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Chemistry and Biochemistry

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Wayne Bosma, Graduate Program Coordinator

The Mund-Lagowski Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry offers five graduate programs, the M.S. in Chemistry or Biochemistry, the M.A. in Chemistry, and the B.S./M.S. in Chemistry or Biochemistry. The M.S. programs are designed to meet the needs of the full-time graduate student or the chemist who wishes to pursue graduate studies on a part-time basis. These thesis-based programs are designed to provide a broad educational experience in the chemical or biochemical sciences while enhancing the student’s laboratory skills. The M.A. program is designed to meet the needs of the full-time graduate student or chemist who wants to earn a graduate degree in Chemistry based solely on course work and not on research leading to a thesis. The B.S./M.S. programs are integrated, accelerated, and research-intensive programs that provide opportunities for students to begin an M.S. while completing requirements for the B.S. All five programs provide a solid foundation for immediate employment or further education.

MS Degree (Chemistry or Biochemistry)

General MS Admission Requirements

In addition to the admission requirements of Graduate Education, the applicant shall have a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, biochemistry, or a related field and shall have completed one year each of college-level calculus and physics. The student must have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in the last 60 hours of undergraduate course work, 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), and analytical chemistry (one semester). Students lacking one of these courses may be admitted conditionally to the program, with full acceptance being granted after the course is completed. The course used to fill this deficiency will not apply to the M.S. degree. A maximum of six credits may be transferred into the program from an accredited graduate program.

Candidates for graduate assistantships must have a personal interview with the Department's graduate coordinator; international applicants may satisfy this requirement by telephone.

General MS Program Requirements:

  • Candidates for the M.S. degrees must complete a minimum of 31 graduate credits in chemistry and related subjects.
  • Program participants are expected to engage in full-time research experiences during the summers.
  • All matriculated graduate students (except those requiring a leave of absence) are required to be registered for at least one course for each fall and spring semester and one course during each summer from the semester of matriculation through the semester in which the degree is completed.
  • Students must identify a research mentor and begin their research in the first semester in which they are enrolled. If the research mentor is from the graduate faculty of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, the mentor also serves as the thesis advisor.
  • If approved by the department chair and the graduate coordinator, the student may conduct research with a scientist (off-campus or on-campus) who is not a member of the department’s faculty. In that case, a member of the department’s graduate faculty must serve as the thesis advisor.
  • During the first semester of study, the student’s thesis committee shall be constituted. The committee shall be composed of at least three voting members, chosen in consultation with the student, the thesis advisor, and the graduate coordinator. The committee shall include the thesis advisor and at least two other members from the department. If a research mentor from outside the department is directing the student’s research, the research mentor is an ex officio, non-voting member of the committee.
  • The department’s graduate coordinator and the student's thesis advisor must approve a Graduate Program of Study within three months after the start of graduate study.
  • Before completing six credit hours of research, the student must present a seminar (CHM 580) that summarizes the literature relevant to the thesis project, outlines the proposed research, and presents any preliminary data. Following the seminar, the student must meet with the thesis committee to discuss the presentation and the research plan.
  • Upon completion of the thesis, the student must present the work in a public research seminar and successfully defend the thesis to the thesis committee (CHM 699, 1 credit). The voting members of the thesis committee shall determine the CHM 699 grade and decide when a thesis has satisfactorily met all standards.

MS Biochemistry

  • In addition to the general admission requirements above, students must have satisfactorily completed (B or better) one semester of biochemistry, with laboratory, at the undergraduate level.
  • The required 31 semester hours must include the courses listed below. The graduate coordinator will review the transcript of each student to ensure that students do not repeat courses they have already completed (C or better) at the undergraduate level.

Required Courses

  • CHM 520 Instrumental Analysis - 4 hrs or CHM 536 Inorganic Chemistry - 3 hrs.
  • CHM 524 Fundamentals of Separation Science - 3 hrs.
  • CHM 562 Protein Structure and Function - 3 hrs.
  • CHM 566 Intermediary Metabolism - 3 hrs.
  • CHM 570 Physical Chemistry I - 3 hrs.
  • CHM 580 Literature Seminar in Chemistry & Biochemistry - 1 hr.
  • CHM 682 Thesis Research Seminar - 1 hr.
  • CHM 697 Research - 10 total hrs.
  • CHM 699 Thesis - 1 hr.
  • Electives - The remainder of the 31 required hours must be met by elective courses with no less than half of those credits coming from the biochemistry list below. Any remaining electives 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.

Biochemistry Electives

  • CHM 564 Biochemical Literature - 1-2 hrs.
  • CHM 568 Topics in Biochemistry - 1–3 hrs.
  • BIO 509 Human Genetics - 3 hrs.
  • BIO 564 Advanced Molecular Biology - 3 hrs.
  • BIO 568 Cell and Molecular Immunology -3–4 hrs.


