chemistry phd time

PhD Program

Professor Wender discusses chemistry with his graduate students.

Doctoral study in chemistry at Stanford University prepares students for research and teaching careers with diverse emphases in basic, life, medical, physical, energy, materials, and environmental sciences.

The Department of Chemistry offers opportunities for graduate study spanning contemporary subfields, including theoretical, organic, inorganic, physical, biophysical and biomedical chemistry and more. Much of the research defies easy classification along traditional divisions; cross-disciplinary collaborations with Stanford's many vibrant research departments and institutes is among factors distinguishing this world-class graduate program.

The Department of Chemistry is committed to providing academic advising in support of graduate student scholarly and professional development.  This advising relationship entails collaborative and sustained engagement with mutual respect by both the adviser and advisee.

• The adviser is expected to meet at least monthly with the graduate student to discuss on-going research.
• There should be a yearly independent development plan (IDP) meeting between the graduate student and adviser. Topics include research progress, expectations for completion of PhD, areas for both the student and adviser to improve in their joint research effort.
• A research adviser should provide timely feedback on manuscripts and thesis chapters.
• Graduate students are active contributors to the advising relationship, proactively seeking academic and professional guidance and taking responsibility for informing themselves of policies and degree requirements for their graduate program.
• If there is a significant issue concerning the graduate student’s progress in research, the adviser must communicate this to the student and to the Graduate Studies Committee in writing.  This feedback should include the issues, what needs to be done to overcome these issues and by when.

Academic advising by Stanford faculty is a critical component of all graduate students' education and additional resources can be found in the  Policies and Best Practices for Advising Relationships at Stanford  and the  Guidelines for Faculty-Student Advising at Stanford .

Learn more about the program through the links below, and by exploring the research interests of the  Chemistry Faculty  and  Courtesy Faculty .

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Ph.D. in Chemistry

Graduate students earn a Ph.D. through independent research in collaboration with one or more faculty members . A modest amount of graded coursework ensures a thorough grounding in the fundamentals of the chosen field, as well as breadth of knowledge in the chemical sciences. The median time to complete all requirements for the Ph.D. is about five years. Students are required to pass oral examinations in their area of specialization. There are no pre-entrance or qualifying exams.

For complete details about our doctoral program, see the pages below:

• First Year of Study
• Ph.D. Degree Requirements
• Ph.D. Degree Timeline
• 2nd Year Exam Guidelines (pdf)
• General Exam Instructions (pdf)
• Data Science Option (Chem-DSO)
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Chemistry, PhD

Zanvyl krieger school of arts and sciences.

Johns Hopkins University was the first American institution to emphasize graduate education and to establish a PhD program in chemistry. Founding Chair Ira Remsen initiated a tradition of excellence in research and education that has continued until this day. The Hopkins graduate program is designed for students who desire a PhD in chemistry while advancing scientific knowledge for humankind.

The graduate program provides students with the background and technical expertise required to be leaders in their field and to pursue independent research.

Graduate students’ advancement is marked by entrance exams, coursework, teaching, seminars, oral examinations, and an individual research project that culminates in a thesis dissertation. The thesis research project represents an opportunity for graduate students to make a mark on the world. Working in conjunction with a faculty member or team, individually tailored thesis projects enable students to think independently about cutting-edge research areas that are of critical importance. Thesis research is the most important step toward becoming a PhD scientist, and our program provides an outstanding base with a proven track record of success.

Graduate students make up the heart of the Chemistry Department, and the department strives to support students’ individual needs. Each student is carefully advised and classes are traditionally quite small. Multidisciplinary research and course offerings that increase scientific breadth and innovation are hallmarks of the program.  In addition to academic and technical development, our department also offers several outlets for professional and social development.

Admission Requirements

Application materials include:

• Academic transcripts
• Three letters of recommendation
• Statement of Purpose
• The GRE General Test is required.  However, this requirement can be waived for individuals for whom personal circumstances make it difficult or impossible to access the GRE General Test at this present time.  If so, please let the Academic Affairs Administrator (information below) be aware of these circumstances, and the application will be given full consideration.
• The GRE Chemistry Subject is Test is recommended, but not required.
• The application fee is $75. However, fee waivers may be requested for applicants that have documentation showing they are a part of SACNAS, MARCC, oSTEM and many other organizations. To access the full list to see if you qualify, go to the  Krieger Graduate Admission and Enrollment  page.

Assistance with the application process is available. Candidates with questions about the application process, or requests for a GRE General Test waiver (or on other matters related to the application) should contact the Admissions Committee’s Academic Affairs Administrator ( [email protected] ).

There are no fixed requirements for admission. Undergraduate majors in chemistry, biology, earth sciences, mathematics, or physics may apply as well as all well-qualified individuals who will have received a BA degree before matriculation. A select number of applicants will be invited to visit campus to tour our facilities and interact with our faculty members and their lab members over a weekend in March.

For further information about graduate study in chemistry visit the Chemistry Department website . 

Program Requirements

Normally, the minimum course requirement for both the M.A. and the Ph.D. degrees is six one-semester graduate courses in chemistry and related sciences. Exceptionally well-prepared students may ask for a reduction of these requirements.

Requirements for the Ph.D. degree include a research dissertation worthy of publication, and a knowledge of chemistry and related material as demonstrated in an oral examination. Each student must teach for at least one year.

Below is a list of the core Chemistry courses for graduate level students.

About the Chemistry Ph.D. Program

Ph.d. in chemistry faq's.

The Chemistry PhD program is designed towards developing within each student the ability to do creative scientific research. Accordingly, the single most important facet of the curriculum for an individual is their own research project. In keeping with the goal of fostering an atmosphere of scholarly, independent study, formal course requirements are minimal and vary among disciplines; advisor's tailor course requirements to best prepare the student for the chosen research field.

The Doctoral program includes the following concentrations, each of which has specific degree requirements:

• Physical Chemistry : In general, the Physical Chemistry Graduate Program encompasses analytical, nuclear, biophysical, and theoretical chemistry.
• Synthetic Chemistry : The Synthetic Chemistry Graduate Program includes emphases in either organic or inorganic chemistry
• Chemical Biology : The Chemical Biology Graduate Program covers a range of research areas at the interface of Chemistry and Biology.

