Chemistry Courses | 2026-2027 Graduate Catalog | SIU

This graduate-level chemistry course covers topics, methods and activities that target the needs of elementary and middle school science teachers. The course consists of a combination of lectures and laboratory experiments. The specific subjects covered during the course change, depending on the needs of the current students. This course may only be taken as part of an approved major. Special approval needed from the instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

Principles of group theory and their application to molecular structure, ligand field theory and its application and magnetic properties of matter. Prerequisite: CHEM 360, CHEM 460, and CHEM 411.

Credit Hours: 3

Energetics, kinetics and mechanisms of inorganic systems. Prerequisite: CHEM 360, CHEM 411 and CHEM 460.

Credit Hours: 3

Metal ions in biological processes and other selected topics to be announced by the program. Maximum nine credit hours. Special approval needed from the instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

An introduction to the basic principles underlying separation science, with emphasis on all major chromatographies, gel and capillary electrophoresis, isoelectric focusing, field-flow fractionation, rate and isopynic sedimentation, filtration, reverse osmosis and related methods. Prerequisite: MATH 250.

Credit Hours: 3

Introduction to analog and digital electronics and the computer control of system components. The course will focus on chemical instrumental and the use of filters, amplifiers and digital signal processing to improve sensitivity and detection limits. Two lectures and one three-hour laboratory per week. Prerequisite: CHEM 434.

Credit Hours: 3

Fundamental and experimental aspects of electronic and vibrational spectrometry, with a particular emphasis on the spectroscopic analysis of atomic and molecular species. Various sources of electromagnetic radiation, detectors, optical components and the optimization of experimental methods are covered in detail. Common spectroscopic techniques are covered in detail and a portion of the course covers newly emerging techniques and developments. Prerequisite: CHEM 434.

Credit Hours: 3

Fundamentals and applications of electrochemical methods, with emphasis on the thermodynamics and kinetics of electron transfer, electrode double-layer structures, as well as varied voltammetric techniques.

Credit Hours: 3

Course surveys various statistical, data-manipulative, and numerical methods as applied to analytical chemistry, including probability distributions, methods of maximum likelihood, linear and nonlinear least squares, correlation coefficients, chi-square, F and T distributions, Pearson statistics, analysis of variance, convolution, deconvolution, cross-correlation, autocorrelation, data acquisition, Nyquist theorem, aliasing, digitization errors, digital filtering, Monte Carlo methods, and finite-difference equations. Prerequisite: CHEM 434.

Credit Hours: 3

This course is an introduction to mass spectrometry with a focus on pharmaceutical and biological applications. Topics that will be covered include instrument design, ionization techniques, tandem mass spectrometry, chromatography/mass spectrometry and mass spectral interpretation. Prerequisite: CHEM 434.

Credit Hours: 3

Fundamental and experimental aspects of analytical methods based on the various phenomena of luminescence. General principles of luminescence are covered in detail, as well as analytical techniques based on fluorescence quenching, energy transfer, polarization, and time resolved methods. Aspects of source of electromagnetic radiation, detectors, and electronic/optical components are discussed specifically as they pertain to fluorescence spectroscopy. Newly emerging fluorescence based techniques are also discussed. Prerequisite: CHEM 434 and CHEM 533 (or consent of the instructor).

Credit Hours: 3

This course covers basic principles of scanning probe microscopy and spectroscopy including STM, AFM, ACM and NSOM, and the broad applications in nanoscale probing and imaging. Topics include surface characterization and manipulation, nanolithography, nanomaterials, self-assembly, molecular electronics, optoelectronics, nanoscale electron transfer, single-molecular spectroscopy, protein structures, enzyme dynamics, and living cell imaging. Prerequisite: CHEM 330, CHEM 434, CHEM 360, and CHEM 460.

Credit Hours: 3

Selected topics of interest to practicing analytical chemists such as microanalytical chemistry, functional-group chemical determinations, absorption spectroscopy and electroanalytical chemistry. Maximum nine credit hours. Prerequisite: CHEM 434 with a minimum grade of C.

Credit Hours: 3

Structure and reactivity of organic compounds: steric, electronic, kinetic and thermodynamic aspects and their relation to reactive intermediates.

Credit Hours: 3

Reaction mechanisms in organic chemistry. Electrocyclic and sigmatropic reactions, cycloadditions, free radicals, photochemistry and organometallic catalysis. Spectroscopic methods.

Credit Hours: 3

Organic synthesis: classical and modern methods.

Credit Hours: 3

Specialized topics in organic chemistry. The topic to be covered is announced by the program. Maximum nine credit hours. Prerequisite: CHEM 542.

Credit Hours: 3

This course will cover the structural basis of biomolecules with an emphasis on the chemical and physical aspects involved in the architecture of proteins and nucleic acids. The study of the physical properties of biomolecular interactions and assembly of biomolecules into macromolecular complexes will be covered. Interpretation of data from atomic resolution techniques will be discussed. Prerequisites: CHEM 350 or CHEM 451A/B or equivalent.

