Guidelines for a Bachelor's Degree with Distinction in Chemistry

Distinction in Chemistry is awarded by the Chemistry Department to recognize graduating seniors who show both academic and research excellence in the field. To be eligible for distinction in chemistry, students must meet minimum GPA requirements, and participate in a significant research experience. The research culminates in the preparation of a high quality thesis. For more information, contact Professor Nancy Totah (ntotah@syr.edu).

Requirements:
Requirements for the degree with distinction are as follows:
• chemistry major
• high quality chemistry research thesis (approved by the thesis committee)
• cumulative GPA of 3.4* by the end of the senior year (Syracuse coursework)
• GPA of 3.4* in chemistry courses by the end of the senior year (Syracuse coursework)
* Final GPAs will be verified by the Chemistry Department. Please note that a GPA of 3.400 is needed to meet each requirement.

Scope of the Research Project:
It is recommended that students start their research as early as possible, but not less than three semesters before graduation. The amount and scope of the research required will vary somewhat with the specific problem studied. It is highly unlikely that students beginning research in their senior year will be able to amass enough data, and have the time to prepare a high quality thesis that meets the requirements for the degree with distinction.

The Thesis Committee:
The thesis committee will consist of the research advisor and two additional chemistry faculty members. The committee should be identified at the time the distinction proposal form is submitted. All members of the committee will need to read and approve your thesis prior to submission.

Distinction Proposal Form:
A completed Distinction Proposal Form must be submitted to the Chemistry Department office in the semester prior to graduation. Submission deadlines are as follows:

May graduates: November 15th
December graduates: April 15th

Suggested Timeline for May Graduates:

Feb 15th	Submit completed draft to research advisor
Feb 16 - March 31st	Confer with advisor and make necessary revisions
April 1st - April 20th	Submit revised draft to entire thesis committee Confer with committee members; make necessary revisions
April 20th - deadline	Prepare final research thesis for submission Get final approval and signatures from thesis committee
last Friday in April	Submit final document (2 hardcopies + electronic)

Suggested Timeline for December Graduates:

Oct 1st	Submit completed draft to research advisor
Oct 15 - Nov 15th	Confer with advisor and make necessary revisions
Nov 15th - Nov 25th	Submit revised draft to entire thesis committee Confer with committee members; make necessary revisions
Nov 25th - deadline	Prepare final research thesis for submission Get final approval and signatures from thesis committee
first Wednesday in Dec.	Submit final document (2 hardcopies + electronic)

May graduates: last Friday in April
December graduates: first Wednesday in December

Honor's Students:
Chemistry student's who are writing a thesis to fulfill the requirements of the Honor's Program may use the same thesis for the Degree with Distinction requirement. The title page should be modified appropriately. See the Thesis Guidelines for formatting instructions.

Distinction Forms:
» Information / Guidelines
» Proposal for a Degree with Distinction in Chemistry
» Thesis Guidelines

last updated: April 28, 2009