Seton Hall University Department of Chemistry. Ph.D. Program Policies and Procedures Preface

Transcription

1 Seton Hall University Department of Chemistry Ph.D. Program Policies and Procedures Preface These guidelines are provided to clarify and amplify the Department of Chemistry Ph.D. program regulations, as described in the University Catalog. They provide the correct procedures for completing all of the requirements for attainment of the Ph.D. degree. All graduate students are expected to be familiar with these requirements and procedures and are expected to follow them. Failure to follow these procedures can result in penalties ranging from delays in receiving a degree to dismissal from the program. I. Departmental Requirements a. The Distribution Requirement. Prior to matriculation to the Ph.D. degree, each student must take at least one course from four of the following five groups of courses: Inorganic Chemistry: CHEM 6601, Analytical Chemistry: CHEM 6201*, CHEM 6203, CHEM 6204, CHEM 6205, CHEM 6206 Organic Chemistry: CHEM 6301, CHEM 6303 Physical Chemistry: CHEM 6401, CHEM 6402, CHEM 6403, CHEM 6404 Biochemistry: CHEM 6501 *Students whose area of specialization is Analytical Chemistry should not take CHEM b. The Minimum Credit Requirement. Prior to being granted a Ph.D. degree each student must earn a minimum of 70 credits distributed among research, coursework and seminar, as determined according to Section II, below. Students who enter the program with the MS degree shall be required to earn at least 40 credits before being granted the Ph.D. degree. c. The Residency Requirement. Nine consecutive months of full time enrollment after completion of the matriculation examination (See section IV, below) shall be required for each candidate for the Ph.D. degree. It is intended that this time be used to complete the dissertation research. Part time students must secure the permission of the Mentor and inform the Graduate Advisory Committee of the exact date the residency is to begin by submitting GAC Form 5 to the main office. No outside employment is permitted during residency without approval of the Graduate Advisory Committee. d. Time Requirements for Completion of Doctorate. No less than three years after entry into graduate program and no more than five years after matriculation for the degree are required for completion of the doctorate. I. Program of Studies

2 Each student in the Department of Chemistry shall develop a Program of Studies in consultation with a research mentor and an advisor selected by the Chair of the Graduate Advisory Committee. The Program of Studies (GAC form 2b) shall define the courses that the student agrees to take and the manner by which the student intends to meet the nonresearch requirements of the Ph.D. degree. The Program of Studies evolves in three steps: a. First Year. Upon entering the Department each student will be advised by a member of the Graduate Advisory Committee. Normally, a full-time student is expected to take four to six courses during the first year and fulfill at least 75% of the Distribution Requirement during the first year of study. b. Selection of Research Mentor. As soon as possible, each research student (Ph.D., Masters Plan A) student should select a research mentor and complete the Distribution Requirement. Faculty research seminars, at which attendance is required of any student planning to do research, are held during the fall semester. Normally a full-time student will be expected to select a Mentor before the end of the second semester of graduate study and to fulfill the Distribution Requirement before the end of the third semester. A part time student should select a mentor before finishing the distribution requirement. The student must interview with each faculty member and complete GAC form 2a, Thesis Interview and return it to the Main Office. The Department Chair must then approve the selection of a mentor. c. Subsequent Years. Following selection of a mentor, the student and mentor must develop the remainder of the program of studies. GAC form 2b must be completed and returned to the main office. III. Seminar All degree-seeking students are required to register for and attend Chemistry Seminar (CHEM ) each fall semester for as long as they remain in the program. In addition, all full-time and part-time students who have initiated a program of research shall be required to give one seminar or poster presentation, as described below, each year. It is the student s responsibility to arrange these yearly seminars with the Mentor and the appropriate divisional coordinators. a. Departmental Symposium. Each spring semester each research student will present a poster seminar on the research results of the past year. The poster will be presented as part of an annual departmental research symposium held usually at the same time as the University s Academic Exposition. Specific guidelines for submissions to the Departmental Symposium will be provided during the Spring of each year. b. Formal Seminar. Each student, independent of degree program, must present a formal (40 50 minutes) seminar, not on the student s research or any other topic closely related to the student's employment, to be graded by the faculty in attendance. Full time students normally present this seminar during their second year; part time students present this seminar after completion of the distribution requirements. Seminar forms GAC 4a and 4b must be submitted to the main office. c. Final Research Seminar. In the final year, all Ph.D. and Masters Plan A research degree candidates will present a full (40-50 minute) seminar that is open to the entire

