Course Information

CM7001
Graduate Analytical Chemistry

4 AU

Latest analytical techniques in chemistry, with an emphasis on experimental techniques and the theory of electroanalytical chemistry.

Prerequisite: CM4011 or equivalent.

CM7002
Graduate Organic Chemistry

4 AU

Advanced topics in organic synthesis, including: major synthetically useful reactions; asymmetric processes; metal-mediated organic transformations; protecting groups in organic synthesis; and selected mechanisms in organic synthesis.

Prerequisite: CM3031 or equivalent.

CM7003
Graduate Physical Chemistry

4 AU

The molecular approach to physical chemistry, and the core theories of physical chemistry: quantum theory and spectroscopy; statistical and equilibrium thermodynamics; chemical kinetics and dynamics; special advanced topics in modern physical chemistry.

Prerequisite: CM3041 or equivalent.

CM7004
Contemporary Organometallic Chemistry

4 AU

Principles and applications of organometallic compounds: synthesis, reactivity and structural aspects.

Prerequisite: CM3021 or equivalent.

CM7005
Molecular Electronic Structure and Spectroscopy

4 AU

Molecular mechanics; symmetry; quantum mechanics; electronic structure of atoms; electronic structure of diatomic molecules; self-consistent-field method; empirical and semiempirical methods; electron correlation methods; qualitative molecular orbital theory; comparisons of computational methods; calculation of molecular properties; molecular modeling software; rotational spectroscopy; vibrational spectroscopy; atomic spectroscopy; electronic spectroscopy of diatomic molecules; electronic spectroscopy of polyatomic molecules; photoelectron and related spectroscopy; Auger electron and x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy; lasers and laser spectroscopy; magnetic resonance spectroscopy; excitons: theory and applications.

Prerequisite: CM3041 or equivalent.

CM7006
Computer Aided Drug Design

4 AU

Principles of computational methods used for drug design. Topics include: molecular modeling; computational structural chemistry; computational quantum chemistry; protein/DNA structure; ligand-based drug design; quantitative structure-activity relationship.

CM7007
Graduate Seminar

4 AU

Seminar course on the latest scientific literature. Students are required to attend at least 14 seminars (given by visiting scientists or division faculty, as well as students); deliver a 30-40 minute talk in the Graduate Student Symposium; and participate in a question-and-answer session on a chosen research topic.

CM7009
Quantum Mechanics - A time-dependent perspective

4 AU

Time-dependent Schrödinger equation; free particle wave packet; Gaussian wave packets; the Ehrenfest Theorem; Wigner representation; time-dependent perturbation theory; correlation functions and spectra; approximation methods and numerical methods; molecular dynamics; wave packet approach to one- and two-photon electronic spectroscopy; femtosecond spectroscopy; wave packet approach to reactive scattering.

Prerequisite: CM3041 or equivalent.

CM7010
Graduate Chemical Biology

4 AU

Modern advances at the interface between chemistry and biology. Topics include: proteins; nucleic acids; carbohydrate structure; enzyme catalysis and inhibition; metabolism; signal transduction; cancer and virus biology; molecular biology; transcription and translation; protein folding.

CM7011
Advanced Computational Chemistry

4 AU

Computational methods for studying reaction mechanisms, catalysis, transport phenomena, organic and bioorganic binding, device simulations and molecular conformation. Students are required to complete a computational project, in discussion with the lecturer and their research advisor.

Prerequisite: research advisor approval

CM7012
Advanced Chemical Instrumentation

2 AU

Basic concepts and applications of important instruments, including optical microscopes, SEM, TEM, NMR, MALDI & DRAT & ESI MS, UV, IR, HPLC, GPC, and GC; theories of optics, electrons and nuclear spins, ionization, separation; interpretation of acquired images, spectra, and chromatograms. Includes 39 hours of lab work to familiarize students with the instruments.

CM7013
Graduate Reaction Mode Organic Chemistry

2 AU

Advanced understanding of basic reaction modes; advanced understanding of reaction mechanism and electron-push reaction pathways; acid catalysis; basic and nucleophilic catalysis; selected key topics and recent literature in organic chemistry.

CM7014
Graduate Life Science Organic Chemistry

2 AU

Carbohydrates and application in medicinal chemistry and chemical biology; organoborons and application in biomaterials chemistry and chemical biology; radical reactions and application in biomedical research.

CM7015
Graduate Basic and Technical Inorganic Chemistry

2 AU

Structure and bonding in inorganic compounds; experimental techniques in inorganic research; solution-state structures and NMR techniques; solid-state structures and X-ray crystallography; transition metal catalysis; computational chemistry.

