Candidates holding or about to receive a B.S., B.A. or
higher degree are eligible to apply for entrance to the
graduate program of the Department of Macromolecular
Science. Normally an education in any of the sciences or
engineering is appropriate, although some college-level
background in chemistry, physics and mathematics is
essential. The university rules require that a candidate
for entrance into graduate school should have graduated
in the top third of his/her class.
Master Degree Programs
Master’s Thesis (Plan A)
The minimum requirement to complete a Master’s degree under Plan A is 27 hours. Of the 27 hours, at least 18 hours must be coursework, and 9 hours must be EMAC 651 (thesis research). At least 18 semester hours of coursework, including thesis, must be at the 400 level or higher.
All Plan A M.S. students must take 6 credits of Departmental fundamentals courses including the lab component. Please note: Once a student begins registration of EMAC 651, the student must register for at least one credit hour of this course every semester until graduation. The normal residency period for an M.S. degree is 2 years.
For completion of Master’s degrees Plan A, an oral examination (defense) of the Master’s thesis is required. The examination is conducted by a committee of three University faculty members. The candidate’s thesis advisor usually serves as the chair of the examining committee. The chair of the department or the curricular program faculty appoints members of the committee. The examining committee must agree unanimously that the candidate has passed the thesis examination.
Master’s Comprehensive (Plan B)
The Master's Plan B program is available for
individuals who live out-of-state or are working
full-time. A research report and oral examination is
required before graduation. This option requires 27
total credit hours; categorized by the following:
- 3-6 cr. hrs. need to be project credit
(independent study) which needs to be approved by
advisor
- 15-18 course credits (of which 9 must be based in
Macromolecular Science)
- 6 core course credits; EMAC 678 (lab course) is not
required.
Each candidate for the Master’s degree under Plan B must satisfactorily pass a comprehensive examination, which is administered by the department or curricular program committee. The examination may be written or oral or both. A student must be registered during the semester in which any part of the comprehensive examination is taken. If not registered for other courses, the student will be required to register for one semester hour of EXAM 600, Comprehensive Examination, before taking the examination.
Elective and core courses can be taken via ITN
(Information Televsion Network) or by transfer
(transfers need to be approved by Chair of Department
and Dean of Graduate Studies; core courses also needs
instructors' approval).
Ph.D. Program
The Ph.D. Program consists of 36 hours of coursework
including the departmental core courses and 18 credit
hours of Ph.D. thesis (EMAC 701/702) are required for
the Ph.D. degree, in addition to passing the research
qualifying exam (oral proposal) and the written
qualifying exam.
Of the coursework credit requirements, the core
courses are designated as “depth” courses (12 credits).
In addition, all students, will take a minimum of two
breadth courses in basic science and/or other departments in the School of Engineering (for a total of six credits). The remaining breadth requirements (up to 18 credits) are satisfied by course modules taken in Macromolecular Science and Engineering.
Each doctoral student is responsible for becoming
sufficiently familiar with the research interests of the
department or program faculty to choose in a timely
manner a faculty member who will serve as the student’s
research advisor. The research adviser is expected to
provide mentorship in research conception, methods,
performance and ethics, as well as focus on development
of the student’s professional communication skills,
building professional contacts in the field, and
fostering the professional behavior standard of the
field and research in general.
The research adviser also assists with the selection
of three other faculty to serve as the required
additional members of the dissertation advisory
committee. This committee must be formed within the
second semester following admission. Throughout the
development and completion of the dissertation, these
members are expected to provide constructive criticism
and helpful ideas generated by the research problem from
the viewpoint of their particular expertise. Each member
will make an assessment of the originality of the
dissertation, its value, the contribution it makes, and
the clarity with which concepts are communicated,
especially to a person outside the field.
The doctoral student is expected to arrange meetings
and maintain periodic contact with each committee
member. A meeting of the full committee for the purpose
of assessing the student’s progress should occur at
least once a year until the completion of the
dissertation.
For students entering the Ph.D. program with a
M.S. degree, 18, instead of 36 credit hours of
coursework is required. Other requirements for a Ph.D.
remain the same as described above. Normally students
should orient their training around their main area of
interest/expertise and in relation to their research
program. For those enrolled in the M.D./Ph.D. degree
program, all 18 course credits for breadth and depth
courses must be taken within the Medical School Program. |
