Syllabus for Chem 299/MATS 299

MATS 299/CHEM 299 Graduate Research (1-12 units)
Instructor: Shaowei Li
Email: Shaoweili@ucsd.edu

Course Description and Planning:

MATS 299/CHEM 299 is a graduate-level research course where students conduct independent research under the guidance of a MATS or Chemistry faculty member. The course can be taken for 1-12 units and is graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) basis. In line with UCSD’s accreditation standards, 1 unit corresponds to 3 hours of academic activity per week. For example, students enrolled in 12 units are expected to dedicate 36 hours per week towards their thesis or dissertation over the 11-week quarter.

Frequency, Duration, and Types of Meetings:

Meetings between the student and the instructor will be held weekly as a group meeting and will last approximately one hour. During these meetings, students will:

• Discuss research progress

• Receive feedback on their experimental design and data analysis

• Plan for upcoming research tasks and milestones

• Identify resources and collaborate with team members, if applicable

Additional informal meetings may be scheduled based on research needs.

Course Objectives:

By the end of the course, students should:

• Develop and apply advanced research methods relevant to their field

• Design and execute research experiments or computational studies

• Critically analyze and interpret research data

• Write academic papers, reports, or grant proposals based on their research

• Improve public speaking and presentation skills for academic and professional audiences

• Mentor undergraduate researchers or junior graduate students, fostering collaboration

• Address issues of ethics, reproducibility, and scientific integrity in their research

• Plan for professional development, including grantsmanship and long-term career goals

Academic Outcomes, Student Expectations, and Evaluation:

Student performance will be evaluated based on their research progress, meeting participation, and the development of skills related to their research goals. Assessment will include:

• Regular updates and presentations on research progress

• Submission of a research report or draft of thesis/dissertation chapters at the end of the quarter

• Participation in group discussions or research meetings

• Feedback from the instructor on research planning, execution, and written work

Evaluation will be part of the annual student review process, where overall progress towards degree completion is assessed.