3 department and the public on their contribution to the area of research. This seminar can satisfy the oral presentation requirement associated with the Dissertation. GAC form 7, Student Request to Present Final Research Seminar, must be submitted to the main office. I. Matriculation for the Ph.D. Degree Matriculation is the process by which the student becomes a Ph.D. candidate. Candidacy is achieved by meeting the following requirements: a. Selection of Matriculation Committee. Following development of the Program of Studies (see Section IIc, above), the student and Mentor will select members of the faculty to comprise the Matriculation Committee using GAC form 2c, Student Committee Request. The Chair of the Graduate Advisory Committee shall approve Matriculation Committee membership as well as any changes in the composition of this Committee. b. Preparation for the Matriculation Examination. Within 12 months of completing the Distribution Requirement, all Ph.D. students must pass a matriculation examination. Prior to taking the examination, the student must secure the permission of the Mentor and have at least a 3.0 average in coursework. GAC form 3a, Student s Request for Matriculation Examination, must be submitted at least 6 weeks before the proposed examination date. The examination can be scheduled anytime during the academic year with the exception of the first and last two weeks of any semester. c. The Matriculation Examination. The matriculation examination is oral and pertains to the proposed research project to be investigated. The student is expected to be familiar with the scientific principles related to the proposed research and have an understanding of the research project. A three to five page abstract and pertinent references must be given to the chair of the Graduate Advisory Committee for distribution to the Matriculation Committee at least three weeks before the examination. During the first twenty minutes of the exam the student should define the project, present the pertinent background, give the rationale for the project, and present the techniques employed to investigate the project. For the remainder of the exam, the matriculation committee will question the student on the grasp of the intended research area and background. The matriculation examination is intended to ascertain the student s competency to pursue the Ph.D. degree. d. Repeating the Matriculation Examination. If the matriculation examination is not passed, it can be repeated only once within six months. If the repeated Matriculation Examination is not passed, then the student will be required to complete a Masters Thesis (Plan A) degree and to re-apply to the Ph.D. program. e. Time Requirement. Full time students who do not complete the matriculation examination prior to the beginning of the seventh semester of full-time enrollment, or part time students who do not complete the matriculation examination within 12 months of completing the Distribution Requirement shall be required to complete the Masters Plan A, C or D requirements and must then petition the faculty for readmission to the Ph.D. program. Departmental financial support for full time students will not continue if the matriculation examination is not passed by the end of the sixth semester of full-time study.

4 f. Selection of Readers for the Dissertation. Upon successful completion of the matriculation examination, the student and the Mentor will select two members of the Matriculation Committee to serve with the Mentor on the Dissertation Committee by submitting GAC form 3c to the main office. The Chair of the Graduate Advisory Committee must approve the appointment of these two faculty members to the Dissertation committee. The student is expected to put forth a concentrated effort under the guidance of the Mentor to complete the research necessary for the Ph.D. degree, to the satisfaction of the Dissertation Committee (see VI and VII). g. Awarding of the Masters Degree. Students who have completed the matriculation examination, given their formal seminar, and have completed 30 credits may receive a M.S. Plan B degree. The chemistry office must be informed of this intention prior to the beginning of the semester in which the student takes the matriculation exam. The main office will then assist the student inn preparing the necessary paperwork for the University. II. Cumulative Examinations/Research Proposal a. Examinations. The student must demonstrate mastery of the current literature in his/her chosen area of study through a series of cumulative examinations. These examinations are initiated starting with the next examination after matriculation. These exams are given 8 times each academic year (September-December and February-May) on the second Saturday of the month. Failure to take an exam for any reason will result in a loss of 1 (one) point. Topics for each exam are posted 10 days in advance on the bulletin board outside the Chemistry office. Students may select to take an exam in an area outside their major area of research by notifying the Chemistry office a no later than four days before the day of the exam. Each examination is normally of one-hour duration. They must be taken until the student has accumulated a total of 8 points. The grading scale usually used is: A = 3 points, B = 2 points C= 1 point F = 0 points The examinations may be oral, written or both and may be taken in any area or division; however, at least 5 points must be accumulated in the student s major area of research. The student will be informed of the grade within two weeks following an exam. b. Original Research Proposal. After 8 points are earned on the cumulative exams, the student will write an original research proposal that is distinctly different from his/her research project. Students are encouraged to discuss their ideas with their mentor, other faculty members, and graduate students. The proposal must be typewritten (12-point font) and double spaced. The length of the proposal is limited to 1700 words excluding figures, references, and budgets. The budget should include salary, supplies, and special equipment. Proposals are graded on the basis of pass (A or B = 2 points) or fail (1 or 0 points). 4 copies of the proposal are to be submitted to the main office, with the Dissertation Readers names listed on the cover page. The proposal will be evaluated by the student s Dissertation Readers within 15 working days (approximately 3 weeks). The evaluated proposal may be resubmitted once for a higher grade. If a proposal is deemed unsatisfactory after a second review, the student must write a new proposal on a different topic.

