MS Program
Admission Requirements
All applicants must fulfill the Deanship of Graduate Studies admission requirements. In addition, a General and Chemistry GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0 is required. Only applicants who meet the requirements and have completed their BS degrees in the last 5 years are considered for Chemistry MS programs.
Major Program Components
The Master Program consists of a total of 30 credit hours: 12 credit hours of core courses, 12 credit hours of elective courses, and 6 credit hours for a thesis.
The major program components are:
Course Work
Core courses:
MS students must take the following four courses to constitute the core courses in their MS program: Physical Chemistry: A Molecular Approach (CHEM 501), Chemistry Coordination Compounds (CHEM 502), Organic Reactions: Mechanism and Reactivity (CHEM 503), and Advanced Analytical Chemistry (CHEM 504).
Elective Courses:
In addition to the four core courses, an MS student must take four elective courses according to his field of interest and after discussion with his advisor. Two elective courses (6 credits) can be from other disciplines. A maximum of one research course could be taken as an elective. A maximum of one elective course can be taken in another department, upon the approval of the graduate coordinator. The list of elective courses is provided under the Courses section.
Research
Chemistry MS program provides students with the required research skills and training to become successful researchers and also to pursue successfully their PhD studies.
Thesis:
The MS thesis should be designed to deal with a contemporary research problem. The student will be conducting the research under the supervision of a faculty advisor and a Thesis Committee who have research work related to the thesis topic. The student has to submit and defend the thesis before the Thesis Committee and in a public seminar.
MS Degree Requirements and Policies
- The Master of Science program in Chemistry is available to students holding a B.S. degree in Chemistry and meet the requirements for admission to the University graduate program.
- The student must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 at all times. Departmental requirements for the 30 credit hours are listed below.
- Towards the end of their second semester in residence, students must select their field, research topic and advisor.
- A total of 24 credit hours of coursework (500 or 600 level) is required. This includes 18 credit hours of chemistry courses (500 or 600 level) and 6 credit hours of free electives (500 or 600 level).
- The free electives can be taken from chemistry graduate courses or, upon the approval of the graduate advisor, from graduate courses in other departments.
- M.S. students are required to present a seminar once during the program, and to attend all department seminars.
- Six (6) credit hours of research work towards the preparation of an M.S. thesis are required.
- The candidate shall prepare a thesis proposal on a topic under the guidance of his supervisor and dissertation committee. The proposal should then be approved by the department council, college council and Dean of Graduate Studies.
- The Thesis Committee examines the candidate on the thesis.
- The candidate, in consultation with his Thesis Committee, and after approval from the Dean of Graduate Studies, shall arrange a time and place for a public defense of the dissertation.
- The candidate should complete his thesis by the fifth semester of his study.
