Chemical and Biological Sciences, PhD

Contact Information

Dr. Rajesh Sani, Professor and Graduate Program Coordinator
Department of Chemistry, Biology and Health Sciences
Chemical and Biological Engineering/Chemistry 2211
Phone: 605-394-1240
E-mail: Rajesh.Sani@sdsmt.edu

Department Website

Students are responsible for checking with their advisors for any program modifications that may occur after the publication of this catalog.

PhD in Chemical and Biological Sciences

This program will provide advanced studies and research training that covers the applied aspects of chemistry and biology, including green chemistry, omics, sustainable energy, environmental science, biotechnology, and biomedical health sciences. The program will prepare students for a diverse range of career options in these high-demand technology fields. Furthermore, the program’s cross-disciplinary curriculum will equip scientists and professionals with the skills needed to thrive in the increasingly multi-disciplinary nature of applied science. To facilitate this goal, each student is asked to complete a program of study plan that will provide the framework for the student’s coursework and research.

Degree requirements

Distribution of credits

Core requirements: 12 credits
Research requirements: 32-36 credits
Elective requirements: 24-28 credits
Total credits: 72

Students may apply 24 coursework credits and 6 research credits from a previous MS degree in a relevant discipline toward the PhD requirements, subject to approval by the student’s committee.

At least 36 of the required 72 credits must be taken at the 600 level or above.

Core requirements

CHEM 600 Emerging Technologies in Green and Sustainable Chemistry Credits: 3
BIOL 702 Molecular Biotechnology Credits: 3
CHEM 790 Seminar Credits: 1 /BIOL 790 Seminar Credits 1 *
* Three semesters of seminar are required for a total of 3 credits.
One of these two courses:
CHEM 708 Environmental Biological and Chemical Sciences Credits: 3
BIOL 708 Environmental Biological and Chemical Sciences Credits: 3

Research requirements

The completion of a doctoral dissertation, approved by the student’s graduate advisory committee and the Dean of Graduate Education, is required for this degree.

CHEM 898D Dissertation Credits: 1 to 12 **
BIOL 898D Dissertation Credits: 1 to 12 **
**At least 32 credits of Chem 898D or Biol 898D are required for the degree. No more than 36 credits of Chem 898D or Biol 898D may be applied to the degree.

Elective requirements

Twenty-four to twenty-eight (24-28) credits of electives are required. All courses need to be at the graduate level (500 and above). At least 18 credit hours of graduate level courses with the CHEM or BIOL prefix are required. At least 12 credit hours of graduate level courses at the 600-level or higher are required. All courses on the program of study must be approved by the student’s graduate advisory committee.

Examinations

Detailed information on examination policy, admission to candidacy, and defense of dissertation are included in the Chemical and Biological Sciences PhD Program Handbook.

Qualifying examination

The qualifying examination has two components to demonstrate the student’s aptitude for doctoral work: 1) proficiency in the foundational material of the discipline and 2) necessary skills and drive for advanced research. The format and timing of the examination are set by each program, but it must be completed within the first two years of study.

Admission to candidacy

PhD students must prepare a dissertation prospectus, which is a plan describing the proposed content and format of the dissertation in sufficient detail for the student’s graduate committee to evaluate whether the scope and value of the work warrants a PhD degree. The student is admitted to candidacy upon approval of the prospectus by the committee. The format and timing of the prospectus is set by each program, but it must be completed no later than two years after the qualifying exam.

Dissertation defense

A dissertation defense and a final oral examination are required for this degree.

Additional requirements

In addition to these degree-specific requirements, the student must also meet the requirements and policies applied to all graduate degrees by the Council of Graduate Education.

Objectives and Outcomes

Student Outcomes:

Students demonstrate advanced knowledge in their specific research areas in chemical and biological sciences.
Students apply contemporary methods, tools, and theory to conduct original research in their specialized field.
Students show proficiency in developing technically sound plans to address new research in chemical and biological sciences.
Students effectively communicate ideas and results relevant to chemical and biological sciences in both oral and written formats.
Students act professionally and ethically.
Students demonstrate leadership skills and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively with diverse teams.