Research. A graduate student spends a good deal of time during the first week of the first semester at Berkeley talking to various faculty members about possible research projects, studying pertinent literature references, and choosing an individual project. New graduate students meet shortly after their arrival with a faculty adviser. From the faculty adviser the student obtains a list of faculty members whose research may interest the student. After visiting these and additional faculty, if necessary, the student chooses a research director, with the consent of the faculty member and the graduate adviser. By the end of the first semester most students have made a choice and are full-fledged members of research group. Students in the Chemical Biology Graduate Program will select their thesis advisor after completion of three-ten week rotations. Thereafter, all students become involved in library research on their projects and many begin actual experimental or theoretical work.

Independent Study. A student who chooses to specialize in physical chemistry is normally expected to take two courses per semester during the first year and one or two additional semesters of coursework sometimes during the second year. These may include topics such Quantum Mechanics, Statistical Mechanics, Group Theory, Interactions of Radiation with Matter, and many more. At the other extreme, a student specializing in inorganic chemistry will concentrate more heavily on special topics seminars and take fewer courses. The course offerings in the University are varied so that individual students have the opportunity to take other courses which serve their own needs. Such as, a student working on nuclear chemistry will probably elect additional graduate physics courses, while a student working on biophysical or bio-organic problems may take courses offered by the Biochemistry Department. Students in the Chemical Biology program will take courses from both Chemistry and Molecular and Cell Biology departments.

Seminars. Because of the size and diversity of the Berkeley faculty, there are many seminars on a variety of topics which students may choose to attend. There are regular weekly seminars in several major areas, including biophysical, physical, nuclear, organic, theoretical, solid state, and inorganic chemistry. These seminars are presented by members of the Berkeley faculty, as well as distinguished visitors to the campus. These seminars allow the students to become aware of the most important current research going on in the field. In addition to these regular seminars, there are several regular department seminars devoted to presentations by graduate students. One of the doctoral program requirements is that each student delivers a departmental seminar known as a graduate research conference during the second year. Individual research groups also hold regular research seminars. The format of these small, informal seminars varies. In some cases, graduate students discuss their own current research before the other members of the research group. On other occasions, the group seminars may be devoted to group discussions of recent papers which are of interest to the particular research group. In any event, small group seminars are one of the most important ways in which students learn by organizing and interpreting their own results before their peers.

Qualifying Exam. Sometime during the second year of graduate work at Berkeley, each student takes a qualifying examination. The examining board, a committee of four faculty members, is appointed to examine the student for general competence in the area of interest. The qualifying examination is centered around the defense of the individual research project. Upon satisfactory completion of the oral qualifying examination, the student is advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. After advancement, the student completes an original, scholarly contribution to science and writes a dissertation on the subject. Most students complete their work and received their degree within five years.

Teaching. An integral part of the graduate education at Berkeley is teaching. The department requires that each doctoral candidate assist in the instructional program of the department as a teaching assistant for two semesters during their graduate careers. The faculty regard the teaching experience as highly valuable for all graduate students, especially those who plan to teach as a career.

Financial Aid. All students admitted to our graduate program receive a stipend for the duration of study in the form of teaching and research assistantships as long as they are in residence and demonstrate good progress toward the degree. Students also receive full tution, health, dental and vision insurance. Most funds for this support derive from research contracts and grants.

For more information see the Berkeley Bulletin

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Survey of Ph.D. Programs in Chemistry

By Joel Shulman

How does your chemistry Ph.D. program compare to others in terms of department size and student demographics? Requirements for the degree? Graduate student progression and support? Developing skills that go beyond knowledge of chemistry? Answers to these questions and many others can be gleaned from the Survey of Ph.D. Programs in Chemistry recently reported by the ACS Committee on Professional Training (CPT) . Highlights of the survey are given here.

View the full report

The primary objective of the CPT is to facilitate the maintenance and improvement of the quality of chemical education at the postsecondary level. Not only does the Committee develop and administer the guidelines that define high-quality undergraduate education, but it also produces resources such as the ACS Directory of Graduate Education and publishes data on undergraduate and graduate education. Approximately every ten years, CPT fields a survey of Ph.D. programs. The latest survey solicited data from all 196 Ph.D. programs in chemistry and received usable information (base year, 2007) from 139 of these programs.

Figure 1. Size Distribution of Ph.D. Programs

Program size and demographics of students

The 139 reporting Ph.D. programs are divided for purposes of comparison into three groups of approximately equal size according to the total number of graduate students in the program: 44 small (defined as 0 to 40 total graduate students), 46 medium (41 to 105 graduate students), and 49 large programs (106+ graduate students). The number of students in Ph.D. programs ranges from 0 to 394 (see Figure 1) with a total of 13,280 students. Eighteen departments have more than 200 students, accounting for more than one-third (4,460) of the total graduate students in chemistry. The 30 largest programs account for almost 50% of graduate students. The average program size is 96 students (and 23 faculty), while the median program size is 67 students.

Of the doctoral students in responding programs, 27.4% are women, 5.2% are underrepresented minorities, and 42.3% are international students (Table 1). Small programs tend to have a higher percentage of underrepresented minority students (averaging 7.8%), while large programs have a higher percentage of women (28.5%) and a lower percentage of international students (37.3%).

Table 1. Demographics of Graduate Students by Program Size

Requirements for degree (table 2).

Of course, a doctoral dissertation is required by all Ph.D. programs. Most (71%) graduate programs require entering graduate students to take placement exams, although this requirement tends to be less prevalent as program size increases. The average program requires a minimum of 20 credits (semester hours, corrected for programs on the quarter system) of coursework, a number that does not vary significantly by program size. In addition to course work and dissertation, 96% of programs require at least one of the following: cumulative examinations (58%), an oral preliminary exam (54%), a comprehensive oral exam (50%), and/or a comprehensive written exam (31%). All four of these exams are required by 7% of programs; 17% of programs require three; 43% of programs require two; and 28% require only one. Large programs require cumulative exams less often and oral exams more often than small or medium programs. Only four programs (3%) require students to pass a language exam for the Ph.D.

