Education

Harvard University: Arts & Sciences: Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Category Art and Social Sciences, Biological Sciences, Chemistry & Biological Chemistry, Doctoral, Harvard University, USA
Tags Arts, Biology, Chemical, Chemistry, Harvard University, Sciences

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Although the curriculum for this degree includes certain requirements in formal coursework, the majority of the graduate -student’s time and energy will be devoted to original investigations in a chosen field of research. Students have many opportunities to learn about current research programs, prior to embarking upon research, both during rotations and through informal discussions with faculty and students. Upon selecting a research area, the student then arranges with one of the members of the department to undertake some particular problem, spending as much time as possible on that work.

At the end of their first year, students are expected to constitute, in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, their Graduate Advising Committee (GAC). Students are expected to present and defend a research proposal in their second year of residence before the GAC. In addition, students are expected to meet with the GAC in the fall term of their fourth and sixth years. The objective of these meetings is to bring focus to the timely completion of the degree requirements, to foster (non-advisor) faculty-student interactions, and to provide career counseling.

The requirements for this degree are:

Prerequisites for Admission. Ordinarily the minimum requirements for admission are at least one year each of inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry, one year of college physics, and mathematics (calculus).

Program of Study. In addition to the requirements outlined at the beginning of this section, the research supervisor may require that other courses be taken in preparation for a particular research program.

Language. A thorough command of oral and written English is required. Remedial work in English may be required of students whose proficiency is deemed inadequate.

Oral Examinations. As described above, students in organic, inorganic and physical chemistry are expected to present and defend a research proposal in their second year of residence before a faculty committee.

Dissertation. The PhD dissertation is based on independent scholarly research, which, upon conclusion, is defended in an oral examination before a PhD committee. The preparation of a satisfactory dissertation normally requires at least four years of full-time research.

The Degree of Doctor of -Philosophy in Chemical Physics

The Chemical Physics program includes coursework in the Department of Physics as well as that of Chemistry and Chemical Biology and is administered by special interdepartmental committees. The requirements in the field of chemical physics are described in the section on the PhD in Chemical Physics in this publication.