The Doctor of Philosophy is a research degree. It signifies that the recipient is able to conduct independent research and has both a broad basic knowledge of all areas of chemistry and a comprehensive knowledge of one field in particular.

Since graduate students arrive with a variety of backgrounds, many with M.S. degrees from other institutions in the United States and abroad, the program of courses for each student is designed in consultation with the director of graduate studies, taking each student’s specific background, experience, and interests into account.

While there are no specific course requirements for the Ph.D. in chemistry, students in the Ph.D. program may choose to participate in one of the following three tracks. Each track represents an area of study reflecting both the current research foci of the faculty and the evolving interests of students and is designed to provide a more structured academic experience. Each track provides a guideline for 24 of the 72 points required for the degree. These tracks may also be modified in consultation with the adviser and the director of graduate studies to better fit the individual needs of students. Note: Except where noted, each of the following courses carries 4 points.

ORGANIC/BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY TRACK

Organic Reactions (G25.1311)
Structure and Theory in Organic Chemistry (G25.1313)
Organic Analysis (G25.1326)
and 12 points selected from the following:
Special Topics in Organic Chemistry (G25.2261, 2262)
Organic Photochemistry (G25.2281)
Bioorganic Chemistry (G25.2884)
Strategies in Synthetic Organic Chemistry (G25.1312), 2 points
Organic Reaction Mechanisms (G25.1314), 2 points
Total Synthesis (G25.2232), 2 points

BIOMOLECULAR/BIOPHYSICAL CHEMISTRY TRACK

Biophysical Chemistry (G25.1814)
Macromolecular Chemistry (G25.1815)
Advanced Biophysical Chemistry (G25.1818)
Biochemistry I (G25.1881)
Biochemistry II (G25.1882)
Biomolecular Modeling (G25.2601)

THEORETICAL/PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY TRACK

Statistical Mechanics (G25.2600)
Biomolecular Modeling (G25.2601)
Mathematical Methods in Chemistry (G25.2626)
Advanced Statistical Mechanics (G25.2651)
Quantum Mechanics (G25.2665)
Quantum Chemistry and Dynamics (G25.2666)
NMR Spectroscopy (G25.2680), 2 points
Applied Infrared Spectroscopy (G25.2690), 2 points

Students must satisfactorily complete at least 72 points derived from courses and research, at least 32 of which must be taken in residence at New York University. Students gain laboratory research experience in one or more groups during their first year. This laboratory experience provides students with direct exposure to techniques and methodology used in the various labs and helps them to choose a thesis adviser.

In order to gain matriculation into the Ph.D. program in chemistry, a student must pass the Ph.D. qualifying examination toward the end of the spring semester of their second year. The exam is designed to ensure that students are ready to embark on serious research and scholarship. It consists of a written report (5-10 pages) and an oral examination before their divisional faculty. If performance is not satisfactory, one more attempt is allowed before the start of their third year. Students who pass are graduated to the status of a Ph.D. candidate. At this point, the student selects a thesis committee composed of the student’s research adviser and two other members typically chosen from the departmental faculty.

The Ph.D. program in chemistry requires two additional oral/written examinations. At the beginning of the fourth year of graduate study, students are required to pass the Research Progress Exam. This examination consists of a 5-10 page description of the student’s research plans for the fourth and fifth years of graduate study and a 30-minute oral presentation of this plan. Students who have made exceptional progress can apply for a waiver of this exam. All waiver requests must be approved by the student’s thesis committee. In the fifth year, three to six months prior to the thesis defense, students are required to pass the Research Evaluation Exam. This exam is designed to ensure students’ readiness to defend their thesis and consists of two parts. The first part is a 30-minute presentation by the student before the thesis committee on research results obtained to date, followed by an extensive questioning session. The second part is an original proposal, which aims to test the student’s skills in scientific writing, reasoning analysis, integration of scientific concepts, interpretation of data in the literature, and creativity in the design of new experiments. The original proposal component of the exam consists of a seven-page description of a project unrelated to the thesis research and an oral defense of the proposal before the thesis committee. The thesis defense, which is the last step of graduate study, is a public event in which the student gives a 45-50 minute presentation of their research.

All doctoral candidates are required to register for the Graduate Seminar course and to attend the departmental colloquia presented by distinguished visiting scientists (see above).


DOCTORAL THESIS

The heart of the doctoral program is the research leading to the preparation of the doctoral dissertation or doctoral thesis. The accumulation of high grades in formal courses, while important, is secondary to the demonstration of a capacity for original thinking and the completion of an investigation that contributes significantly to chemical knowledge. In order to ensure that students are making sufficient progress toward their thesis defense, each student is required to meet with their thesis committee at the end of their third year of study, submit a draft of their thesis at least six weeks prior to their defense, and meet with the committee again four weeks prior to the defense. When the thesis is finalized, it is read by the thesis committee and two additional faculty members who are referred to as readers. Up to two outside readers who are experts in the field of the dissertation research may be appointed as dissertation readers. The thesis committee members and the readers must approve of the final version of the thesis prior to the public defense.