About the Program
The Chemistry PhD program is designed towards developing within each student the ability to do creative scientific research. Accordingly, the single most important facet of the curriculum for an individual is his or her own research project. In keeping with the goal of fostering an atmosphere of scholarly, independent study, formal course requirements are minimal and vary among disciplines; advisor's tailor course requirements to best prepare the student for the chosen research field.
The Doctoral program includes the following concentrations, each of which has specific degree requirements:
- Physical Chemistry: In general, the Physical Chemistry Graduate Program encompasses analytical, nuclear, biophysical, and theoretical chemistry.
- Synthetic Chemistry: The Synthetic Chemistry Graduate Program includes emphases in either organic or inorganic chemistry
- Chemical Biology: The Chemical Biology Graduate Program covers a range of research areas at the interface of Chemistry and Biology.
Admissions
Admission to the University
Uniform minimum requirements for admission
The following minimum requirements apply to all programs and will be verified by the Graduate Division:
- A bachelor’s degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution;
- A minimum grade-point average of B or better (3.0);
- If the applicant comes from a country or political entity (e.g. Quebec) where English is not the official language, adequate proficiency in English to do graduate work, as evidenced by a TOEFL score of at least 570 on the paper-and-pencil test, 230 on the computer-based test, 90 on the iBT test, or an IELTS Band score of at least 7 (note that individual programs may set higher levels for any of these); and
- Enough undergraduate training to do graduate work in the given field.
Applicants who already hold a graduate degree
The Graduate Council views academic degrees as evidence of broad research training, not as vocational training certificates; therefore, applicants who already have academic graduate degrees should be able to take up new subject matter on a serious level without undertaking a graduate program, unless the fields are completely dissimilar.
Programs may consider students for an additional academic master’s or professional master’s degree if the additional degree is in a distinctly different field.
Applicants admitted to a doctoral program that requires a master’s degree to be earned at Berkeley as a prerequisite (even though the applicant already has a master’s degree from another institution in the same or a closely allied field of study) will be permitted to undertake the second master’s degree, despite the overlap in field.
The Graduate Division will admit students for a second doctoral degree only if they meet the following guidelines:
- Applicants with doctoral degrees may be admitted for an additional doctoral degree only if that degree program is in a general area of knowledge distinctly different from the field in which they earned their original degree. For example, a physics PhD could be admitted to a doctoral degree program in music or history; however, a student with a doctoral degree in mathematics would not be permitted to add a PhD in statistics.
- Applicants who hold the PhD degree may be admitted to a professional doctorate or professional master’s degree program if there is no duplication of training involved.
Applicants may only apply to one single degree program or one concurrent degree program per admission cycle.
Any applicant who was previously registered at Berkeley as a graduate student, no matter how briefly, must apply for readmission, not admission, even if the new application is to a different program.
Required documents for admissions applications
- Transcripts: Upload unofficial transcripts with the application for the departmental initial review. Official transcripts of all college-level work will be required if admitted. Official transcripts must be in sealed envelopes as issued by the school(s) you have attended. Request a current transcript from every post-secondary school that you have attended, including community colleges, summer sessions, and extension programs. If you have attended Berkeley, upload unofficial transcript with the application for the departmental initial review. Official transcript with evidence of degree conferral will not be required if admitted.
- Letters of recommendation: Applicants can request online letters of recommendation through the online application system. Hard copies of recommendation letters must be sent directly to the program, not the Graduate Division.
- Evidence of English language proficiency: All applicants from countries in which the official language is not English are required to submit official evidence of English language proficiency. This requirement applies to applicants from Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Latin America, the Middle East, the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and most European countries. However, applicants who, at the time of application, have already completed at least one year of full-time academic course work with grades of B or better at a U.S. university may submit an official transcript from the U.S. university to fulfill this requirement. The following courses will not fulfill this requirement: 1) courses in English as a Second Language, 2) courses conducted in a language other than English, 3) courses that will be completed after the application is submitted, and 4) courses of a non-academic nature. If applicants have previously been denied admission to Berkeley on the basis of their English language proficiency, they must submit new test scores that meet the current minimum from one of the standardized tests.