Graduate Attributes
| University Graduate Attributes | Chemistry Program Graduate Attributes |
|---|---|
| Globally Aware | Knowledgeable |
| Scientifically Aware | |
| Solution Oriented | Problem Solver |
| Professionally & Socially Responsible | Competent Experimentalist |
| Digitally Enabled | Digitally Up-To-Date |
| Effective Communicator | Effective Communicator |
| Self-Learner | Research Initiator |
| Positively Interactive | Effective Team Player |
| Professionally & Socially Responsible | Responsible & Ethically Driven |
Degree Plan for the M.S. Program in Chemistry (First Semester)
| Course No. | Title | LT | LB | CR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHEM501 | Physical Chemistry: A Molecular Approach | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CHEM 504 | Advanced Analytical Chemistry | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CHEM 5xx/6xx | Elective 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Total | 9 | 0 | 9 |
Degree Plan for the M.S. Program in Chemistry (Second Semester)
| Course No. | Title | LT | LB | CR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHEM 502 | Chemistry of Coordination Compounds | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CHEM 503 | Organic Reactions: Mechanism and Reactivity | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CHEM 5xx/6xx | Elective 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CHEM 599 | Seminar | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 10 | 0 | 9 |
Degree Plan for the M.S. Program in Chemistry (Third Semester)
| Course No. | Title | LT | LB | CR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| XXX 5xx/6xx | Free Elective 1 / Chemistry Elective | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| XXX 5xx/6xx | Free Elective 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CHEM 610 | M.S. Thesis | 0 | 0 | IP |
| Total | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Degree Plan for the M.S. Program in Chemistry (Fourth & Subsequent Semesters)
| Course No. | Title | LT | LB | CR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHEM 610 | M.S. Thesis | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 6 |
Total Credit Hours: 30
List of Graduate Courses
Physical Chemistry Courses
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Quantum theory and spectroscopy. The origins of Quantum mechanics and the need for quantization. The development of Schrodinger wave equation and its properties. The application of Schrödinger equation to the particle in a box. The structure and spectra of hydrogenic atoms. Molecular structure and the Huckel approximation. Molecular spectroscopy and the rotational vibrational spectra. Statistical thermodynamics and applications. Reaction dynamics and surface catalysis.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Empirical rate law. Order of reactions. Elementary reactions. Complex reactions. Reaction mechanisms. Steady-state approximation theory. Transition state theory. Thermodynamic formulation of the rate constant. Homogeneous reactions. Heterogeneous reactions. Catalysis. Enzyme kinetics. Flash photolysis. Relaxation methods.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Principles of thermodynamics. Exact differentials and line integrals. Homogeneous functions. Equations of state of real gases; fugacity. Thermochemistry. Mixtures and solutions. Chemical and phase equilibria. Electrolytic solutions and electrochemical cells. Systematic methods of deriving thermodynamic equations. Statistical thermodynamics. Lagrange’s method of undetermined multipliers. The Boltzmann H-theorem. The Einstein crystal model and the Debye crystal model.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : CHEM 501
Postulates of quantum mechanics. Schrödinger equation, simple quantum mechanical systems, atomic wave functions, angular momentum, orbital, molecular orbital theory, variation, perturbation theory. Application of quantum theory to bonding, and atomic and molecular spectroscopy.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Fundamentals of electron transfer at the metal-solution interface, advances in electrochemical corrosion techniques, types of corrosion: galvanic, pitting, crevice, bacterial, etc. Corrosion inhibitors and coating, materials properties and selection in different corrosive environments. Advances in monitoring techniques.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : CHEM 501
An introduction to modern molecular spectroscopy with emphasis on the concepts and methods needed to understand the interaction of radiation with matter. Topics include atomic, rotational, vibrational and electronic spectra of molecules, and radio frequency spectroscopy.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : CHEM 501
Implementation of the different theoretical models: Force field, semi-empirical, abolition, calculations to chemically related problems using latest PC-software packages. Emphasis will be placed on molecular modeling, simulations, and spectral properties of matter in its isolated or solvated form.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Fundamentals of renewable energy harvesting systems, advanced multifunctional semiconductor materials for various types of photovoltaic devices, photocatalytic and photo-electrochemical Hydrogen and Oxygen production. Electro-catalysts for Oxygen and Hydrogen generations reactions. Functional materials for photo, electro, and catalytic CO2 conversion into value added products. Nanostructured catalytic materials for fuel cells applications. Porous and high-performance nanomaterials for energy storage batteries and supercapacitors. Nanopiezoelectric materials. Nanocatalysts for biofuel production.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Topics of current interest in Physical Chemistry.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : CHEM 512
The concept of ensemble and types of ensembles, quantum statistical mechanics, the partition function, equilibrium statistical mechanics. Thermodynamic Properties in the dilute limit. Applications of statistical mechanics to ideal gases, crystals and phase transitions.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Fundamental chemical concepts and basic ideas needed to calculate the difference between the bulk properties of matter and the properties of aggregates. Tools needed to probe matter at the nanoscale level. Examples of nanoscale materials such as monolayers, fullerenes, clusters, biomolecules etc., and their applications.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : CHEM 501
Introduction to colloid and surface chemistry, sedimentation and diffusion, rheology of dispersions, adsorption from solution, colloidal structures and surfactant solutions, electrical double layer, electrophoresis, electrostatic and polymer-induced colloid stability.
