Required Courses Credits: 16
Core Courses Credits: 15
Fifteen credits of 500-level chemistry coursework are required. Electives Credits: 14
Electives to be selected by advisement. Chemistry Department Graduate Information
College of the Sciences
Ellensburg
Science Bldg., room 302
Mail Stop 7539
509-963-2811
Fax: 509-963-1050
www.cwu.edu/chemistry
See website for how this program may be used for educational and career purposes.
Faculty and Staff
Chair
Levente Fabry-Asztalos, PhD
Professor
Anthony Diaz, PhD, inorganic, solid state
Levente Fabry-Asztalos, PhD, organic
Anne Johansen, PhD, environmental, analytical
Martha J. Kurtz, PhD, chemistry and science education
JoAnn Peters, PhD, organic, mechanistic
Carin Thomas, PhD, biochemistry, toxicology
Associate Professors
Gil Belofsky, PhD, organic
Yingbin Ge, PhD, physical
Todd Kroll, PhD, biochemistry
Dion Rivera, PhD, physical, analytical
Tim Sorey, PhD, chemistry education
Assistant Professor
Timothy Beng, PhD, organic
Senior Lecturer
Robert Rittenhouse, PhD, general/physical
Lecturers
Alex Brewer, PhD, gerneal
M. Scott Long, PhD, general
Derek Ricketson, PhD, general
P. Whitney Swain, PhD, general
Staff
Emil Babik, instrument technician
Tony Brown, stockroom manager
Brian Finn, computer technician
Daniel Hall, stockroom assistant
Julie Khyler, safety officer
Lisa Stowe, secretary
Jeff Wilcox, instrument technician Master of Science Chemistry Program Objectives and Descriptions: The graduate program in chemistry is tailored to satisfy individual student aspirations and is designed to provide knowledge, skills, and discovery within the chemical sciences. The program prepares candidates for professional employment in chemistry careers including industry, consulting, local, state and federal government, and for teaching at the community college or secondary level. Employed workers with a bachelor’s degree may also seek additional training in the chemical sciences to enhance or expand their career prospects. Additionally, the program provides a foundation for further graduate studies beyond the MS level in chemistry and related fields. Graduate students in chemistry can focus their studies in any of the major areas of chemistry, including biochemistry, organic, physical, analytical and inorganic chemistry, and chemistry education. Emphasis in a specific area through appropriate courses and seminars is enhanced by requisite graduate research. Practical and collaborative internship experiences through industrial, governmental, academic research, or community college teaching partnerships are possible. The department utilizes state-of-the-art and fully equipped laboratory facilities with an array of modern instrumentation and computational capabilities. Furthermore, it operates a state-certified environmental testing laboratory. The chemistry graduate program at Central Washington University has three different options for obtaining a MS in chemistry: traditional thesis option, project option, and a BS/MS degree option. The traditional thesis option allows students to take advanced classes from the traditional areas of chemistry and to engage in intensive research in a very specific area related to chemistry. Most students finish this degree track within two years of starting the program. Students who choose the thesis option are given priority over other students in the program for teaching assistantships. The project-based option requires more course work than the thesis option, but allows students to submit a project rather than a traditional thesis. The option also allows for some flexibility if students are already employed in areas related to chemistry. Projects they may be engaged in as part of their employment might be used towards the project MS degree in chemistry with approval from the department. The chair of the student’s project committee must be a member of the department’s graduate faculty. The final option is a BS/MS degree and is only open to students who obtain their BS from Central Washington University. The degree track allows students to obtain an MS in chemistry within one year after obtaining the BS degree and has a project component associated with the degree rather than a thesis. Students in this program would need to follow the course requirements for the project MS degree in Chemistry. Since the BS/MS program requires students to complete work in a very regimented fashion, students who are interested in this option are advised to discuss the option with their advisor and the graduate program coordinator by the quarter of their junior year.
Program Admission Requirements: Admission to CWU requires a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. In addition, applicants must earn a minimum of a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) in all course work attempted in at least the last 90 quarter (60 semester) hours of recognized academic work. Admission decisions are based on a combination of factors: GPA, letters of recommendation from professors and others able to critically assess success in a graduate program, statement of purpose, standardized test scores, academic preparation for work in the proposed field, and areas of research interests. Admission to the Chemistry Graduate Program requires an earned undergraduate degree in chemistry or a related field (equivalent to those offered at Central; see requirements for the BS and BA degrees in chemistry), and demonstrate a potential for superior scholarship. Applicants must provide GRE scores for the general test. If a chemistry background deficiency exists at the time of student admission, appropriate courses must be taken to fill these gaps during the first year of graduate study. International students for whom English is a second language must provide TOEFL or IELTS scores to demonstrate English proficiency.