5 III. Permission to Write When near completion of the research problem, the student will petition the Dissertation Committee for permission to write a dissertation by submitting GAC form 6 to the main office. To receive permission to write: a. Coursework. All course work, the formal seminar, and cumulative examination requirements must be completed. b. Approval of Mentor. The approval of the Mentor should be obtained. c. Abstract of Research. A page abstract of the research is to be presented to the Dissertation Committee, with a copy to the chair of the Graduate Advisory Committee. The Dissertation Committee will have two weeks to review the abstract before meeting with the student. Any combination of published papers, manuscripts, and reports totaling no more than 30 pages may be substituted for the abstract, provided the full scope of the research is covered in the documents submitted. This meeting is to be arranged between the student and Dissertation committee, with the Chair of the Graduate Advisory Committee being notified of the date, time and location of the meeting. d. Meeting with Dissertation Committee. The student and the committee will meet to discuss the petition. At this meeting the committee could either grant permission to write the dissertation or require that the student undertake additional research. e. Publication Waiver. Requirements (c) and (d) are waived, on approval of the Mentor, if the student is a co-author of an accepted publication in a refereed scientific journal dealing with the dissertation research. The Mentor must notify the chair of the Graduate Advisory Committee and the Dissertation Committee of this fact (in writing by the appropriate notations on GAC Form 6). It is the responsibility of the Mentor to determine whether the student has made sufficient contribution to the paper to warrant this waiver. f. Final Research Seminar. After Permission to Write has been granted, the student must give a final oral presentation on the dissertation research. (See III.c above). IV. The Dissertation a. After obtaining permission to write, the student may prepare the dissertation. b. Submission to Dissertation Committee. The student must submit a copy of the final draft of the dissertation to the Dissertation Committee for approval. The dissertation must be formatted according to guidelines published by Dissertation Abstracts, Inc. c. Submission Deadlines. The dissertation must be submitted to the Dissertation Committee no later than October 15 th for December graduation, March 1 st for May graduation and June 15 th for August graduation. Students are advised that writing and editing dissertations are very time intensive for the student, readers and mentor. Students should make every possible effort to allow for extra time.

6 d. Review Process. The Dissertation Committee will complete the final reading of the dissertation within four weeks following receipt. They will provide corrections and comments that the student will be expected to address prior to the final approval of the dissertation. e. Submission to Department and Final Approval. Four final copies, signed by the mentor and Dissertation Committee must be deposited in the Chemistry office at least one week before graduation for the Department Chair s signature. These copies must be on acid-free paper (min. 20% cotton bond). A charge may be assessed to help defray the costs of binding. VIII. Checkout After the student returns building keys to the building manager and checks out of the research laboratory according to the mentor s instructions, the Department Chair will approve and sign the dissertation. The mentor may require that the student return research notebooks or other materials. IX. Exceptions to these Regulations Exceptions to these regulations may only be obtained by written petition to the Graduate Advisory Committee. The student must make the petition by submitting a letter to the GAC, through the main office, and the petition must be accompanied by a letter addressing the issues involved from the student's advisor or mentor. GAC Form 1, "GAC Response to Student's Petition" will be attached and the matter will be considered by the GAC. Petitions to the GAC are generally resolved within two weeks, but the student should follow-up with the GAC Chair if more than two weeks have passed. Students should be advised that exceptions are generally granted only in the most extreme circumstances. Unfavorable rulings by the GAC may be appealed to the Department as a whole by meeting with the Department Chair. X. Departmental Awards Each year, the department sponsors several awards for its graduate students. The selection procedure and criteria for these awards are described below. A. Outstanding Teaching Assistant. The department recognizes three outstanding teaching assistants in the spring of each year, one from each of three categories, based on the course(s) that the teaching assistant has taught that year. The categories are: Introductory Courses, Organic Courses and Majors/Advanced Courses. Each outstanding teaching assistant will receive a cash award and recognition at a departmental seminar. B. Ander Award. The department recognizes one or more outstanding students in Masters Degree programs through the Ander Award, named for Professor Paul Ander, a Physical Chemist. All students enrolled in a Masters Degree program are eligible and are automatically nominated. The awardee is selected by the faculty from among