Inorganic Chemistry Courses
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Theories of bonding in coordination compounds. Structure, reactions and mechanisms. New trends in coordination chemistry, modern synthetic methods and applications.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Theory and applications of physical methods used for characterization of inorganic and organometallic compounds including selected topics from modern aspects of theoretical methods, magnetic resonance methods, vibrational, rotational, electronic and Mössbauer spectroscopy, magnetism, ionization methods and X-ray diffraction.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
General properties of organometallic compounds, metal-carbon and metal-hydrogen bonds. Ligand substitution reactions, complexes of π-bond ligands, oxidative addition and reductive elimination, insertion and elimination, nucleophilic and electrophilic addition and abstraction. Homogeneous catalysis. Characterization of organometallic compounds, carbenes, metathesis and polymerization, activation of small molecules, and applications to organic synthesis.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Theory and hands on experience on single crystal and powder X-ray diffractometry. Crystal symmetry and lattices, X-ray diffraction, diffraction data from single crystals, reciprocal space, structure factors, data collection, structure solution and refinement, diffraction data from powders, indexing powder patterns, phase identification, structure determination from powders, Rietveld refinement, interpretation and presentation of results.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Crystal structures, crystal defects and non-stoichiometry. Solid solutions. Phase diagrams. Bonding in Solids. Synthesis, processing and fabrication methods. Modern characterization techniques. Electrical, magnetic and optical properties. Structure-properties correlation.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : CHEM 502
Review of fundamental concepts of chemical kinetics. Physical methods for the determination of reaction rates in inorganic systems. Ligand substitution reactions, Associative and dissociative mechanisms. Stereochemical change, racemization, isomerization. Reaction mechanism of organometallic systems, oxidation-reduction, and photochemical reactions.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Topics of current interest in Inorganic Chemistry.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : CHEM 502
Fundamentals of adsorption, characterizing catalysts and their surfaces, the significance of pore structure and surface area, solid-state and surface chemistry, poisoning, promotion, deactivation and selectivity of catalysts.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Transition metal complexes: stability and reactivity, reaction mechanisms, steric and electronic influence of the ligands. Survey of the industrial homogeneous processes including polymerization, hydrogenation, carbonylation, coupling, metathesis, oxidation etc. New developments and new applications.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : CHEM 502
Bioinorganic chemistry and the biogeochemical cycles, metalloproteins, special cofactors and metal clusters, transport and storage of metal ions in biological systems, hydrolytic chemistry, electron transfer, respiration, and photosynthesis, oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, and sulfur metabolisms, metalloenzymes, metal ion receptors and signaling, biominerals and biomineralization, metals in medicine.
