Academic Plan

ChAMP concentration requirements

M.S. and Ph.D. requirements for the ChAMP concentration in CHEMISTRY

The curriculum for the ChAMP program includes a summer session to assimilate students with different undergraduate backgrounds; formal shop, laboratory, and computational courses; a sequence on current topics to bridge the gap between fundamental principles and applied technology; and a course to develop communication skills. The required courses include 10 core courses and three electives as follows. In certain situations, courses may be substituted by other courses with written approval of the student’s research advisor and the ChAMP Chemistry graduate advisor:

A. Complete Core Courses:
CHEM 206	Advanced Data Acquisition and Analysis
CHEM 208	Math Methods
CHEM 266	Current Topics in Chemical, Applied, and Materials Physics
B. Select one of the following Computation/Machine Learning courses:
CHEM 229A	Computational Methods
CHEM 250	Computational Chemistry
PHYSICS 223	Machine Learning and Statistics
C. Select one of the following Quantum Mechanics courses:
CHEM 231A	Fundamentals of Quantum Mechanics
PHYSICS 215A	Quantum Mechanics
D. Select one of the following ChAMP Chemistry courses:
CHEM 231B	Applications of Quantum Mechanics
CHEM 264	Analytical Methods for Organic Nanomaterials
CHEM 231C	Molecular Spectroscopy
CHEM 263	Materials Chemistry
E. Select one of the following Statistical Mechanics/Thermodynamics courses:
CHEM 232A	Thermodynamics and Introduction to Statistical Mechanics
CHEM 232B	Advanced Topics in Statistical Mechanics
PHYSICS 214A	Statistical Physics
F. Select one of the following Communication courses:
CHEM 273	Technical Communication Skills
PHY SCI 220	Science Communication Skills
PHYSICS 250	Physics and Astronomy Communications Skills
G. Select one of the following Classical Mechanics/Electromagnetism courses:
CHEM 228	Electromagnetism
CHEM 230	Classical Mechanics and Electromagnetic Theory
PHYSICS 213A	Electromagnetic Theory
H. Select one of the following ChAMP Physics courses:
PHYSICS 133	Introduction to Condensed Matter Physics
PHYSICS 238A	Condensed Matter Physics
PHYSICS 239A	Plasma Physics
PHYSICS 214C	Many Body Theory
PHYSICS 230A	Biophysics of Molecules and Molecular Machines
Electives (three of the following must be taken)
CHEM 213	Chemical Kinetics
CHEM 225	Polymer Chemistry: Synthesis and Characterization of Polymers
CHEM 232C	Non-Equilibrium Statistical Mechanics
CHEM 233	Nuclear and Radiochemistry
CHEM 237	Mathematical Methods in Chemistry
CHEM 243	Advanced Instrumental Analysis
CHEM 248	Electrochemistry
CHEM 249	Analytical Spectroscopy
CHEM 267	Photochemistry
EECS 285B	Lasers and Photonics
ENGRMSE 259	Transmission Electron Microscopy
PHYSICS 134A	Physical and Geometrical Optics
PHYSICS 211	Classical Mechanics
PHYSICS 215B	Quantum Mechanics
PHYSICS 222	Continuum Mechanics
PHYSICS 230B	Biophysics of Molecules and Molecular Machines
PHYSICS 238B– 238C	Condensed Matter Physics and Condensed Matter Physics
All approved 4-unit courses not fulfilling core requirements may be counted as electives; other courses may be accepted with written approval from the student’s research advisor and the ChAMP Chemistry graduate advisor.

In addition to the core ChAMP requirements listed above, students are expected to complete the following Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry requirements:

Completion of the second-year Examination requirement.
Completion of the Oral Examination requirement for Advancement to Candidacy.
Completion of the teaching requirement.
Completion of six quarters in residence at UCI.
Submission of an acceptable doctoral dissertation.

Master of Science in Chemistry

Completion of 10 core courses and three electives that make up the required coursework for the Ph.D. program with a grade of B or better.
Completion of the teaching requirement.
Completion of three quarters in residence at UCI.
Satisfactory completion of a comprehensive examination.

Pre-2020 requirements

M.S. and Ph.D. requirements for the ChaMP concentration in PHYSICS

From the UCI catalogue:

This is an interdisciplinary program between condensed matter physics and physical chemistry, which is designed to eliminate the barrier between these two disciplines. Students with a B.S. in Physics, Chemistry, or Materials Science and Engineering, are encouraged to apply to the program. The goal of the concentration in Chemical and Materials Physics (ChaMP) is to provide students with a broad interdisciplinary education in the applied physical sciences that emphasizes modern laboratory and computational skills. The program accepts students for both the M.S. and the Ph.D. Upon admission to the program, students are assigned two faculty advisors, one from the Department of Physics and Astronomy, and one from the Department of Chemistry, to provide guidance on curriculum and career planning.