Doctoral Degree Requirements
Curriculum
Physical Chemistry Concentration
CHEM 300 | Professional Preparation: Supervised Teaching of Chemistry | 2 |
Electives, as per approved individualized study list |
Synthetic Chemistry, Organic Concentration
CHEM 200 | Chemistry Fundamentals | 1 |
CHEM 261A | Organic Reactions I | 1 |
CHEM 261B | Organic Reaction II | 1 |
CHEM 261C | Organic Reactions III | 1 |
CHEM 260 | Reaction Mechanisms | 2 |
CHEM 300 | Professional Preparation: Supervised Teaching of Chemistry | 2 |
Electives, as per approved individualized study list |
Synthetic Chemistry, Inorganic Concentration
CHEM 201 | Fundamentals of Inorganic Chemistry | 1 |
CHEM 250A | Introduction to Bonding Theory | 1 |
CHEM 251A | Coordination Chemistry I | 1 |
CHEM 300 | Professional Preparation: Supervised Teaching of Chemistry | 2 |
Electives, as per approved individualized study list |
Chemical Biology Concentration
CHEM 200 | Chemistry Fundamentals | 1 |
CHEM C271A | Chemical Biology I - Structure, Synthesis and Function of Biomolecules | 1 |
CHEM C271B | Chemical Biology II - Enzyme Reaction Mechanisms | 1 |
CHEM C271C | Chemical Biology III - Contemporary Topics in Chemical Biology | 1 |
CHEM 300 | Professional Preparation: Supervised Teaching of Chemistry | 2 |
Electives, as per approved individualized study list |
Courses
Chemistry
CHEM 200 Chemistry Fundamentals 1 Unit
Review of bonding, structure, stereochemistry, conformation, thermodynamics and kinetics, and arrow-pushing formalisms.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Graduate standing or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 6 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 201 Fundamentals of Inorganic Chemistry 1 Unit
Review of bonding, structure, MO theory, thermodynamics, and kinetics.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Graduate standing or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 6 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 208 Structure Analysis by X-Ray Diffraction 4 Units
The theory and practice of modern, single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Groups of four students determine the crystal and molecular structure of newly synthesized materials from the College of Chemistry. The laboratory work involves the mounting of crystals and initial evaluation by X-ray diffraction film techniques, the collection of intensity data by automated diffractometer procedures, and structure analysis and refinement.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture and 8 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 214 Heterocyclic Chemistry 3 Units
Advanced topics in organic chemistry with a focus on the reactivity and synthesis of aromatic heterocycles. Classic and modern methods for the synthesis of indoles, pyridines, furans, pyrroles, and quinolines will be covered, as well as complex, multi-heteroatom ring systems. Applications to medicinal and bioorganic chemistry will be included where appropriate.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Graduate student standing or consent of instructor. A year of organic chemistry with a grade of B- or better is required for undergraduate enrollment
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructor: Maimone
CHEM 220A Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics 3 Units
A rigorous presentation of classical thermodynamics followed by an introduction to statistical mechanics with the application to real systems.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 120B
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 220B Statistical Mechanics 3 Units
Principles of statistical mechanics and applications to complex systems.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 220A
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 221A Advanced Quantum Mechanics 3 Units
Introduction, one dimensional problems, matrix mechanics, approximation methods.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 120B and 122 or equivalent
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 221B Advanced Quantum Mechanics 3 Units
Time dependence, interaction of matter with radiation, scattering theory. Molecular and many-body quantum mechanics.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 221A
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
This course presents a survey of experimental and theoretical methods of spectroscopy, and group theory as used in modern chemical research. The course topics include experimental methods, classical and quantum descriptions of the interaction of radiation and matter. Qualitative and quantitative aspects of the subject are illustrated with examples including application of linear and nonlinear spectroscopies to the study of molecular structure and dynamics and to quantitative analysis. This course is offered jointly with 122.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Graduate standing or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 223A Chemical Kinetics 3 Units
Deduction of mechanisms of complex reactions. Collision and transition state theory. Potential energy surfaces. Unimolecular reaction rate theory. Molecular beam scattering studies.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 220A (may be taken concurrently)
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM C230 Protein Chemistry, Enzymology, and Bio-organic Chemistry 2 Units
The topics covered will be chosen from the following: protein structure; protein-protein interactions; enzyme kinetics and mechanism; enzyme design. Intended for graduate students in chemistry, biochemistry, and molecular and cell biology.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Graduate standing or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring:
10 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Also listed as: MCELLBI C214
CHEM C234 Green Chemistry: An Interdisciplonary Approach to Sustainability 3 Units
Meeting the challenge of global sustainability will require interdisciplinary approaches to research and education, as well as the integration of this new knowledge into society, policymaking, and business. Green Chemistry is an intellectual framework created to meet these challenges and guide technological development. It encourages the design and production of safer and more sustainable chemicals and products.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: One year of chemistry, including a semester of organic chemistry, or consent of instructors based on previous experience
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 20 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructors: Arnold, Bergman, Guth, Iles, Kokai, Mulvihill, Schwarzman, Wilson
Also listed as: ESPM C234/PB HLTH C234
CHEM C236 Energy Solutions: Carbon Capture and Sequestration 3 Units