Organic Chemistry Courses
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Reaction mechanisms. Conformations and structure reactivity relationships. Aromaticity. Carbanions and carbocations. Organic reaction types including substituent effects and stereochemistry: substitution, addition, elimination, hydrolysis, electrophilic and nucleophilic aromatic substitution. Pericyclic reactions.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Multi-step organic syntheses. Retrosynthetic analysis. New reagents and concepts. Stereospecificity, Stereoselectivity and regioselectivity. Chiral reagents. Protecting groups. Selected examples of total synthesis of natural products.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Physical basis of the nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). NMR spectra of organic molecules. Experimental aspects of NMR spectroscopy. Chemical shift and spin-spin coupling as a function of structure. The analysis of high-resolution NMR spectra. Two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. Dynamic effects on NMR. Selected experimental techniques of NMR, carbon-13 NMR spectroscopy and solid state NMR.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Raw Materials – natural and associated gas and crude oil, – their composition and processing. Thermal, catalytic cracking, catalytic reforming. Hydroprocessing, catalysts, operation variables and reaction mechanisms. Catalysis by transition metal complexes.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Identification and structural analysis of organic compounds by nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared, ultraviolet and mass spectroscopy. Discussion of instrumentation, sample handling and basic theory of each technique with emphasis on their practical applications for structure determination.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Types of polymerization reactions. Kinetic and mechanistic studies of addition and condensation polymerization by ionic, free radical and coordination initiators and catalysts. Ring opening polymerization, stereochemistry of polymerization.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Classification of natural products. Physico-chemical data, structural determination, syntheses, biosynthesis and physiological activity of several classes of natural products including terpenoids, steroids, carbohydrates, aromatic, aliphatic, alkaloids and non-alkaloid nitrogen compounds.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Topics of current interest in Organic Chemistry.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Application of physical methods to the determination of the structure of polymers. Physical chemistry of macromolecules. Principles of experimental techniques and application. Correlation between structure and physical macro-properties.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Design and development of natural and synthetic biocompatible polymers for fabricating a drug delivery agent or other medical devices, including hydrogels, drug delivery scaffolds, soluble polymer drug conjugates, polymeric vesicles and micelles, microspheres, and nanoparticles. Explore the use of polymers and factors involving encapsulation of biologics within microspheres for the delivery of gene therapy for incurable diseases.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Fundamentals of organic materials for electronics. Design and development of organic semi-conductors/conductors. Electronic interaction and structure. Organic and polymer nanostructures, nanoparticles, nanowires, nanobelts and nanofibers. Organic functionalization of graphene, carbon nanotubes, graphite and carbon. Applications of organic materials in photovoltaic, bio and chemical sensor devices.
Analytical Chemistry
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Fundamentals and Methods of Analytical Chemistry. The principles of classical and modern analytical methods. Theory and practice of spectroscopy, electrochemistry, and analytical separation.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : CHEM 504
Advanced treatment of the electroanalytical techniques and methodology with emphasis on the modern techniques. Basic principles, kinetics, and mechanisms of electrode reactions and surface phenomena. Potentiometry, ion-selective electrodes and voltammetry.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Topics of current interest in Analytical Chemistry.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Principles and theory of atomic and molecular spectroscopic methods in chemical analysis. Atomic Spectroscopy (Absorption, Flame and Plasma Emission, Arc and Spark Emission, and Fluorescence). Molecular Spectroscopy (UV-Vis Absorption, Luminescence “Fluorescence, Phosphorescence, and Chemi- & Bio-luminescence”, Infrared Absorption, and Raman Spectroscopy). Recent Spectroscopic Techniques (Photoacoustic Spectroscopy, Laser Spectroscopy, Surface Plasmon Resonance Spectroscopy (SPR), X-Ray Spectroscopy, etc.).
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Topics of current interest in Analytical Chemistry.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Basic Statistics, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Computer Software (Mat Lab for Windows), Principles of Experimental Design, Factorial Designs and Analysis, Fractional Factorials, Response Surface Methodology, Second-order Designs, Application of the chemical Optimization by simplex.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
The principals and applications of modern electrochemical-based biosensors. Different transduction modes. Various recognition elements. The interface of possible bio-recognition layers with physical transductions. A wide range of practical clinical, environmental and security applications.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Theories behind materials and nanomaterials characterization and analysis. The theories behind advanced microscopic techniques, and optical spectroscopic techniques and other characterization techniques. The components and configuration of these techniques. Advance techniques used for the characterization and surface chemistry of materials and nanomaterials.
