The specific courses offered each semester are listed in the course schedule that is published by the registrar’s office one semester in advance to the actual offering.
Requirements
Required
Outside Work
As indicated in General Information Section, students receiving full-time funding from the University (graduate stipends, research fellowships, tuition waivers, government grants, etc.) cannot work outside of the university. The MS stipend funding comes with professional expectations of the graduate program in terms of courses, research, and TA requirements of the program.
Fall of First Year
| CHEM 501 | Chemical Colloquium | 0.5 |
| NSCI 593 | Professional Skills for Graduate Study | 0.5 |
| FISK # (CHEM, NSCI) | 3-4 |
| FISK # (CHEM, NSCI), could be Vanderbilt University course preview | 3-4 |
| CHEM 592 | Thesis Research | 1-6 |
- Choose Research Mentor (as early as possible in the first semester).
- Formulate Research Project and Plan with Research Mentor.
- Bridge Students: Identify Labs of Interest for Bridging to Vanderbilt (by end of first semester)
- Chemistry students CANNOT take a Vanderbilt Course their first FALL at Vanderbilt for credit. HOWEVER, a preview of a Vanderbilt course CAN be arranged with a different FISK COURSE NUMBER to prepare Chemistry trainees for the accelerated pace of Vanderbilt graduate courses in Chemistry.
- Register for at least 9 credits.
Spring of First Year
- Form Thesis Committee (can be done in Fall of First Year if possible).
- Hold First Thesis Committee Meeting BEFORE MARCH 1 of first Spring Semester.
- With Mentor, Submit Summary of Thesis Committee Meeting.
- Register for at least 9 credits.
Summer of First Year
| CHEM 599 | Thesis Preparation | Not for credit |
- Typically reserved for research
- Meet with Thesis Committee, Submit Summary (mid-summer but no later than Fall classes beginning)
Fall of Second Year
- Meet with Thesis Committee, Submit Summary
- Register for at least 9 credits.
Spring of Second Year
- Complete outline of thesis document for thesis committee approval by February 15th
- Meet with Thesis Committee, CHOOSE DEFENSE DATE, submit Summary
Summer of Second Year
| CHEM 599 | Thesis Preparation | Not for credit |
- Finalize thesis, turn in to committee two weeks before defense.
- Defend Thesis and make suggested changes to thesis document.
- Prepare final thesis document as a PDF including the Committee Signature document as a face page, and submit to the Graduate School Office of the Dean
Thesis
A written thesis describing the research program is submitted a minimum of 14 days before the oral defense.
Oral Defense
An oral defense of research work is required. The defense consists of a one-hour (approximately) seminar on the thesis project followed by an oral examination with the Thesis Advisory Committee, department faculty, and invited guest examiners. This defense must occur at least ten days before all materials for graduation are required (see Section I).
Thesis Advisory Committee
A thesis committee should be chosen early in the Spring semester of the first year in the graduate program, and the first meeting should occur before March 1st!. The committee should contain at least three members, one of whom is the thesis supervisor, and not more than five members total. All Fisk faculty members of the thesis advisory committee should have the status or qualifications for a graduate faculty member at Fisk University. For students in the Fisk-Vanderbilt Masters-to-PhD graduate program, the thesis advisory committee must include a member of the Chemistry faculty at Vanderbilt. Please note that the thesis supervisor/mentor must approve the Committee selection before faculty invitations are made.
Once the advisory committee is organized, it should meet at least once a semester, beginning in the Spring semester of the first year. to monitor and enhance the research progress of the graduate student. It is the responsibility of the student to assure that these meetings occur!!
The role of the Committee is to offer constructive suggestions to improve research progress, identify relevant literature, or make liaisons necessary to assure research productivity. If more frequent and regular meetings are necessary, they should be undertaken. Each meeting is summarized in a document provided in the Appendix called “Summary of the Thesis Committee Meeting.” This document not only assists the trainee, but also serves as a reminder to faculty of expectations set at the previous Thesis Committee meeting.
Publications and Presentations
It is desired that prior to the thesis defense at least one manuscript based on the student’s research would have been submitted to a peer-reviewed journal. The student’s contribution must be substantial to both the scientific content and the drafting of the manuscript. It is expected that prior to the thesis defense, the student would attend and present research results at one or more national meetings.
Research Mentor/Primary Advisor
The research mentor typically has been identified before matriculation in graduate school but should be selected no later than the latter part of the Fall semester of the first year. This person helps the graduate trainee in choosing courses, in conjunction with the Director of Graduate Studies in Chemistry, and adhering to chemistry regulations, while also serving as the Chair of the student’s Master’s Thesis committee.
The faculty member agreeing to serve in the capacity as research mentor has the responsibility of approving a research topic that is feasible to complete within the confines of a normal MA student tenure. This person will give advice relative to methodologies and approaches to solving the problem assigned and will meet regularly with the graduate student to monitor progress.
Failure to actively participate in a research group is grounds for loss of funding and/or dismissal from the program. Students who wish to change research mentors must do so with the approval of both the Director of Graduate Studies of the Chemistry Program and the Dean of the Graduate School.
Overall Requirements
- At least 30 credits total (non-Thesis Prep).
- At least 21-24 didactic credits.
- Up to 9 credits of Thesis Research.
- GPA above 3.0
- Receipt of committee-approved Thesis (as pdf) and its Approval by Dean of Graduate Studies, forwarded to Registrar