents. Chemical and physical properties of proteins. Primary and conformational structure determination.

5334. Topics in Biological Chemistry (3:3:0). Special areas of biochemistry not commonly included in other courses. May be repeated for additional credit.

5335. Physical Biochemistry (3:3:0). Prerequisite: CHEM 3307 or 4311 and CHEM 3311, 3312 or equivalents. Biophysical methods and approaches to the study of structure-function relationships in biopolymers.

5336. Lipids (3:3:0). Prerequisite: CHEM 3305, 3306, 3311, and 3312. Will cover the structure and function of lipids. Emphasis placed on the methods of characterization, evolution, biosynthetic pathways, and biological roles of lipids.

5337. Enzymes (3:3:0). Prerequisite: CHEM 3311, 3312 or CHEM 4303 or equivalents. Structure, mode of action, and kinetics of enzymes.

5338. Biochemical Methods (3:1:6). Prerequisite: CHEM 4303 or 3311 or equivalent. Methodology for the isolation and characterization of macromolecules and metabolites.

5339. Nucleic Acids (3:3:0). Prerequisite: CHEM 3312 or 4303 and BIOL 4320 or 5320. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic DNA cloning strategies, DNA sequence analysis and manipulation, recombinant DNA expression.

5340. Physical Chemistry Principles I (3:3:0). Prerequisite: CHEM 1307, 1308, PHYS 1308, 1105, 2301, 1106, MATH 1551, 1552 or equivalents. A foundation course, for the graduate student minoring in chemistry, covering a wide range of principles. Prerequisite for other courses in physical and inorganic chemistry.

5341. Physical Chemistry Principles II (3:3:0). Prerequisite: CHEM 5340. A foundation course, for the graduate student minoring in chemistry, covering a wide range of principles. Prerequisite for other graduate courses in physical and inorganic chemistry.

5342. Advanced Physical Chemistry (3:3:0). Prerequisite: CHEM 3307, 3308, or equivalents. Introduction to quantum mechanics, spectroscopy, and the electronic structures of atoms and molecules.

5343. Quantum Chemistry (3:3:0). Prerequisite: CHEM 5342. The application of non-relativistic wave mechanics to problems of chemical structure and reactivity.

5344. Kinetics of Chemical Reactions (3:3:0). Prerequisite: CHEM 3307, 3308, or equivalents. A survey of chemical kinetics including transition state theory, the theory of mass spectra, spectroscopic methods, and models of reactions in solution.

5345. Molecular Spectroscopy (3:3:0). Prerequisite: CHEM 5342. Principles of electronic, vibrational, and rotational spectroscopy and applications for determining molecular structure and other properties.

5346. Statistical Mechanics for Chemists (3:3:0). Prerequisite: CHEM 5342. Equilibrium and non-equilibrium systems including ensembles, density matrices, and time-correlation functions.

5348. Topics in Physical Chemistry (3:3:0). Prerequisite: CHEM 3307, 3308, or equivalents. Special areas of physical chemistry not commonly included in other courses. May be repeated for additional credit.

5349. Physical Chemistry Principles for Biological Sciences (3:3:0). Prerequisite: CHEM 1307, 1308, 1107, 1108; PHYS 1308, 2301, 1105, 1106 or 1306, 1307, 1103, 1104; MATH 1351, 1352 or equivalents. A physical chemistry course for graduate students in biological sciences. Topics: Thermodynamics, electrochemistry, chemical kinetics, and quantum mechanics.

6000. Master's Thesis. (V1-6).

7000. Research (V1-12).

8000. Doctor's Dissertation (V1-12).


Return to Main Directory
Page Maintained by: Cheryl Hedlund

Page Administrator: Gale Richardson

LAST UPDATE: 11-20-98