Course Requirements

• At least 30 credit hours of coursework selected under the guidance of a research supervisor or other departmental advisor must be taken for graduate credit. Courses are selected from Chemistry or related fields, especially Biology, Applied Science, Physics, and Marine Science, to complement research and professional interests.
• Undergraduate courses may have to be taken or repeated in areas where adequate preparation appears to be lacking.

Required courses (minimum 24 credits):

• CHEM 650  - Graduate Studies in Chemistry I (2 credits)
• CHEM 651  - Graduate Studies in Chemistry II (1 credits)
• CHEM 693  - Introduction to Graduate Research (3 credits)
• Additional graduate coursework (18 credits)
  • At least 12 credits must be regular lecture courses approved by advisor
  • CHEM 695  - Directed Thesis Master’s Research (6 credits)
  • CHEM 700 may not be used to satisfy this requirement
• Must receive training in the responsible and ethical conduct of research, including a discussion of fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism, through CHEM 650  /CHEM 651  or an approved alternative.

Thesis Requirement

CHEM 700  - Thesis (minimum 6 credits required)

M.S. students must successfully complete and defend a thesis under the guidance of a faculty member.

Comprehensive Exam Requirement

All students must pass a comprehensive examination covering basic and advanced principles of chemistry. This examination is administered in the context of CHEM 651 and is usually taken in the student’s second semester in residence. 

Residence Requirement

There is no residence requirement.

Language Requirement

There is no foreign language requirement.

Satisfactory Progress

To be eligible to graduate, all students must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in all courses undertaken for graduate credit at William & Mary after admission to a degree program. No credit toward a degree will be allowed for a course in which a student receives a grade below C (grade point = 2.0).

All requirements for the master’s degree must be completed within six years from the first term of enrollment in the master’s program, excluding periods of approved leave and military service.  Requests for extension beyond the six-year limit must be filed following the procedures outlined in Time Limits for Degrees and Extensions   in the Graduate Arts & Sciences Catalog.

Each student will be evaluated at the end of every academic semester for satisfactory progress towards degree by the Director of Graduate Studies in consultation with the student’s research advisor. Students with questionable progress towards degree will be referred to the department’s Graduate Committee for formal review of continuing financial aid eligibility and other sanctions. All fees must be paid in accordance with university guidelines to maintain active status in the program.