Undergraduate Research
An exciting advantage of being a chemistry major is the opportunity for involvement in original research. Research opportunities
are available for B.S. and B.A. majors and also McDonnell-Barksdale Honors College students. Multi-year projects are strongly encouraged and students can start their research as early as their Freshman year! Many of our undergraduate majors appear as co-authors and even as first author on publications. Students also travel to conferences to present their research. Recent examples include visits to London, San Francisco, Denver, Boston, and Puerto Rico. Continuing research activities in the department offer opportunities for investigation in a large variety of projects, encompassing every area of chemistry and biochemistry and extending into interdisciplinary areas. Many of our top graduates perform undergraduate research. Contact professor Hammer at nhammer@olemiss.edu if you are interested in starting your undergraduate research and have questions.
Research Course Policies
1. CHEM251 (freshmen and sophomores) and CHEM 351 (juniors) can be taken by any student who wishes to receive graded credit for doing research with a faculty member in the Department. A student will receive a grade for this course at the end of each semester of enrollment. This grade will reflect the student’s level of participation, effort, and progress. No I grade will be issued for this course. Individual professors maintain the class roll for those students who are doing research in their laboratories.
2. CHEM 463 is required for students who are pursuing an ACS-certified degree (B.S. Chemistry or B.S. Forensic Chemistry with the ACS option) to receive graded credit for doing research with a faculty member. Students taking this course must prepare a written paper (or Honors College thesis) and present an oral or poster presentation. The department chair will maintain the class roll for all students enrolled in CHEM 463. The faculty member supervising the student’s research recommends a grade, but the grade will not be posted until the final written report has been received and approved. A student may request the “I” grade for this course, but all course requirements must be completed within 25 days of the beginning of the next regular semester following the original semester of enrollment, or this “I” grade will automatically change to an “F.” Four credit hours of CHEM 463 is required for the B.S. Chemistry degree and three hours are required for B.S. Forensic Chemistry majors pursuing ACS certification.
3. Three hours of CHEM 441 is required for B.S. Forensic Chemistry majors not pursuing ACS certification. With prior departmental approval, three hours of Chem 463 may substitute for Chem 441.
BS Chemistry majors (from left) Ashley Williams, Sarah Sutton and Katelyn Allen conduct undergraduate research.
4. The B.A. Biochemistry degree program does not have a required research requirement. However, students seeking this degree who do become engaged in research are welcome to take CHEM 251, 351, and 451 (seniors).
5. The B.A. Chemistry degree program requires one hour of CHEM 451. Students seeking this degree may opt to add two additional hours of CHEM 451 to substitute for an advanced elective.