The General
Examination for the Ph.D. Degree
Departmental
Guidelines for the Oral Portion of the General Examination
The
oral portion of the Examination, presented to an examining committee
consisting of the candidate's Advisory Committee and an additional
examiner appointed by the Department Head, is taken after successful
completion of the written portion. This
oral examination is open to students, faculty and other interested
parties. All those present may participate
in the examination but the outcome of the Examination will be
determined by vote of the examining committee.
The
oral portion of the Examination will ordinarily consist of questions
covering not only the major field of study but also other areas
of chemistry (generally the province
of the external examiner).
There is no formal time limit on the oral portion of the
General Examination. At the discretion
of the examining committee, the Examination may be recessed to
be reconvened at a later time. At the end of the oral portion
of the Examination and before discussion among the examining committee,
an initial vote (pass or fail)
will be taken by written ballot. The
outcome of the Examination pass or fail
will be determined by majority vote of the examining committee.
Divisional
Guidelines
Analytical
Chemistry
Candidates
may be asked by their advisory committee or the Analytical Division
to give a research seminar before the general examination to
ascertain readiness for the general examination.
This seminar would fulfill the department’s seminar requirement
for graduate students.
The
General Examination is offered twice a year at the beginning of
each semester, and consists of both written and oral portions.
The first portion is a take-home written examination that
consists of three or four questions chosen out of seven or eight
which will be published around the 21st of September or 21st of
January. The written answers must
be submitted around the 21st of October or February. These answers
will be defended by the candidate during the oral examination.
Comments on the written answers will be given to each candidate
before the oral. By use of meetings, phone, e-mail, and other
methods of communication, the candidate should arrange for the
date of the oral examination to be before the 21st of either November
or March. The written exam will consist primarily of questions
based on the current analytical chemistry literature. The following
literature and other sources will be used in the formulation
of questions: ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, especially the A-page reviews,
the instrumentation sections, and the Biennial Reviews, and other
chemistry journals as appropriate to illustrate important fields
of endeavor in analytical chemistry. Other sources include regular
departmental seminars given by outside speakers, special seminars
on analytical chemistry given by outside speakers, and graduate
student seminars. Primarily, questions
will be based on the two full years of literature up to the December
prior to the date of the general examination, plus the literature
that has already been published in the calendar year of the examination.
This
written portion of the general examination is intended to test
the candidate's ability to critically review the current literature.
It is advisable for the student to prepare for the oral portion
of the written exam by making overheads, or other multimedia materials,
in anticipation of possible questions from their Committee and
the Analytical Division Faculty. Questions
from the faculty will grow out of the written answers, but could
develop into discussion of any area of Chemistry that appears
to be appropriate.
The
oral examination will also include the presentation and defense
of an original research proposal written by the candidate, a
copy of which should be submitted to each member of the candidate's
committee, and each member of the Analytical Division, before
the written examination is taken. A
student cannot proceed to the written examination until the proposal
has been submitted.
In
addition to the submitted original research proposal, each candidate
will submit to the examining committee, on the day of the oral
(a) preprints or reprints of all publications that have resulted
from the students research at the University of Connecticut, or
(b) a 2 page abstract, with references, of unpublished research
done or (c) both (a) and (b).
Biological
Chemistry
If
a graduate student chooses to pursue the Ph.D. thesis research
in the Division of Biological Chemistry, the advisory committee
should consist of a major advisor and at least two additional
members from two different traditional chemistry divisions.
The student will be required to take both Biological Chemistry
I and II. In order to enroll in these
courses, the student must have either completed a one semester
course in Biochemistry (e.g., MCB 301) or have
consent of the instructor. In addition,
the student will be required to take at least two starred courses
from another division.
The
general exam in Biological Chemistry will consist of a written
portion and an oral portion. The written
portion will consist of a single examination (take-home format)
assembled by the student's advisory committee and comprised of
material obtained from divisional faculty and culled largely from
the biological chemical literature with emphasis on important
biological topics. The objective of this approach is to train
students in one of the traditional subfields of chemistry as well
as to educate students toward scientific literacy in other areas
of biological chemistry. This exam
should be taken at the end of the third year of study.