Table 2. Requirement in Ph.D. Program

Graduate student progression and support (table 3).

The mean time to the Ph.D. is 5.1 years, a number that varies neither by program size nor by public vs. private institution (data not shown). Most programs place a limit on the amount of time allowed to achieve a Ph.D. (average of 7.8 years) as well as on the number of years of departmental support allowed a student (average of 5.9 years). More than 80% of students choose a research advisor within six months of entering graduate school. A significant number of programs either require or permit laboratory rotations before a final advisor is selected.

Monetary support for Ph.D. students comes from teaching assistantships more often than from research assistantships at small and medium programs, while the reverse is true in large programs. There is wide variation in TA stipends, depending on both program size and geographic location. Most programs have a range of stipends, which on average run from $18,000 to about $20,000 per year. Teaching assistants at larger programs are more likely to teach discussion (recitation) sections than those in small or medium programs.

Table 3. Student Progression and Support in Ph.D. Programs

Developing student skills.

In addition to chemistry knowledge and laboratory skills, it is important that all Ph.D. chemists develop skills in areas such as critical thinking, oral and written communication, and teamwork. Toward this end, 74% of all programs require students to create and defend an original research proposal (Table 2). All but six programs require students to make presentations (exclusive of the thesis defense) to audiences other than their research group; the average number of required presentations is 2.4, with little variation by program size. When asked whether any graduate students receive student-skills training outside of formal course work, 67% responded that at least some students receive specific training in communications; 59% in ethics/scientific integrity; 43% in grant writing; 37% in mentoring; 37% in intellectual property/patents; and 18% in business/economics. Students in large programs are more likely to receive some training in these skill areas than are students in other programs.

The data from this CPT survey provide a snapshot of graduate student demographics, requirements for the degree, and progression and support in chemistry Ph.D. programs. Survey results highlight similarities and differences among small, medium, and large programs across the country.

Dr. Joel I. Shulman retired as The Procter & Gamble Company's Manager of Doctoral Recruiting and University Relations in 2001 and is now an adjunct professor of chemistry at the University of Cincinnati. He serves the ACS as a consultant for the Office of Graduate Education and the Department of Career Management and Development and as a member of the Committee on Professional Training.

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• PhD Program of Study

The PhD program requirements consist of a minimum of six credit units of lecture courses  of which are usually completed in the first academic year. In addition to the six required courses, students must also take the Chemical Information Course worth 0.5 credits. Frequently, students having interdisciplinary interests will take some courses in other departments in their second semester. Twenty units of combined course and research credit are required for the Ph.D. degree, after which students enter "dissertation" status until they graduate. Graduate Chemistry Courses are listed here : 400 level and above.

The supervisor selection process occurs during the first semester of study. The process is three stages: faculty interviews, faculty seminars, and rank-ordered choices.

Faculty Interviews

First year students must conduct a series of meetings with at least 6 faculty members as potential supervisors.  Students are expected to familiarize themselves with the professors’ research and the work of their groups.  Every student must conduct these “interviews” with faculty and turn in a form  to the Graduate Office.

Faculty Seminars

A weekly seminar series featuring current faculty members interested in recruiting students for their groups.  These are generally held every Wednesday evening from mid‐September through mid-November (5-6:30pm).  Attendance at these seminars is required and recorded for all first-year students, regardless of division interest.

Rank-Ordered Choices

Towards the end of the fall semester, all first‐year students must submit a rank-ordered list of top choices for research group assignments. Students are then matched with supervisors.

We require students to serve as Teaching Assistants for at least two semesters, usually during the first year. Teaching Assistants are responsible for supervising laboratory sections or conducting recitation classes under the guidance of a faculty member. New Teaching Assistants in Chemistry are prepared for their teaching responsibility through a special training program held for one week before the start of the fall semester.

A regular program of seminars, in which distinguished scientists visit the Chemistry Department, is an essential part of the curriculum. At Penn, there are weekly departmental research seminars in biological, inorganic, organic and physical chemistry. Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are strongly encouraged to participate. Additional interdisciplinary seminar series (Biochemistry/ Biophysics Minisymposium; Interface of Chemistry and Biology) and special sponsored lectures (Aldrich, Axalta Coatings, Novartis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Edgar Fahs Smith, ACS Philadelphia Section Award, Philadelphia Organic Chemists' Club, etc.) also offer opportunities to hear from premier scientists.

A major portion of the work towards a Ph.D. degree is a research project leading to the thesis. This usually involves several years of research under the supervision of a particular faculty member. Increasingly, chemistry-based students are becoming involved in interdisciplinary areas of research involving collaborations with faculty, students and postdoctoral fellows from other departments or institutions.

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Johns Hopkins University was the first American institution to emphasize graduate education and to establish a PhD program in chemistry. Founding Chair Ira Remsen initiated a tradition of excellence in research and education that has continued until this day. The Hopkins graduate program is designed for students who desire a PhD in chemistry while advancing scientific knowledge for humankind.

The graduate program provides students with the background and technical expertise required to be leaders in their field and to pursue independent research.

Graduate students’ advancement is marked by entrance exams, coursework, teaching, seminars, oral examinations, and an individual research project that culminates in a thesis dissertation. The thesis research project represents an opportunity for graduate students to make a mark on the world. Working in conjunction with a faculty member or team, individually tailored thesis projects enable students to think independently about cutting-edge research areas that are of critical importance. Thesis research is the most important step toward becoming a PhD scientist, and our program provides an outstanding base with a proven track record of success.

Graduate students make up the heart of the Chemistry Department, and the department strives to support students’ individual needs. Each student is carefully advised and classes are traditionally quite small. Multidisciplinary research and course offerings that increase scientific breadth and innovation are hallmarks of the program.  In addition to academic and technical development, our department also offers several outlets for professional and social development.