CM7016
Graduate Main Group Element Inorganic Chemistry

2 AU

A comprehensive overview of basic concepts of general inorganic chemistry - modern main group chemistry: spin multiplicity; inert pair effect Lewis acidity; Wade's rule; the relationship between the frontier orbitals and US-vis spectrum.

CM7017
Advanced Analytical and Spectroscopic Methods in Materials Chemistry

2 AU

An advanced course in analytical and spectroscopic materials chemistry, with comprehensive coverage of the principles of analytical and spectroscopic techniques, and insight into recent advances and current topics in this field.

CM7018
Advanced Synthetic and Physical Approaches to Materials Chemistry

2 AU

An advanced course in synthetic and physical materials chemistry, covering the synthetic and physical aspects of materials and reactions, and providing insight into recent advances and current topics in this field.

PS7001/PS7002
Supervised Research I/II

4 AU

Independent research courses, intended for students who are planning and executing the first stage of their graduate thesis.

Not offered for students admitted in AY17/18 and after.

Courses for MSc in Chemical Sciences & Instrumentation

Core Courses

CM6800
Graduate Seminar

4 AU

This course is intended to encourage graduate students to participate in seminars and read scientific literature in the areas of synthetic, bio-organic, and bio-inorganic chemistry. The course is structured to help graduate students to improve their presentation skills.

CM6801
Academic Communication (Chemistry)

0 AU

This course prepares Masters students for the demands of academic writing and oral presentations in English. It equips them with the skills to produce a research paper for possible publication, and to deliver informative and persuasive presentations in academic settings.

CM6810
Advanced Chemical Instrumentation

2 AU

This course provides in-depth hands-on experience and skills for instruments commonly used in chemistry. In addition to hands-on training, the course includes lectures on the basic concepts and applications of the instruments, and how to troubleshoot them.

CM6890
Research for M.Sc. I

6 AU

This independent research study course gives students experience in planning and executing the early stages of a research career. Students will have to actively engage and arrange for a faculty member to host them for a research project. Each student will individually work on a project. The assessments will include a project proposal due at the early stages of the trimester and a final report due at the end of the trimester. The assessments are letter-graded, but there is no final examination. Students can choose to enrol in this course in either Trimester 2 or 3.

TP6202
Technology Commercialisation

3 AU

Introduction to the exploitation and commercialisation of technologies and IP. The course provides a platform to examine trends and key issues in managing the innovation process and IP creation, and commercialising technological innovations in the knowledge economy. Participants need to understand the latest technological research and development, and identify technology commercialisation possibilities. The course also covers the successful management and transfer of technologies from a research environment for commercialisation as successful and sustainable products or services to the global market, and the challenges and opportunities posed by emerging technologies in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

 

Prescribed Electives: Synthesis and Life Sciences Specialisation

 

CM6820
Graduate Basic and Technical Inorganic Chemistry

2 AU

The objective of this course is to revisit some of the basic concepts and techniques in current inorganic chemistry research. It is conducted in the form of a weekly series of workshop-type discussions and reflections that are assessed. Topics covered include structure and bonding in inorganic compounds, experimental techniques in inorganic research, solution-state structures and NMR techniques, solid-state structures and X-ray crystallography, transition metal catalysis, and asymmetric catalysis.

CM6832
Drug Discovery & Development

4 AU

This course will introduce students to the drug discovery and development process, the main concepts, medicinal chemistry, the fundamental molecular bases of drug action, drug target discovery and “drugability”, structure-activity relationships, new designs and high throughput screening methods to discover new drugs and classes of drugs, and preclinical and clinical studies. There will also be some case studies on existing drug molecules. Having successfully completed this course, you will develop the necessary knowledge and skills for a career that involves medicinal chemistry for research and pharmaceutical applications in industry.

CM6850
Graduate Chemical Biology

4 AU

This course focuses on the interdisciplinary topic of chemical biology. Students will be exposed to fundamental concepts about chemical biology that will be useful for further studies in the field. The concepts will also be relevant to emerging areas in industry such as biosynthesis and genetic modifications.

 

Prescribed Electives: Analytical and Nanotechnology Specialisation

CM6840
Advanced Analytical and Spectroscopic Methods in Materials Chemistry

2 AU

This course provides advanced knowledge in analytical and spectroscopic materials chemistry. It covers the principles of analytical and spectroscopic techniques comprehensively and deeply, with a focus on recent advances and current topics in analytical and spectroscopic materials chemistry.