A list of journals will be provided for the student's reference.
The Take-home general exam will be given twice a year,
once in Fall and once in Spring (usually during the 3rd
week of September and February). All
Students should prepare for the exam accordingly and let the major
advisor know when he/she is planning to take it.
In certain circumstances, it can be given at a different
time, only if the student’s advisory committee finds compelling
reasons to do so.
Upon
successful completion of the written examination, the oral portion
of the general exam should be scheduled within two weeks.
The oral portion combines a defense of an independent,
original research proposal with questions of a general chemical
nature. The student should consult solely with an associate advisor
in the choice of the topic for the proposal.
The objective of this part of the general exam is to evaluate
the student's capability for independent thinking and self-criticism
and to test the student's breadth of general chemical knowledge.
The original research proposal is expected to be on a topic
that is outside the specific area encompassed by the candidate's
research program.
Environmental
Chemistry
The
Environmental Chemistry Division offers Environmental Chemistry
I and Environmental Chemistry II, which are required for all students.
At least two starred courses from another division (first approved
by the student's committee) are also required.
The
first part of the General Examination in Environmental Chemistry
consists of a single written take-home examination that will be
prepared by the members of the Division and the student's advisory
committee. The written part of the
General Examination should be taken by the end of the third year
of study. Two weeks after successful
completion of the written part of the examination, the oral portion
of the General Examination will be scheduled.
This oral examination will include defense of an independent
original research proposal in environmental chemistry as well
as questions regarding general chemistry principles. The proposal
should be submitted to all members of the Division a week in advance
of the scheduled oral examination. The proposal should be five
pages in length (including references) and should be on a topic
outside the specific area of the student's research project.
Inorganic
Chemistry
The
first phase of the General Examination consists of a written research
proposal based on an original idea not directly related to the
student's research. The proposal must be documented with up-to-date
citations, should be no longer than 20 double-spaced typewritten
pages, should be prepared in stages and be approved by the research
advisor and one other member of the student's advisory committee
before final typing, and will be evaluated by the inorganic division
and other interested faculty. Should
there be two or more unsatisfactory evaluations, the proposal
will be returned for revision until acceptable.
The
second phase of the General Examination consists of an oral examination
based on material from the research proposal, course work, current
literature, and textbook material, and may cover any aspect of
the student's research work. The student is expected to complete
the entire General Examination within a period of one semester,
before the end of the third year of the graduate program.
Organic
Chemistry
The
written portion of the General Examination is a cumulative examination.
-
Eight
cumulative examinations are given each year, one each month
from September through April, with specific dates announced
at least one week in advance.
-
Examinations
are graded with one of the following scores: 1 (full pass),
0.5 (partial pass), or 0 (fail). Completion of the cumulative
exam requires the accumulation of 6 points; no more than 2
points may be the result of partial passes.
-
Organic
students should accumulate 6 points within three years from
the time that a student has removed all deficiencies or within
three years of admission to graduate study, whichever is longer.
Additionally, a student should accumulate at least 2 points
(passes and partial passes) within two years from the time
that a student has removed all deficiencies or within three
years of admission to graduate study, whichever is longer.
-
Exams
are given each month during the academic year (typically on
Saturday mornings). Each exam is written and graded by a member
of the Organic Division and the format of the exam will be
determined by the individual who writes the exam. The exams
typically involve a series of questions drawn from material
covered in courses, the current literature, and recent seminars
presented in the Department. At the discretion of the individual
who writes the exam, the topics to be covered may be announced
in advance and take-home exams may also be given. We encourage
all students interested in organic research to begin taking
the cumulative exams in their first year. Not only does this
allow one to accumulate 6 points (only grades of pass and
partial pass are recorded), but the exam itself may be retained
for reference as a guide to the topics that may be encountered
in future exams. In short, the cumulative system is intended
to be e learning experience as well as a written general examination.
Oral:
Within three months of having successfully completed the sixth
and final cumulative examination, the candidate is expected to
submit a detailed research proposal (not related to the thesis
research) which will be defended in the oral portion of the General
Examination. The following guidelines should be followed in preparation
for the oral examination.