Program Requirements: The MS degree in Chemistry requires a minimum of 45 credits of graduate coursework and research study culminating with a thesis. Sixteen of these credits are research and thesis related (CHEM 595, CHEM 700). The remaining 29 credits are earned from coursework (a minimum of 18 at the 500 level or above). Of the 29 credits, students are required to take at least twelve core credits in chemistry, enroll in CHEM 503, Introduction to Research, during their first year, and take at least one credit of CHEM 505, Current Topics in Chemistry. Four credits of seminar (CHEM 589 taken twice) are also required. This leaves 11 credits for elective courses. The first 2 credits of CHEM 589 consist of a research proposal written by the student and a one hour professional seminar based on this document. The research proposal should be a maximum of 10 pages in length (12 point, double spaced) and be composed of an introduction (including a brief survey of related work), objectives of proposed research, description of experimental approach, expected outcomes, a projected time line, and a safely appendix with standard operating procedures (SOPs) relating to their completed and proposed laboratory work (this appendix does not count toward the 10-page limit. The document is to be submitted to committee members at least one week before the scheduled seminar and must be approved by the committee as a condition of receiving credit. The student must successfully complete these credits by the end of their third quarter in the graduate program. If the student has a situation that does not allow them to complete these credits by the end of their third quarter in the program they mus meet with their graduate advisor and committee wot work out an appropriate course of action. The second 2 credits of CHEM 589 are the final oral examination on the student’s thesis project and are taken in the quarter the student defends. A written thesis has to be prepared and submitted to the committee members following procedures specified by the Office of Graduate Studies and Research. Candidates must also pass a final oral examination on their thesis project and coursework that is administered by the candidate’s graduate thesis committee. Normal completion of the master of science requires two academic years and an intervening summer of study. Program Requirements - Non-thesis MS option: The MS degree in Chemistry (non-thesis option) also requires a minimum of 45 credits of graduate coursework and a comprehensive project or cooperative study in place of a research thesis. Ten of these credits are related to the project (CHEM 590). The remaining 35 credits are earned from coursework. Of the 35 credits, students are required to take at least fifteen core credits in chemistry, enroll in CHEM 503, Introduction to Research, during their first year, and take at least one credit of CHEM 505, Current Topics in Chemistry. Four credits of seminar (CHEM 589 taken twice) are also required. This leaves 14 credits for elective courses. The first 2 credits of CHEM 589 consist of a project proposal or literature-based project written by the student and a one hour professional seminar based on this document. The literature-based proposal will be mostly reserved for those students who are in industry and cannot give a public presentation due to intellectual property concerns. The project proposal should be a maximum of 10 pages in length (12 point, double spaced) and be composed of an introduction (including a brief survey of related work), objectives of the project, a comprehensive survey of the project, and a safety appendix with standard operating procedures (SOPs) relating to their completed and proposed laboratory work(this appendix does not count toward the 10-page limit). The document is to be submitted to committee at least two weeks before the schedules seminar and must be approved by the committee as a condition of receiving credit. Students must submit their proposal and present their seminar before completion of their third quarter as a graduate student. The second 2 credits of CHEM 589 are the final oral examination on the written project or cooperate study. Candidates must also pass a final oral examination on their project and coursework that is administrated by the candidate’s graduate thesis committee.Normal completion of the MS in Chemistry requires two academic years and an intervening summer of study. Core Courses: Twelve credits of chemistry courses at the 500-level are required for the MS degree in chemistry (with thesis), and fifteen credits of 500-level chemistry coursework are required for the non-thesis chemistry MS degree option. Courses offered by the chemistry department include advanced biochemistry, biochemical toxicology, advanced analytical chemistry, organic reaction mechanisms, organic spectroscopy, advanced organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry, environmental chemistry, solid-state chemistry, analytical instrumentation, quantum and computational chemistry, and advanced physical chemistry. Electives: Eleven credits of elective coursework at the 400 or 500 level are required for the MS degree in chemistry (with thesis), or fourteen credits of elective coursework at the 400 or 500-level are required for the non-thesis MS degree option. Elective courses from chemistry and other departments (biology, geology, mathematics, physics, science education, business, and psychology, among others) are selected with advising from the thesis committee. These courses are selected to provide expertise in the fields of the individual student’s academic interests and research focus and complement professional goals. Graduate Committee: Before the end of the candidate’s second quarter in the program and after consultation with members of the chemistry graduate faculty, the student will select a thesis advisor, to act as chair of the candidate’s graduate committee. The candidate, in consultation with the selected thesis advisor will assemble a three-member thesis graduate committee. Two members of the committee must be from the chemistry faculty. Examination (MS with thesis): Each candidate must prepare a written thesis that documents the methods, analysis, and results of the research they carried out during their graduate study. In addition, each candidate must pass a final oral examination. The review covering the student’s thesis and coursework consists of a seminar open to the public followed by queries from the thesis committee. Examination (non-thesis MS): Each candidate must prepare a final written report that documents the research project or cooperative work they carried out during their graduate study. In addition, each candidate must pass a final oral examination on all phrases of the student’s program. The review covering the student’s written project and coursework consists of a seminar open to the public followed by queries from the thesis committee. The written documentation for the project is less through than for the thesis but the student is still expected to produce a significant research document with proper referencing and is expected to defend their research and methodology. Work for all MS in Chemistry options must be finished within seven years of the student’s start date in the program otherwise all credits are considered null and void by the university and the student must start their course of study over again. College of the Sciences Information
Administration and Organization Dean
Tim Englund, PhD (Dean Hall, room 130)
Associate Dean
Mike Harrod (Dean Hall, room 130)
Associate Dean
Martha Kurtz, PhD (Dean Hall, room 130)
Staff
Brad Weekly, development officer
Velma Henry, administrative assistant
Cindy Klein, fiscal specialist
Janis Orthmann, administrative assistant
Colleen Falconer, program coordinator
Dannica Price, event coordinator
Mail Stop 7519
509-963-1866
Fax: 509-963-1977
www.cwu.edu/sciences The College of the Sciences (COTS) is comprised of 13 departments and 12 interdisciplinary programs representing disciplines in the behavioral, natural, and social sciences, and mathematics. The departments and programs of the college offer undergraduate baccalaureate degrees, master’s degrees, minors that supplement other degree programs, and a comprehensive range of service coursework. As an essential part of its mission, the college offers an extensive general education curriculum. The departments play a major role in Central’s Teacher Certification Programs, offering bachelors and master’s degrees for students preparing to be secondary teachers and providing coursework in educational foundations and discipline-specific content and methods.