After a brief overview of the chemistry of carbon dioxide in the land, ocean, and atmosphere, the course will survey the capture and sequestration of CO2 from anthropogenic sources. Emphasis will be placed on the integration of materials synthesis and unit operation design, including the chemistry and engineering aspects of sequestration. The course primarily addresses scientific and engineering challenges and aims to engage students in state-of-the-art research in global energy challenges.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Chemistry 4B or 1B, Mathematics 1B, and PHYSICS 7B, or equivalents
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructors: Bourg, DePaolo, Long, Reimer, Smit
Also listed as: CHM ENG C295Z/EPS C295Z
CHEM C238 The Berkeley Lectures on Energy: Energy from Biomass 3 Units
After an introduction to the different aspects of our global energy consumption, the course will focus on the role of biomass. The course will illustrate how the global scale of energy guides the biomass research. Emphasis will be places on the integration of the biological aspects (crop selection, harvesting, storage, and distribution, and chemical composition of biomass) with the chemical aspects to convert biomass to energy. The course aims to engage students in state-of-art research.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: BIOLOGY 1A; Chemistry 1B or 4B, Mathematics 1B
Repeat rules: Repeatable when topic changes with consent of instructor.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructors: Bell, Blanch, Clark, Smit, C. Somerville
Also listed as: BIO ENG C281/CHM ENG C295A/PLANTBI C224
CHEM 243 Advanced Nuclear Structure and Reactions 3 Units
Selected topics on nuclear structure and nuclear reactions.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 143 or equivalent and introductory quantum mechanics
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 250A Introduction to Bonding Theory 1 Unit
An introduction to group theory, symmetry, and representations as applied to chemical bonding.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 200 or 201 or consent of instructor and background in the use of matrices and linear algebra
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 6 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 250B Inorganic Spectroscopy 1 Unit
The theory of vibrational analysis and spectroscopy as applied to inorganic compounds.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 250A or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring:
6 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
15 weeks - 0 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 251A Coordination Chemistry I 1 Unit
Structure and bonding, synthesis, and reactions of the d-transition metals and their compounds.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 250A or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 6 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 251B Coordination Chemistry II 1 Unit
Synthesis, structure analysis, and reactivity patterns in terms of symmetry orbitals.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 251A or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 6 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 252A Organometallic Chemistry I 1 Unit
An introduction to organometallics, focusing on structure, bonding, and reactivity.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 200 or 201 or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 6 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 252B Organometallic Chemistry II 1 Unit
Applications of organometallic compounds in synthesis with an emphasis on catalysis.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 252A or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 6 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 253A Materials Chemistry I 1 Unit
Introduction to the descriptive crystal chemistry and electronic band structures of extended solids.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 200 or 201, and 250A, or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring:
6 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
15 weeks - 0 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 253B Materials Chemistry II 1 Unit
General solid state synthesis and characterization techniques as well as a survey of important physical phenomena including optical, electrical, and magnetic properties.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 253A or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring:
6 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
15 weeks - 0 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 253C Materials Chemistry III 1 Unit
Introduction to surface catalysis, organic solids, and nanoscience. Thermodynamics and kinetics of solid state diffusion and reaction will be covered.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 253A or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 5 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructors: Somorjai, Yang
CHEM 254 Bioinorganic Chemistry 1 Unit
A survey of the roles of metals in biology, taught as a tutorial involving class presentations.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring:
6 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
15 weeks - 0 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 260 Reaction Mechanisms 2 Units
Advanced methods for studying organic reaction mechanisms. Topics include kinetic isotope effects, behavior of reactive intermediates, chain reactions, concerted reactions, molecular orbital theory and aromaticity, solvent and substituent effects, linear free energy relationships, photochemistry.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 200 or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 10 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Formerly known as: 260A-260B
CHEM 261A Organic Reactions I 1 Unit
Features of the reactions that comprise the vocabulary of synthetic organic chemistry.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 200 or 201 or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 6 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 261B Organic Reaction II 1 Unit
More reactions that are useful to the practice of synthetic organic chemistry.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 261A or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 6 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 261C Organic Reactions III 1 Unit
This course will consider further reactions with an emphasis on pericyclic reactions such as cycloadditions, electrocyclizations, and sigmatropic rearrangements.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 261B or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 6 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 262 Metals in Organic Synthesis 1 Unit