MS Chemistry

  • In addition to the general admission requirements above, students must have satisfactorily completed (C or better) one semester of physical chemistry, with laboratory, at the undergraduate level.
  • The required 31 semester hours must include the courses listed below. The graduate coordinator will review the transcript of each student to ensure that students do not repeat courses 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 & Biochemistry - 1 hr.
  • CHM 697 Research - 10 total hrs.
  • CHM 699 Thesis - 1 hr.
  • Electives - 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 in Chemistry

General MA Admission Requirements

In addition to the admission requirements for Graduate Education, the applicant shall have a bachelor's degree in chemistry, biochemistry, or a related field and shall have completed one year each of college-level calculus and physics. The student must have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in the last 60 hours of undergraduate course work, 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), and analytical chemistry (one semester) and at least one additional course in one of the fundamental areas of chemistry (physical chemistry, inorganic chemistry, or biochemistry). Students lacking one of these courses may be admitted conditionally to the program, with full acceptance being granted after all undergraduate prerequisites are completed.

Specific MA Program Requirements

  • Applicants are required to take the GRE general exam and to provide their scores as part of their application to the program. This requirement may be waived at the discretion of the Department.
  • Preparation of a graduate Program of Study in consultation with their major advisor and the graduate coordinator will be completed by the end of the first semester in the program. The M.A. program is expected to take at least two years to complete. Remedial undergraduate courses will not apply to the 33 semester hours required for the M.A. degree.
  • To graduate from the program, a student must have completed, either at the undergraduate or graduate level, courses in the four following fundamental areas: inorganic, biochemistry, thermodynamics/kinetics, and quantum mechanics. Students who have not already met this requirement at the time of admission may complete the courses at Bradley, but no more than nine hours will be counted toward the M.A. degree.
  • Degree candidates must complete the Literature Review course (CHM 686), the capstone experience for the M.A. degree, with a grade of B or better in their last semester in the program. For CHM 686, the student must prepare a concise, up-to-date, well-written review paper on a literature topic that was selected in consultation with the student's seminar advisor and present a seminar to the Department on this topic. After the seminar, the student must meet with their graduate committee to complete the comprehensive assessment as required by Graduate Education.
  • Students must complete a total of 33 semester hours including the required courses listed below. The graduate coordinator will review the transcript of each student to ensure that students do not repeat courses they have already completed (C or better) at the undergraduate level.

Core Requirements *

  • 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. Any remaining deficiencies can be taken at the graduate level.

Additional Requirements

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

Electives – 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.

BS/MS in Chemistry or Biochemistry

Admission Requirements

BS/MS Admission Requirements (Undergraduate)

Students may apply to the program after completing CHM 252; to be admitted, the student must have achieved an overall GPA of 2.50, an average GPA of 2.75 in chemistry courses, and a C or better in all chemistry, mathematics, biology, and physics courses.

Students are strongly encouraged to apply during their junior year, but applications from seniors who have significant research experience will also be considered. The initial application is made within the department, using the “Application for Admission to the B.S./M.S. Program” form available from the Department’s graduate coordinator. This application is to be submitted to the graduate coordinator.

BS/MS Admission Requirements (Graduate)

To earn graduate status within the B.S./M.S. program, students must have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework, a cumulative GPA of 2.75 in undergraduate chemistry courses, and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in graduate courses. The student must also have met the requirements for undergraduate graduation in any one of the undergraduate concentrations in Chemistry or a major in Biochemistry at Bradley University before the first semester of the graduate study. In addition, the student must earn credit for:

  • CHM 499 Research - 2 hrs. minimum
  • CHM 580 Literature Seminar - 1 hr. 

For both Chemistry and Biochemistry B.S./M.S. options, up to nine hours of graduate credit (including CHM 580) taken prior to the completion of the bachelor's degree can be counted toward both degrees. These nine hours of 500-level CHM courses can be taken as electives or can be used to fulfill the requirements for an undergraduate chemistry concentration or a Biochemistry major as long as the student meets the department's requirement for taking 500-level courses. Undergraduate students wishing to take 500-level CHM courses must have junior or senior standing and either a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater or a GPA of 3.0 or greater in the last 60 hours of coursework. Special permission may be granted to students whose GPA is below 3.0 if the student provides a compelling case for enrolling in the course.

