Chemistry MS

Major: Chemistry
Degree Awarded: Master of Science (MS)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 45.0
Co-op Option: Available for full-time, on-campus master's-level students
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 40.0501
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 19-2031

About the Program

The Department of Chemistry offers graduate programs in analytical chemistry, atmospheric chemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, materials & polymer chemistry, physical chemistry, chemistry education, and biochemistry. The curriculum is designed to prepare students for the research and practical application of chemistry to challenges facing society. The department also encourages interdisciplinary activities. Many faculty members maintain active collaborations with colleagues in the College of Arts and Science, the School of Education, the College of Engineering, and the College of Medicine.

The chemistry faculty wants graduate students to understand the purpose of and need for fundamental research while working on problems of practical interest and application to the challenges facing society in the modern world. Areas of research include photochemical air pollution, synthesis and characterization of compounds of medicinal and industrial interest, drug discovery, and biologically-relevant macromolecules.

The Department of Chemistry strives to maintain a community of research scholars (faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate and undergraduate students) that is large enough to provide a variety of experiences within chemistry, yet small enough to give each student individual attention. Both full- and part-time study are available.

Additional Information

For more information, contact:

Young-Hoon Ahn, PhD
Graduate Program Committee Chair
215.895.2666
Email: ya426@drexel.edu

Admission Requirements

Requirements for Admission

For admission to graduate study, the department requires a BS in chemistry or the equivalent. This requirement applies to full-time and part-time students working toward either the MS or PhD. Generally, in order to be considered for admission, a successful applicant should have taken two semester courses of organic, analytical and physical chemistry with corresponding laboratory courses. In addition, they should have taken an upper-level inorganic chemistry or biochemistry course. All entering MS and PhD students are required to take a series of two-hour exams in analytical chemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, and biochemistry to help assess their preparation for graduate work in chemistry. The scores obtained on these exams are used as a basis for course selection.

Forms, details about requirements, and information about application deadlines are all available on the Chemistry page of Drexel's Graduate Admissions website.

Degree Requirements

The MS degree is awarded after satisfactory completion of a minimum of 45.0 credit hours in chemistry and related fields, at least 30.0 credits of which must be taken at Drexel. Both thesis and non-thesis options are available.

Course Requirements

The course requirements for both thesis and non-thesis options are one complete sequence in the major area of interest; three additional graduate lecture courses, which cover two different chemistry areas outside the major area. The remaining credits may be chosen from graduate courses within the department or from other departments offering courses related to the student’s major areas.

Program Requirements

Major Sequence
Select one of the following sequences:9.0
Inorganic Chemistry
Inorganic Chemistry I
Inorganic Chemistry II
Inorganic Chemistry III
Analytical Chemistry
Analytical Chemistry I
Analytical Chemistry II
Mass Spectrometry
Biological Chemistry *
Chemistry of Biomolecules
Chemical Reactions in Metabolism
Tools in Biochemistry
Organic Chemistry
Organic Chemistry I
Organic Chemistry II
Organic Chemistry III
Physical Chemistry **
Quantum Chemistry Of Molecules I
Physical Chemistry I
Chemical Kinetics
Polymer Chemistry
Polymer Chemistry I
Polymer Chemistry II
Polymer Chemistry III
Additional Courses
CHEM 767Chemical Information Retrieval3.0
CHEM 865Chemistry Research Seminar3.0
Required/Elective courses ***
Select a minimum of 30.0 credits in 500-899 CHEM courses:30.0
Oprional Coop Experience †
Career Management and Professional Development for Master's Degree Students
Total Credits45.0
*

 Any one of these courses can be replaced by CHEM 752.

**

Each of these courses can be replaced by CHEM 752 or up to two Physical Chemistry courses

***

 In some cases, course substitutions may be made with courses from other departments. Elective courses taken outside the department must receive prior departmental approval in order to be counted toward the degree.

Thesis and non-thesis students can take CHEM 997 research up to 15 and 9 credits, respectively.

