DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY
CHEMISTRY PH.D. AND M.S.
GRADUATE HANDBOOK
2016 - 2017
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY
NEW MEXICO TECH
SOCORRO, NM 87801.
TEL: 575-835-6185 WEB: HTTP://INFOHOST.NMT.EDU/~CHEM/
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Department of Chemistry
October 27
th
, 2016
TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE
1. General Requirements for Ph.D. and M.S. Degree 4
A. Undergraduate proficiency Requirement 4
B. Placement Exams 4
C. Remedial Courses 4
2. Additional Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree 5
A. Research and Academic Advisor 5
B. The Graduate Advisory Committee (GAC) 5
i. GAC Formation 5
ii. GAC Composition 5
C. Advanced Course Requirement 6
i. COMM 575 & CHEM 555 6
ii. CHEM 529/530 6
D. Grade Point Average 6
E. Reasonable Progress 7
F. Candidacy Examination 7
i. Eligibility to Candidacy Examination 7
ii. Procedures and Schedules for the Candidacy Examination 7
a. Research Proposal 7
b. Description of the Research Proposal 7
c. Written Examination 8
d. Oral Examination 9
G. Final Defense 9
i. Prior to Final Defense 9
ii. During the Semester of Final Defense 9
iii. Dissertation 10
iv. Oral Defense 10
v. Publications 10
vi. Committee Decision 10
vii. Departmental Clarification 10
viii. Completion of Requirements 11
3. Requirements for Ph.D. Students with Prior Master's Degree 11
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4. Master’s Degree 11
A. Research and academic advisor 11
B. The Graduate Advisory Committee (GAC) 11
i. GAC Formation 11
ii. GAC Composition 11
C. Advanced Course Requirement 12
i. Biochemistry Option 12
ii. CHEM 529/530 12
D. Grade Point Average 13
E. Reasonable Progress 13
F. Final Defense 13
5. Academic Probation and Suspension 13
A. Academic Probation 13
B. Academic Suspension 13
6. Standard Forms 13
Appendix A Undergraduate Remedial course requirement Form 14
Appendix B - Graduate Advisor Selection Form 15
Appendix C - Graduate Requirement Check List Form (Ph.D.) 16
Appendix D - Graduate Requirement Check List Form (M.S.) 20
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1. General Requirements for Ph.D. and M.S. Degree
A. Undergraduate Proficiency Requirement
All graduate students are required to demonstrate a minimal level of knowledge in the five
areas of chemistry; analytical, biochemistry, inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry by
satisfying the undergraduate proficiency requirement by the beginning of the fourth semester in
residence, excluding summer semesters.
B. Placement Exams
Incoming graduate student must take a set of placement exams to assess the student’s
proficiency of undergraduate chemistry. These examinations will be administered and graded
by a panel of chemistry faculty. The passing mark for each exam will be 40 percent. There will
be two parts in Analytical, and Physical chemistry exams. Analytical chemistry part I will be
based on topics in undergraduate quantitative chemical analysis and part II will be based on
topics in undergraduate advanced instrumental methods. The physical chemistry part I covers
the topics related to chemical thermodynamics while part II covers topics related to quantum
chemistry. The organic chemistry exam will have only one part yet it will cover both
undergraduate Organic Chemistry I and II course materials. The organic chemistry faculty will
recommend remedial courses based on student performance in the organic chemistry exam.
The biochemistry placement exam assesses fundamental knowledge of biochemical structure
and function, emphasizing the topics normally covered in undergraduate Biochemistry I. In
order to pass any placement exam student must obtain a score of 40 percent or above for each
part of the corresponding exam.
C. Remedial Courses
In the event a student fails to obtain a score of 40 percent for any part of the exam, student
must take the respective remedial undergraduate course recommended by the Chemistry
Graduate Admission Committee. These recommendations are communicated to students via
Remedial Course Requirement Form (Appendix A). A student must pass these remedial
courses with a minimum letter grade of “B- within the timeline stipulated by the Admission
Committee and the Progress Committee. The graduate progress committee will monitor and
enforce the fulfillment of these remedial course requirements. These remedial courses cannot
be counted towards a student’s graduate degree credits. Placement exams and the suggested
remedial undergraduate courses are as follows;
Entrance Exam
Remedial undergraduate course
Part I
Part II
Analytical
CHEM 311
CHEM 411
Biochemistry
CHEM 441
Inorganic
CHEM 443
Organic
CHEM 333/CHEM 334
Physical
CHEM 331
CHEM 332
In the event a student fails to obtain a B- for a remedial course, the student will have the final
opportunity to fulfill the undergraduate proficiency requirement by re-taking the entrance exam
before the beginning of the fourth semester of study (excluding summer). A student, who does
not fulfill undergraduate proficiency requirements after the final attempt, will be dismissed from
the chemistry graduate program.