Programmatic Requirements and Procedures

  • Program participants are expected to engage in full-time research experiences during the summers after their third, fourth, and fifth years.
  • Students must identify a research mentor/thesis advisor and begin their undergraduate research no later than the summer after their third year. A research mentor/thesis advisor must be identified before applying to the B.S./M.S. program.
  • At the beginning of the fourth year, the student’s thesis committee shall be constituted. The committee shall be composed of at least three voting members, chosen in consultation with the student, the thesis advisor, and the graduate coordinator. The committee shall include the thesis advisor and at least two other members from the department. If a research mentor from outside the department is directing the student’s research, the research mentor is an ex officio, non-voting member of the committee.
  • Before completion of the fourth year, the student must present a seminar (CHM 580) that summarizes the literature relevant to the thesis project, outlines the proposed research, and presents any preliminary data. Within one week of the seminar, the student must meet with the thesis committee to discuss the presentation and the research plan. Failure to meet with the committee will result in a grade of IN in the course.
  • The student must apply to graduate when the undergraduate requirements are complete, so as to be able to register as a graduate student thereafter.
  • All matriculated graduate students (except those requiring a leave of absence) are required to be registered for at least one course for each fall and spring semester and one course during each summer from the semester of matriculation through the semester in which the degree is completed
  • The Department’s graduate coordinator and the student’s thesis advisor must approve a Graduate Program of Study before the first day of classes of the student’s fifth year of study.
  • Upon completion of the thesis, the student must present the work in a public research seminar and successfully defend the thesis to the thesis committee (CHM 699, 1 credit). The voting members of the thesis committee shall determine the CHM 699 grade and when a thesis has satisfactorily met all standards.

MS Requirements for BS/MS Biochemistry

To complete the M.S. degree (M.S. awarded in GRD BCM 41), students must complete a minimum of 30 hours of coursework at the 500–600 level and the courses listed below either as a requirement for their B.S. degree or as a requirement for their M.S. degree. The graduate coordinator will review the transcript of each student to ensure that students do not repeat courses they have already completed (C or better) at the undergraduate level. All students in this program will have an American Chemical Society Certified Degree once the M.S. degree requirements are complete.

  • CHM 361 or 561 Biochemistry Laboratory – 1 hr.
  • CHM 420 or 520 Instrumental Analysis – 4 hrs.
  • CHM 436 or 536 Inorganic Chemistry – 3 hrs.
  • CHM 465 or 565 Protein Structure and Function - 3 hrs.
  • CHM 466 or 566 Intermediary Metabolism - 3 hrs.
  • CHM 524 Analytical Separations – 3 hrs.
  • CHM 599 Research – 2-4 hrs.‡
  • CHM 697 Research – 6-8 hrs.‡
  • CHM 699 Thesis – 1 hr.
  • BIO 310 Genetics - 3 hrs.
  • BIO 464 or 564 Cell Biology - 4 hrs.
  • The remainder of the 30 required 500-600 level hours must be met by 500-600 level Chemistry (CHM) courses.**

‡The total number of graduate research hours (CHM 599 + CHM 697) must equal 10.

**A maximum of three graduate credit hours from cognate fields may be used to fulfill this requirement if approved by the department's graduate coordinator and the student's thesis advisor.

MS Requirements for BS/MS Chemistry

To complete the M.S. degree (M.S. awarded in GRD CHM 41), students must complete a minimum of 30 hours of coursework at the 500–600 level and the courses listed below either as a requirement for their B.S. degree or as a requirement for their M.S. degree.** The graduate coordinator will review the transcript of each student to ensure that students do not repeat courses they have already completed (C or better) at the undergraduate level. All students in this program will have an American Chemical Society Certified Degree once the M.S. degree requirements are complete.

  • CHM 361 or 561 Biochemistry Laboratory – 1 hr.
  • CHM 420 or 520 Instrumental Analysis – 4 hrs.
  • CHM 436 or 536 Inorganic Chemistry – 3 hrs.
  • CHM 437 or 537 Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory – 1 hr.
  • CHM 471 or 571 Physical Chemistry I Laboratory – 1 hr.
  • CHM 476 or 576 Physical Chemistry II – 3 hrs.
  • CHM 524 Analytical Separations – 3 hrs.
  • CHM 599 Research – 2-4 hrs.‡
  • CHM 697 Research – 6-8 hrs.‡
  • CHM 699 Thesis – 1 hr.
  • The remainder of the 30 required 500-600 level hours must be met by 500-level Chemistry (CHM) courses.

‡The total number of Graduate research hours (CHM 599 + CHM 697) must equal 10.

**A maximum of three graduate credit hours from cognate fields may be used to fulfill this requirement if approved by the Department's graduate coordinator and the student's thesis advisor.

This is the official catalog for the 2024-2025 academic year. This catalog serves as a contract between a student and Bradley University. Should changes in a program of study become necessary prior to the next academic year every effort will be made to keep students advised of any such changes via the Dean of the College or Chair of the Department concerned, the Registrar's Office, u.Achieve degree audit system, and the Schedule of Classes. It is the responsibility of each student to be aware of the current program and graduation requirements for particular degree programs.