The Chemistry Department offers a combined B.S./M.S. degree in Chemistry. The combined degree is open only to Johns Hopkins University undergraduates majoring in Chemistry.
Requirements for the BS/MS Degree
Current JHU undergraduate Chemistry majors who wish to apply for the BS/MS Program in their junior or senior year must meet the following minimum requirements (prior to applying):
- Minimum GPA of 3.0 in science courses
- Students not meeting the GPA requirement may be considered if they have a strong research
- Two semesters of previously completed research with a member of the Chemistry Department or an approved JHU faculty member in a related field are required (6 credits).
- The application for admission should include the student’s CV, an official transcript, a statement of purpose.
- Letter of support from the student’s research advisor.
Additional Requirements for the MS Degree
I. Course Requirements
Six advanced courses (18 credits) in Chemistry at the 400-level or higher must be completed to fulfill the course requirements of the MS degree. In addition, six credits of research must be accomplished during the final year. Courses that are relevant to the proposed MS degree may be taken from other departments; these must be at the graduate level (generally 400 level or above) and approved by the Director of Graduate Studies or the Director of Undergraduate Studies in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies. Courses at the 400-level and above that are used to fulfill the BS degree may also count toward the MS degree. The candidate must have at least a 3.0 GPA in the 6 required courses (18 credits) for the MS degree.
II. Teaching Requirements
In the final year of the combined BS/MS program, there is a one course per semester teaching requirement. By fulfilling these duties, students will receive a one-half tuition reduction for their final year in a 5-year program. Assignments of teaching duties are made at the end of August for the fall semester and in January for the spring semester. Students typically teach courses from the freshmen or sophomore years and can include labs or lectures. All BS-MS students are required to attend the school’s TA orientation/training.
III. Thesis & Oral Exam
Four semesters of research that lead to a written departmental thesis must be submitted to the student’s thesis committee by December 1 if graduating in the Fall and in the third week of April (so that final forms must be signed by end of the first week of May) if graduating in the Spring. The thesis committee consists of the student’s research advisor and a second member chosen in consultation with the research mentor. The thesis should include a historical introduction and detail the results and conclusions of all research to date, with the appropriate literature documentation. It is to be approved, after any required revisions, by the student’s research advisor and then submitted to the student’s thesis committee. The results of the research should also be presented orally to the student’s thesis committee. This should be the equivalent of a Departmental Oral exam.