Transition metal-mediated reactions occupy a central role in asymmetric catalysis and the synthesis of complex molecules. This course will describe the general principles of transition metal reactivity, coordination chemistry, and stereoselection. This module will also emphasize useful methods for the analysis of these reactions.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 261B or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring:
6 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
15 weeks - 0 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 263A Synthetic Design I 1 Unit
This course will describe the application of modern reactions to the total synthesis of complex target molecules. Natural products, such as alkaloids, terpenes, or polypropionates, as well as theoretically interesting "non-natural" molecules will be covered.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 262 or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring:
6 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
15 weeks - 0 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 263B Synthetic Design II 1 Unit
The principles of retrosynthetic analysis will be laid down and the chemistry of protecting groups will be discussed. Special attention will be given to the automated synthesis of biopolymers such as carbohydrates, peptides, and proteins, as well as nucleic acids.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 263A or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring:
6 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
15 weeks - 0 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 265 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Theory and Application 1 Unit
The theory behind practical nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and a survey of its applications to chemical research.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 200 or 201 or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring:
6 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
15 weeks - 0 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 268 Mass Spectrometry 2 Units
Principles, instrumentation, and application in mass spectrometry, including ionization methods, mass analyzers, spectral interpretation, multidimensional methods (GC/MS, HPLC/MS, MS/MS), with emphasis on small organic molcules and bioanalytical applications (proteins, peptides, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, noncovalent complexes); this will include the opportunity to be trained and checked out on several open-access mass spectrometers.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Graduate standing or consent of instructor
Credit Restrictions: Students will receive 1 unit of credit for 268 after taking 266.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 10 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 270A Advanced Biophysical Chemistry I 1 Unit
Underlying principles and applications of methods for biophysical analysis of biological macromolecules.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 200 or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 7.5 weeks - 2 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 270B Advanced Biophysical Chemistry II 1 Unit
More applications of methods for biophysical analysis of biological macromolecules.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 270A or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 7.5 weeks - 2 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM C271A Chemical Biology I - Structure, Synthesis and Function of Biomolecules 1 Unit
This course will present the structure of proteins, nucleic acids, and oligosaccharides from the perspective of organic chemistry. Modern methods for the synthesis and purification of these molecules will also be presented.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 5 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Also listed as: MCELLBI C212A
CHEM C271B Chemical Biology II - Enzyme Reaction Mechanisms 1 Unit
This course will focus on the principles of enzyme catalysis. The course will begin with an introduction of the general concepts of enzyme catalysis which will be followed by detailed examples that will examine the chemistry behind the reactions and the three-dimensional structures that carry out the transformations.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 5 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Also listed as: MCELLBI C212B
CHEM C271C Chemical Biology III - Contemporary Topics in Chemical Biology 1 Unit
This course will build on the principles discussed in Chemical Biology I and II. The focus will consist of case studies where rigorous chemical approaches have been brought to bear on biological questions. Potential subject areas will include signal transduction, photosynthesis, immunology, virology, and cancer. For each topic, the appropriate bioanalytical techniques will be emphasized.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 5 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Also listed as: MCELLBI C212C
Theory and application of X-ray crystallography to biomacromolecules.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 270A-270B or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring:
5 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
6 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Fundamentals of multidimensional NMR spectroscopy (including use of the density matrix for analysis of spin response to pulse sequences) and applications of multidimensional NMR in probing structure, interactions, and dynamics of biological molecules will be described.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 270A-270B or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 7.5 weeks - 2 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Triple resonance methods for determination of protein and nucleic acid resonance assignments, and for generation of structural restraints (distances, angles, H-bonds, etc.). Methods for calculating biomolecular structures from NMR data and the quality of such structures will be discussed.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 273A
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 7.5 weeks - 2 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 295 Special Topics 1 - 3 Units
Lecture series on topics of current interest. Recently offered topics: Natural products synthesis, molecular dynamics, statistical mechanics, molecular spectroscopy, structural biophysics, organic polymers, electronic structure of molecules and bio-organic chemistry.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Graduate standing or consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only.
