Chemistry MS, Professional Science Emphasis

Admission Requirements

Individuals with at least the equivalent of the B.A. degree in the natural sciences may be admitted to the Graduate School as candidates for the M.S. degree or as precandidates for the Ph.D. degree in chemistry. A student in the M.S. program may request to transfer to the Ph.D. program by petition to the department.

The department admissions committee considers applicants' grade point averages and normally requires above-average performance in all areas of chemistry as well as physics and mathematics, or other evidence of high aptitude for graduate work in chemistry. Applicants'  letters of recommendation and academic programs are also considered. In some cases the committee may require successful completion of undergraduate course work at UMSL as a condition of enrollment as a regular student.

Students with bachelor's degrees in fields other than chemistry may be admitted to pursue graduate studies in chemistry, but they must make up background deficiencies, usually by taking undergraduate course work at UMSL.

Financial Support

Teaching assistantships are available to qualified applicants. Research assistantships and fellowships are available for advanced students. Departmental support is not normally available beyond the fifth year in the program. For further information,
contact the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry Graduate Admissions Committee.

Preliminary Advisement

Students who have been admitted for graduate work in chemistry will be contacted by the Director of Graduate Studies in order to develop a tentative plan of study which takes into consideration the student's background and interests. Entering students are required to demonstrate proficiency at the undergraduate level in four areas of chemistry (biochemistry, organic, inorganic, physical, and analytical).

Proficiency may be demonstrated in one of the following ways:

  • Outstanding performance in recent undergraduate course work.
  • Satisfactory performance in standardized placement examinations. These examinations are given twice a year, approximately one week before the beginning of the fall and winter semesters.
  • Successful completion of assigned course work.

The ultimate choice of whether students may enroll in the M.S. or Ph.D. degree programs resides with the chemistry faculty.

Degree Requirements

This option requires a minimum of 32 hours, of which 16 credit hours must be at or above the 5000 level. Students must take 21 credit hours of chemistry, 9 hours in business, and 2 credits hours of internship or practicum. A maximum of 3 credits of CHEM 6897 may be applied toward the required minimum of number of chemistry credits (21 hours).

The courses presented for the Master’s degree (professional science emphasis) may not include any of the following:

CHEM 4212Instrumental Analysis3
CHEM 4233Laboratory in Instrumental Analysis2
CHEM 4302Survey of Physical Chemistry with Applications to the Life Sciences3
CHEM 4343Physical Chemistry Laboratory II2
CHEM 4412Advanced Inorganic Chemistry3
CHEM 4433Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory2
CHEM 4712Biochemistry3
CHEM 4733Biochemistry Laboratory2
CHEM 6487Problem Seminar in Inorganic Chemistry1
CHEM 6687Problem Seminar in Organic Chemistry1-3
CHEM 6787Problem Seminar in Biochemistry1
CHEM 6812Introduction to Graduate Study in Chemistry1
CHEM 6822Introduction to Graduate Research in Chemistry1
CHEM 6905Graduate Research in Chemistry1-10

Emphasis Area Requirements

Elective Courses in Business (9 credit hours required)
MGMT 3623Industrial and Organizational Psychology3
BUS AD 5000Economics for Managers3
BUS AD 5100Managerial Communication3
MGMT 5600Managing and Leading in Organizations 3
MKTG 5700Integrated Marketing Strategies3
BUS AD 5900Law, Ethics and Business3
Required Internship or Practicum (2 credit hours required)
CHEM 57982
or CHEM 5799

There are no distribution requirements for the Masters in Chemistry (Professional Science Emphasis).