Curriculum

The Materials Synthesis program’s curriculum, which assumes a foundation of undergraduate-level education in subjects such as organic chemistry, polymer chemistry, and molecular materials chemistry, is designed to foster an understanding of the guiding principles of organic low-molecular compound, high-molecular compound, and hybrid molecule design and materials design along with the skills to apply that knowledge to the creation of new substances while simultaneously laying the foundation for the skills that will enable them to propose new methods for efficiently synthesizing these compounds and materials. To that end, courses address not only synthetic chemistry of organic substances, inorganic substances, and high-molecular compounds, but also a broad range of topics in subjects such as fine molecular design, chemistry of surface active materials, and heteroelement chemistry to the extent such knowledge is needed to create materials combining such substances. In addition to lecture courses in the following four principal categories, students will not only gain an understanding of scientific principles through research and exercises, but also master practical techniques and methods for synthesizing a range of actual compounds. The curriculum is also designed to improve students’ organizational skills, judgment, and presentation skills by giving them numerous opportunities to present research findings both on and off campus.