CHEM 298 Seminars for Graduate Students 1 - 3 Units
In addition to the weekly Graduate Research Conference and weekly seminars on topics of interest in biophysical, organic, physical, nuclear, and inorganic chemistry, there are group seminars on specific fields of research. Seminars will be announced at the beginning of each semester.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Graduate standing
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only.
CHEM 299 Research for Graduate Students 1 - 9 Units
The facilities of the laboratory are available at all times to graduate students pursuing original investigations toward an advanced degree at this University. Such work is ordinarily in collaboration with a member of the staff.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Graduate standing
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of independent study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 300 Professional Preparation: Supervised Teaching of Chemistry 2 Units
Discussion, curriculum development, class observation, and practice teaching in chemistry.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Graduate standing and appointment as a graduate student instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Professional course for teachers or prospective teachers
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 301 Pre-High School Chemistry Classroom Immersion 1 Unit
Provides training and opportunity for graduate students to make presentations in local public schools. Training ensures that presenters are aware of scientific information mandated by the State of California for particular grade levels, and that presentations are intellectually stimulating, relevant to the classroom students' interests, and age-appropriate. Time commitment an average of two to three hours/week, but actual time spent is concentrated during preparation and classroom delivery of presentations, which are coordinated between teachers' needs and volunteers' availability.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Graduate standing
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1 hour of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Professional course for teachers or prospective teachers
Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only.
Instructor: Bergman
CHEM 301A Undergraduate Lab Instruction 2 Units
Tutoring of students in 1AL and 1B laboratory. Students attend one hour of the regular GSI preparatory meeting and hold one office hour per week to answer questions about laboratory assignments.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Junior standing or consent of instructor; 1A, 1AL, and 1B with grades of B- or higher
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated once for credit.Course may be repeated for a maximum of 4 units.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1 hour of lecture and 4 hours of tutorial per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Professional course for teachers or prospective teachers
Grading: Offered for pass/not pass grade only.
CHEM 301B Undergraduate Chemistry Instruction 2 Units
Tutoring of students in 1A-1B. Students attend a weekly meeting on tutoring methods at the Student Learning Center and attend 1A-1B lectures.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing; 1A, 1AL, and 1B with grades of B- or higher
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated once for credit.Course may be repeated for a maximum of 4 units.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1 hour of lecture and 5 hours of tutorial per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Professional course for teachers or prospective teachers
Grading: Offered for pass/not pass grade only.
Formerly known as: 301
CHEM 301C Chemistry 3 Lab Assistant 2 Units
Undergraduate organic lab assistants help in the teaching of the 3AL and 3BL. Each week students attend a laboratory preparation meeting for one hour, assist in the laboratory section for four hours, and help in the development of experiments for one hour.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing and consent of instructor; 3B and 3BL with grades of B or higher
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated once for credit.Course may be repeated for a maximum of 4 units.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 5 hours of laboratory and 1 hour of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Professional course for teachers or prospective teachers
Grading: Offered for pass/not pass grade only.
CHEM 301D Undergraduate Chemistry Course Instruction 1 - 2 Units
Tutoring of students enrolled in an undergraduate chemistry course.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Junior standing or consent of instructor; completion of tutored course with a grade of B- or better
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-4 hours of tutorial per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Professional course for teachers or prospective teachers
Grading: Offered for pass/not pass grade only.
CHEM 301T Undergraduate Preparation for Teaching or Instruction in Teaching 2 Units
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Junior standing, overall GPA 3.1, and consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for a maximum of 8 units.Course may be repeated for a maximum of 8 units.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Professional course for teachers or prospective teachers
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 301W Supervised Instruction of Chemistry Scholars 2 Units
Tutoring of students in the College of Chemistry Scholars Program who are enrolled in general or organic chemistry. Students attend a weekly meeting with instructors.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing and consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1 hour of independent study and 4-5 hours of tutorial per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Professional course for teachers or prospective teachers
Grading: Offered for pass/not pass grade only.
CHEM 375 Professional Preparation: Supervised Teaching of Chemistry 2 Units
Discussion, curriculum development, class observation, and practice teaching in chemistry.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Graduate standing and appointment as a graduate student instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Professional course for teachers or prospective teachers
Grading: Letter grade.
