A Ten-Day Course for Chemical Crystallography

Crystallography has long been a subject excluded from core curricula in undergraduate and graduate Chemistry programs. Occasionally offered as an elective or special topics course, crystallography remains a "black box" technique to many researchers who rely on it for verification of their work. Students interested in learning the theory and in-depth practical applications are often left to their own devices and seek out workshops, special courses, or one-on-one training. Currently, the authors host a ten-day intensive course on chemical crystallography, covering theory, hands-on experimental technique, and structure solution and refinement for both single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction. Here we describe the features of the course, the general curriculum and the demographics of attendees and faculty instructors.