The University of South Dakota

We Offer:

• Master of Science  (with thesis)
• Doctor of Philosophy (Materials Chemistry)

Admission into our graduate program is gained by application to the Graduate School. Full acceptance into this program requires an acceptable major in chemistry with an undergraduate GPA of 2.7 or higher, and satisfaction of such additional requirements as may be stipulated in order to provide a course background equivalent to that of an ACS-approved undergraduate major.

While most students entering the graduate program in the Department of Chemistry have an undergraduate degree in chemistry, admission on a provisional basis may be extended to students with other backgrounds, provided their records indicate the ability to complete the program successfully.

If you are an international student, please see the Graduate School international admissions information.

For questions regarding admission into our graduate program, please contact Ranjit Koodali, Assistant Professor of Physical Chemistry.

MS Program of Study

Estimated average time to the M.S. degree is two years beyond the bachelor's degree, assuming an ACS-approved degree in chemistry.

• M.S. candidates will have earned an ACS-approved B.S. or B.A. in chemistry prior to starting the M.S. program or will complete any missing requirements en route to the degree. M.S. candidates are required to pass four subdiscipline standardized exams in chemistry.
• Required course work includes:
• • CHEM 726 Advanced Organic Chemistry
  • CHEM 730 Advanced Analytical Chemistry
  • CHEM 744 Advanced Physical Chemistry
  • CHEM 752 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry
  • Two elective courses (6 credits) at the graduate level

For students pursuing a Ph.D. following the M.S. it is recommended that the elective courses be chosen from those required for the Ph.D.

• Participation in Graduate Seminar (CHEM 772/774, 4 credit hours) is required. Participation will include attendance at weekly research seminars (given by visiting speakers and by USD faculty and students) and a minimum of two presentations made by the  candidate. The first presentation will generally be given in the first year and will be a literature review. The second will generally be given the following year and will be based on the thesis research. This presentation must be attended by the student’s entire committee and will be followed by an oral examination.
• The M.S. candidate will be required to write and defend a research-based thesis.  

See our graduate catalog for full course descriptions.

Ph.D. Program of Study

Estimated average time to the Ph.D. degree is five years beyond the bachelor's (assuming ACS-approved degree in chemistry) or three years beyond a master's (assuming equivalent to M.S. in chemistry at USD).  

1. Ph.D. candidates will earn a master's in chemistry either prior to starting our Ph.D. program, or will earn a master's (M.S.) en route to the degree. The requirements listed below are those beyond the master's, except that courses from item 2 may be counted toward both the M.S. and the Ph.D. Before receiving a M.S. in chemistry at USD, students are required to pass four subdiscipline standardized exams in chemistry. Passage of these exams satisfies the requirement for passing “background exams.”
2. Required course work consists of four courses chosen from the following list:
   1. Synthesis and Characterization of Nanostructured Materials (CHEM 720)
   2. Applications of Nanostructured Materials (CHEM 721)
   3. Luminescence Spectroscopy of Materials (CHEM 723)
   4. Spectroscopic Analysis (CHEM 521)
   5. Polymer Chemistry (CHEM 526)
   6. Solid State Chemistry and Crystallography (CHEM 722)
   7. Electrochemistry (CHEM 724)
   8. Solid State Physics (PHYS 539)
3. Participation in Graduate Seminar (CHEM 772/774, 6 credit hours) is required, to include attendance at weekly research seminars (given by visiting speakers and by USD faculty and students) and a minimum of two presentations made by the Ph.D. candidate. The first presentation will generally be given in the first year after completion of the master's and will be a literature review from a field significantly different than the student’s dissertation research. The second will generally be given the following year and will be based on the dissertation research. This presentation must be attended by the student’s entire committee and will be followed by an oral examination.
4. The Ph.D. candidate will pass four cumulative examinations. Each semester, the seminar program will have a particular chemistry theme. At the end of each semester a cumulative exam will be administered based on that theme.
5. The Ph.D. candidate will be required to publish (or have accepted for publication) the results of his or her dissertation research in a peer-reviewed journal with national or international circulation. This must be accomplished before scheduling a defense of the dissertation and must be in a journal deemed relevant to Materials Chemistry by the student’s entire committee.
6. The Ph.D. candidate will be required to write and defend a dissertation.

Research

The heart of our Graduate Program lies in laboratory research leading to the publication of a thesis or dissertation. Graduate students also have the opportunity to present their research findings at a variety of regional and national meetings.

All recent instrumentation acquisitions in the department are available to student researchers:

Financial Support

Graduate assistantships are available ($11,000-$30,000) on a competitive basis. Applications for assistantships are available from the Department of Chemistry. Awarding of teaching assistantships is based on:

• availability;
• ability to communicate well in oral/written English;
• satisfactory performance in course work.