CHEM 602 Individual Study for Doctoral Students 1 - 8 Units
Individual study in consultation with the major field adviser, intended to provide an opportunity for qualified students to prepare themselves for the various examinations required of candidates for the Ph.D. degree. May not be used for unit or residence requirements for the doctoral degree.
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-8 hours of independent study per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 1.5-15 hours of independent study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Chemistry/Graduate examination preparation
Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only.
Faculty
Professors
Paul Alivisatos, Professor. Physical chemistry, semiconductor nanocrystals, nanoscience, nanotechnology, artificial photosynthesis, solar energy, renewable energy, sustainable energy.
Research Profile
Richard A. Andersen, Professor. Chemistry, inorganic chemistry, organometallic chemistry.
Research Profile
John Arnold, Professor. Organometallic chemistry, organometallic catalysis, materials chemistry, coordination chemistry.
Research Profile
Robert G. Bergman, Professor. Organic and inorganic chemistry: synthesis and reaction mechanisms, organotransition metal compounds, homogeneous catalysis.
Research Profile
Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Professor. Molecular basis of cell surface interactions, eukaryotic genomes, glycosylation.
Research Profile
Kristie A Boering, Professor. Physical chemistry, climate change, atmospheric chemistry, environmental chemistry, ozone, earth and planetary science, isotopic compositions of atmospheric trace gases, stratospheric ozone, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, molecular hydrogen, methane.
Research Profile
David Chandler, Professor. Physical chemistry, chemistry, statistical mechanics, theoretical, condensed matter, molecular structure and dynamics, quantum theory of many body systems.
Research Profile
Christopher J. Chang, Professor. Chemistry, inorganic chemistry, neuroscience, bioinorganic chemistry, general physiology, organic chemistry, new chemical tools for biological imaging and proteomics, new metal complexes for energy catalysis and green chemistry, chemical biology.
Research Profile
Ronald C Cohen, Professor. Physical chemistry, water, climate, air pollution, atmospheric chemistry, environmental chemistry, analytical chemistry, ozone, nitrogen oxides, CO2, clouds.
Research Profile
Graham R Fleming, Professor. Chemistry, proteins, chemical and biological dynamics in the condensed phase, ultrafast spectroscopy, body dynamics, liquids, solutions, glasses, photosynthetic proteins, role of solvents in chemical reactions, complex electric fields, electron transfer.
Research Profile
Matt Francis, Professor. Materials chemistry, drug delivery, organic chemistry, Protein modification, artificial photosynthesis, water purification.
Research Profile
Phillip Lewis Geissler, Professor. Statistical mechanics, theoretical chemistry, microscopic behavior of complex biological and material systems, biomolecular structure and dynamics, nonlinear vibrational spectroscopy.
Research Profile
Jay T. Groves, PhD, Professor. Chemistry, physical chemistry of cell membranes, molecular organization in cell membranes, receptor-ligand binding, spatial rearrangement of receptors, ligands.
Research Profile
Charles B. Harris, Professor. Physical chemistry, surface science, theoretical chemistry, chemical dynamics, femtosecond lasers in the visible and infrared, energy transfer, relaxation, primary processes in chemical reactions in liquids, the dynamical properties of electrons.
Research Profile
John F. Hartwig, Professor. Inorganic chemistry, organometallic chemistry, catalysis, organic chemistry.
Research Profile
Martin Head-Gordon, Professor. Theoretical chemistry, electronic structure calculations, development of novel theories and algorithms, quantum mechanics.
Research Profile
Stephen R. Leone, Professor. Physical chemistry, molecular dynamics, atomic, molecular, nanostructured materials, energy applications, attosecond physics and chemistry, radical reactions, combustion dynamics, microscopy, Optical physics, chemical physics, soft x-ray, high harmonic generation, ultrafast laser, aerosol chemistry and dynamics, neutrals imaging.
Research Profile
Jeffrey R Long, Professor. Inorganic and solid state chemistry, synthesis of inorganic clusters and solids, controlling structure, tailoring physical properties, intermetal bridges, high-spin metal-cyanide clusters, magnetic bistability.
Research Profile
Marcin M. Majda, Professor. Electrochemistry, analytical chemistry, electrode & solution interfaces, electron tunneling, bioanalytical chemistry.