CM6841
Advanced Synthetic and Physical Approaches to Materials Chemistry

2 AU

This course provides advanced knowledge in synthetic  and physical materials chemistry. It covers the synthetic and physical aspects of materials and reactions, with emphases on recent advances and current topics in synthetic and physical materials chemistry.

CM6842
Applications of Artificial Intelligence in the Chemical Sciences

3 AU

This course equips students with working knowledge of how artificial intelligence (AI) can be applied to chemistry. You will learn how to construct Python projects for AI, and how to apply AI to analyse chemical data, either for visualisation, classification, quantitative determination, or for pursuing insights into chemical process. We will introduce multiple case studies on how AI has impacted various sub-disciplines of chemistry.

CM6860
Advanced Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

3 AU

This course provides a platform to understand small systems, in particular materials at the nanometre length (10-9 m). It covers the multidisciplinary field of nanoscience and nanotechnology, which lies at the converging point of chemistry, materials, physics, biology, and other fields. We will study how nanoscience and nanotechnology help solving global challenges faced by mankind. Guest lecturers will be invited to introduce their latest research in nanoscience and nanotechnology.

 

Unrestricted Electives

 

CM6811
Advanced Techniques for Structural Determination

3 AU

This course focuses on two of the most commonly used modern instrumentation methods for structural determination, X-ray diffraction and nuclear magnetic resonance. It will build on basic knowledge of these methods and introduce more advanced concepts and techniques.

CM6812
Analytical Chemistry in Industry

2 AU

This course covers a broad selection of advanced analytical chemistry techniques commonly employed in the energy, chemical, and semiconductor industries. The course will introduce advanced principles in analytical chemistry, advanced electrochemical methods, advanced spectroscopic methods of analysis, environmental analysis and sampling, advanced chromatography and separations, mass spectrometry detection, and surface characterisation techniques. The lectures provide an advanced account of modern analytical methods and instruments that are used to quantify chemical and biological samples and to monitor the progress of reactions.

CM6831
Graduate Life Science Organic Chemistry

2 AU

The objective of this course is to cultivate a mind-set of solving problems in life science with organic chemistry expertise by understanding the basic concepts and how to apply them in understanding phenomena. The topics covered include advanced reactions in boron chemistry, carbohydrate chemistry (representing biomolecules), and radical chemistry (representing reaction intermediates). These organic reactions will then be examined in the context of their applications in biological, biomedical, and biomaterials research.
CM6843
Computational Chemistry for Molecular Modelling

2 AU

This course is intended to provide graduates from the Data Management track with useful introductory skills needed to apply computational chemistry and molecular modelling in the chemical industry. The topics consist of 2 parts: 1) to learn Python programming and its applications in numerical simulations in the chemical sciences that aims to build strength in solving chemical problems with home-made computational programmes. 2) to learn basic computational chemistry and its applications with ab initio software that aims to train students to be able to study organic chemistry related problems by using computational software.

CM6844
Scientific Computing with Python

2 AU

This course will introduce students to Python programming and its applications in numerical simulations in the chemical sciences. Students will learn how to develop homemade computational programme to solve routine chemical problems to achieve automation. They will also learn how to present their results in a scientific manner. Having successfully completed this course, you will develop the necessary knowledge and skills for a career that involves scientific data processing and automation for research and applications in the chemical industry.

CM6861
Advanced Topics in Environmental Sciences and Sustainable Development

3 AU

This course is an inter-disciplinary and broad survey of topics related to industrial and environmental chemistry within Singapore and around the world. The topics are intended to bring greater awareness to practical applications of chemistry beyond the traditional molecular chemistry curriculum. The course will give overview of industrial and environmental chemistry, with a focus on industries relevant to Singapore’s current and future chemical industry.

CM6862
Advanced Analytical & Manufacturing Techniques in Pharmaceutical Industry

3 AU

This course covers the analytical and manufacturing techniques used in drug discovery and development. Topics include the drug discovery and development process, analytical techniques (high performance liquid chromatography, liquid chromatograph mass spectrometry, gas chromatography, gas chromatograph mass spectrometry), chemistry, manufacturing & controls (CMC), continuous flow chemistry and manufacturing techniques like biocatalysis and addictive manufacturing.

CM6865
Graduate Internship

3 AU

This course provides students with relevant on-the-job training at companies in Singapore. The student will start the internship after Trimester 2 in the academic year during the summer special term. The internship will be conducted in an approved chemical company or institution, and can be self-sourced.

