THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA GRADUATE CATALOG
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6.5 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY (CH)

Interim Chairperson: Professor David Dixon, Office: 206 Shelby Hall

 

The Department of Chemistry offers programs in the four traditional areas of chemistry (analytical, inorganic, organic, and physical) as well as biochemistry leading to the master of science in chemistry (Plan I or Plan II, as outlined in the "Academic Policies" section of this catalog) and the doctor of philosophy in chemistry. The completion of a master's degree is optional for students enrolled in the Ph.D. program.

 

 

Admission Requirements

In addition to meeting the general requirements of the Graduate School, entering graduate students should have completed, with an average grade of "B" or better, undergraduate coursework equivalent to a major in chemistry. Applicants may qualify for regular or conditional admission. To be considered for regular admission, an applicant must have a verbal and quantitative score of at least 1000 on the general test of the Graduate Record Examination. A score at the 50th percentile on the Miller Analogies Test may be substituted for the GRE score.

 

An applicant whose credentials do not meet the requirements for regular admission may be considered for conditional admission if the applicant has a grade point average of 2.5 overall and an acceptable score on the appropriate admission examination for conditional admission. An applicant may be considered for conditional admission if he or she meets either the 3.0 GPA requirement for regular admission or the entrance examination requirement for regular admission. A student admitted conditionally must remove any undergraduate deficiencies during the first year of graduate study and must remove the condition by earning an average of "B" or better in the first 12 hours of graduate-level work.

 

Diagnostic examinations covering the traditional areas of chemistry are required of all entering graduate students. These examinations are given a few days prior to registration for the first semester so that the results may be used by the departmental graduate committee in planning the student's coursework for the first year.

 

 

Degree Requirements

The requirements for the master of science in chemistry are the same as the Graduate School 's general requirements. The Ph.D. degree requirements also follow the general policy outlined for the Graduate School. The comprehensive examination usually consists of a number of written cumulative examinations plus the oral defense of an original research proposal. In addition, acceptable literature and research seminars must be presented to the chemistry faculty and graduate students. The Ph.D. student's research performance is evaluated by his or her research advisor with concurrences of the student's dissertation committee. Normally, the student is expected to be an author or coauthor of at least one publication in a refereed scientific journal prior to the awarding of the degree.

 

 

Financial Assistance

Financial assistance for graduate students in chemistry is available through fellowships, graduate teaching assistantships, and graduate research assistantships.

 

 

Course Descriptions: Analytical Chemistry

CH 521 Introduction to Graduate Analytical Chemistry. Three hours.
Generally, this course is for entering students whose undergraduate training in analytical chemistry is insufficient.

CH 524 Advanced Analytical Chemistry I: Spectroscopic Methods of Analysis. Three hours.
Prerequisite: CH 521 or equivalent.
Incorporates both a theoretical and a practical component. The separations theory will be developed and applied to gas chromatography and high pressure liquid chromotography/planar chromotography. Hyphenated techniques are emphasized. Students must master a GC/MS tutorial and carry out a project on analysis of an unknown.

CH 525 Advanced Analytical Chemistry II: Chromatography. Three hours.
Prerequisite: CH 521 or equivalent.
Provides graduate students with knowledge of the fundamental aspects of various modern methods of spectroscopic analysis. Reference to analytical applications and experimental methods is made, where relevant.

CH 526 Chemometrics. Three hours.
Prerequisite: CH 521 or equivalent or permission of the instructor.
Chemometrics involves the application of statistical and mathematical methods to chemistry. Areas of emphasis will be data and error analysis, calibration, experimental design, signal processing and transform procedures, and data description and enhancement.

CH 552 Research Techniques in Analytical Chemistry. One to six hours.

CH 621/ CH 622 Current Trends in Analytical Chemistry. Three hours.

CH 626 Surface Analytical Techniques. Three hours.
Prerequisite: CH 521 or equivalent.
Introduces the student to the instrumentation and techniques used to study surfaces and interfaces. Spectroscopic, microscopic, desorption, and vacuum techniques are covered.

CH 627 Mass Spectrometry. Three hours.
Prerequisite: CH 521 or equivalent or permission of the instructor.
Deals with all areas of mass spectrometry (MS), including single and multiple stage MS and chromotography/MS. The emphasis is on fundamental principles and instrumentation, as well as applications and data interpretation.

CH 652/CH 653 Advanced Research Techniques in Analytical Chemistry. One to six hours.


Course Descriptions: Biochemistry

CH 554 Research Techniques in Biochemistry. One to six hours.

CH 561 Biochemistry I. Three hours.
Prerequisites: CH 232 or CH 336, and CH 237.
First-semester course in basic biochemistry. Structure and properties of biological molecules, including proteins, DNA, RNA, carbohydrates, lipids, and enzyme cofactors and prosthetic groups. Introduction to intermediary metabolism and glycolysis. Offered fall semester.

CH 562 Biochemistry II. Three hours.
Prerequisite: CH 561 or permission of the instructor.
Continuation of basic one-year course in biochemistry. Intermediary metabolism, TCA cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, and catabolism of biomolecules. Biosynthesis of amino acids, nucleotides, carbohydrates, and lipids. DNA and RNA replication, with introduction to recombinant technology. Protein biosynthesis and membrane transport. Offered spring semester.

