Courses & Degree Requirements

Successful completion of 36 credits, including:

o   A total of 11 courses (33 course credits), including:

§ 4 required core courses (12 credits)

§ 7 additional core or elective courses (21 credits), with at least 3 courses (9 credits) labeled “RL” (research/laboratory)

o   3 credits of CHEM 590: Departmental Seminar (1 credit/quarter)

Successful completion of 36 credits, including:

o   A total of 8 courses (24 credits), including:

§ 4 required core courses (12 credits)

§ 4 additional core or elective courses (12 credits)

o   9 credits of CHEM 600: Graduate Research

o   3 credits of CHEM 590: Departmental Seminar (1 credit/quarter)

Successful completion of 48 credits, including:

·         All requirements for the Research Track (36 credits)

·         12 credits of CHEM 700: Graduate Research With Thesis

·         Written thesis, successfully defended and approved by the student’s thesis committee and the UW Graduate School

Credits: 3

This course introduces the theory and practice of modern electrochemistry, emphasizing instrumentation and chemical analysis applications. You’ll learn fundamental electrochemistry theories, basic electrochemical methods and current topics in electroanalytical chemistry focusing on state-of-the-art research in the field. This course will help you gain a solid foundation in electrochemistry and electrochemical analysis.

Credits: 3

This course covers the principles and implementation of spectroscopy techniques, particularly laser spectroscopy and quantitative analysis. Topics include analytical spectroscopy methods including:

• Atomic spectroscopy
• UV-Vis spectroscopy
• Fluorescence spectroscopy
• Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET)
• Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM)
• Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS)
• Infrared (IR) spectroscopy
• Raman spectroscopy
• Fourier-transform spectroscopy
• Nonlinear optical spectroscopy
• Ultrafast spectroscopy

Also, you’ll develop your skills in programming (Python or Matlab), numerical simulation and writing.

Recommended: A background in analytical chemistry and physical chemistry.

Credits: 3

This course covers the best practices for developing data science tools and methods.

Students will learn how to:

• Use data to make statistical inferences in decision-making processes
• Apply data visualization tools to gain insight into the underlying data structure
• Apply supervised and unsupervised machine learning tools

Credits: 1 credit 

A rotating seminar is offered in autumn, winter and spring. Content varies each quarter.

Prerequisite: Permission of program coordinator

Credits: 3

This course introduces students to modern chemical analysis methods and their application in real world samples. You’ll learn both the theory and instrument design of multiple analytical instruments.

The course focuses on four categories of instrumental analysis methods: 

• Optical spectroscopy
• Chromatography
• Flow injection analysis (FIA)
• Electroanalytical chemistry

In addition to learning core analytical principles and instrument design, you’ll gain extensive hands-on experience using these analytical methods in nine specially designed labs.

Credits: 3

This course covers principles, advances and hot topics in separation science and techniques. You’ll be introduced to the core concepts of chromatographic and electrophoretic separation theory and processes. We’ll also discuss how these processes relate to the field of analytical chemistry.

Credits: 3

This course introduces you to polymer chemistry, especially polymer synthesis. You'll learn about polymer structure, synthesis and self-assembly, and the applications of polymers for commodity and specialty materials. We'll cover step-growth versus chain-growth polymerization mechanisms, controlled radical polymerizations, ring-opening polymerizations, metathesis polymerizations, and other polymer-forming reactions. You'll also be introduced to polymer characterization methods that enable the correlation of polymer structure to polymer function.

Credits: 3 credits 

This course includes the fundamentals of molecular quantum chemistry and numerical implementation using computers.

Topics include:

• Density functional theory and molecular dynamics
• Basics of programming, scientific computing and visualization applications to problems in chemistry
• Using computational chemistry software packages to study molecular properties

No prior coding experience is required.

Credits: 1 credit 

A rotating seminar is offered in autumn, winter and spring. Content varies each quarter.

Prerequisite: Permission of program coordinator

Credits: 3

This course introduces the theory and practice of mass spectrometry of organic compounds and biomolecules, including ionization methods, mass analyzers and spectra interpretation. We’ll explore special topics such as peptide sequencing and isotope analysis. You’ll develop real-world skills in spectra interpretation.

Recommended: A background in analytical chemistry, organic chemistry and physical chemistry at the senior college level.

Credits: 3

CHEM 525: Meso & Microfluidics in Chemical Analysis (RL)
Credits: 3 
This course covers the fundamentals of meso and microfluidics, including:

• Laminar flow, surface tension, viscosity, diffusion, partitioning and wetting
• Droplet-based microfluidics, high-throughput and cell-based assays and “organ on a chip” models
• Analytical methods for separation and detection-based assays

Recommended: For students with a strong interest in learning about the latest technologies in fluidics.  

Credits: 3

This course introduces students to the principles of quantifying and identifying biological molecules, including metabolites, proteins and nucleic acids.

You’ll focus on modern analysis techniques including:

• Analytical spectroscopy
• Molecular recognition
• Mass spectrometry
• Separations, with an emphasis on bioinformatics

We’ll also explore the role of chemical measurements in medical diagnostics, biomedical research and primary scientific literature.

Recommended: A background in analytical chemistry with familiarity with basic molecular biology and biochemistry concepts

.

Credits: 3

This course covers the best practices for developing data science tools and methods. You’ll learn to manage big data, with a focus on version control and cloud-based data processing.

Credits: 3

This course provides students with the tools to use computers to control their experiments and to acquire and analyze data. Lectures cover relevant topics for each week’s laboratory assignment. You’ll learn to use LabVIEW programming software to conduct computer-controlled experiments in the laboratory. You’ll integrate individual skills and techniques into a complete system for experimental control, data acquisition and analysis.

