This document is a hypertext version of our Graduate Student Bulletin. It contains all of the information in our printed bulletin and a whole lot more!
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The Department of Chemistry at the University of Kentucky possesses a vibrant, imaginative faculty operating at the forefront of all areas of chemistry. The faculty have at their disposal a well-trained and enthusiastic staff and state- of-the-art research facilities and laboratory equipment which place us among the leading chemistry departments in the region. Students who share our passion for chemistry and who wish to learn more about the opportunities to study at the University of Kentucky are cordially invited to tour our facilities and become acquainted with our faculty, staff and graduate students.
The University of Kentucky, founded in 1865, is the principal institution for higher education in the state of Kentucky. The main campus is located on a 350-acre site near the center of Lexington, and is within easy walking distance of numerous shopping, cultural and recreational centers. Approximately 24,000 students are currently enrolled on the main campus. Of these, nearly 5,000 are enrolled in graduate or professional programs. There are over 1,500 full-time faculty members in the 17 academic colleges on the Lexington campus. The Graduate School offers master's degrees in 85 programs and doctoral degrees in 47 programs. Some of the specialized research centers and programs at the University include the Center for Applied Energy Research, the Center for Computational Sciences, the Center for Membrane Sciences, the Graduate Center for Toxicology, the Institute for Mining and Minerals Research, the Markey Cancer Center, the Graduate Center for Biomedical Engineering, the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Center, the Graduate Center for Biomedical Engineering, and the Center for Pharmaceutical Science and Technology.
Lexington is situated in the central Kentucky Blue Grass region, a rolling plateau above the Ohio River valley and below the nearby mountainous regions. This thriving, rapidly growing city of more than 200,000 is supported by a strong industrial base with major industries that include Lexmark, Ashland Oil, Toyota, Proctor and Gamble and General Electric. Urban Lexington is surrounded by over 40,000 acres of beautifully maintained thoroughbred and standardbred horse farms which are patronized by racing aficionados from around the world.
Lexington has derived many benefits from being a medium-sized city with a solid industrial base. Cultural activities abound. Lectures, films, theater, music, and art of all descriptions are continual fare on campus. An Opera House constructed in 1886 and recently restored, and the 2,000 seat Singletary Center for the Arts on the UK campus are the sites of concerts by the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra, the Lexington Singers, and other orchestras, ensembles, and individual artists from around the world. The new Lexington Civic Center and the 23,000 seat Rupp arena serve as regional centers for contemporary entertainment.
Sixty-five neighborhood and community parks provide over 2,100 acres of convenient, well-maintained area for outdoor sports and other forms of recreation. On campus there are intramural programs open to all students and a special faculty-graduate student recreation program. Facilities include: softball and football fields; weight rooms; two swimming pools; and basketball, volleyball, handball, squash, tennis and racquetball courts.
Surrounding Lexington is one of the best state park systems in the nation where one may explore caves, camp, swim, boat, canoe, fish and enjoy the beauty of unspoiled wilderness. An attraction of special interest is the Kentucky Horse Park, a 1,000 acre theme park which explores man's relationship to the horse. A well-developed system of four-lane interstate and state freeways provide easy access to these parks and to neighboring cities.
Housing in Lexington is among the most economical in the country. The University maintains a variety of apartments on campus for married and single students, all within walking distance of the Chemistry-Physics Building. Most of these apartments are located in four complexes: Cooperstown, Shawneetown, Stadium View and Commonwealth Village. Apartments and rooms are also available off campus in a wide range of prices. Transportation from the University apartments to the campus is available through a free bus service. Public transportation in the Lexington area is provided by the Lexington Transit Authority. A description of the University apartments, the current rents and an application form are available from:
Apartment Housing 700 Woodland Avenue Lexington, KY 40508-3400
Students wishing to live off campus should consult the local newspapers, or write:
Off Campus Housing 106C Student Center University of Kentucky Lexington, KY 40506-0030
The University apartments are in heavy demand because of their low rental rates and favorable location. Therefore, it is advisable to file a housing application at the earliest possible date in order to ensure housing for the coming term.