-
The
research topic chosen by the candidate for defense in the
oral portion of the General Examination should be approved
in advance by the thesis advisor.
-
The
format of the written proposal should follow a typical grant
application: Summary, Specific Aims, Background and Significance,
Research Design and Methods, References.
-
At
least one week before the oral examination, it is the candidate's
responsibility to distribute copies of the written proposal
to all members of the examining committee.
-
Presentation
and defense of the research proposal will be the focal point
of the oral portion of the examination. The examination will,
however, be comprehensive in character and the candidate should
be prepared to answer questions in all areas of basic chemistry.
Guidelines for
preparing a research proposal by organic graduate students
The
Research Plan should include sufficient information needed for
evaluation of the project, independent of any other document.
Be specific and informative, and avoid redundancies. Organize
Items a-d of the Research Plan to answer these questions:
-
What
do you intend to do?
-
Why
is the work important?
-
What
has already been done?
-
How
are you going to do the work?
Research
Plan Format and Page Distribution
The
Organic Division recommends the following format and page distribution.
a.
Summary of the research proposal
In
less than one-half page summarize the proposed research with a
brief introduction and significance.
b.
Specific Aims
List
the broad, long-term objectives and what the specific research
proposed in this application is intended to accomplish, e.g.,
to test a stated hypothesis, create a novel design, solve a specific
problem, or develop new technology. Less than one page is recommended.
c.
Background and Significance
Briefly
sketch the background leading to the present application, critically
evaluate existing knowledge, and specifically identify the gaps
that the project is intended to fill. State concisely the importance
and health relevance of the research described in this application
by relating the specific aims to the broad, long-term objectives.
One to two pages are recommended.
d.
Research Design and Methods
Describe the research
design and the procedures to be used to accomplish the specific
aims of the project. Include how the data will be collected, analyzed,
and interpreted as well as the data sharing plan as appropriate.
Describe any new methodology and its advantage over existing methodologies.
Discuss the potential difficulties and limitations of the proposed
procedures and alternative approaches to achieve the aims. As
part of this section, provide a tentative sequence or timetable
for the project. Point out any procedures, situations, or materials
that may be hazardous to personnel and the precautions to be exercised.
Although no specific number of pages is recommended for the Research
Design and Methods section, the total for Items a-d may
not exceed 10 pages, including all tables and figures. Applicants
are encouraged to be as succinct as possible
and reminded that there is no requirement that all 10 pages allotted
for this section be used. Please also keep in mind that the proposal
should be clear and legible, and you may type in single space
but the font size should not be smaller than 11points and at least
one-half inch margin should be maintained in all directions.
e. Literature Cited
List
all references. Each reference must include the title, names of
all authors, book or journal, volume number, page numbers, and
year of publication. The reference should be limited to relevant
and current literature. While there is not a page limitation,
it is important to be concise and to select only those literature
references pertinent to the proposed research.
Physical
Chemistry
Written:
The written portion of the General Examination will be taken at
home and will consist of questions on topics including quantum
chemistry, thermodynamics, kinetics, the student's courses, and
recent seminars and literature. Questions
will be submitted by the student's advisory committee and interested
PChem faculty and selected by the advisory committee(s) of the
student(s) involved.
Oral:
The oral portion combines a defense of an original research proposal
(submitted in advance by the student) with questions of a general
chemical nature. The objective of this approach is to examine
the student's capability for independent thinking and self-criticism,
and to test the student's breadth of general knowledge. The original
research proposal is expected to be on a topic that is outside
the area of the candidate's research program. Prior approval of
the topic by the student's advisory committee is recommended.
Polymer Chemistry
The
General Examination consists of a written part and an oral defense
of an original research proposal. The
written part is constructed from questions selected by the major
advisor from those submitted by interested faculty.
The subject matter shall be related to all courses taken
by the student, but must include material covered in Chemistry
380, 381, 382 and 384. The research
proposal is to be in an area unrelated to the student's thesis
research. The written proposal must
be submitted to the student's advisory committee at least three
days before the oral examination, where the student shall defend
the proposal before interested faculty.
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