Postgraduate Studies

2.

Faculty coursework component:

SSAF 6001 Basic Laboratory Safety Course for RPg candidates in Faculty of Science

This safety course is offered by the University Safety office, and conducted twice a year (i.e. in September and January). Students should register for this course as soon as possible after their commencement date.

3.

 Departmental coursework component:

A. Compulsory Course:

CHEM 6101 Chemistry seminars

This course aims to provide students with the essential communication skills to give scientific presentation in both written and oral formats. Students taking this course will also have the chance to expose to recent development in frontier research in different areas of chemistry.

B. Elective Courses:

Elective Course Descriptions: 

CHEM 6102 Research techniques in chemistry 
This course aims to provide the principles and practice of some important and widely used research techniques in chemistry. Topics selected on the advice of the supervisor from: nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and electron spin resonance spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, mass spectrometry, material characterization, molecular modeling techniques, vibrational spectroscopy, laser spectroscopy, separation techniques, combinatorial chemistry.

CHEM 6103 Special topics in chemistry 
This course aims to provide more advanced treatment in topics in chemistry. A research topic selected on the advice of the supervisor from: selected advanced topics of current interest in analytical chemistry, inorganic chemistry, organometallic chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry and theoretical chemistry, etc.

CHEM 6108 Introduction to macromolecules
This is a postgraduate course offered by the Joint Centre for Advanced Study. Lectures will be delivered by faculty members from CUHK, HKUST, and HKU (in year 2020-2021, course will be offered by HKUST & HKU only). Both introduction to macromolecular science and some frontier topics will be covered. The lectures will be held at the campus of these three institutions. Details will be announced at the beginning of the class.

CHEM 6109 Computational chemistry (=CHEM4542)
This course covers topics in computational chemistry including first-principles methods and molecular dynamics methods. It is offered to postgraduate students interested in computational chemistry, computational physics and computational biology. The course contents & topics include Hartree-Fock molecular orbital method, density-functional theory, time-dependent methods, Basis sets, Force Fields, QM/MM method, free energy calculation, and computer-aided drug design.

CHEM 6111 Integrated organic synthesis (=CHEM4443)
This course will present modern synthetic methods and synthetic planning. The course is organized into units based on target drug molecules. In each unit, the chemical biology of these compounds are briefly presented and the syntheses of these molecules are introduced, accompanied by in-depth discussions of the reactions involved with emphasis on their mechanisms, selectivity, stereochemistry, scope and limitations. Concept of synthetic design including retrosynthetic analysis, stereoselectivity and enantioselective control elements will be emphasized. A laboratory section provides training in the practical skills of synthesis.

CHEM 6112 Advanced physical chemistry (=CHEM4543)
This course covers advanced topics in physical chemistry. It is offered for students majoring in physical chemistry and for students who are interested in postgraduate studies. The course contents & topics include time-resolved spectroscopy methods, excited states and reactive intermediates, photophysics and photochemical processes, chemical reaction mechanisms, advanced quantum mechanical methods, reaction pathways and surface crossings.

CHEM 6113 Medicinal chemistry (=CHEM4145)
This course covers the chemical principles of drug design and drug action and uses as an introduction to research in areas of bioorganic chemistry, bioinorganic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutical chemistry, and biotechnology. The course contents & topics include Drug discovery, design, and development: lead discovery, pharmacophore, structure-activity relationships (SAR), computer-aided drug design, combinatorial chemistry and highthroughput drug screening, Drug-receptor interactions, Proteins (and enzymes) and nucleic acids as drug targets, Metals in medicine, DNA-Drug interactions, Drug metabolism and prodrugs and drug delivery.

CHEM 6114 Advanced Organic Chemistry (=CHEM4441)
This course aims to provide students with knowledge in organic chemistry reaction mechanism and organic compound structure determination. The course covers chemical bonding, advanced stereochemistry, conformational analysis, techniques for investigating reaction mechanisms, reactive intermediates, rearrangement reactions, and pericyclic reactions.

CHEM 6115 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry (=CHEM4341)
This course is to give further and more detailed treatment to topics in Inorganic Chemistry and new areas of interest. Problem based learning on selected advance topics will be introduced in the later part of the course. Selected advanced topics of current interest. Examples include metal-metal bonds and metalligand multiple bonds, inorganic and supramolecular photochemistry, lanthanide chemistry, bio-inorganic and medicinal chemistry, and activation of small molecules by metal complexes.

CHEM 6116 Symmetry, Group Theory and Applications (=CHEM4142)
This course aims to introduce the concepts of symmetry and group theory and to apply them in solving chemical problems. This course also provides an introductory treatment of bonding theories, inorganic electronic and vibrational spectroscopy. The course contents & topics includes Symmetry elements and symmetry operations; symmetry point groups; reducible and irreducible representations; character tables; direct products; symmetry-adapted linear combinations; projection operators; hybrid orbitals; molecular orbital theory for organic, inorganic and organometallic systems; selected applications in electronic and vibrational spectroscopy

CHEM 6117 Modern Chemical Instrumentation and Applications (=CHEM4241)
This course aim of the course is to provide an understanding of modern instrumentation, covering both fundamental principles and practical aspects of instrument design. The course will be of particular benefit to those pursuing a higher research degree or a career in technical sales/service.

CHEM 6118 Frontiers in Modern Chemical Science (=CHEM4148)
This course aims to introduce students to the newest concepts and technological breakthroughs in chemical sciences. Throughout the course, students will be introduced to how the interplay among molecules, materials, and interfaces leads to unprecedented functionalities that contribute to innovations in biology and medicine, smart materials, and sustainable energy schemes..