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2. Additional Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree
A. Research and Academic Advisor
Every first-year graduate student is required to meet at least five research faculty members and
discuss their research interests before selecting a graduate research advisor. These
discussions will ensure that every graduate student is aware of research possibilities before
formally requesting to join a specific research group. Students will be provided with a form
(Appendix B) which is to be completed and returned to the Chemistry Office no later than
November 20
th
for fall admissions and April 20
th
for Spring admissions. The Graduate Progress
Committee will inform the students of their decision regarding research advisors by the end of
the semester. These decisions will be made based on both student and faculty member’s
preferences.
For students with a research advisor in the chemistry department, the research advisor will also
serve as the student’s academic advisor. Upon approval of the department, students may
choose a research advisor that is not a chemistry faculty member. In this case, a chemistry
faculty member will serve as the student’s academic advisor. The academic advisor must be a
member of the student’s advisory committee.
B. The Graduate Advisory Committee
i. Graduate Advisory Committee Formation:
Once the research advisor has been chosen, the Graduate Advisory Committee must be
formed no later than the end of the second semester in residence. The purpose of the
Advisory Committee is to advise the student on his or her coursework and research and to
evaluate the student’s seminars, candidacy exams, and dissertation.
ii. Graduate Advisory Committee Composition:
The committee will consist of the research advisor and four additional members invited by
the student and subject to the advisor's approval.
A majority (at least 3) of the committee must be either tenured or tenure-track faculty
from the Department of Chemistry. At least one member of the committee must be
from a department other than chemistry. The inclusion of a committee member from
outside New Mexico Tech is not required, but is encouraged.
Graduate students must setup their graduate committee on Banner web and submit
for approval. The Department Chair and Graduate Dean must approve the
composition of the committee.
A committee meeting is required once a year, and should be held in conjunction with
the seminars that the student is giving. At least 4 of the 5 committee members must
be present at the annual meetings, except for the dissertation defense, when all
committee members must participate.
If a student has not earned a Ph.D. by the end of his/her fifth year, the committee will
assess the student’s overall performance and decide if the student will continue in the
Ph.D. program and provide advice on how to complete the degree in a timely manner.
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C. Advanced Course Requirement
Beyond the remedial courses, a minimum of 52 credit hours is required. These hours are
distributed as follows:
500-level chemistry classroom courses: 21 credit hours with a letter grade
CHEM 529 or 530 (Seminar): 2 credit hours with a letter grade
COMM 575 and CHEM 555 (Proposal writing): 5 credit hours with a letter grade
CHEM 595 (Dissertation): 24 credit hours
Students may substitute up to 6 credit hours of classroom courses at the 300-level and above
from other departments for the 500-level chemistry classroom courses. Additional 500-level
courses from other departments may be used in place of the 500-level chemistry classroom
courses, upon approval of the student’s advisory committee. The student’s advisory committee
must approve their course plan. A GPA of “B- or lower during any semester will place the
student on academic probation.
i. COMM 575 & CHEM 555 - Research Proposal Writing
All Ph.D. students are required to complete both COMM 575 and CHEM 555 in a sequence,
no later than the end of their third year. In the first semester, students will register for COMM
575 during which students will learn the basics of proposal writing in a more structured
course environment. During the second semester, students will register for CHEM 555,
under their research advisor, to develop an original research proposal required for their
candidacy examination (see below). Students are required to present a 45-minute public
seminar on the proposal, as a partial fulfillment of CHEM 555. Proposal seminar will not
satisfy the graduate seminar requirement (CHEM 529/530).