General Graduate Courses and Requirements
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 1-0-0 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Attendance of all departmental seminars and delivering a seminar on a timely research topic. This course gives the student an overview of recent research topics, familiarity with the research methodology, journals and professional societies. The student will be graded on a pass/fail basis.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 3-0-3 / Prerequisite : Prior arrangement with an instructor
This course is intended to allow the student to conduct research in advanced problems in his M.S. research area. The faculty offering the course should submit a research plan to be approved by the Graduate Program Committee at the academic department. The student is expected to deliver a public seminar and a report on his research outcomes at the end of the course. Graded on a Pass or Fail basis.
Level: Graduate/ Credit:0-0-6 / Prerequisite : CHEM 599
Involves individual studies by students in the field of Chemistry. The work should be original and the concept, data and the conclusions should contribute new knowledge to the field of research problem. The quality of the work should reflect the student’s proficiency in research and creative thinking. Following preliminary studies and a literature survey on the thesis subject, each student will present his proposed thesis subject orally, and submit a written proposal to the College of Graduate Studies for approval. On satisfactory completion of his thesis work, the student is required to make a formal defense of his research thesis.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 1-0-0 / Prerequisite : Graduate Standing
Attendance of all departmental seminars delivered by faculty, visiting scholars and graduate students. Additionally, each Ph.D. student should present at least one seminar on a timely research topic. This course gives the student an overview of recent research topics, familiarity with the research methodology, journals and professional societies.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 0-0-3 / Prerequisite : Prior arrangement with an instructor
This course is intended to allow the student to conduct research in advanced problems in his Ph. D. research area. The faculty offering the course should submit a research plan to be approved by the Graduate Program Committee of the Chemistry Department. The student is expected to deliver a public seminar and a report of his research outcomes at the end of the course.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 0-0-3 / Prerequisite : Prior arrangement with an instructor
This course is intended to allow the student to conduct research in advanced problems in his Ph. D. research area. The faculty offering the course should submit a research plan to be approved by the Graduate Program Committee of the Chemistry Department. The student is expected to deliver a public seminar and a report of his research outcomes at the end of the course.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 0-0-3 / Prerequisite : Ph.D. Candidacy, CHEM 699
This course enables the student to submit his Ph. D. Dissertation proposal and defend it in public. The student passes the course if the Ph. D. dissertation committee accepts the submitted dissertation proposal report and upon successfully passing the Dissertation Proposal Public defense. The course grade can be NP, NF or IC.
Level: Graduate/ Credit: 0-0-9 / Prerequisite : CHEM 711
This course enables the students to work on his Ph.D. Dissertation as per the submitted dissertation proposal, submits its final report and defends it in public. The student passes this course if the Ph.D. Dissertation Committee accepts the submitted dissertation report and upon successfully passing the dissertation Public Defense. The course grade can be NP, NF, or IP.
Online Admission System
The online graduate admission application through this link: http://www.kfupm.edu.sa/deanships/dgs/Default.aspx
Mandatory documents for application (without which application will not be processed)
- Copy of identification (Passport for international applicants / National ID for Saudi nationals / Iqama for residents of Saudi Arabia).
- Complete official transcripts for BS degree (and MS degree if applying to PhD).
- Statement-of-Purpose (a one-page essay focusing on career and research goals at KFUPM).
- Recommendation Letters from academic referees through the online recommendation system after submitting the online application.
- Certificates for BS degree (and MS degree if applying to PhD) if degrees granted.
- GMAT score (for international MBA applicants).
Other supporting documents (needed for final decision)
- TOEFL score (min. is 68 iBT for MS and 79 iBT for PhD) or IELTS score (min. is 6 for MS and 6.5 for PhD).
- Acceptable GRE General score (min. Quant. is 156, min. Analytical Writing is 4.0).
- Upon approval, original/certified copies of degree certificate(s) and transcript(s) are to be sent through postal mail.
If there are any questions or further clarifications are required, please feel free to contact us at gs-admissions@kfupm.edu.sa or Telephone : +966-13-860-2800, or check our website at: http://www.kfupm.edu.sa/deanships/dgs or follow us on Facebook and Twitter via the links