Contextos y procesos institucionales de desarrollo de la articulación disciplinar

Full Admission. Full admission status to the Master of Science in Natural Sciences degree program with a Physical Sciences Emphasis may be granted to an applicant with a satisfactory score on a nationally recognized, standardized test of verbal skills AND who

1. Holds a baccalaureate degree from an institution fully accredited by one of the recognized accrediting agencies, and,

2. Has completed, as a minimum, coursework equivalent to two semesters general chemistry, two semesters of organic chemistry, one semester of quantitative analysis, and one semester of physical chemistry, and

3. Has earned a minimum acceptable overall undergraduate grade point aver- age of 2.75 with a 3.00 GPA minimum on all major and other relevant coursework completed during the applicant’s last 64 undergraduate hours, and

4. Has submitted a score on the verbal and quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Examination which is supportive of the applicant’s poten- tial to successfully complete the graduate program, and

5. Holds or qualifies to hold a Class A teaching certificate, or its equivalent based on a baccalaureate degree in chemistry (for the option A applicants only). An option A applicant who does not yet qualify for an A certificate may be admitted, but with the stipulation that the requirements of the State of Mississippi for an A certificate in physical science teaching must be met before the degree will be awarded. This requirement is not subject to waiver. A student must verify satisfaction of all requirements for full admission as described above (except #5) through submission of appropriate documentation to the Graduate Studies Office by completion of the first 9 semester hours of graduate level work. A student who fails to do this will be moved to Non-degree status for the next term of enrollment and prevented from enrolling in additional coursework applicable to the degree program. Requirements must be satisfied during that term of enrollment or the student will be dropped from the program. Furthermore, the student must complete the following tasks prior to completion of the first 9 hours of major subject coursework:

1. Establish a graduate advisory committee, and

2. File a program of study approved by the advisory committee, the Division Chair, and the Dean of Arts and Sciences, and

(A student who fails to complete #1 and #2 as specified will be moved to Non-degree status for the next term of enroll- ment and prohibited from enrolling in additional major coursework applicable to the degree program. Requirements must be satisfied during that term of enrollment or the student will be dropped from the program.)

3. Be accepted by a major advisor for research direction (for the option B - research applicants only). An applicant seeking a research focus should con- sult with appropriate faculty who have compatible interests prior to applica- tion. There can be no guarantee that the research option will be available unless it has been negotiated between the student and a graduate faculty member willing to serve as the research director. The faculty member must provide a written statement of acceptance for research direction to the stu- dent and the division Chair. Acceptance of a student for research direction by a given faculty member is made only when the student is considered to have the potential to successfully complete an independent research pro- gram and with the knowledge that the faculty member and division have sufficient and appropriate resources available to support the needs of the student. Because of time and resource constraints, more applications for research direction are received than can be accepted. Thus, research option positions are very selective and competitive.

Non-degree Admission. An applicant who is unable to satisfy requirements for full admission may be admitted on a non-degree, watch-care status to improve undergraduate credentials and to meet full admission requirements. No more than 9 graduate level semester hours earned while enrolled under non-degree status may be applied to the emphasis in Physical Sciences. Only credits earned with a grade of B or better may be applied to the emphasis in Physical Sciences. Degree Requirements. A candidate for the Master of Science in Natural Sciences with a Physical Science Emphasis is required to:

1. Fulfill the general requirements for a graduate degree at Delta State University, and

2. Complete a minimum of 33 semester hours of graduate credit, one-half of which must be 600-level, and

3. Earn a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 in all coursework listed on the approved program of study and separately in all major courses in chemistry listed on the program of study, and

4. Pass oral and written components of a final comprehensive examination for- mulated and administered in part by the Division of Biological and Physical Sciences Graduate Program Committee and in part by the student’s graduate advisory committee and covering the broad discipline of chemistry and the student’s specific area of interest, and

5. Complete an approved research project in the field of chemistry and defend the research during the oral component of the final comprehensive exami-

nation for the option B research oriented student only. An option B student may substitute additional approved coursework in lieu of the research ele- ment.

Student Responsibility. The graduate student must accept full responsibility of knowing and following the policies, regulations, and time lines of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Division of Biological and Physical Sciences require- ments relevant to the M.S.N.S. degree program.

NATURAL SCIENCES CURRICULUM