The Chemistry M.S. program offers students the opportunity to earn meaningful research experience alongside faculty at the university’s cutting-edge facilities, as well as through the university’s private and institutional research partnerships. Students will be able to engage in their research focus of interest in order to learn skills they need to prepare them for successful careers in academic, industry and government research. Along with research and study in their chosen field within the chemical sciences, we specifically aim for our students to meet the following learning outcomes:

• Broad understanding of major concepts, advanced theoretical principles, as well as experimental methods and findings in the field of chemistry.

• Ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with professional conduct in a classroom and laboratory setting.

• Demonstrate efficient problem-solving skills and ability to think critically to address problems in analytical, inorganic, organic and physical chemistry.

• Demonstrate knowledge of lab procedures and adherence to ethical research conduct in order to properly conduct experiments, analyze data and interpret results.

• Demonstrate effective written and oral communication skills, in order to communicate research and complex findings to specialist and general audiences.

• Demonstrate effective understanding and application of modern tools and equipment used for chemical analysis.

• Proficient use of computational methods used for chemical simulation.

• Demonstrate effective use of research tools needed to investigate and evaluate scientific journals for relevant findings or information.

• Demonstrate strict adherence to safety and chemical hygiene regulations and practices.

The B.S. in Chemistry is constructed to provide students the fundamental knowledge and laboratory skills to enter the workforce at different levels. The degree emphasizes a quantitative methodological approach to chemistry. By the end of the course, students should be able to meet the following learning outcomes:

• Explain atomic structure and write chemical formula for simple compounds

• Perform chemical calculations systematically using dimensional analysis or multiplication by one

• Calculate moles, molecular and empirical formula of a compound from basic principles

• Balance chemical equations

• Identify various types of chemical reactions and apply the concept of limiting reagent to calculate percentage yield of products

• Apply various gas laws and the first law of thermodynamics to chemical problems

• Calculate the energy changes in chemical reactions

• Explain the quantum mechanical basis for the sub-structure of the atom

• Write the electronic configuration for the elements in the periodic table

• Draw the Lewis dot structures for simple molecules

• Use VSEPR to predict shapes of molecules and whether a molecule will have a dipole moment

• Identify sigma and pi bonds and explain the hybridization of the molecules

• Describe the differences in bonding patterns between solids, liquids, and gases

• Predict changes in freezing point, elevation in boiling point and osmotic pressure when a solute dissolves in a pure solvent