†

Graduate cooperative education placement is available for this major. Register for COOP 500 for 1.0 credit. The credit will count toward student's elective credits.

Thesis Option

Up to 9.0 credits of CHEM 997 Graduate Research may be counted towards a master’s thesis. No later than the spring term of the first year of coursework, a student should choose a research advisor with whom to work in carrying out an original investigation in chemistry. The results will be written up in thesis form and submitted to an MS thesis committee consisting of the research advisor and two other departmental faculty appointed by the advisor. The acceptance by this committee of the MS thesis completes the thesis option requirements for the MS degree. Students in the MS program receiving financial aid from the department are generally required to elect the thesis option if they do not pursue the PhD program at Drexel.

Sample Plan of Study

Without Co-op

First Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
CHEM 521, 530, 543, 555, 561, or 571*3.0CHEM 522, 531, 542, 557, 562, or 572*3.0CHEM 523, 755, 541, 554, 563, or 573*3.0VACATION
CHEM 8653.0Two Graduate CHEM Courses**6.0Two Graduate CHEM Courses**6.0 
Graduate CHEM Course**3.0   
 9 9 9 0
Second Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCredits 
CHEM 7673.0Two Graduate CHEM Courses**6.0Two Graduate CHEM Courses**6.0 
Graduate CHEM Course**3.0   
 6 6 6 
Total Credits 45
*

In the Fall quarter, complete one course in one of the major areas: Analytical, Biological, Inorganic, Organic, Physical, or Polymer Chemistry.

In the Winter and Spring quarters, complete two other sequence courses in the major area. 

**

SUGGESTED OPTIONS: major area electives and non-major area sequence electives not previously taken, CHEM 997 (Research, up to 9.0 credits).

With Co-op

First Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
CHEM 521, 530, 543, 555, 561, or 571*3.0CHEM 522, 531, 542, 557, 562, or 572*3.0CHEM 523, 755, 541, 554, 563, or 573*3.0Three Graduate CHEM Courses**9.0
CHEM 7673.0CHEM 8653.0Two Graduate CHEM Courses**6.0 
COOP 5001.0Graduate CHEM Course**3.0  
Graduate CHEM Course**3.0   
 10 9 9 9
Second Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCredits 
GRADUATE COOP EXPERIENCEGRADUATE COOP EXPERIENCEThree Graduate CHEM Courses**8.0 
 0 0 8 
Total Credits 45
*

In the Fall quarter, complete one course in one of the major areas: Analytical, Biological, Inorganic, Organic, Physical, or Polymer Chemistry.

In the Winter and Spring quarters, complete two other sequence courses in the major area. 

**

SUGGESTED OPTIONS: major area electives and non-major area sequence electives not previously taken, CHEM 997 (Research, up to 9.0 credits).

Facilities

Mass Spectrometry Facility

The department maintains a professionally supervised Mass Spectrometry Facility (located in Stratton 406) available to all members of the Drexel University community. Currently operating instrumentation consists of a Bruker Autoflex III matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (NSF CRIF-MU #0840273), a Bruker Ultraflex III MALDI TOF-TOF MS (NSF MRI #0820996 donated from the U PA Chemistry Department, located in Stratton 142), a Micromass Q-TOF Premier equipped with both electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric-pressure chemical ionization (APCI) sources and a 2998 diode array detector (DAD), a Micromass Quattro Micro triple-quadrupole MS instrument equipped with an ESI source and a 2996 DAD, and a Waters ZQ single-quadrupole instrument with both ESI and APCI capability. The three Micromass instruments are each interfaced with a Waters Alliance model 2695 high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system. The Facility also includes a Waters Xevo G2 Q-TOF equipped with both ESI) and APCI sources and a Waters Aquity UPLC system and a manufacturer refurbished Thermo-Electron, Inc. Q-Exactive Orbitrap Mass Spectrometer equipped with both ESI and APCI sources interfaced to a Vanquish Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC) system. The laboratory also houses a Sciex PACE MDQ Plus capillary electrophoresis system. Samples for MS analysis may be submitted for analysis or users may be trained in operation of the instruments for use in long-term projects.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Facility

The professionally staffed Chemistry department NMR facility is equipped with a 400 MHz Varian Mercury Plus and a 500 MHz Unity INOVA. The 400 MHz NMR is actively shielded and equipped with an AutoSwitchable broadband probe (1H/19F/13C/31P,1H/19F/{15N-31P}) and the 500 MHz NMR is equipped with a triple resonance probe (1H/{13C/15N}). Both magnets are connected to a Cryomech helium recovery system.