Credits: 1 credit 

A rotating seminar is offered in autumn, winter and spring. Content varies each quarter.

Prerequisite: Permission of program coordinator

This course introduces students to physical inorganic chemistry.

Topics include:

• Group theory
• Ligand-field theory
• Physical methods for understanding the properties of open-shell metal ions, including:
  • Vibrational spectroscopies (IR and Raman)
  • Electronic absorption spectroscopy
  • Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy
  • Magnetism 

Recommended: Familiarity with basic quantum mechanics and statistical thermodynamics; symmetry and symmetry elements; transition-metal chemistry; and the ability to independently research and learn advanced topics.

Credits: 3

This course provides a survey of selected key topics in the chemistry of the transition metals, with an emphasis on the structure, bonding and reactivity of major classes of compounds.

Recommended: Working knowledge of general chemistry and introductory inorganic concepts including Lewis structures, metal-ligand coordination and oxidation state assignments.

Credits: 3

In this course, students learn the key concepts of organic structures and transformations, with an emphasis on frontier molecular orbital theory and arrow-pushing mechanisms. 

Topics include:

• Structure and reactivity of carbocations
• Addition, substitution and elimination reactions
• Structure and reactivity of anions
• Electrophilic substitutions
• Neighboring group effects
• Conformational analysis
• Pericyclic reactions
• Single-electron chemistry 

Credits: 3

This course introduces students to the origins and basic postulates of quantum mechanics.

Topics include:

• Solutions to single-particle problems
• Angular momentum and hydrogenic wave functions
• Matrix methods
• Perturbation theory
• Variational methods 

Credits: 3

This course provides students project-based training on synthesizing and characterizing new energy materials for generating, storing and integrating renewables into energy systems. You’ll gain hands-on experience using industry-grade instruments at the Clean Energy Research Training Testbeds, a UW facility designed for investigating clean energy and climate tech challenges.

Topics include:

• Nanoparticle synthesis
• Solar cell and module characterization
• Coin cell battery assembly and testing
• Photochemistry
• 2D semiconductors
• Grid simulation

Required: Enrollment in this multi-department course is competitive. Follow instructions on the UW Seattle Time Schedule listing. 

Credits: 3

This course covers the chemistry (synthesis, doping), physics, materials science and applications of semiconducting and metallic conjugated polymers. You’ll examine the structural (molecular and supramolecular) origins of the diverse electronic and optoelectronic properties of conjugated polymers. You’ll gain insights into understanding organic electronics and optoelectronics and other applications. Examples include organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), organic solar cells, organic thin film transistors, organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs), biosensors and batteries.

Credits: 3

This course covers synthetic organic chemistry. We’ll discuss practical methods for synthesizing complex organic molecules, with an emphasis on strategy and the control of stereochemistry.

Credits: 3

In this course, students learn about mechanistic enzymology and chemical biology. Topics include protein structure and function, how enzymes work as catalysts, kinetic methods, functional assays and applications to current research.

Required & Recommended: A background in organic chemistry is essential for this course and prior completion of a biochemistry course is strongly recommended.

Credits: 3

This course provides students with:

• A detailed introduction to the fundamental theory of spectroscopy and quantum dynamics
• An overview of vibrational, electronic, X-ray, magnetic resonance and time-resolved optical spectroscopies
• A series of advanced application examples from current scientific literature

Required: A solid foundation in graduate-level quantum mechanics.

Credits: 3

In this course students learn the general theorems of statistical mechanics, relation of the equilibrium theory to classical thermodynamics, Legendre transformations, quantum statistics, theory of imperfect gases, lattice statistics and theory of solids.

Credits: 3 credits 

This course provides students project-based training on synthesizing and characterizing new energy materials for generating, storing and integrating renewables into energy systems. You’ll gain hands-on experience using industry-grade instruments at the Clean Energy Research Training Testbeds, a UW facility designed for investigating clean energy and climate tech challenges.

Topics include:

• Nanoparticle synthesis
• Solar cell and module characterization
• Coin cell battery assembly and testing
• Photochemistry
• 2D semiconductors
• Grid simulation

Required: Enrollment in this multi-department course is competitive. Follow instructions on the UW Seattle Time Schedule listing.

Credits: 3

This course provides an introduction to electronic structure theory of solids from a chemical perspective, including band theory and the free electron model. We’ll emphasize modern research trends in inorganic materials on the bulk and nanometer scale.

Recommended: Familiarity with particle in a box; free electron model; symmetry and symmetry elements; molecular orbital theory; principles of inorganic chemistry; and the ability to independently research and learn advanced topics.

Credits: 3

This course focuses on the chemistry of the metal-carbon bond for both main group and transition metals. You’ll learn about structure and reactivity with applications to organic synthesis and catalysis.

Credits: 3

In this course, students learn the fundamental aspects of the structure, function and synthesis of biological molecules.

Topics include:

• Enzyme mechanisms with an emphasis on cofactor-dependent and redox catalysis
• Applications of biological catalysts in organic synthesis
• Biological synthesis of complex organic molecules
• Application of chemical methods to the study of biological processes

Credits: 3

This graduate course explores how energy and charge move through organic and inorganic materials.

Topics include:

• Energy and charge transfer
• Exciton migration and charge transport
• Photophysical dynamics in optoelectronic and kinetic processes in electrochemical energy conversion

Recommended: Working knowledge of electromagnetism, calculus, differential equations and linear algebra.