Upon completion of all the course requirements of CHEM 555 (submission of a written
proposal, presenting a 45-minute public seminar and defending the written proposal), a
grade letter will be assigned by the student’s research adviser. Student must complete these
requirements within the semester that he/she registered for CHEM 555. When assigning a
course grade for CHEM 555, student’s research advisor may take into consideration the
assessment report of the oral defense by the Graduate Advisory Committee.
ii. CHEM 529/530 - Graduate Research Seminars
Every student must present at least two departmental seminars. One seminar may be based
on any chemistry-related topic, and must be given before the beginning of their fourth
semester. A second seminar must be based on the student’s Ph.D. research and must
include detailed research findings and interpretation. The second seminar must be given
after the student becomes a Ph.D. candidate and during the penultimate semester before
the thesis defense is attempted. It is the student’s responsibility to inform his/her committee
members and the chemistry faculty members of these seminars and to make sure the
seminars are posted on the NMT Calendar at least 2 weeks before the presentation. A
majority of the advisory committee members must be in attendance at the seminars.
Graduate students must take CHEM 529/530 for a letter grade in the semester they are
presenting a seminar. They must also audit CHEM 529/530 in semesters when they are not
presenting. Attendance at all departmental seminars is mandatory for all graduate students.
D. Grade Point Average
The Graduate College requires that a 3.00 average be maintained in all graduate work
attempted at New Mexico Tech. A grade of "C" or higher must be obtained in order to receive
graduate credit in a given course, but all grades will be included in calculating the overall grade
point average. Any course with a grade below ‘C’ must be repeated before graduation.
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E. Reasonable Progress
Graduate students are expected to complete at least half of their total proficiency and core
course requirements during the first academic year in residence. The Graduate Advisory
Committee will monitor the coursework and research progress of individual students and make
periodic recommendations regarding renewal of teaching assistantships, degree completion
deadlines, realistic degree objectives, and other matters. Graduate students are required to
complete Graduate Requirement Check List Form (Appendix C) during their first Graduate
Advisory Committee meeting and submit to the Graduate Progress Committee. Students must
update this form every year.
F. Candidacy Examination
To progress from the level of a Ph.D. student to a Ph.D. candidate, a Ph.D. student must pass
the candidacy examination. The candidacy examination consists of a set of written exams and
the oral defense of a research proposal in the presence of the student’s Advisory Committee.
i. Eligibility to Candidacy Examination
To be eligible to take the candidacy examination, the student must
a. Have satisfied the undergraduate proficiency requirement as described in Section 1.
b. Have completed a minimum of 18 graduate credit hours (or 9 graduate credit hours
with prior masters) in 500-level chemistry courses at NMT. (See page 6)
c. Have a cumulative average of 3.00 (grade ‘B’) or greater on graduate course work at
NMT.
d. Satisfactory progress in graduate research work decided by the research advisor and
advisory committee.
ii. Procedures and Schedules for the Candidacy Examination
This requirement must be completed by the end of the student’s third year. Only Ph.D.
candidates are permitted to register for CHEM 595 (Dissertation). A student who fails to
meet this requirement may be dropped from the Ph.D. program. A student on academic
probation is not eligible to take the candidacy exam.
The candidacy examination is a two-part examination. The first part consists of five written
examinations, based on student’s research while the second part consists of an oral defense
of an original research proposal submitted by the student.
a. Research Proposal
The written Research Proposal should involve a topic, which is distinct from the
student's dissertation research problem. The proposal idea should originate from the
student. During preparation of the proposal, students should work independently and
can work with their research advisor as a resource. Students should work on the
development of this proposal and use COMM 575 and CHEM 555 as a resource.
b. Description of the Research Proposal
Although the uniqueness of the proposal is important, emphasis should also be placed
on such items as:
Why is the problem worthy of investigation?
What is the central question to be addressed in the proposed research?
What is the working hypothesis?
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How will the proposed research activities test this hypothesis?
What outcomes can be expected if the hypothesis is (in) correct?
What alternate research activities might be considered to further test the
hypothesis or test alternative hypotheses if the current one is invalid?
The scope of the problem should be such that a single investigator in a research
university, with access to the usual research equipment, could make significant
progress toward meeting the key objectives in a year of work.