Credit Hours: 3

Specialized topics in biological chemistry. The topic to be covered is announced by the program. Maximum nine credit hours. Prerequisite: C or better in CHEM 350 or CHEM 451A,B or equivalent.

Credit Hours: 3

Basic principles and applications of quantum mechanics to chemistry. Topics include operator and vector algebra, classical mechanics, angular momentum, approximate methods, hydrogen-like atoms and molecular electronic structure. Three lectures per week. Prerequisite: CHEM 360 and CHEM 460.

Credit Hours: 3

An introduction to molecular orbital theory. Applications and limitations of various methods. Three lectures per week. Prerequisite: CHEM 360 and CHEM 460.

Credit Hours: 3

Theory of rotational and vibrational spectroscopy, electronic spectroscopy of molecules. Three lectures per week. Prerequisite: CHEM 468 or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

An introduction to commercial molecular modeling softwares and to performing designed research projects related to chemical and materials sciences. Three lectures per week. Prerequisite: CHEM 360 and CHEM 460 (1 year of undergraduate Physical Chemistry) or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

Principles of statistical mechanics and applications to equilibrium and nonequilibrium systems. Topics include ideal gases, monatomic crystals, lattice statistics, the cluster method, correlation functions, Brownian motion, the Boltzmann equation and the Kubo-Green technique. Three lectures per week.

Credit Hours: 3

Topic to be announced by the program. Maximum nine credit hours. Special approval needed from the instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

An introduction to the structural, morphological, spectroscopic, and thermal characterization techniques commonly used in materials chemistry. Special approval needed from the instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

Design and applications of advanced materials. Special topics will focus on contemporary research areas of interest as determined by the instructor. Special approval needed from the instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

Introduction to the techniques and methods of chemical research including good laboratory practice, research ethics, record keeping, publication, patents and currently active research in this program. Graded S/U only.

Credit Hours: 1

Seminar presentations on advanced topics given in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the MS and PhD degrees in Chemistry.

Credit Hours: 1

Seminar presentations on advanced topics given in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the MS and PhD degrees in Chemistry.

Credit Hours: 1

Seminar presentations on advanced topics given in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the MS and PhD degrees in Chemistry.

Credit Hours: 1

Assigned library work in any of these fields of chemistry with individual instruction by a staff member. Analytical. Maximum credit three hours.

Credit Hours: 2-3

Assigned library work in any of these fields of chemistry with individual instruction by a staff member. Biochemistry. Maximum credit three hours.

Credit Hours: 2-3

Assigned library work in any of these fields of chemistry with individual instruction by a staff member. Inorganic. Maximum credit three hours.

Credit Hours: 2-3

Assigned library work in any of these fields of chemistry with individual instruction by a staff member. Organic. Maximum credit three hours.

Credit Hours: 2-3

Assigned library work in any of these fields of chemistry with individual instruction by a staff member. Physical. Maximum credit three hours.

Credit Hours: 2-3

Assigned library work in any of these fields of chemistry with individual instruction by a staff member. History Chemistry. Maximum credit three hours.

Credit Hours: 2-3

Advanced level talks presented by graduate students. Analytical.

Credit Hours: 1

Advanced level talks presented by graduate students.

Credit Hours: 1

Advanced level talks presented by graduate students. Inorganic.

Credit Hours: 1

Advanced level talks presented by graduate students. Organic.

Credit Hours: 1

Advanced level talks presented by graduate students. Physical chemistry.

Credit Hours: 1

Graded research for Master's Degree only. Maximum 6 credit hours. Prerequisite: Completion of at least 9 hours of graded graduate course work in the program. Restricted to admission to Master's program in Chemistry and Biochemistry. Special approval needed from student's graduate advisory committee.

Credit Hours: 1-3

Experience in teaching of chemistry, instrument operation and special research projects. One hour required each semester in residence. Graded S/U only. Restricted to graduate standing.

Credit Hours: 1-15

Maximum credit 50 hours, except by permission of the student's graduate advisory committee. Graded S/U only. Special approval needed from the director.

Credit Hours: 1-12

Maximum credit six hours. Special approval needed from the director.

Credit Hours: 1-6

Requirement for Ph.D. degree, 24 hours. Maximum credit 30 hours, except by permission of the student's graduate advisory committee. Prerequisite: CHEM 598.

Credit Hours: 1-12

For those graduate students who have not finished their degree programs and who are in the process of working on their dissertation, thesis, or research paper. The student must have completed a minimum of 24 hours of dissertation research, or the minimum thesis, or research hours before being eligible to register for this course. Concurrent enrollment in any other course is not permitted. Graded S/U or DEF only.

Credit Hours: 1

Must be a Postdoctoral Fellow. Concurrent enrollment in any other course is not permitted.

Credit Hours: 1