For more information, contact the Director of Graduate Studies. Dr. Art Bragg Office: Remsen 221 410-516-5616 [email protected]

PhD in Chemistry

The PhD in chemistry is primarily a research degree. It is awarded to students who have displayed competence in planning and conducting original research in the field of chemistry, demonstrated a broad familiarity with the science of chemistry, understanding in the application of the scientific method, and gained a thorough knowledge of their field of specialization.

Students build a solid foundation in all four core areas of chemistry (analytical, inorganic, organic, and physical), and a thorough knowledge of their chosen field of specialization. In the first part of the PhD program, students take at least one formal classroom course in each the core areas of chemistry as outlined in the course requirements below. The courses must be completed successfully (B- or better) by the end of the third semester.

Since original research is the primary requirement for the PhD degree, a student selects a research supervisor and begins research before the end the first year. The student and research supervisor then select two faculty members to serve as the student's Doctoral Research Committee. The Committee, in conjunction with the student's research adviser, take over the advisory function from the graduate committee and guides the student's work to promote development as an independent investigator.

Thus, in addition to research each student must complete the following requirements:

• Service as a teaching assistant
• Regular progress updates with a faculty Research Committee
• A departmental seminar
• Defense of an original research proposal.
• Completion of a dissertation reporting significant work of publishable quality

Course Requirements

At least one of the following analytical chemistry courses:

• Chem 141: Instrumental Analysis
• Chem 142: Advanced Analytical Methods
• Chem 144: Spectroscopic Methods of Analysis
• Chem 145: Separation Science
• Chem 146: Electroanalytical Chemistry

At least one of the following inorganic chemistry courses: 

• Chem 161: Advanced Inorganic Chemistry
• Chem 162: Chemistry of Transition Elements
• Chem 164: Bioinorganic Chemistry
• Chem 165: Physical Methods In Inorganic Chemistry

At least one of the following organic chemistry courses:

• Chem 150: Intermediate Organic Chemistry
• Chem 151: Physical Organic Chemistry
• Chem 152: Advanced Organic Synthesis

At least one of the following physical chemistry courses: 

• Chem 131: Statistical Thermodynamics
• Chem 132: Chemical Kinetics and Dynamics
• Chem 133: Quantum Mechanics
• Chem 134: Biophysical Chemistry
• Chem 136: Spectroscopy and Molecular Structure
• Chem 138: Atomic Scale Structure and Properties of Surfaces  
• Two additional classroom courses, exclusive of research, must be completed satisfactorily by the end of the fourth semester

Ph.D. Program

Entering the ph.d. program.

The official course of study in the Ph.D. graduate program begins during the second week of August, one week before the official start of the Fall Semester at Cornell. All incoming Ph.D. students take a series of graduate proficiency exams in Organic, Inorganic, and Physical Chemistry provided by the American Chemical Society (ACS). All Ph.D. students then meet with the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) and select professors in their area of interest for advice on course selection.

Chemistry and Chemical Biology Ph.D. Program Handbook

Read the Chemistry and Chemical Biology Ph.D. Program Handbook, here .

Ph.D. Coursework

Incoming Ph.D. students generally take three graduate courses during their first semester at Cornell. A minimum grade of B- is required in each course for the student to remain in good standing with the department and the university. An additional three courses are then taken in the spring semester, for a total of six required courses. Depending on a student’s academic background and research interests, one or more of these courses may be taken outside of the Graduate Field of Chemistry & Chemical Biology. Additional courses are often taken by Ph.D. students in the later years of their dissertation work, if they are deemed useful by the student's research advisor and/or special committee (see below). For the full list of courses offered at Cornell, please visit the Class Roster to select the appropriate department and semester.

Finding a Mentor and Laboratory to Conduct Thesis Research

During the first month of the Fall semester, all incoming Ph.D. students are expected to attend a series of research orientation lectures in which the faculty provide an overview of their current research projects. Students are expected to attend research group meetings of faculty of interest, talk to other students and postdoctoral research associates, and discuss potential research projects with at least three faculty members. Students then officially join research groups by November 1.

Special Committee

All Ph.D. students in C&CB are required to choose three or more faculty members to serve as a special committee to represent their major (and minor, if applicable) areas of study. The student’s faculty research advisor serves as chair of the special committee and usually has primary responsibility for directing the graduate student’s research and studies. Degree requirements are kept to a minimum and there are no specific course requirements. The number of formal courses required depends on students' academic background, chosen concentration, and the advice of the special committee.

Every Ph.D. student takes an oral examination for admission to candidacy (A-exam), typically during their second year of graduate study. The A-exam takes place after the student’s coursework has been completed and before the commencement of full-time research. The thesis, which is the final outcome of this research, must constitute an original contribution to chemical knowledge and be defended at a final examination overseen by the special committee (B-exam). The Ph.D. degree is awarded on successful defense of the thesis and students typically take five years to complete the Ph.D. program.

Financial Support

Complete financial support accompanies every offer of admission to the Ph.D. program. Each Ph.D. student is therefore guaranteed at least five years of full financial support as long as he or she makes satisfactory progress toward the Ph.D. degree. This support includes a 12-month stipend, a full tuition award, and health insurance. Financial support comes in the form of teaching assistantships, graduate research assistantships, research fellowships, and several NIH-funded training grant programs, such as the  Chemistry Biology Interface (CBI) Training Program . Eligible applicants are strongly encouraged to seek federally funded fellowships, such as those available from the National Science Foundation (NSF) as well as other government or private agencies.

Graduate Programs

Chemistry phd.

The goal of the Chemistry PhD is to prepare students for careers in science as researchers and educators by expanding their knowledge of chemistry while developing their ability for critical analysis, creativity, and independent study. A high graduation rate in an average of just over five years can be attributed to the quality of applicants admitted, the flexibility of our program of study, the opportunity for students to begin research in the first year, and the affordability of education made possible by our generous financial support policies.

Program Overview

Programs of study are tailored to the needs of individual students, based on their prior training and research interests. However, progress to a degree is generally similar for all students. During the first year, students take courses, begin their teaching apprenticeships, choose research advisors, and embark on their thesis research; students whose native language is not English must pass an English proficiency examination. Beginning the first summer, the emphasis is on research, although courses of special interest may be taken throughout a student's residency. In the second year, there is a departmental examination which includes a written research proposal and an oral defense of the research proposal. In the third year, students advance to candidacy for the doctorate by defending the topic, preliminary findings, and future research plans for their dissertation. Subsequent years focus on thesis research and writing the dissertation. Most students graduate during their fifth year.