The curriculum for the M.S. and Ph.D. programs includes a summer session to assimilate students with different undergraduate backgrounds; formal shop, laboratory, and computational courses; a sequence on current topics to bridge the gap between fundamental principles and applied technology; and a course to develop communication skills. The required courses include 10 core courses and three electives (subject to advisor approval) as follows:

Core
A. Complete:
PHYSICS 206	Advanced Data Acquisition and Analysis
PHYSICS 207	Applied Physical Chemistry
PHYSICS 266	Current Topics in Chemical, Applied, and Materials Physics
B. Select one course from the following two Quantum Mechanics courses:
CHEM 231A	Fundamentals of Quantum Mechanics
PHYSICS 215A	Quantum Mechanics
C. Select one course from the following ChaMP Chemistry courses:
CHEM 231B	Applications of Quantum Mechanics
CHEM 231C	Molecular Spectroscopy
CHEM 247	Current Problems in Analytical Chemistry
CHEM 263	Materials Chemistry
D. Select one course from the following Statistical Mechanics/Thermodynamics courses:
CHEM 232A	Thermodynamics and Introduction to Statistical Mechanics
CHEM 232B	Advanced Topics in Statistical Mechanics
PHYSICS 214A	Statistical Physics
E. Select one course from the following Electromagnetism courses:
PHYSICS 228	Electromagnetism
PHYSICS 213A	Electromagnetic Theory
F. Select one course from the following Computation/Machine Learning courses:
PHYSICS 229A	Computational Methods
PHYSICS 246	Special Topics in Astrophysics
CHEM 250	Computational Chemistry
G. Select one course from the following Communication courses:
PHYSICS 273	Technical Communication Skills
PHY SCI 220	Science Communication Skills
PHYSICS 250	Physics and Astronomy Communications Skills
H. Select one course from the following ChaMP Physics courses:
PHYSICS 133	Introduction to Condensed Matter Physics
PHYSICS 238A	Condensed Matter Physics
PHYSICS 239A	Plasma Physics
Electives
CHEM 213	Chemical Kinetics
CHEM 225	Polymer Chemistry: Synthesis and Characterization of Polymers
CHEM 232C	Non-Equilibrium Statistical Mechanics
CHEM 233	Nuclear and Radiochemistry
CHEM 243	Advanced Instrumental Analysis
CHEM 248	Electrochemistry
CHEM 249	Analytical Spectroscopy
CHEM 267	Photochemistry
EECS 285B	Lasers and Photonics
ENGRMSE 259	Transmission Electron Microscopy
PHYSICS 134A	Physical and Geometrical Optics
PHYSICS 211	Classical Mechanics
PHYSICS 215B	Quantum Mechanics
PHYSICS 222	Continuum Mechanics
PHYSICS 230A	Biophysics of Molecules and Molecular Machines
PHYSICS 230B	Biophysics of Molecules and Molecular Machines
PHYSICS 233A	Principles of Imaging
PHYSICS 233B	Techniques in Medical Imaging I: X-ray, Nuclear, and NMR Imaging
PHYSICS 238B	Condensed Matter Physics
PHYSICS 238C	Condensed Matter Physics
PHYSICS 239B	Plasma Physics
PHYSICS 239C	Plasma Physics
Electives may be chosen from other courses with the approval of the student’s research advisor and ChaMP graduate advisor.

In addition to the required courses, M.S. students complete a master’s thesis. Students are required to advance to candidacy for the master’s degree at least one quarter prior to filing the master’s thesis. There is no examination associated with this advancement, but the thesis committee needs to be selected and appropriate forms need to be filed. The M.S. program prepares students to compete for high-tech jobs or to begin research toward a Ph.D. The master’s thesis requirement is waived for students who complete the requirements for advancement to Ph.D. candidacy.

Successful completion of the M.S. requirements may qualify students for the Ph.D. program. Progress toward the Ph.D. is assessed by a written comprehensive examination that is typically administered in the summer after completion of the first year of study. This examination covers comprehensive knowledge acquired in course work, and the content of the examination depends upon the student’s specific area of interest.

Participants in the Ph.D. program take an examination for formal advancement to candidacy. It is typically taken within one year of successful completion of the comprehensive examination. To satisfy normative progress toward the degree, it must be taken by the end of the student’s third year. The examination is comprised of two parts: (a) a written report on a topic to be determined in consultation with the research advisor and (b) an oral report on research accomplished and plans for completion of the Ph.D. dissertation.

Pre-2020 requirements

Pre-2020 possible course track

Prof. Ty Christoff-Tempesta joins the ChAMP Program

Fall 2024

Ty Christoff-Tempesta is an Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering

Prof. Christoff-Tempesta specializes in molecular design to engineer hierarchical properties in soft matter systems, combining organic chemistry, molecular self-assembly, and polymer science to create innovative materials. His group focuses on advancing sustainable materials with circular life cycles, derived from renewable resources, and designed for recyclability or upcyclability.