Analytical Instrumentation Laboratory (AIL)

The professionally supervised Chemistry Department Analytical Instrumentation Laboratory is equipped with the usual array of open-access chemical analysis instrumentation, including: (in Disque 407) a Thermo Scientific Nanodrop One microvolume UV-visible spectrometer, a Shimadzu UV-1900 UV/visible absorption spectrometer, a Shimadzu UV-2600 UV/visible absorption spectrometer equipped with a Quantum Northwest temperature controller, a Shimadzu UV-3600 UV/visible/NIR absorption spectrometer with a 120mm diameter diffuse-reflectance integrating sphere, a Jasco J-1500 circular dichroism spectrometer, a Shimadzu Tracer-100 Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) absorption spectrometer, a Shimadzu AIM-9000 FTIR Microscope system (including beamsplitters for near- mid- and far-IR capability), a Shimadzu RF-6000 fluorescence spectrophotometer, a Shimadzu SALD-7500 nano particle size analyzer, a Shimadzu Prominence-i LC-2030C 3D Plus HPLC (with both UV-visible diode array and refractive index detectors), a Shimadzu Nexera X2 Prominence modular ultraperformance liquid chromatograph (UPLC) equipped with a FRC-10A fraction collector, a SPD-M20A DAD and a Sedex 90 evaporative light scattering detector, a Shimadzu 8050 triple quadrupole LC-MS system including a Prominence binary HPLC pump and a SPD-M20A DAD, a Shimadzu Nexis GC-2030 capillary-column gas chromatograph (GC) equipped w/AOC-20i Plus Auto-injector/AOC-20s Plus Auto-sampler System, a Shimadzu GC-2010+ capillary-column GC Shimadzu GC-MS QP-2020 GC/MS system w/AOC-6000 Autosampler, and a Shimadzu AA7000 flame atomic absorption spectrometer equipped with a GFA-7000A graphite-furnace accessory and a ASC-7000 auto-sampler capable of either macro or micro-sampling (between 5-90 uL of sample required).

Organic Instrumentation Laboratory

The Department Organic Instrumentation Laboratory (located in the Papadakis Integrated Sciences Building 502) is equipped with two PE Clarus 500 capillary-column GCs (one with dual flame ionization detectors, FIDs), the other with one FID and a thermal conductivity detector (TCD), two PE Spectrum 2 FTIRs, each equipped with a diamond ATR, a PE model 343 polarimeter, a CEM model X microwave synthesis system, an Anasazi, Inc. EFT-90 90MHz NMR with both C-13 and H-1 capability, and an Advion Expression Compact Mass Spectrometer (CMS) with ESI and APCI capability.

Vibrational Spectroscopy Laboratory

The Department Vibrational Spectroscopy Laboratory (located in Disque 112) is equipped with a PE Spectrum One FTIR (also equipped with a universal diamond ATR and transmission sampling accessories), a Horiba LB500 Dynamic Light Scattering Spectrometer with Peltier Temperature Controller, and a Renishaw Invia Raman Microscope system (equipped with three laser wavelengths: 514.5nm, 632.8nm and 785nm).

Analytical/Inorganic Teaching Laboratory

The Analytical/Inorganic Teaching Laboratory (located in Disque 409) is equipped with a Perkin-Elmer (PE) Spectrum One FTIR (equipped with a universal diamond ATR and transmission sampling accessories), a PE LS55B Luminescence spectrometer, a PE Lambda-2 UV/visible spectrometer, a BAS Epsilon Eclipse system with a RDE-2 rotating disk electrode head, a UCT Inc., Positive Pressure Manifold (for performing solid phase extraction), and a Biotage Turbo-Vac LV Concentration workstation.