Research Opportunities

Research opportunities for graduate students are comprehensive and interdisciplinary, spanning inorganic, organic, physical, analytical, computational, and theoretical chemistry; surface and materials chemistry; and atmospheric and environmental chemistry. Please refer to the faculty pages for full descriptions of the ongoing research in our department. State-of-the-art facilities and laboratories support these research programs.

At UCSD, chemists and biochemists are part of a thriving community that stretches across campus and out into research institutions throughout the La Jolla and San Diego area, uniting researchers in substantive interactions and collaborations.

Special Training Programs

Interdisciplinary research and collaboration at UCSD is enhanced through a variety of training grants. These programs provide financial support for exceptional graduate and postdoctoral scholars and also unite researchers from across campus and throughout the La Jolla research community in special seminars, retreats, and courses. Doctoral students are usually placed on training grants in their second year or later.

• Molecular Biophysics Training Grant
• Contemporary Approaches to Cancer Cell Signaling and CommunicationBiochemistry of Growth Regulation and Oncogenesis
• Chemistry Biology Interfaces Training Grant
• Contemporary Approaches to Cancer Cell Signaling and Communication
• Interfaces Graduate Training Program
• Molecular Pharmacology Training Program
• UC San Diego MRSEC
• Quantitative Biology (qBio) Specialization

Teaching apprenticeships are a vital and integral part of graduate student training, and four quarters of teaching are required. See the Teaching Assistants page to apply. Students can gain experience teaching both discussion and laboratory sections. Excellence in teaching is stressed, and the department provides a thorough training program covering both fundamentals and special techniques for effective instruction. Further training is provided by the Teaching and Learning Commons on campus. Performance is evaluated every quarter, and awards are bestowed quarterly for outstanding teaching performance.

• Financial Support

Students in good academic standing receive a 12-month stipend; fees and tuition are also provided. Support packages come from a variety of sources, including teaching and research assistantships, training grants, fellowships, and awards. Special fellowships are awarded to outstanding students based on their admission files. See Ph.D. Program Support Policy for more information.

Health and Dental Plan

A primary health care program, major medical plan, and dental plan are among the benefits provided by the University's registration fee (see Graduate Student Health Insurance Program, GSHIP) . Minor illnesses and injuries can usually be treated at the Student Health Center . Counseling is provided free of charge through Counseling and Psychological Services .

Creative, bright, and motivated students from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. We admit for the Fall quarter entrance only. See UCSD Ph.D. Admissions FAQ page for full information.

PostGraduate Placement

Graduates typically obtain jobs in academia or in the chemical industry. Many take postdoctoral research positions in academic institutions and national laboratories that lead to future academic or industrial careers at other prestigious institutions. Our faculty and Student Affairs staff provide career advising and job placement services. The department's Industrial Relations program assists students with placement in industrial positions. UCSD's Career Services Center provides many resources for students, including the chance to videotape yourself in a mock interview!

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A world class education.

Video:  Graduate students and faculty discuss how Northwestern Chemistry promotes interdisciplinary research.  Watch video.  

Video: Graduate students and faculty discuss how Northwestern Chemistry promotes leadership and collaboration that leads to scientific discovery and application.  Watch video.

The Chemistry graduate program

The Chemistry Graduate Program at Northwestern University  offers innovative chemistry, with unique strengths at the interfaces of materials science, catalysis, environmental sciences, molecular and cell biology, nanotechnology, and biomedical research. Our program is designed with the goal of providing our students with a firm foundation of chemical knowledge and exposure to cutting edge research projects with societal importance.

Our approximately 40 faculty include joint appointees from Physics, Molecular Biosciences, Chemical Engineering, and Materials Science.

The outstanding accomplishments of our doctoral students and alumni reflect the department's selective admission standards. All Ph.D. students receive broad training that prepares them equally well for careers in industry or academia.

Collaborations

In addition to the traditional divisions of Inorganic, Organic, and Physical, we also offer integrated programs in Environmental Chemistry, Chemistry of Life Processes, and Chemistry of Materials.

Recent discoveries in our department include:

• Shunzhi Wang discovered that particles, below a critical size, in colloidal crystals behave like electrons as opposed to atoms and migrate through the lattice the way electrons do in metals.
• Matt Ross showed that the enzyme bacteria used to selectively convert methane to methanol performs this difficult reaction using a single copper ion.
• Samantha Clarke used diamond anvil cells as tiny transparent chemical reactors to create and understand the first copper bismuth binary compound.

The Graduate Program Office serves to assist graduate students navigate the Chemistry Graduate Program from start to finish.

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The average time to complete the Ph.D. degree in our graduate program is 5.1 years. The basic steps are as follows.

Summer Before First Year

Research opportunity supported by the department

Fall/Winter: Take two courses per semester and perform research rotations in two different labs. Spring/Summer: Identify lab for full-time Ph.D. research.

Second Year

Fall/Winter: Complete remaining courses and perform research in Ph.D. lab.

Fall/Winter: Assemble candidacy committee, prepare for and pass the candidacy exam.

Spring/Summer: Full-time research.

Third and Fourth Years

Continue full-time dissertation research and present 2 credit student seminar (timing and details of seminar requirement vary slightly between clusters).

Fourth and Fifth Years

With the dissertation committee have the Data Meeting  modification by the 8th semester. Write and defend thesis.

Candidacy Exam

Students become Ph.D. candidates once they have successfully passed this exam which consists of a brief presentation on the research they plan to accomplish during their Ph.D. During and after the presentation students will be asked questions related to, but possibly beyond the scope of the specific research. The goal of this exam is to ensure that students have the necessary formal background to successfully implement their proposed Ph.D. research project(s).

