Ph.D. Degree Requirements
Ph.D. Candidacy Requiements
- Course Requirements : Students are expected to take a minimum of six 3-credit hour advanced courses (500-700 level), which must be included in the Plan of Study. Courses outside the department may count towards this requirement provided the Research Advisor recommends the course and the course is approved by the GAC. A final grade of B or better is required to have the course count towards satisfying this requirement. Neither seminar courses nor research credit hours count toward this six-course requirement.
- Calculation of the GPA: The Eberly College of Arts and Sciences requires a minimum grade point average of 2.75 on all graduate courses taken while a graduate student at West Virginia University. In addition, to be eligible for the Ph.D. degree, a chemistry graduate student must have a 3.00 chemistry GPA. The chemistry GPA will be computed from 500-700 level graduate coursework in chemistry and related graduate coursework outside of chemistry that has been approved by the GAC before the student has registered for the course.
- Research Requirement: Research is the main focus of the Ph.D. program and each research project is arranged and conducted on an individual basis. Responsibility of ensuring that the research is properly carried out lies with the student's research advisor and GRC. When the research project has been completed, as judged by the student's research advisor and GRC, the candidate shall prepare a comprehensive dissertation covering the course of the research. The final decision on the acceptability of the research as presented in the dissertation is the responsibility of the GRC. Publication of this work in the chemical literature and presentations at regional and national meetings is highly desirable and strongly encouraged.
- Candidacy Examination: The purpose of Candidacy Examinations is to test the ability of the student to use basic knowledge in their major field of chemistry. These examinations are in two parts: a written research progress report and an oral defense of the progress report. Special areas or a combination of areas for examination may be approved for certain students who petition the faculty through the GAC for consideration of special needs or programs. In such cases where approval is granted, an appropriate examination will be arranged.
- Annual Research Reports: All students must submit an annual report describing their progress in the program after passing their oral candidacy exam. All students are evaluated annually before the end of March by their Ph.D. committee and the graduate studies and advising committee.
Research Requiements
Research is the main focus of the Ph.D. program and each research project is arranged
and conducted on an individual basis.
When the research project has been completed, as judged by the student's research
advisor and GRC, the candidate shall prepare a comprehensive dissertation
covering the course of the research.
After the Ph.D. dissertation has been prepared, a
preliminary copy must be submitted to the student's GRC at least 2 weeks prior
to the Final Dissertation Examination. This examination will include a defense
of the results and conclusions through an oral presentation that is open to the
public. The period of questioning by the GRC will be conducted in a separate
session. This portion of the examination is open to the faculty. However, the
outcome of the examination will be determined by the student's GRC. Upon successful
completion of this examination, the student must submit a final version of the
dissertation approved by the GRC. A copy of the dissertation will be submitted
to the Department, and an electronic copy of the dissertation will be submitted
according to the guidelines in the Graduate Catalog.
Ph.D. Curriculum Requirements
All curriculum requirements for the Chemistry Ph.D. program are located in the WVU Graduate Catalog.