Microscopy Laboratory

The department Microscopy Laboratory (located in Stratton 416) is equipped with a Leica DM IRBE Inverted Fluorescence Microscope, a Zeiss EpiFluorescence III RS Microscope, and a Bruker (formerly Veeco Metrology, Inc.), Multimode NanoScope IIId SPM System which performs all major SPM imaging techniques including contact and non-contact atomic force, lateral force, TappingMode (air), magnetic force and electric force microscopy. Additional instrumentation located there include a PE Lambda-950 UV/visible/NIR spectrometer equipped with a Labsphere, Inc., 60mm diameter diffuse-reflectance integrating sphere, A Camag Reprostart 3 Gel Imaging System, a Thermo Scientific (formerly Nicolet) 6700 FT-IR/Raman spectrometer, an ISS Chronos DFD fluorescence lifetime spectrometer with three laser sources and an ISS T-format steady-state fluorescence polarization spectrometer.

Polymer Analysis Laboratory

The Department Polymer Analysis Laboratory (located in Disque 210) is equipped with a Brookfield DV-II+ Pro Viscometer with cone/plate capabilities, a Brookfield CAP 2000+ viscometer, a Mettler-Toledo Thermal Gravimetric Analyzer/Differential Scanning Calorimeter (TGA/DSC) Star system, a Mettler-Toledo Polymer DSC system, and a modular Gel Permeation Chromatography system composed of a Waters 515 HPLC pump, 2414 refractive index detector and 2487 dual wavelength absorbance detector.

Program Level Outcomes

Non-Thesis Option

  • Develop deeper knowledge in at least two areas of modern chemistry
  • Add some knowledge in fields other than chemistry, which are related to the student’s area of specialization
  • Broaden the student’s knowledge of experimental techniques and theoretical concepts
  • Acquaint the student with research literature in their field of study

Thesis Option

  • Develop deeper knowledge in at least two areas of modern chemistry
  • Add some knowledge in fields other than chemistry, which are related to the student’s area of specialization
  • Broaden the student’s knowledge of experimental techniques and theoretical concepts
  • Acquaint the student with research literature in his/her field of study
  • Conduct independent research under limited supervision within a research group
  • Acquire a broader understanding of research strategies, scientific thinking and data analysis

