Overview
Your program of study consists of a combination of coursework and scholarly research. The objective of an advanced degree is to provide you with the knowledge base and specific training necessary to advance science and your career. The purpose of coursework is to provide a strong foundation in a broad area of chemistry. Coursework prepares you to evaluate the scholarly research of others and provides the knowledge base needed to identify a problem and construct a programmed approach to solve that problem.
Guidelines
- Graduate students are expected to enroll for at least 9 credit hours each long semester - the minimum number of hours required to be considered a full-time student. Six hours is considered full time for the Summer semester.
- During your first and second semesters, you will register for 2 to 3 graded lecture courses, one or more of which may be outside the student's focus area.
- Additionally, you will register for 1 credit hour of Chem 681: Seminar, and all students who serve as Teaching Assistants will register for 1 credit hour of Chem 697: Methods in Teaching.
- The remaining credit hours come from Chem 691: Research which is used for the research advisor selection process.
- In the second semester, you are required to register for Chem 686: Ethics in Chemical Research.
- Graded lecture courses should be selected with regard to the student's background, educational interests, and orientation exam scores.
- In your second year you are required to continue registering for Chem 681: Seminar and also must register for Chem 695: Frontiers in Chemical Research. Beyond your first year, the required credit hours come mostly from Chem 691: Research.
Dropping a Course
As defined in TAMU Student Rule 1.8, in order to be classified as a full-time student, a graduate student must be enrolled for a minimum of 9 credit-hours during each Fall and Spring semester, 6 credit-hours during a summer term. A graduate student who is registered for less than full-time is not eligible for a teaching or research assistantship. If you need to drop a course you must contact the Graduate Program Office early in the semester.