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The Chemistry Department provides both M.S. and Ph.D. degree programs. The Ph.D. is awarded based on demonstrating comprehensive understanding of modern chemistry's principles and theories, along with the capability to conduct independent research, evidenced by an approved doctoral dissertation. For the M.S., students can choose between submitting a qualifying Master's thesis (Plan I) or completing designated graduate coursework plus passing a comprehensive oral exam (Plan II). Note that a Master's degree is not required for Ph.D. program admission.
UCI's chemical biology research centers on decoding and modifying biological systems' complex chemical architectures, reactions, and interactions. Investigative work spans multiple areas: creating innovative spectroscopic techniques for biomolecular analysis, designing novel proteins, replicating biological materials, examining protein electron transfer mechanisms, employing X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, microscopy, and computational modeling to study biomolecules and their assemblies, developing chemical tools for probing biomolecular interactions, regulating protein functions, producing bioactive compounds, and uncovering chemical pathways involved in disease processes.