7 students with outstanding grades and performance on the formal seminar. The award consists of a cash award and recognition at a departmental seminar. C. Petersheim Award. The department recognizes one student each year in the Ph.D. program through the Petersheim Award. The award is named for Professor Matthew Petersheim, a Physical and Biological chemist. All students who have matriculated for the Ph.D. degree and who have not previously received the award are eligible. Nomination by the research mentor is required. The awardee is selected by the faculty form among those nominated and the selection is based on outstanding grades, formal seminar and research publications. The award consists of a cash award and recognition at a departmental seminar. Summer, 1999

8 Requirement GAC Form Thesis Interview 2a 1 st or 2 nd Join Research Group Plan Program of Study Request Matriculation Committee Complete Distribution Courses Take matriculation Exam Choose Dissertation Committee 2b 2c 3a 3c Suggested Semester for Completion 1 st or 2 nd 2 nd or 3 rd 2 nd or 3 rd 3 rd or 4 th Literature Seminar 4a,b 4 th 5 th Apply for MS (type B) Complete Cumulative Exams Complete Research Proposal Residency (part-time students) Ph.D. Guideline Checklist Within 12 months after completion of distribution requirements (no later than 6 th ) After completion of matriculation exam Contact Chemistry Office Permission to Write 6 See guidelines Ph.D. Seminar 7 5 Begin exams after completion of matriculation exam Submit Dissertation March 15, June 15 or October 15 Dissertation Approval Final copy - dissertation Binding Fee Mentor & Committee 4 copies - 1 week before graduation date Contact Walsh Library Checkout 9b Return keys, library books, etc. Date Completed

9 Requirement GAC Form Thesis Interview 2a 1 st or 2 nd Join Research Group M.S. (thesis) Guideline Checklist Suggested Semester for Completion * 1 st or 2 nd Plan Program of Study 2b 2 nd or 3 rd Complete Distribution Courses Choose Thesis Committee 2c 3 rd or 4 th Literature Seminar 4a,b 4 th 5 th Complete Research Apply for MS (type A) Submit M.S. Thesis Thesis Defense Thesis Approval Final Copy - Thesis Binding Fee After completion of distribution courses Contact Chemistry Office at start of semester you plan to graduate. To committee at least 8 weeks prior to graduation date At least 4 weeks prior to graduation date Mentor & Committee Three copies to chemistry office one week prior to graduation date Contact Walsh Library Checkout 9a Return keys, library books, etc. Date Completed

10 Requirement GAC Form Plan Program of Study 2b 2 nd or 3 rd Complete Distribution Courses M.S. (plans C & D) Guideline Checklist Suggested Semester for Completion * 3 rd or 4 th Literature Seminar 4a,b 4 th 5 th Non-Thesis Research 8b If applicable 6 credits maximum Complete Coursework Requirement of Program Apply for MS (type C/D) Contact Chemistry Office Date Completed

11 GAC Forms 1. GAC Response to Student Petition 2a. Thesis Interview 2b. Program of Studies 2c. Student Committee Request 3a. Student s Request for Matriculation Examination 3b. Record of Matriculation Examination 3c. Congratulations memo on Passing Matriculation Examination 4a. Graduate Student Seminar Request Form 4b. Seminar Topic Approval Form 4c. Seminar Grading Form 5. Student Notification of Intent to Begin Residency 6. Student Request for Permission to Write Dissertation 7. Student Request to Present Final Ph.D. Seminar 8a. Record of Masters Thesis Defense 8b. Non-Thesis MS Student s Notification of Intention to Register for CHEM 8831 CHEM 8840 Courses 9a. Department MS Degree Checklist 9b. Department Ph.D. Degree Checklist 10a. Student MS Degree Checklist 10b. Student Ph.D. Degree Checklist