The research proposal should adhere to the following format with a minimum length of
10 double-spaced pages including figures with no appendices. Appropriate references
should be cited by number in text. Page margins must be 1 inch from all sides. Font
type must be Arial and font size must be 11.
Introduction: (~2 pages) Concise presentation of the problem and its significance
with a summary of the relevant literature adequate to identify the current state of
knowledge and justify the research question.
Research Question: (1 paragraph) Explicit statement of the research question and
the working hypothesis about the answer to that question. It must be clear that the
working hypothesis is motivated by the current state of knowledge in the field based
on the background information presented in the introduction and that the hypothesis is
testable.
Significance of the Proposed Research: (1 page) Concise statement of the
importance of the problem and the impact of the proposed studies. Specifically, what
will become possible as a result of the proposed research that is not currently
possible?
Proposed Studies: (6-7 pages) Description of the proposed research activities with a
clear statement of how research activities and/or key experiments will test the working
hypothesis. Discussion of the expected outcomes, if the working hypothesis is
correct, and what alternatives outcomes might be expected, if the working hypothesis
is proved invalid. Detailed procedures and techniques for the proposed research
activities should only be included to address non-routine methods or issues that are
particularly significant to the success of the proposed work (e.g., determination of the
stereochemistry of a key synthetic intermediate where the outcome has no definite
precedence in the literature or details of an optical setup for detecting a signal that
has not been implemented previously). The discussion should also identify the
aspects of the proposed research that are likely to be most challenging and where the
likelihood for success is most uncertain with a critical assessment of what factors
influence the potential outcomes.
References: A list of references in ACS Style format should be provided, including
the titles of all references. This section is not included in the page limit.
c. Written Examination
The PhD candidate must submit the research proposal to his/her advisory committee
at least 14 days prior to the start of the written candidacy exams. Each member in the
advisory committee will submit one exam question based on the topic of the proposal
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to the student’s academic advisor. The candidate must answer all the questions in the
written exam in one continuous seven-day period. Each committee member will
establish the format and grade his or her own exam question. The committee will
evaluate candidate’s overall performance in the written exam and decide his/her
progress towards oral examination.
d. Oral Examination
The PhD candidate who succeeds in the written exam will defend the proposal within
30 days of final written exam. During the defense, the candidate will give a 45-minute
public seminar on the proposal, followed by a question and answer session that is
open only to the candidate and committee members. (Proposal seminar is also a
partial fulfillment of the requirements for CHEM 555; but does not satisfy the graduate
seminar requirement). During the oral exam, candidate will be assessed on overall
progress, knowledge of fundamental chemical principles and chosen area of
specialization, and general competency for Ph.D. research. Deficiencies in the written
exam may be re-evaluated during the oral exam. All committee members must be
present during the seminar and oral examination. The candidate is responsible for
scheduling and room reservation and must ensure that it is announced for public in
NMT Calendar at least 2 weeks prior to the seminar.
Immediately following the oral examination, the committee will evaluate the student’s
success on oral examination and decide if the student passes the candidacy exam. A
Ph.D. student who fails the candidacy exam or otherwise does not fulfill these
requirements will be dismissed from the Ph.D. program. Upon approval of the
chemistry faculty, students failing the candidacy exam may be permitted to enter the
M.S. program.
Please note, no grade letter will be assigned to CHEM 555 until all the course
requirements (submission of a written proposal, presenting a 45-minute public
seminar and defending the written proposal) are completed. Upon completion of
CHEM 555, a grade letter will be given by the student’s research adviser.
G. Final Defense
The focus of the student in the Ph.D. program is to propose and complete original research.
The doctoral dissertation demonstrates the candidate’s capacity for independent research.
i. Prior to Final Defense
The student may register for dissertation hours only after successfully advancing to
candidacy. A minimum of 24 credit hours distributed over one or more years must be
devoted to the dissertation after candidacy has been achieved. A candidate for a degree,
before registering for the final semester of enrollment, must announce intent to complete to
the Registrar by filing an “Intent to Graduate” form. Deadlines for submitting a Declaration of
Intent are June 1 for those completing their degrees in August, July 1 for those completing
their degrees in December, and December 1 for those completing their degrees in May. The
Intent to Graduate form must include a copy of the student’s course program and must be
signed by the student’s academic advisor and the Center for Graduate Studies.