CH 563 Biochemistry Laboratory. Three hours.
Prerequisite or corequisite: CH 561.
One lecture and one six-hour laboratory. Biochemical techniques within the structure of a semester-long research project. Topics include protein purification and chromatography, spectroscopy, electrophoresis, kinetics, and DNA manipulation.

CH 564 Advanced Biophysical Chemistry. Three hours.
Prerequisites: CH 341 and CH 561, or permission of the instructor.
The study of physical techniques applied to the development and experimental verification of biochemical hypotheses. Examples include forms of spectroscopy, treatment of multiple equilibria, and enzyme kinetics. Examples of applications are drawn from such areas as oxygen transport, oxidative phosphorylation, and photosynthesis.

CH 565 Advanced Bio-Inorganic Chemistry. Three hours.
Prerequisite: CH 401, CH 561, or permission of the instructor.
Study of current knowledge on the roles of metal ions in biological systems, including structural and catalytic functions. Topics include bio-coordination chemistry, spectroscopic and magnetic methods, and kinetics.

CH 566 Advanced Bio-Organic Chemistry. Three hours.
Prerequisite: CH 232, CH 561, or permission of the instructor.
Application of organic chemical concepts to biochemical systems. Topics include enzyme mechanisms at the molecular level, the chemistry of biomolecules including nucleic acids, peptides, and saccharides, and the development of chemical methods for the manipulation of biochemical systems.

CH 654/CH 655 Advanced Research Techniques in Biochemistry. One to six hours.


Course Descriptions: Inorganic Chemistry

CH 501 Introduction to Graduate Inorganic Chemistry. Three hours. Three lectures.
Generally, this course is for entering graduate students whose undergraduate training in inorganic chemistry is insufficient.

CH 556 Research Techniques in Inorganic Chemistry. One to six hours.

CH 601 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry I: Structural Methods in Inorganic Chemistry. Three hours.

CH 602 Chemistry of Coordination Compounds. Three hours. Three lectures.


CH 603 Chemistry of the Solid State. Three hours. Three lectures.


CH 604 Chemistry of the Main Group Elements. Three hours. Three lectures.


CH 605 Special Topics in Inorganic Chemistry. Three hours. Three lectures.


CH 606 X-Ray Crystallography. Three hours. Three lectures.

CH 609 Organometallic Chemistry. Three hours.
Prerequisite: CH 402 or CH 601.

CH 611 Inclusion and Molecular Recognition. Three hours. Three lectures.
Prerequisite: CH 601.

CH 656/CH 657 Advanced Research Techniques in Inorganic Chemistry. One to six hours.


Course Descriptions: Organic Chemistry

CH 530 Introduction to Graduate Organic Chemistry. Three hours. Three lectures.
Generally, this course is for entering graduate students whose undergraduate training in organic chemistry is insufficient.

CH 531 Advanced Organic Chemistry I: Physical Organic. Three hours.
Theory and mechanism of organic transformations, detailed evaluation of organic structure, molecular dynamics, molecular orbital interactions, molecular symmetry, sterochemistry of reactions, and energetics of reaction paths.

CH 532 Advanced Organic Chemistry II: Advanced Synthesis. Three hours.
Fundamentals of organic transformations and advanced synthetic methodology with application to the synthesis of complex organic structures.

CH 558 Research Techniques in Organic Chemistry. One to six hours.
 
CH 566 Advanced Bio-Organic Chemistry. Three hours.
Prerequisite: CH 231, CH 561, or permission of the instructor.
Application of organic chemical concepts to biochemical systems; enzymatic mechanisms; chemistry and biochemistry of nucleic acids, peptides, and saccharides.
 
CH 609 Organometallic Chemistry. Three hours.
Structure, bonding, and reactivity of organotransition metallic compounds, mechanisms of transformations and fundamental reaction types, applications to catalysis and organic synthesis.

CH 635 Selected Topics in Organic Chemistry. Three hours.

CH 637 Spectroscopic Techniques in Organic Chemistry. Three hours.
Fundamentals of spectroscopic techniques for structure determination of organic molecules. Theory and application of IR, NMR, and MS in organic chemistry.

CH 658/CH 659 Advanced Research Techniques in Organic Chemistry. One to six hours.
 


Course Descriptions: Physical Chemistry

CH 540 Introduction to Graduate Physical Chemistry. Three hours. Three lectures.
Generally, this course is for entering graduate students whose undergraduate training in physical chemistry is insufficient.

CH 541 Advanced Physical Chemistry I: Kinetics and Statistical Thermodynamics. Three hours. Three lectures.
Prerequisite: CH 540 or equivalent.

CH 549 Advanced Physical Chemistry II: Atomic and Molecular Structure. Three hours.
Prerequisites: CH 336, CH 338, CH 342, and CH 348.

CH 570 Research Techniques in Physical Chemistry. One to six hours.

CH 643 Quantum Mechanics. Three hours.
Prerequisite: CH 541 or CH 549.

CH 645 Selected Topics in Physical Chemistry. Three hours.


CH 660 Advanced Research Techniques in Physical Chemistry. One to six hours.


Course Descriptions: Miscellaneous

CH 585/CH 586 Chemistry Seminars. Two hours.


CH 599 Thesis in Chemistry. Credit to be arranged.


CH 699 Dissertation. Credit to be arranged. Three-hour minimum.
 


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Update: Sep. 2007