Many students have advising questions that can be easily answered in a few sentences. The most common questions our advisors receive from students are listed below, grouped by category. If you have additional questions, or your question isn't answered here, please feel free to schedule an appointment with a CBC advisor.
Research | Scheduling | Thesis
Research
Can I get academic credit for undergraduate research?
Yes! Once a student has found a faculty member willing to host them in their lab for an undergraduate research project, they can enroll in CHEM/BIOCHEM 4998/4998H (or the equivalent) under that faculty member, with the assistance of one of the CBC advisors.
How much time must I spend in the lab to get credit for undergraduate research?
The credit given for undergraduate research varies with the type of research, and is up to the discretion of individual faculty members, but typically 1 credit hour is earned for every 3-5 hours per week a student devotes to their research.
How much undergraduate research can I count toward my degree?
Up to 6 semester hours can be counted as elective credit toward Chemistry BS or BA major. The Biochemistry BS doesn’t require electives within the major, but students may still wish to earn research credit to count towards their overall hours required to graduate. The Biochemistry BA does have room for 2 elective credit hours that can be fulfilled by research credits; however, those hours are most typically fulfilled by Chem 2550.
Do I have to work in a Chemistry or Biochemistry lab to get credit for research?
No. There are many outstanding research labs outside of the department, and 4998/4998H and 4999/4999H courses from other departments in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences that offer research credit. There are also labs in other colleges, such as the College of Medicine, that may not offer 4998/4998H and 4999/4999H courses. In such cases Chemistry and Biochemistry faculty members may serve as co-advisors for faculty in other departments to enable you to receive credit. You must contact your advisor to determine whether you can get credit for your research.
Scheduling
Why am I receiving the error message "outside your career" when the course I'm trying to register for is for my major?
Almost all 5000-level courses have both a graduate section and an undergraduate section. Make sure that you have selected the "undergraduate" section if you are an undergraduate student. You can be sure that you have selected the correct section by making sure the "Course Career" field on a class search is set to "Undergraduate."
Writing a Thesis
Can I use undergraduate research to write an honors thesis?
Yes! Students who wish to write an honors thesis must enroll for CHEM/BIOCHEM 4999H, Honors Thesis Research. This option is limited to Honors students with a cumulative GPA of 3.4 or higher. In order to write an honors thesis, a student must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.4, file an application to graduate with honors and research distinction with the ASC Honors Office at least two semesters before graduation, and accumulate a minimum of 4 semester hours of CHEM/BIOCHEM 4999H. .
I am not an honors student, can I still write a thesis?
Yes! If you are planning to graduate with research distinction, you should contact quinn.142@osu.edu in Arts and Sciences Advising to submit the Thesis Application [pdf] (upon enrolling in 4999 research credit and no later than one semester before your graduating term). More information about completing a thesis can be found on the Arts & Sciences Advising Website. Questions about the application should be directed to Ed Quinn.
[pdf]- Some links on this page are to .pdf files. If you need these files in a more accessible format, please email chemadvisors@osu.edu. PDF files require the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader software to open them. If you do not have Reader, you may use the following link to Adobe to download it for free at: Adobe Acrobat Reader.