ii. During the Semester of Final Defense
The candidate must be registered during the semester in which the completed dissertation is
submitted to the Center for Graduate Studies. Students may pay a fee to defend between
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semesters, but they must have been registered the semester before and they must have
permission of their full committee. All of the above requirements must be completed two
weeks before the first day of subsequent semester or the student must enroll and pay for
registration.
iii. Dissertation
The Ph.D. candidate must present a written dissertation to their committee at least 21 days
prior to the defense. Details of format requirements can be found on the Center for Graduate
Studies webpage. Completed digital theses or dissertations and digital copies of
independent study abstracts must be submitted to and approved by the Graduate Oce no
later than two weeks prior to the end of the semester in which the requirements for the
degree are to be completed. Please visit the Center for Graduate Studies web pages or the
Center for Graduate Studies for information on submission of digital manuscripts. Digital
manuscripts must be submitted and approved by the Center for Graduate Studies two weeks
prior to the end of the semester in which the requirements for the degree are to be
completed. A copyright form must be completed and signed at time of submission of the
digital manuscript.
iv. Oral Defense
Oral defense of the Ph.D. dissertation is required prior to graduation. The dissertation must
be defended before the NMT faculty under the supervision of the student’s advisory
committee. All committee members must attend the defense. The student is responsible for
scheduling the defense at a day and time when this is possible and must ensure that this
presentation is publicly announced in NMT Calendar at least 2 weeks prior to the event. On
the defense date, the candidate must give a public, oral presentation of their research.
Following the public presentation and discussions, the candidate will defend his/her research
in a closed session open only to the Graduate Advisory committee.
v. Publications
Each Ph.D. candidate is required to have at least one research article accepted by a peer-
reviewed journal prior to graduation. Generally, significantly more research publications are
expected. A student's inclusion as first author of the publication(s) is highly encouraged.
vi. Committee Decision
The committee members will then discuss the written dissertation and oral defense without
the student’s presence and decide if the student passes. Candidates failing the dissertation
defense will be dismissed from the Ph.D. program. Upon approval of the department,
students failing the oral defense may be permitted to enter the M.S. program.
vii. Departmental Clarification
The Chemistry department must certify to the Center for Graduate Studies that the general
requirements are being satisfied and that the candidate is making satisfactory progress.
Certification is transmitted to the Center for Graduate Studies on a form provided by the
Center for Graduate Studies;
The Report of the Advisory Committee which records the actions of the student’s
advisory committee.
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viii. Completion of Requirements
A record of all steps completed in a particular student’s program is kept in the Center for
Graduate Studies. When all the requirements are completed, the record of the program is
sent to the Registrar for the student’s permanent file. If the graduation and other fees have
been paid, and a Declaration of Intent has been filed and approved by the Registrar, the
candidate’s name will be presented to the Faculty Senate for recommendation of conferral of
degree to the Regents.
3. Requirements for Ph.D. Students with Prior Master's Degree
Students entering the Ph.D. program with a prior M.S. degree may be given approval to pursue the
plan outlined below. The choice to approve this option is made by the Graduate Admission
Committee. Students are advised to note that M.S. degrees awarded by foreign institutions and
those in fields outside of chemistry may not be counted.
All requirements for the Ph.D. are the same as for students with no prior M.S. degree, except the
following: Course requirements
A minimum of 40 credit hours is required. These hours are distributed as follows:
500-level chemistry classroom courses: 9 credit hours with a letter grade
CHEM 529 or 530 (Seminar): 2 credit hours with a letter grade
COMM 575 and CHEM 555 (Proposal writing): 5 credit hours with a letter grade
CHEM 595 (Dissertation): 24 credit hours
Students may substitute up to 3 credit hours of courses at the 300-level and above from other
departments for the 500-level chemistry classroom courses. Additional 500-level courses from other
departments may be used in place of the 500-level chemistry classroom courses, upon approval of
the student’s advisory committee. The student’s advisory committee must approve their course plan.
A GPA of “B-” or lower during any semester will place the student on academic probation.
4.