About the PhD

The degree Doctor of Philosophy is the highest degree conferred by the University. It is a research degree. It is never conferred solely as a result of study, no matter how faithful, extending over any prescribed time period or for any amount of course work or research accumulated. The degree represents more than merely the sum of semesters in residence and of credits for courses taken. The amount of residence and the plan of study are of secondary importance. The degree is granted solely upon evidence of general proficiency and of distinctive attainment in the special field of the candidate. The degree is granted particularly upon a recognized ability for independent and insightful investigation as demonstrated in a thesis based upon original research combined with creative scholarship and presented with a high degree of literary skill. (Adapted from a statement of the Graduate Program.)

For further information, please contact:    Chemistry Graduate Office

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This PhD program in Chemistry is designed for students who have earned a bachelor’s or a master’s degree in chemistry or a related field who wish to develop as independent researchers by engaging in cutting-edge research while working closely with faculty who are renowned in their fields.

The program of study includes some course work, but the primary emphasis is on the completion of an original research project, its articulation in a well-written thesis, and its subsequent defense before the thesis (oral examination) committee. The PhD program is a full-time degree program that typically takes five years to complete. Financial support (teaching assistantships or research assistantships) is normally provided for students throughout their period of study if they are found to be making satisfactory progress toward their degree in accordance with departmental and university guidelines.

• Boston location ideally positioned in the heart of the Biotechnology Supercluster and Medical Hub
• Students eligible for financial support in the form of Teaching Assistantships (TAs) or Research Assistantships (RAs)
• Use-inspired research projects in materials, energy, and drug discovery are closely linked with industry via partnerships and collaboration
• Departmental research funding is greater than $16 million, across multiple disciplinary foci
• Home to the Barnett Institute of Biological and Chemical Analysis, a premier analytical chemistry institute, and the Northeastern University Center for Renewable Energy Technology
• Bachelor’s and Advanced-degree entry are possible

Our graduates pursue careers within academia and beyond.

• Paul scherrer Institute
• Merck Research Laboratories
• Bristol-Meyers Squibb
• BioAnalytix
• Lang Pharmaceutical Nutrition
• Empiroko Inc.
• Stanford University
• Corden Pharmaceuticals
• Warner-Babcock
• Los Alamos National Laboratory

Application Materials

Application.

• Application fee – US $100
• Unofficial transcripts for all institutions attended (Official transcripts required upon acceptance of admission offer)
• Personal statement
• Three letters of recommendation
• GRE General – recommended, but not required
• Proof of English Proficiency for all applicants

Deadline for completed applications: December 1

• Program Website

Request Information for PhD in Chemistry

April 19, 2012

What does a Ph.D. in chemistry get you?

By Janet D. Stemwedel

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

A few weeks back, Chemjobber had an interesting post looking at the pros and cons of a PhD program in chemistry at a time when job prospects for PhD chemists are grim. The post was itself a response to a piece in the Chronicle of Higher Education by a neuroscience graduate student named Jon Bardin which advocated strongly that senior grad students look to non-traditional career pathways to have both their Ph.D.s and permanent jobs that might sustain them. Bardin also suggested that graduate students "learn to approach their education as a series of learning opportunities rather than a five-year-long job interview," recognizing the relative luxury of having a "safe environment" in which to learn skills that are reasonably portable and useful in a wide range of career trajectories -- all while taking home a salary (albeit a graduate-stipend sized one).

Chemjobber replied :

Here's what I think Mr. Bardin's essay elides: cost. His Ph.D. education (and mine) were paid for by the US taxpayer. Is this the best deal that the taxpayer can get? As I've said in the past , I think society gets a pretty good deal: they get 5+ years of cheap labor in science, (hopefully) contributions to greater knowledge and, at the end of the process, they get a trained scientist. Usually, that trained scientist can go on to generate new innovations in their independent career in industry or academia. It's long been my supposition that the latter will pay (directly and indirectly) for the former. If that's not the case, is this a bargain that society should continue to support? Mr. Bardin also shows a great deal of insouciance about the costs to himself: what else could he have done, if he hadn't gone to graduate school? When we talk about the costs of getting a Ph.D., I believe that we don't talk enough about the sheer length of time (5+ years) and what other training might have been taken during that time. Opportunity costs matter! An apprenticeship at a microbrewery (likely at a similar (if not higher) pay scale as a graduate student) or a 1 or 2 year teaching certification process easily fits in the half-decade that most of us seem to spend in graduate school. Are the communications skills and the problem-solving skills that he gained worth the time and the (opportunity) cost? Could he have obtained those skills somewhere else for a lower cost?

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Chemjobber also note that while a Ph.D. in chemistry may provide tools for range of careers, actually having a Ph.D. in chemistry on your resume is not necessarily advantageous in securing a job in one of those career.

As you might imagine this is an issue to which I have given some thought. After all, I have a Ph.D. in chemistry and am not currently employed in a job that is at all traditional for a Ph.D. in chemistry. However, given that it has been nearly two decades since I last dipped a toe into the job market for chemistry Ph.D.s, my observations should be taken with a large grain of sodium chloride.

First off, how should one think of a Ph.D. program in chemistry? There are many reasons you might value a Ph.D. program. A Ph.D. program may be something you value primarily because it prepares you for a career of a certain sort. It may also be something you value for what it teaches you, whether about your own fortitude in facing challenges, or about how the knowledge is built. Indeed, it is possible --- maybe even common --- to value your Ph.D. program for more than one of these reasons at a time. And some weeks, you may value it primarily because it seemed like the path of least resistance compared to landing a "real job" right out of college.

I certainly don't think it's the case that valuing one of these aspects of a Ph.D. program over the others is right or wrong. But ...

Economic forces in the world beyond your graduate program might be such that there aren't as many jobs suited to your Ph.D. chemist skills as there are Ph.D. chemists competing for those jobs. Among other things, this means that earning a Ph.D. in chemistry does not guarantee you a job in chemistry on the other end.

To which, as the proud holder of a Ph.D. in philosophy, I am tempted to respond: join the club! Indeed, I daresay that recent college graduates in many, many majors have found themselves in a world where a bachelors degree guarantees little except that the student loans will still need to be repaid.