CM6891
Research for M.Sc. II

3 AU

This independent research study course gives students more experience in planning and executing the early stages of a research career. Students will have to actively engage and arrange for a faculty member to host them for a research project. Each student will individually work on a project. The assessments will include a project proposal due at the early stages of the trimester and a final report due at the end of the trimester. The assessments will all be letter-graded, but there will be no final examination for this course. Students can enrol this course in Trimester 3, but only after passing CM6890. Students can choose to work with the same faculty member as for CM6890, or a different faculty member.

Prerequisite: CM6890

Graduate Chemical Engineering Courses

CH7003
Advanced Reaction Engineering

3 AU

The course comprises 4 major topics: Elements of reaction kinetics, Rate processes in Heterogeneous Reaction system, Analysis and design of chemical reactors and Operation and dynamics of chemical reactors.
CH7004
Advanced Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics

3 AU

The course comprises major topics: basic laws and concepts of thermodynamics, fundamentals of equilibrium thermodynamics, properties of pure substances, fundamentals of molecular thermodynamics, properties of gas mixtures, properties of liquid mixtures, topics in phase equilibrium.

CH7102
Cell Therapeutics Engineering

3 AU

This course focuses on the principles and approaches of regenerative medicine. Topics to be covered will include the objectives and fundamentals of regenerative medicine, cell and tissue properties, cell-extracellular matrix interactions, host reactions to tissue-engineered implants, cell-implant interactions, practical approaches & experimental techniques commonly used in regenerative medicine, stem cell engineering, biomaterials & scaffold design, controlled drug/gene delivery.

Graduate Bioengineering Courses

BG6001
Advanced Biomaterials

3 AU

This course will discuss advanced topics related to advanced biomaterials with a focus on soft, polymeric biomaterials for biomedical applications. Basic concepts and methodology on polymer synthesis, polymer physiochemical and biological characterization will be systematically introduced. Strategies for selection of polymer design to optimize their immuno-compatibility, biodegradability  and optimal implant performance will also be illustrated via real-world clinical applications in medical devices, drug delivery, tissue engineering and consumer care. Students will also be briefly introduced to key concepts in commercialization, clinical translation and regulatory issues related to biomaterial applications via examples of entrepreneurship and start-up companies in biotech industry. 

BG6014
MedTech Entrepreneurship: Driving Medical Technology to Impactful Venture

3 AU

New medical technologies enable better, faster and/or cheaper diagnosis and treatment of health problems, facilitating timely intervention and improving health outcomes. Therefore, successful commercialization of innovative medical and health products is important, as it has the ability to improve standards of living and create wealth, not only for the entrepreneurs but also, in a broader economic and social context, for related businesses and communities. MedTech entrepreneurs also help drive change with innovation, where new and improved products enable new markets to be developed

 This course provides aspiring innovators / entrepreneurs with a scientific framework towards a commercialization pathway for medical technology and devices. Entrepreneurship is not only a mindset, but can be taught as a skillset to significantly improve the odds of creating a successful and impactful MedTech venture. The course is designed as an integrated toolbox by introducing key lean start-up fundamentals and presenting practical guides in customer discovery and development, MedTech product development and regulation, and business model design.

This course is ideal for pre-start-up or start-up entrepreneurs, or individuals wishing to understand the business landscape of MedTech innovation and start-up, through an experiential learning pedagogy which emphasizes on “learning by doing” and applying the findings through presentations and pitching.

BG7002
Molecular Biophysics

3 AU

This is an advanced course in molecular biophysics. The topics covered in the course include: structure and physical of biomolecules, biophysical methods to study the structure, properties, dynamic or function of biomolecules at an atomic or molecular level, electrophysiological technique to study ionic currents in isolated living cells, ligand binding assay, cell signaling and random walk. 

BG7005
Advanced Mathematics for Bioengineering

3 AU

This course is to introduce the concept of Data Analytics to solve problems encountered in engineering and non-engineering fields. You will be able to use numerical approaches learnt in this course to gain understanding, optimize and make decision from data.


BG7103

Bionanotechnology

3AU

This course aims to develop your understanding of nanotechnology for biomedical applications including bioimaging, biosensor, medical diagnostics, biomedical coatings, controlled delivery, immunotherapy, and theranostics. It will cover the classical nanostructures and newly discovered nanomaterials and properties that open new opportunities for biomedical applications. We will start with an introduction of the field, cover the nanostructures and their unique optical, magnetic, chemical, and structural properties, and their properties help address the medical needs.