Master’s Degree
A. Research and academic advisor Same as Ph.D. Program (page 5)
B. The Graduate Advisory Committee
i. Graduate Advisory Committee Formation:
Once the research advisor has been chosen, the Graduate Advisory Committee must be
formed no later the end of the second semester in residence. The purpose of the Advisory
Committee is to advise the student on his or her coursework and research and to evaluate
the student’s seminars, candidacy exams, and dissertation.
ii. Graduate Advisory Committee Composition:
The committee will consist of the research advisor and two additional members invited by
the student subject to the advisor's approval.
1. At least half of the committee (2 faculty members) must be either tenured or tenure-
track faculty from the Department of Chemistry. At least one member of the committee
must be from a department other than chemistry. The inclusion of a committee
member from outside New Mexico Tech is not required, but is encouraged.
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2. Graduate students must set up their graduate committee on Banner web and submit
for approval. The Center for Graduate Studies must approve the composition of the
committee.
3. A committee meeting is required once a year, and should be held in conjunction with
the seminars that the student is giving. At least 2 of the 3 committee members must
be present at the annual meetings, except for the thesis defense, when all committee
members must participate.
4. If a student has not earned a M.S. by the end of his/her third year, the committee will
assess the student’s overall performance and decide if the student will continue in the
M.S. program and provide advice on how to complete the degree in a timely manner.
Three years is the maximum duration allowed by the Center for Graduate Studies to
complete a Master’s degree.
C. Advanced Course Requirement
Beyond the remedial courses, a minimum of 30 credit hours is required, including;
At least 24 credit hours of approved course work, with at least 12 credit hours of 500
level courses, exclusive of research credits with a letter grade
6 credit hours of the classroom coursework must be from a department other than
Chemistry with a letter grade
CHEM 529 or 530 (Seminar): 1 credit hours with a letter grade
CHEM 591 (Thesis): 6 credit hours
The student’s advisory committee must approve their course plan.
i. Biochemistry Option
Students earning a Master of Science degree in Chemistry can receive a Biochemistry
Option through cooperation with the Biology Department. Students interested in such a
program should consult their advisor and the pre-medical advisor. The requirements for the
biochemistry option are the same as those for a Master of Science in Chemistry, except that
the students must take for a grade letter:
- CHEM 521 and 547
- A minimum of six (6) credit hours of upper-division/500-level classroom courses in
biology, selected from the following: BIOL 331, 333, 351, 352, 356, 488, 501, 531,
537, 551, 552, 566, 587, 588.
ii. CHEM 529/530
Every M.S. student must give one departmental seminar prior to the defense of their M.S.
thesis. The seminar should focus primarily on their M.S. research. It is the student’s
responsibility to inform his/her committee members and the chemistry faculty members of
these seminars and to make sure the seminar are announced in NMT Calendar at least 2
weeks before the presentation. A majority of the advisory committee members must be in
attendance at the seminar.
Graduate students must take CHEM 529 or CHEM 530 for credit in the semester they are
presenting a seminar. They must also audit CHEM 529/530 in semesters when they are not
presenting. Attendance of all departmental seminars is mandatory for all graduate students.
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D. Grade Point Average same as Ph. D. program (page 6)
E. Reasonable Progress - same as Ph. D. program (page 6 and Appendix D)
F. Final Defense
M.S. students must present a written thesis to their committee 21 days prior to the defense.
The student must ensure that this presentation is publicly announced in the NMT calendar at
least 2 weeks prior to the event. On the defense date, the student must give a public, oral
presentation of the conducted research. All faculty members on the student’s committee must
be in attendance at the defense. Following the public presentation and discussions, the
candidate should defend his/her research in a closed session open only to the Graduate
Advisory committee and the student. The committee members will then discuss the oral
defense without the student’s presence and decide if the student passes. Candidates failing
the oral defense will be dismissed from the M.S. program.
5. Academic Probation and Suspension
A. Academic Probation
Any student who fails to maintain satisfactory progress will be put on probation for one
semester. Any student who fails to maintain satisfactory progress for two consecutive
semesters will be suspended from regular graduate student status. Such students may apply
for special (non-degree) status without financial support. After completion of six credit hours
(three for part-time students) within a single semester in courses approved for the degree
program with a grade-point average of 3.0 or better and no grade less than C, the student may
petition the Graduate School for return to regular graduate status. Any such petition must
include the written support of the academic advisor and department chair. At most 12 credits
earned while a special graduate student can be applied to a graduate degree.