To be fair, my sense is that the mismatch between supply of Ph.D. chemists and demand for Ph.D. chemists in the workplace is not new. I have a vivid memory of being an undergraduate chemistry major, circa 1988 or 1989, and being told that the world needed more Ph.D. chemists. I have an equally vivid memory of being a first-year chemistry graduate student, in early 1990, and picking up a copy of Chemical & Engineering News in which I read that something like 30% too many Ph.D. chemists were being produced given the number of available jobs for Ph.D. chemists. Had the memo not reached my undergraduate chemistry professors? Or had I not understood the business model inherent in the production of new chemists?

Here, I'm not interested in putting forward a conspiracy theory about how this situation came to be. My point is that even back in the last millennium, those in the know had no reason to believe that making it through a Ph.D. program in chemistry would guarantee your employment as a chemist.

So, what should we say about this situation?

One response to this situation might be to throttle production of Ph.D. chemists.

This might result in a landscape where there is a better chance of getting a Ph.D. chemist job with your Ph.D. in chemistry. But, the market could shift suddenly (up or down). Were this to happen, it would take time to adjust the Ph.D. throughput in response. As well, current PIs would have to adjust to having fewer graduate students to crank out their data. Instead, they might have to pay more technicians and postdocs. Indeed, the number of available postdocs would likely drop once the number of Ph.D.s being produced more closely matched the number of permanent jobs for holders of those Ph.D.s.

Needless to say, this might be a move that the current generation of chemists with permanent positions at the research institutions that train new chemists would find unduly burdensome.

We might also worry about whether the thinning of the herd of chemists ought to happen on the basis of bachelors-level training. Being a successful chemistry major tends to reflect your ability to learn scientific knowledge, but it's not clear to me that this is a great predictor of how good you would be at the project of making new scientific knowledge.

In fact, the thinning of the herd wherever it happens seems to put a weird spin on the process of graduate-level education. Education , after all, tends to aim for something bigger, deeper, and broader than a particular set of job skills. This is not to say that developing skills is not an important part of an education --- it is! But in addition to these skills, one might want an understanding of the field in which one is being educated and its workings. I think this is connected to how being a chemist becomes linked to our identity, a matter of who we are rather than just of what we do.

Looked at this way, we might actually wonder about who could be harmed by throttling Ph.D. program enrollments.

Shouldn't someone who's up for the challenge have that experience open to her, even if there's no guarantee of a job at the other end? As long as people have accurate information with which to form reasonable expectations about their employment prospects, do we want to be paternalistic and tell them they can't?

(There are limits here, of course. There are not unlimited resources for the training of Ph.D. chemists, nor unlimited slots in graduate programs, nor in the academic labs where graduate students might participate meaningfully in research. The point is that maybe these limits are the ones that ought to determine how many people who want to learn how to be chemists get to do that.)

Believe it or not, we had a similar conversation in a graduate seminar filled with first and second year students in my philosophy Ph.D. program. Even philosophy graduate students have an interest in someday finding stable employment, the better to eat regularly and live indoors. Yet my sense was that even the best graduate students in my philosophy Ph.D. program recognized that employment in a job tailor-made for a philosophy Ph.D. was a chancy thing. Certainly, there were opportunity costs to being there. Certainly, there was a chance that one might end up trying to get hired to a job for which having a PhD would be viewed as a disadvantage to getting hired. But the graduate students in my philosophy program had, upon weighing the risks, decided to take the gamble.

How exactly are chemistry graduate students presumed to be different here? Maybe they are placing their bets at a table with higher payoffs, and where the game is more likely to pay off in the first place. But this is still not a situation in which one should expect that everyone is always going to win. Sometimes the house will win instead.

(Who's the house in this metaphor? Is it the PIs who depend on cheap grad-student labor? Universities with hordes of pre-meds who need chemistry TAs and lab instructors? The public that gets a screaming deal on knowledge production when you break it down in terms of price per publishable unit? A public that includes somewhat more members with a clearer idea of how scientific knowledge is built? Specifying the identity of the house is left as an exercise for the reader.)

Maybe the relevant difference between taking a gamble on a philosophy Ph.D. and taking a gamble on a chemistry Ph.D. is that the players in the latter have, purposely or accidentally, not been given accurate information about the odds of the game.

I think it's fair for chemistry graduate students to be angry and cynical about having been misled as far as likely prospects for employment. But given that it's been going on for at least a couple decades (and maybe more), how the hell is it that people in Ph.D. programs haven't already figured out the score? Is it that they expect that they will be the ones awesome enough to get those scarce jobs? Have they really not thought far enough ahead to seek information (maybe even from a disinterested source) about how plausible their life plans are before they turn up at grad school? Could it be that they have decided that they want to be chemists when they grow up without doing sensible things like reading the blogs of chemists at various stages of careers and training?

Presumably, prospective chemistry grad students might want to get ahold of the relevant facts and take account of them in their decision-making. Why this isn't happening is somewhat mysterious to me, but for those who regard their Ph.D. training in chemistry as a means to a career end, it's absolutely crucial -- and trusting the people who stand to benefit from your labors as a graduate student to hook you up with those facts seems not to be the best strategy ever.

And, as I noted in comments on Chemjobber's post , the whole discussion suggests to me that the very best reason to pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry is because you want to learn what it is like to build new knowledge in chemistry, in an academic setting. Since being plugged into a particular kind of career (or even job) on the other end is a crap-shoot, if you don't want to learn about this knowledge-building process -- and want it enough to put up with long hours, crummy pay, unrewarding piles of grading, and the like -- then possibly a Ph.D. program is not the best way to spend 5+ years of your life.

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• PhD Program Guide

To be in good academic standing, a student registered in Chemistry Department must:

• Complete all courses including research courses with a satisfactory grade of at least B- and maintain a minimum of B+ standing;
• Adhere to the specific requirements in their field of study;
• Meet with supervisory committee annually; and
• Comply with the General and Degree Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies (SGS);

The Department may recommend to the School of Graduate Studies the termination of registration and candidacy of a student who fails to make a satisfactory progress toward the completion of the degree.

In addition, make sure to review SGS guidance on Understanding Good Standing and Satisfactory Progress . It lays out expectations regarding coursework completion, supervisory committee meetings and evalutions, candidacy, and program length and time limit.