Research Profile
Luciano G. Moretto, Professor. Chemistry, nuclear science, statistical and dynamical properties of nuclei, nuclear reactions, multifragmentation, thermal scaling, monovariant and bivariant regions.
Research Profile
Daniel M. Neumark, Professor. Physical chemistry, molecular structure and dynamics, spectroscopy and dynamics of transition states, radicals, and clusters, frequency and time-domain techniques, state-resolved photodissociation, photodetachment of negative ion beams.
Research Profile
Alexander Pines, Professor. Physical chemistry, magnetic resonance imaging, solid state, NMR, optics, quantum coherence, symmetry, modern pulsed magnetic resonance spectroscopy, optical pumping in condensed matter, nonlinear phenomena and chaos, relaxation and many body dynamics.
Research Profile
Richard J. Saykally, Professor. Physical chemistry, surface science, analytical chemistry, materials solid state chemistry, laser spectroscopy methods, X-ray spectroscopy, molecular astrophysics, novel forms of matter, nonlinear optical molecular imaging(NMI), water clusters.
Research Profile
Kevan M. Shokat, Professor. Chemistry, bio-organic chemistry, diabetes, protein phosphorylation, fundamental signal transduction pathways in cells and whole organisms, kinase, drug development, asthma, multiple forms of cancer, neurological disorders, drug addiction.
Research Profile
Angelica M. Stacy, PhD, Professor. Chemistry, solid states, physical and inorganic chemistry, emerging technologies, synthesis and characterization of new solid state materials with novel electronic properties, magnetic properties, development of new synthetic methodologies.
Research Profile
T. Don Tilley, Professor. Inorganic, organometallic, polymer and materials chemistry; synthetic, structural, and reactivity studies on transition metal compounds; catalysis; new chemical transformations; advanced solid state materials; renewable energy; solar fuels.
Research Profile
Dean F. Toste, Professor. Organometallic chemistry, organic, development of new synthetic methods, enantioselective catalysts, strategies for the synthesis of natural products, synthesis of complex molecules, formation of carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds, olefins.
Research Profile
K. Peter Vollhardt, Professor. Organic and organometallic chemistry, transition metals, novel synthetic methodology, synthesis of complex natural and unnatural products, assembly of novel oligometallic arrays, phenylenes, organic magnets and conductors.
Research Profile
David E. Wemmer, Professor. Nuclear magnetic resonance, nucleic acids, biophysical chemistry: proteins, NMR spectroscopy, magnetic resonance methods, structure of proteins and DNA, conformational fluctuations, biopolymers.
Research Profile
K. Birgitta Whaley, Professor. Chemistry, physical and theoretical chemistry, cluster and nano science, quantum information and computations, quantum mechanics of clusters and advanced materials, elucidating and manipulating chemical dynamics in strongly quantum environments.
Research Profile
Evan R. Williams, Professor. Spectroscopy, molecular structure and dynamics, analytical chemistry, biophysical chemistry, structure and reactivity of biomolecules and biomolecule/water interactions, mass spectrometry, separations, protein conformation, protein and DNA sequencing.
Research Profile
Omar Yaghi, Professor.
Peidong Yang, Professor. Materials chemistry, sensors, nanostructures, energy conversion, nanowires, miniaturizing optoelectronic devices, photovoltaics, thermoelectrics, solid state lighting.
Research Profile
Assistant Professors
Tanja Cuk, PhD, Assistant Professor.
Felix R. Fischer, PhD, Assistant Professor.
Naomi S Ginsberg, Assistant Professor.
Ming Chen Hammond, Assistant Professor. Molecular biology, biochemistry, organic chemistry, synthetic biology, chemical biology.
Research Profile
Thomas Maimone, Assistant Professor.
Evan W Miller, Assistant Professor.
Ke Xu, PhD, Assistant Professor.
Adjunct Faculty
Anne Baranger, Adjunct Faculty.
Lecturers
Michelle Christine Douskey, Lecturer.
Peter Marsden, Lecturer.
Steven F. Pedersen, Lecturer.
MaryAnn Robak, Lecturer.
Contact Information
Vice Chair of Biological Grad Program
Jamie Cate, PhD
708B Stanley Hall
Phone: 510-666-2749
Vice Chair of Synthetic Grad Program
Matthew Francis, PhD
724 Latimer Hall
Phone: 510-643-9915
Vice Chair of Physical Grad Program
Phillip Geissler, PhD
207 Gilman Hall
Phone: 510-642-8716