For graduate students, involvement in original research is not only an integral and required part of the Master's program, it is the foundation of the graduate experience, and provides the data upon which the Master's thesis is written.  It is the aim of the M.S. program that its graduates be fully prepared to carry out independent research in their chosen discipline; thus, they are ideally qualified for responsible positions in industry, government and education, or to enter another graduate school to pursue a Ph.D. degree.  M.S. candidates must choose a research director by the end of their first semester at EIU.
 

Joining a Research Group

    Choosing a research director follows a certain protocol, which is spelled out on the application form (available ~10th week of the semester).  You must interview at least four faculty members to discuss their research areas; from these, you will make a first and second choice for your research director.  For an overview of the faculty research areas, see the Faculty Research Interests page.

    Graduate students generally enroll in sufficient hours of Graduate Research (CHM 5890) to total 12, after whatever classes they are enrolled in for that semester.  The amount of time you are expected to spend in the lab, or involved in whatever your specific research activities are, will be explained to you by your research director.  You will also probably be involved in literature searching, report writing, and other research-related activities.  However, research projects differ, as do the expectations and policies of each research director; thus, be sure that you are very clear on these items after you join a group.

The Thesis

    The thesis is the culmination of your research activities over the 20-odd months you will be involved in a project.  It will almost certainly be the largest  document that you have ever authored, and you will probably spend many weeks in its preparation.  The format of the thesis varies with the research group, and specific requirements will be given to you by the Graduate Coordinator at the appropriate time.  In fact, during your last semester here, you will register for CHM 5950, Thesis.