Candidates for a Master of Science degree in Chemistry must demonstrate the ability to plan, execute, evaluate, and communicate original chemical research. Candidates will develop specialized research skills to carry out this work effectively and will do so under the guidance of a chosen faculty research adviser. The department’s mission is to provide a quality education to graduate students while they pursue state-of-the-art research in chemistry. The objective of the graduate program is to educate and train students to become highly effective scientists by providing them with the interdisciplinary tools, research skills and ethical and service sensibilities needed to succeed in their future careers. This includes offering a variety of rigorous graduate level courses, maintaining cutting-edge research programs within individual laboratories, and compliance with the Code for Professional Ethical Conduct espoused by the American Chemical Society.

The M.S. degree prepares students for a variety of professional positions and for graduate studies. Example sectors for employment include the pharmaceutical industries, analytical service laboratories, government laboratories and biomedical and industrial laboratories.