The graduate program in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Kentucky aims to provide its students with the knowledge, skills and spirit required to conduct independent investigations in chemistry. Upon entering, students take standardized proficiency exams in the four traditional areas of chemistry, the results of which are used in tailoring a course curriculum appropriate to the student. Students complete or bypass the courses of the core curriculum (see list of courses) by the end of their second year in graduate school. During the first year, the student interviews faculty members and selects an advisor and research problem, and an advisory committee is formed for advice and guidance in all aspects of the student's program.
The principal emphasis in the Department is on the doctoral program. To insure breadth and depth in their studies, doctoral candidates are required to take a minimum three credit hours outside the Department of Chemistry and 8 credit hours of advanced or specialty courses within the Department. One semester half-time teaching is required of all Ph.D. students.
The progress of each Ph.D. candidate is monitored by a series of cumulative examinations given eight times each year. The student has the option of choosing each time from among four to six examinations that span the areas of modern chemistry. The student is admitted to candidacy after passing four of these exams and an oral exam.
The main requirement for the Ph.D. degree is creative research, which can be conducted in the areas of Analytical, Biological, Inorganic, Organic, Physical, or Radionuclear Chemistry. Some students arrange joint research projects with faculty members in other departments in the University such as Pharmacy, Biochemistry, Physics, Chemical Engineering, and so forth.
The departmental seminar series is an integral part of the graduate education program. In divisional seminars, graduate students and faculty meet informally to report on topics of current interest. Doctoral students in chemistry present a departmental seminar on their research, generally during their last semester of residence. Distinguished scientists from throughout the country speak at weekly departmental seminars and at monthly meetings of the Lexington Section of the American Chemical Society.
The Department of Chemistry also offers a program leading to a Master of Science degree. Students may earn the M.S. degree by completing 24 hours of course work plus thesis research (Plan A) or by completing 30 hours of structured course work (Plan B).
Graduate students in good standing in the Department of Chemistry are supported by fellowships, teaching assistantships, or research assistantships. Financial support is normally provided to all students who are making regular progress in their academic and research programs for up to three years for an M.S. student and up to five years for a Ph.D. student.
Teaching assistantships are normally half-time appointments for the academic year. A teaching assistant spends no more than about six to nine contact hours per week in laboratory and/or recitation instruction. Duties such as grading, office hours, proctoring, and so forth complete the half-time appointment.
Research assistantships, which carry no teaching duties, are available to students after their first year in the graduate program. These are supported by funds granted to individual faculty members by federal, state, and private agencies.
A number of Graduate School Fellowships of various types are awarded annually to graduate students with outstanding records. Recently, Department of Chemistry students have been securing three to five of these each year. In addition, the Graduate School routinely awards Tuition Scholarships to all Teaching and Research Assistants in good academic standing, which essentially cover the entire cost of graduate tuition. The Department of Chemistry awards Paul I. Murrill and Franklin E. Tuttle Fellowships, and departmental research assistantships (to qualified students without other support) comprise the sources of summer support.
A description of current stipends is available. With the moderate cost of living in Lexington, our overall package of compensation for graduate assistants is very competitive. Applications for all appointments should be made to:
Director of Graduate Studies Department of Chemistry 125 Chemistry-Physics Building University of KentuckyLexington, Kentucky 40506-0055
You can email our Director, Robert Grossman at robert.grossman@uky.edu
Course Listings and Syllabi are available for all our graduate level courses (500 level and above).
Our core course/cumulative exam system requires that four core courses (one from each pair) be completed or bypassed in your first two years. Three of the four courses shall be taken in the first year:
FALL TERM SPRING TERM
---------------------------------- --------------------------------CHE 538 Prin. Organic Chemistry OR CHE 535 Synthetic Organic Chem
CHE 547 Prin. Physical Chem I OR CHE 548 Prin. Physical Chem II
CHE 510 Adv. Inorganic Chem OR CHE 514 Descriptive Inorganic
CHE 524 Chemical Instrumentation OR CHE 626 Adv. Analytical Chem.
(Fall '95, '97...)
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This page was last updated May 2, 2003
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