Chemistry Master of Science Degree

The School of Chemistry and Materials Science has research- and teaching-oriented faculty, as well as excellent equipment and facilities that enable full-time graduate students to carry on a program of independent study and develop the ability to attack scientific problems at the fundamental level. The research can result in either a thesis or a project report.

Through course work and research activities, the program strives to increase the breadth and depth of the student’s background in chemistry. Students develop the ability to attack scientific problems with minimal supervision.

RIT’s Master’s Degree in Chemistry

This master’s of chemistry will prepare you for the next step, whether that is a Ph.D. program, getting a new job, or advancing your career at the company you are already working for. Our program emphasizes independent research with faculty mentors on a wide range of possible topics. You will also focus on improving your written and oral scientific communication skills.

With RIT’s master's degree in chemistry, you’ll have an opportunity to conduct research in many areas of chemistry. Research currently underway in the School of Chemistry and Materials Science:

• Synthesis of cancer imaging agents
• Synthesis, design, and construction of organic solar cells
• Synthesis and characterization of electrical and optical nanomaterials
• Study of aerosols from nicotine delivery devices
• Study of microplastics in the environment
• Biochemical research including RNA and DNA structure, protein biochemistry, structural biology, and immunology
• Research into chemical education

Chemistry Master’s Program

Together with an advisor, you will choose courses to create a customized curriculum that best meets your interests, needs, and career aspirations. A deliberate effort is made to strengthen any areas of weakness indicated by the undergraduate records and the placement examinations.

The chemistry master’s program consists of the following requirements:

1. A minimum of 30 semester credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree.

Courses in chemistry consist of core and focus area courses. Core courses are designed to increase your breadth of chemical knowledge, while focus area courses increase depth. Core courses include four semester credit hours in Graduate Chemistry Seminar and one credit hour in Chemistry Writing (CHEM-670). Focus area courses are chosen to address the you career goals and any undergraduate deficiencies in chemistry. Focus area courses must be at the graduate level and are chosen in consultation between you and your graduate advisor. Focus area courses outside of chemistry are acceptable provided they are approved by your graduate advisor.

The program offers two options: a thesis or a project. Concentrations are available in organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry, polymer chemistry, materials science, and biochemistry. Customized concentrations are available to accommodate specific student interests and needs relating to graduate study in chemistry.

2. Research

Ten semester credit hours of research are required with the thesis option. If you opt for the project option, four semester hours of project research are required.

3. Capstone

If enrolled in the thesis option you will be expected to complete an independent research thesis and pass an oral defense. Typically, all requirements are met within two years. While enrolled in the project option you will have numerous ways of satisfying the capstone requirement for their project. These include but are not limited to conference presentations, papers, journal articles, patents, and seminars.

Equipment and Resources

The School of Chemistry and Materials Science has modern instrumentation in the areas of spectroscopy (NMR, IR, UV-vis, fluorescence, atomic absorption, fluorimetry), chromatography (gas chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, etc.), mass spectrometry (high-performance lc- and gc-mass spectrometry and electrospray mass spectrometry), and materials characterization (rheometry, thermal gravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, hot-stage microscopy and contact angle goniometry).

Part-time Study

Courses are offered in the late afternoons and evenings to encourage practicing chemists to pursue the MS degree without interrupting their employment. Part-time students may take the project option, which includes a capstone project in place of a thesis. Students employed full-time normally take one course each semester. At this pace, coursework can be completed within four to five years.