Current research activities include (1) developing new molecular design principles for sustainable materials, (2) using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy to study nanoscale dynamics and establish design rules for material behavior, and (3) designing functional supramolecular materials that self-organize and scale from nanoscale to macroscale. The lab’s research aims to address critical global challenges, such as providing sustainable alternatives to plastics, improving environmental remediation, and advancing technologies for energy and healthcare applications.

https://faculty.sites.uci.edu/tctlab/

Welcome 2024 ChAMP students!

Prof. Lorenzo Valdevit joins the ChAMP Program

Summer 2024

Lorenzo Valdevit is a Professor and Chair of Materials Science and Engineering

Prof. Valdevit works in the general areas of mechanics of materials, structural materials science and advanced manufacturing, developing analytical, numerical and experimental techniques across multiple length scales. Among his primary research goals are the optimal design, modeling, fabrication and experimental characterization of metamaterials and structures with unprecedented combinations of properties. Current areas of interest are the investigation and exploitation of beneficial size effects in nano-architected materials, the non-linear design of periodic and disordered mechanical metamaterials, and the understanding of the processing / microstructure / properties relations in additive manufacturing (in particular, two-photon polymerization Direct Laser Writing, Direct Ink Writing, Laser Powder Bed Fusion and Cold Spray Deposition).

https://valdevit.eng.uci.edu

Prof. Alvin Yu join the ChAMP Program

Summer 2024

Alvin Yu is an Assistant Professor of Physiology & Biophysics

Many cellular processes that are considered the hallmarks of living systems undergo physical and chemical processes ranging from atomic-scale phenomena, including the quantum chemistry of bond cleavage, to micrometer-sized processes such as the self-assembly of proteins. These processes are innately multiscale and span time and length scales from the molecular to mesoscopic. Alvin Yu’s research group investigates the mechanisms by which biological processes function and elucidates them using theory, computational modeling, and simulations.

https://faculty.uci.edu/profile/?facultyId=7131

Prof. Matthew Sheldon joins the ChAMP Program

Fall 2023

Matthew Sheldon is an Associate Professor of Chemistry

Sheldon’s research group studies fundamental questions about optical energy conversion relating to plasmonic and inorganic nanoscale materials. Experiments are principally designed to identify and optimize unique nanoscale phenomena that are useful for solar energy, as well as related opportunities at the intersection of nanophotonics and chemistry, for broad application beyond the scope of solar energy. Current research activities explore how nanofabricated materials can provide systematic control over the thermodynamic parameters governing optical power conversion. By controllably shaping, confining, and interconverting the energy and entropy of a radiation field, several different classes of light-powered heat engines become possible.

Prof. Robert Nielsen joins the ChAMP Program

Fall 2023
Robert Nielsen is an Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.
Nielson’s research interests include quantum mechanical, microkinetic, and data modeling to understand and control chemical reactivity. His group has recently begun a general effort to replace screening in computational materials design problems with optimization. The process combines some representation of Schrodinger’s equation, stat mech, kinetic modeling, traditional chemistry ideas and data science.
https://engineering.uci.edu/users/robert-nielsen

Prof. Sabee Molloi joins the ChAMP Program

Summer 2023

Sabee Molloi is a Professor & Vice Chairman of Research, Radiological Sciences

Molloi’s research interests include quantitative aspects of medical x-ray imaging and its applications to cardiac and breast imaging.

Some of his current projects include:

Spectral breast CT
Myocardial blood flow measurement using CT and its applications to coronary artery disease
Pulmonary blood flow measurement using CT and its applications to lung disease
Quantification of myocardial mass at risk
Detection of ischemic stroke using dual energy CT

https://faculty.uci.edu/profile/?facultyId=3212

2023 Summer BBQ

ChAMP ushered in the new class at our annual summer BBQ on July 14th. Welcome students!

Prof. Elizabeth Lee joins the ChAMP program

Fall 2022

Elizabeth lee is an Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering.

Lee’s research interests lie within the broad field of computational materials and chemistry, particularly electronic and chemical processes in solid-state and nanostructured semiconductors. Her research aims to bring fundamental understanding of how the dynamical arrangement of atoms and their electronic structure impact the material-wide properties during their synthesis, processing, and device operating conditions.

Current research activities focus on three areas: (1) quantum point defects in semiconductors, (2) solid-state interfaces in materials for energy applications, and (3) methodological developments for materials modeling using machine learning approaches.

(https://engineering.uci.edu/users/elizabeth-my-lee)

Prof. Ryan Hayes joins the ChAMP program

Fall 2022

Ryan Hayes is an Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

Protein engineering and design has exciting applications in biocatalysis, therapeutics, and nanotechnology. While there are many experimental and computational approaches to protein engineering and design, computational approaches typically suffer from low accuracy. This makes them dependent on high throughput experimental validation and optimization. Therefore, research in the Hayes group focuses on improving the accuracy of computational protein design to enable more efficient use of experimental resources (https://faculty.sites.uci.edu/rhayes1/)