Departments within the college are committed to teaching excellence, active engagement by faculty in research, scholarship and professional service activities, student involvement in research, community service, and employing practical applications of academic specializations.
Departments
All departments offer baccalaureate degree programs and, in some cases, minors, educational specialist degrees and master’s degrees. In addition to consulting department/program headings in this catalog, students are encouraged to contact individual departments and program offices directly.
Anthropology and Museum Studies: Kathleen Barlow, PhD, Dean Hall, room 356, 509-963-3201
Biological Sciences: James Johnson, PhD, Science Building, room 338, 509-963-2731
Chemistry: Levente Fabry-Asztalos, PhD, Science Building, room 302, 509-963-2811
Computer Science: Aaron Montgomery, PhD, Hebeler Hall, room 219, 509-963-1495
Geography: John Bowen, PhD, Dean Hall, room 301, 509-963-1188
Geological Sciences: Carey Gazis, PhD, Lind Hall, room 108B, 509-963-2701
Law and Justice: James Huckabay, PhD, Farrell Hall, room 300, 509-963-3208
Mathematics: Stuart Boersma, PhD, Bouillon Hall, room 108, 509-963-2103
Physics: Bruce Palmquist, PhD, Lind Hall, room 201A, 509-963-2727
Political Science: Todd Schaefer, PhD, Psychology Building, room 415, 509-963-2408
Psychology: Stephanie Stein, PhD, Psychology Building, room 421, 509-963-2381
Science Education: Bruce Palmquist, PhD, Science Building, room 107, 509-963-2929
Sociology: Delores Cleary, PhD, Farrell Hall, room 409, 509-963-1305
Interdisciplinary Programs
These programs offer specialized coursework, interdisciplinary baccalaureate majors or minors, master’s degrees or research, and public service functions.
American Indian Studies: Toni Culjak, PhD, Language and Literature, room 408D, 509-963-1531
Center for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Education: Martha Kurtz, PhD, Dean Hall, room 130, 509-963-2135
Environmental Studies: Carey Gazis, PhD, Lind Hall, room 108B, 509-963-2701
or Pam McMullin-Messier, PhD, Farrell Hall, room 441, 509-963-2222
Ethnic Studies: Nelson Pichardo, PhD, Farrell Hall, room 440, 509-963-1348
Interdisciplinary Studies - Social Sciences: Steve Schepman, PhD, Psychology Building, room 429, 509-963-2389
Museum of Culture and Environment: Mark Auslander, PhD, Dean Hall, room 334, 509-963-3209
Primate Behavior and Ecology Program: Lori Sheeran, PhD, Dean Hall, room 335, 509-963-1434
Resource Management Program: Karl Lillquist, PhD, Dean Hall, room 319, 509-963-1184
or Steve Hackenberger, PhD, Dean Hall, room 349, 509-963-3224
Science Talent Expansion Program (STEP): Lucinda Carnell, PhD, Science, room 338G, 509-963-2821
Women’s and Gender Studies: Judith Hennessey, PhD, Farrell Hall, room 436, 509-963-1574
Affiliated Centers and Institutes
Center for Spatial Information and Research: Anthony Gabriel, PhD, Dean Hall, room 320, 509-963-1166
Center for the Environment: Anne Johnasen, PhD, Science, room 207D, 509-963-2164
Central Washington Archaeological Survey, Anthropology: Patrick McCutcheon, PhD, Dean Hall, room 340, 509-963-2075
or Steve Hackenberger, PhD, Dean Hall, room 349, 509-963-3224
Community Counseling and Psychological Assessment Center: Heath Marrs, PhD, Psychology Building, room 346, 509-963-2349
or Elizabeth Haviland, PhD, Psychology Building, room 118, 509-963-2371
Geodesy Laboratory and Pacific Northwest Geodetic Array (PANGA) Data Analysis Facility: Tim Melbourne, PhD, Hebeler Hall, room 110A, 509-963-2799
Health Career Resources: Keith Monosky, PhD, Dorothy Purser Hall, room 108, 509-963-1145 |