B. Academic Suspension
Graduate students who fail to achieve satisfactory academic progress for a second
consecutive semester will be placed on academic suspension. A graduate student on
academic suspension is denied the privilege of enrolling at New Mexico Tech for the
specified period of time.
6. Standard Forms
Graduate students should consult with their research advisors regarding preparation of these
forms, but the student is responsible for submission of forms by the deadlines that are
published each semester. Samples of these forms are attached on the following pages. Other
standard forms are available online at Center for Graduate Studies Webpage.
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Name
Banweb ID
Graduate
Program
(prior MS or no
prior MS, if PhD)
Research
Interest
Remedial
Courses Needed
To Fulfill
Placement
Exam/s
Requirement
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Comments
Department of Chemistry
Graduate Admission Committee
Undergraduate Remedial Course Requirement Form
Area
Part I
Part II
Date
Comments
Analytical
Biochemistry
Inorganic
Organic
Physical
The chemistry graduate admission committee imposed these requirements, based on the recommendation of the respective
divisions. These requirements cannot be overruled and overwritten without the collective consent of the academic advisor,
student’s graduate committee, student’s progress committee, department chair, and dean of the graduate studies.
-----------------------------
---------------------------
---------------------------
Sally Pias / Date
Menake Piyasena /Date
Mahinda I Ranasinghe /Date
I, …………………………………………………….., agree to the above requirements.
…………………………
……………………………
Student Date
APPENDIX A
Graduate Research Advisor Selection Form
Every first-year graduate student is required to meet at least five research faculty members and discuss their
research interests before selecting a graduate research advisor. These discussions will ensure that every graduate
student will be aware of research possibilities before formally requesting to join a specific research group.
This form is to be completed and returned to Chemistry Office no later than the November 20
th
for fall admission and
April 20
th
for Spring admission.
Student Name: ________________________________________________ Degree Sought: ______________
Please select one (or more) research divisions with which you want to be affiliated
Please request the interviewed faculty
to print his/her name, sign and date
Name of the faculty member Signature Date
_____________________
_________________ ________________________ ________________
______________________________________ ________________________ ________________
______________________________________ ________________________ ________________
______________________________________ ________________________ ________________
______________________________________ ________________________ ________________
______________________________________ ________________________ ________________
Please identify your top three choices for research advisor
First Choice__________________________________________________
Second Choice________________________________________________
Third Choice_________________________________________________
I certify that I met and discussed research interests with the above listed chemistry faculty members.
Student Signature: ________________________________________________
Date: ______________
To be completed by the Graduate Progress Committee
Advisor’s Signature:____________________________________ Date:_______________
I approve this assignment of research advisor
Department Chair’s Signature:____________________________________ Date:_______________
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY
801 Leroy Place Jones
Hall 259 Socorro, NM
87801 Phone:
575-835-5263 Fax:
575-835-5364
Atmospheric and Environmental
Bioanalytical
Biomedical and Medicinal
Physical and Fundamental Studies Solar Energy and Sustainability
APPENDIX B
I agree to serve as this student’s research advisor
Research Advisor Assigned:__________________________________________________
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1 September 2016
Revision 1.1
Graduate Student Requirements Check Form
Doctoral Student
Students must pick this form up from the Chemistry Office before your annual meeting, update
the information and return the form as soon as possible after the meeting. It is strongly
recommended that you meet with your committee more frequently. Meetings should include at
least a brief report on progress on course program and/or research.
Name:
ID#: email:
Date of Admission Entrance Rating /10*
Prior Masters (Y/N)
*A copy of the Admission Requirements Form should be attached.
Placement Exams
Remediation must be completed before the beginning of the fourth semester in residence; excluding summer.
Exam Passed* Remedial Course Semester Grade
Analytical
Biochemistry
Inorganic
Organic
P Chem
*A signed copy of the Remedial Course Requirements form should be attached.
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY
APPENDIX C
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Graduate Committee
Must be formed before the end of the second semester in residence. Must have 5 members; at least 1 outside
member and 3 chemistry faculty. A committee meeting is required once a year, and should be held in conjunction
with the seminars that the student is giving. At least 4 of the 5 committee members must be present at the annual
meetings, except for the dissertation defense, when all committee members must participate.
