Master of Arts/Master of Science in Chemistry

Graduate degrees in chemistry strengthen your understanding of chemical principles for use in a career, professional degree or Ph.D. studies.

Ready for Anything

M.A. and M.S. degrees give you a foundation in chemistry with the option to choose the best degree for your career path. The M.A. program, which doesn’t include a lab-based thesis project, is ideal if you’re interested in sales or management within the chemical industry. The M.S. program includes a thesis, public presentation and defense. It’s ideal if you’re interested in career advancement, a Ph.D. or medical school. You may enroll in the program as a part-time or full-time student.

Your research could make significant contributions in agriculture, medicine or the environment as you present your research at local, regional and possibly national conferences.

Making your Mark

A graduate chemistry degree is valuable as you advance your career. It opens the door to greater financial benefits and opportunities to do important research. In recent years, graduates have attended medical school and found jobs at community colleges, Eli Lilly and Co., the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Central Minnesota Renewables and the U.S. Patent Office.

Graduate Admission Requirements

Learn more about graduate admission standards and application requirements on our Requirements page.

Program Admission Requirements

• Undergraduate degree with a major in chemistry, biochemistry, or a related field with one year of college-level calculus and physics
• A cumulative GPA of 2.75 in undergraduate chemistry courses and a C or better in each of the following courses and their accompanying labs:
• General chemistry
• Organic chemistry (two semesters)
• Analytical chemistry (one semester)
• Physical chemistry (one semester), inorganic chemistry, or biochemistry

MS Program Requirements

Students must complete a total of 31 semester hours, including the required courses listed below. The department's graduate coordinator will review the transcript of each graduate student to ensure that students do not repeat courses that they have already completed (C or better) at the undergraduate level.

Required Courses

• CHM 520: Instrumental Analysis - 4 hrs.
• CHM 524: Fundamentals of Separation Science - 3 hrs.
• CHM 536: Inorganic Chemistry - 3 hrs.
• CHM 576: Physical Chemistry II - 3 hrs.
• CHM 580 Literature Seminar in Chemistry and Biochemistry- 1 hr.
• CHM 697: Research - 10 total hrs.
• CHM 699: Thesis - 1 hr.

Elective Courses The remainder of the 31 required hours can be 500-level Chemistry courses (CHM) or up to six graduate credit hours from cognate fields. Cognate courses must be approved, prior to enrollment, by the thesis advisor, department chair, and graduate coordinator.

MA Program Requirements

Core Requirements* - 9 hrs

• CHM 536 Inorganic Chemistry - 3 hrs.
• CHM 560 Biochemistry - 3 hrs.
• CHM 570 Physical Chemistry I - 3 hrs.
• CHM 576 Physical Chemistry II - 3 hrs.

* At least one of these requirements must be fulfilled by undergraduate coursework. A maximum of 9 hours of graduate credit can be earned from core courses.

Additional Requirements – 8 hrs.

• CHM 520 Instrumental Analysis - 4 hrs.
• CHM 524 Fundamentals of Separation Science - 3 hrs.
• CHM 686 Literature Review - 1 hr.

Electives – 16 hrs.

The remainder of the 33 required hours must be met by 500-level Chemistry courses** and must include a minimum of 2 hrs of laboratory electives from the list below.

• CHM 537 Inorganic Chemistry Lab - 1 hr.
• CHM 541 Materials Chemistry Lab - 1 hr.
• CHM 561 Biochemistry Lab - 1 hr.
• CHM 571 Physical Chemistry I Lab - 1 hr.
• CHM 599 Research (1-2 hrs.)***
• CHM 697 Research (1-2 hrs.)***

**A maximum of six graduate credit hours from cognate fields may be used to fulfill this requirement.

***No more than 2 hours of graduate research (CHM 599 or CHM 697) can be applied toward an MA degree.