A student needs to complete 30 credits and achieve an accumulative GPA of 3.0 or above to be awarded the Master of Science (M.S.) degree by the Graduate School. Half of the credits must be at the graduate level and 16 credits must be taken at the UW–Madison campus to satisfy the residency requirement. View the Graduate School’s requirements for the M.S. degree.
The Department of Chemistry designates two types of M.S. degrees: a coursework-based M.S. degree and a research-based M.S. degree.
- A coursework-based M.S. degree requires a minimum of 22 credits in lecture courses. A maximum of 8 credits can be obtained in research courses (Chem 99x). The Department of Chemistry requires that 24 of the 30 credits are from chemistry courses. Chem 901 and Chem 607 are required courses, but do not apply to the credit count. The Graduate School requirements also apply.
- A research-based M.S. degree requires a minimum 15 credits in research courses (Chem 99x). Chem 901 and Chem 607 are required courses, but do not apply to the credit count. The student must submit either a formal thesis or a research report that is approved by the research advisor. The Department of Chemistry requires that 24 of the 30 credits are from chemistry courses. The Graduate School requirements also apply.
The full-time M.S. degree is typically completed in 3-4 semesters.