Date Formed
Members*
Meeting Date(s)
*The Academic Advisor should be noted.
Seminars
Must complete a minimum of 2 seminars. One must be completed before the candidacy exam is attempted and one
must be completed after the candidacy exam has been passed and no later than the semester before the thesis
defense is attempted.
Title Date
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Coursework
Minimum of 52 credit hours; 21 credits must be 500 level, 2 credit hours for seminar (CHEM 529/530), 5 credit hour
for proposal writing (COMM 575/CHEM 555) and 24 credit hours of research (CHEM 595). Can substitute up to 6
credit hours from other departments; 300 level or above. [With a prior Masters: Only a minimum of 40 credit hours is
required; 9 credit hours must be 500 level, 2 credit hours for seminar (CHEM 529/530), 5 credit hour for proposal
writing (COMM 575/CHEM 555) and 24 credit hours of research (CHEM 595). Can substitute up to 3 credit hours
from other departments; 300 level or above.]
500/300-Level Courses
Course Code Semester Grade Credits Total Credits
Others
Course Semester Grade Course Semester Grade
CHEM 529 CHEM 530
COMM 575 CHEM 555
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Candidacy Exam
All previous requirements, except the second seminar, must be completed before the candidacy exam is attempted.
This requirement must be completed by the end of the student’s third year.
Date Attempted
Passed (Y/N)
Dissertation
Must have passed the Candidacy Exam before the dissertation can be defended.
Title
Date Attempted
Passed (Y/N)
Progress Comm* Satisfactory Progress** Date
*The members of the Graduate Progress Committee should initial and date at each review.
**Upon each review, the Graduate Progress Committee will note if the student is making satisfactory
progress toward completing their degree. If it is deemed the student is not making satisfactory progress,
a note of explanation will be given and the student’s Academic Advisor will be notified.
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1 September 2016
Revision 1.1
Graduate Student Requirements Check Form
Masters Degree Student
Students must pick this form up from the Chemistry Office before your annual meeting, update
the information and return the form as soon as possible after the meeting. It is strongly
recommended that you meet with your committee more frequently. Meetings should include at
least a brief report on progress on course program and/or research.
Name:
ID#: email:
Date of Admission Entrance Rating /10*
Prior Masters (Y/N)
*A copy of the Admission Requirements Form should be attached.
Placement Exams
Remediation must be completed before the beginning of the fourth semester in residence; excluding summer.
Exam Passed* Remedial Course Semester Grade
Analytical
Biochemistry
Inorganic
Organic
P Chem
*A signed copy of the Remedial Course Requirements form should be attached.
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY
APPENDIX D
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Graduate Committee
Must be formed before the end of the second semester in residence. Must have 3 members; at least 1 outside
member and 2 chemistry faculty. A committee meeting is required once a year, and should be held in conjunction
with the seminars that the student is giving. At least 2 of the 3 committee members must be present at the annual
meetings, except for the dissertation defense, when all committee members must participate.
Date Formed
Members*
Meeting Date(s)
*The Academic Advisor should be noted.
Seminars
Every M.S. students must give one departmental seminar prior to the defense of their M.S. thesis. The seminar
should focus primarily on their M.S. research.
Title Date
click to sign
signature
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signature
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signature
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signature
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Coursework
Minimum of 30 credit hours, including; at least 24 credit hours of approved course work, with at least 12 credit hours
of 500level courses, 6 credit hours of the classroom coursework from a department other than Chemistry, 1 credit
hours for seminar (CHEM 529/530), and 6 credit hours of research (CHEM 591).
500/300-Level Courses
Course Code Semester Grade Credits Total Credits
Others
Course Semester Grade Course Semester Grade
CHEM 529 CHEM 530
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Dissertation
Must have passed the Candidacy Exam before the dissertation can be defended.
Title
Date Attempted
Passed (Y/N)
Progress Comm* Satisfactory Progress** Date
*The members of the Graduate Progress Committee should initial and date at each review.
**Upon each review, the Graduate Progress Committee will note if the student is making satisfactory
progress toward completing their degree. If it is deemed the student is not making satisfactory progress,
a note of explanation will be given and the student’s Academic Advisor will be notified.