Chemistry Graduate Courses

Some courses may not be offered every year. Check with the college or department office for current information about when specific courses are offered.  

For course syllabi, see the departmental website.

CHM  520 SOURCES, FATE AND TRANSPORT OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS       (3)

This course will describe common anthropogenic sources of atmospheric, water, and soil pollutants, with emphasis on the global impact, transport and fate of these substances.  Pollutants considered could consist of Pb in air and soil, pharmaceuticals in the hydrosphere, anthropogenic radionuclides in environmental media and the biosphere, platinum group elements and their global impact, and persistent chlorinated compounds.  Letter grade only. Prerequisite: CHM 320 and CHM 341 and CHM 425 and CHM 425L and CHM 440

CHM  525 LABORATORY COMPUTERS       (3)

Principles and practices of real-time data acquisition processing and instrument control.

CHM  530 ADVANCED ORGANIC CHEMISTRY       (3)

Advanced topics in mechanistic and synthetic organic chemistry. Prerequisite: CHM 238 and CHM 341

CHM  535 DRUG DISCOVERY       (3)

This introductory graduate course will cover basic principles of drug design with a focus on treatments for viral diseases and cancer.  Two semesters of organic chemistry recommended

CHM  540 THEORETICAL CHEMISTRY       (3)

Advanced chemical kinetics, classical, nonequilibrium, and statistical thermodynamics, spectroscopy, structure, and quantum chemistry. Prerequisite: CHM 342

CHM  560 TOPICS IN BIOCHEMISTRY       (3)

Current topics in biochemistry, including enzyme action, metabolic disorders, membrane transport, nerve and muscle functions, and photosynthesis.

CHM  565 CHEMICAL TOXICOLOGY       (3)

This introductory graduate course will cover basic principles and chemical mechanisms of toxicology on a subcellular and systemic level. Prerequisite:  CHM 238 and (CHM 360 or CHM 461)

CHM  566 CHEMICAL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF CANCER       (3)

This course covers the mechanisms, targets, and therapeutics of cancer, including the definition and molecular basis of cancer as a disease state, components of the regulatory machinery through which cell division is controlled, and processes through which these mechanisms fall.  The course also provided insight into how molecular knowledge of these processes is being applied to develop new therapeutic strategies.  Letter grade only. Prerequisite: CHM 238 and BIO 344 and (CHM 360 or CHM 462)

CHM  589 CONTENT ENHANCEMENT FOR TEACHERS     (1-6)

This course acts as a mechanism for teachers to enhance their content knowledge by taking needed undergraduate courses by arranging for an individually negotiated form of an independent study and completing an additional teaching application assignment equaling 30% of the final course grade.  Department consent required.  Letter grade only.

CHM  595 LAB SAFETY AND SUPERVISION      (1-2)

Rigorous introduction to lab safety, use and disposal of hazardous chemicals, emergency procedures, toxicology, and lab supervision. Prerequisite: CHM 238

CHM  599 CONTEMPORARY DEVELOPMENTS     (1-3)

Selected seminar topics in new trends in applying fundamental chemistry to environmental problems. May be repeated for up to 6 hours of credit.  May be offered no more than three times before being submitted for a permanent course number.  Letter grade only.

CHM  600 RECENT TRENDS IN CHEMISTRY       (3)

For high-school science teachers. Surveys modern developments in atomic and molecular structure and the role of energy in chemical transformations; review of stoichiometric calculations. Prerequisite: 8 hours CHM coursework at the 500-level or above

CHM  608 FIELDWORK EXPERIENCE       (1-12)

Supervised field experience in an appropriate agency, organization, or situation. May not exceed 12 hours of credit. Pass-fail only. Department consent required.

CHM  610 SCIENTIFIC WRITING: RESEARCH-RELATED WRITING SKILLS IN CHEMISTRY       (3)

A chemistry-specific writing course that focuses on the skills needed to write a journal article, a research proposal and a scientific poster.  Letter grade only. Prerequisite: CHM 608 (6 units) or CHM 685 (2 units)

CHM  620 ADVANCED ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY       (3)

Aqueous and nonaqueous equilibria, separations, and real-time digital computer applications in analytical chemistry.

CHM  630 THEORETICAL ORGANIC CHEMISTRY       (3)

Molecular orbital theory, conformational analysis, reaction mechanisms, and other aspects of physical organic chemistry.

CHM  650 ADVANCED INORGANIC CHEMISTRY       (3)

Modern inorganic chemistry, including recent bonding theories, applications of symmetry and group theory to spectroscopic measurements, inorganic reaction mechanisms, and modern physical inorganic chemistry. Prerequisite: CHM 450

CHM  685 GRADUATE RESEARCH     (1-6)

Individualized directed research on selected topics.  Pass-fail or letter grade, depending on department policy.  Department Consent.

CHM  697 INDEPENDENT STUDY     (1-3)

Individualized directed study on selected topics.  Pass-fail or letter grade, depending on departmental policy.  No more than 3 hours may be included on a master's program in education.  Department Consent.

CHM  698 GRADUATE SEMINAR      (1)

Oral reports on current topics.  Department Consent.

CHM  699 THESIS      (1-9)

Individualized directed research, writing, and oral defense of selected thesis topic.  May be repeated as needed.  Department Consent.  Prerequisite:  Admission to master's program.