Chemistry Faculty

Young-Hoon Ahn, PhD (New York University). Associate Professor. Research in chemical biology and biochemistry focused on redox signaling, cysteine proteomics, and glutathione biology associated with cancers and cardiovascular diseases.
Alexandra Brumberg, PhD (Northwestern University). Assistant Professor. Ultrafast optical spectroscopy for optoelectronic materials characterization.
Reza Farasat, PhD (University of Alabama) Assistant Department Head. Associate Teaching Professor. Modification of polymers for diverse applications; utilizing Thermoanalysis techniques to study polymeric and non-polymeric materials; nanotechnology; applying Multi-detector Size Exclusion Chromatography for characterization of polymers; creating composites to improve materials' properties.
Fraser Fleming, PhD (University of British Columbia (Canada)). Professor. Nitriles, Isonitriles, Stereochemistry, Organometallics
Lee Hoffman, PhD (Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia). Associate Teaching Professor. Interfacial studies on the self-assembly of natural organic materials, understanding the nature of each component, and development of a mechanism describing this process;Dendrimer/metal nanocomposite design and synthesis hosting metal nanoparticles, utilizing the multivalent dendritic polymer architecture for further exploitation with other molecules such as antibodies and other targeting species.
Monica Ilies, PhD (Polytechnic University of Bucharest). Teaching Professor. Bioorganic chemistry and chemical biology; bioinorganic chemistry and biochemistry.
Haifeng Frank Ji, PhD (Chinese Academy of Sciences). Professor. Micromechancial sensors for biological and environmental applications; Nanomechanical drug screening technology.
Daniel B. King, PhD (University of Miami) Associate Department Head. Associate Professor. Assessment of active learning methods and technology in chemistry courses; incorporation of environmental data into chemistry classroom modules; development of hands-on activities and laboratory experiments.
Myungwoon Lee, PhD (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Assistant Professor. Application of solid-state NMR and Cryo-electron microscopy to elucidate the structure and dynamics of membrane-associated biological macromolecules.
Jamie Ludwig, PhD (UT Southwestern Medical Center). Associate Teaching Professor. Discovery and optimization of biocatalytic transformations for use inorganic synthesis.
Kevin G. Owens, PhD (Indiana University). Associate Professor. Mass spectrometry research, including the development of sample preparation techniques for quantitative analysis and mass spectrometric imaging using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS) techniques for both biological and synthetic polymer systems, the development of laser spectroscopic techniques for combustion analysis, and the development of correlation analysis and other chemometric techniques for automating the analysis of mass spectral information.
Susan A. Rutkowsky, PhD (Drexel University). Teaching Professor. Development of labs and lecture demonstrations for general and organic chemistry courses; STEM outreach programs.
Karl Sohlberg, PhD (University of Delaware). Associate Professor. Computational and theoretical materials-related chemistry: (1) complex catalytic materials; (2) mechanical and electrical molecular devices.
Ezra Wood, PhD (University of California-Berkeley). Associate Professor. Radical chemistry and formation of secondary pollutants in urban and forest environments, impacts of biomass burning on air pollution and climate change, pollutant emissions, and design and deployment of novel instrumentation for field studies.
Jun Xi, PhD (Cornell University). Associate Teaching Professor. Biomacromolecular interactions both in solution and in confined environment; mechanisms of DNA replication and DNA repair; structure and function of molecular chaperones; drug target identification and new therapeutic development; single molecule enzymology; DNA directed organic synthesis.
Yang Yang, PhD (University of Wisconsin - Madison). Assistant Teaching Professor. Theoretical Chemistry; Computational Chemistry; Chemistry Education; Biochemistry/Biophysics; Biomineralization; Interfacial Chemistry; Materials Science.

Emeritus Faculty

Anthony W. Addison, PhD (University of Kent at Canterbury, England). Professor Emeritus. Design and synthesis of novel biomimetic and oligonuclear chelates of copper, nickel, iron, ruthenium and vanadium; their interpretation by magnetochemical, electrochemical and spectroscopic methods, including electron spin resonance; CD and ESR spectroscopy and kinetics for elucidation of molecular architecture of derivatives (including NO) of oxygen-binding and electron-transfer heme- and non-heme iron metalloproteins of vertebrate and invertebrate origins; energy-transfer by Ru, Ir and lanthanide-containing molecules and assemblies.
Joe P. Foley, PhD (University of Florida) Department Head. Professor Emeritus. Separation science, especially the fundamentals and biomedical/pharmaceutical applications of the following voltage- or pressure-driven separation techniques: capillary electrophoresis (CE), electrokinetic chromatography, supercritical fluid chromatography, and high-performance and two-dimensional liquid chromatography (LC). Within these techniques, we explore novel separation modes (e.g., dual-opposite-injection CE and sequential elution LC), novel surfactant aggregate pseudophases, and chiral separations.
Reinhard Schweitzer-Stenner, PhD (Universität Bremen (Germany)). Professor Emeritus. Exploring conformational ensembles of unfolded or partially folded peptides and proteins; determining the parameters governing peptide self-aggregation; structure and function of heme proteins; investigating protein-membrane interactions; use of IR, VCD, Raman, NMR and absorption spectroscopy for structure analysis.
Peter A. Wade, PhD (Purdue University). Professor Emeritus. Exploration of a newly discovered [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement in which O-allyl nitronic esters are thermally converted to γ,δ-unsaturated nitro compounds; development and exploitation of a carbon-based hemiacetal mimic; and exploration of cycloaddition reactions involving nitroethylene derivatives and novel nitrile oxides.