If there are challenges that may be hindering your progress, there are options:

• Centre for Graduate Mentorship and Supervision and/or Graduate Wellness Services for strategies.
• Additional advice from School of Graduate Studies
• Address the issue(s) with your advisory committee members.  Students may contact the Graduate Office to facilitate a meeting outside of your annual progress meeting with the Associate Chair.
• Contact the Graduate Office to seek advice.

Doctoral Supervisory Committee and Annual Meetings

Students must establish a supervisory committee  within three months  of entering the doctoral program. The committee will consist of the supervisor (or co-supervisors) and at least two University of Toronto graduate faculty members. One of the two members can be outside of the chemistry graduate department. Student must fill out the  Doctoral Supervisory Committee Enrolment form  and upload to the Chemistry Graduate Office drive .

How Do You Choose Committee Members? Committee members are best selected in consultation with your supervisor.   Here are some key questios when considering prospective members:

• Can they add value (eg. field-specific advice) to your research program?
• Will they be around and available for consultation and meetings throughout most of your program?.
• Will they be approachable and offer constructive advice?
• Can they be objective enough to help if problems arise?
• Will they be able and wiling to offer their opinion even if contrary to that of your supervisor or other members?
• Is there a good balance?  Do their reas of expertise cover a sufficient range?

Membership must remain the same throughout the doctoral program. If a member needs to be replaced, please forward another  Doctoral Supervisory Committee Enrolment form  along with a letter of justification for the change.

Students must also arrange a supervisory committee meeting  within twelve months  of entering the doctoral program. Thereafter, students are required by School of Graduate Studies to meet with the committee at least once a year to assess the student's progress in the program and to provide advice on future work. Students are expected to meet with their committee at least once a year, and more often if the committee so requires. A 20-30-minute meeting is generally sufficient but students or faculty may request for more time if needed. Students must fill out the  Doctoral Supervisory Committee Meeting Report  which needs to be submitted to the Chemistry Graduate Office after the meeting. If a member is unable to make it to the meeting, the student must arrange a separate meeting.  As a best practice and to get as much from this annual meeting, it is utmost important to schedule a it when all members are available. 

The meeting is meant to provide guidance and advice to both the student and to the supervisor from interested colleagues, to ensure that the progress towards graduation is satisfactory and to provide a forum to resolve any issues (eg. research, academic, personal) which may arise. It thus follows that if either the student or the supervisor (or, on occasion, the Associate Chair) feels that a meeting is in order outside the required annual one, it is their right to request such a meeting and the responsibility of all the members of the committee to agree to such a meeting.  

What You Can Expect of your Supervisory Committee Your supervisory committee should:

• Meet regularly (at least once a year)
• Provide guidance during your research
• Add complementary value to your supervision
• Provide meaningful written feedback
• Resource towards enhancing your professional development

The School of Graduate Studies have developed guidelines for students to peruse.  It provides information on responsiblities of the student, supervisor and advisory committee. 

A student falls out of good academic standing if the supervisory committee concludes that unsatisfactory progress is being made on two consecutive meetings.

Arranging the annual meeting is generally the student's responsibility. However, if a student experiences difficulty in arranging a meeting with any member(s) of their committee or should require additional meeting(s), they should contact the Graduate Office for assistance.

Failure to meet the above timelines can be grounds for termination in the program.

Time Limit for Completion of Program Requirements in a Ph.D. Program

A student enrolled in a full-time PhD degree program will be denied further registration in that program and will have their candidacy terminated at the end of the third year of registration in the case of a four-year program, or at the end of the fourth year of registration in the case of a five-year program (direct entry from bachelors degree), if, by that time, either:

• the candidate has not completed all requirements for the degree exclusive of thesis research including course requirements and qualifying departmental examinations; or
• the candidate does not have an approved thesis topic, supervisor, or supervisory committee.

In exceptional circumstances, such a student may be permitted to register in the program for two further sessions at the Department's discretion. Student must fill out a  Request for Extension to Achieve Candidacy form  and receive approval from the supervisor before submitting to the Chemistry Graduate Office. Continuation beyond two sessions will require the approval of both the department and the SGS Admissions and Programs Committee.

Our Department requires students to register in courses that run continuously throughout the program, e.g., ongoing research and seminar courses. The foregoing time limit does not apply to such courses. Doctoral students in their third year must be ABD (All But Dissertation) in order to continue in the program.

Course Reduction & Transfers

Course Reduction

With the approval of Department of Chemistry and School of Graduate Studies, course reduction may be granted for graduate work completed in another MSc program. This will reduce the number of courses a doctoral student will need to complete to fulfill in the program requirements. Students may request up to two half-courses which must be equivalent to courses offered by our Department. Graduate or cross-listed courses taken while in the undergraduate level do not apply.  Doctoral students who completed their MSc in chemistry at UofT are not required to submit a course reduction request. 

Since the course(s) has been credited towards another degree, the course cannot be transferred towards the doctoral degree.

To request a course reduction, the following documents must be submitted to the Graduate Office for approval within a year  of entering the doctoral program:

• Request for  Course Reduction Form ;
• Copy of the course syllabus for each course requested;
• Unofficial copy of transcript

Course Transfers

With the approval of the department and the School of Graduate Studies, transfer credit may be granted for graduate work completed in another program, provided that the course(s) has not been credited towards another degree. Transfer credit will be limited to two half-courses. Student must submit the  Request for Transfer Credit form  to the Chemistry Graduate Office for departmental approval.

Seminar Series

All students are required to participate and give at least two to four seminars in the doctoral program. Students who fail to meet the  seminar requirement  before their final oral examination will be denied by School of Graduate Studies to proceed with the examination. Students must contact the seminar coordinator in their field of study if they are due to present. The seminar series generally run from September to April.  For more information about the seminar requirement and oral presentation guidelines, review the program requirements for the doctoral program.  View  upcoming seminars.

Here are online resources for oral presentation guidelines and skills:

• Oral Presentation, Writing University of Toronto
• Presentation Skills
• Public Speaking and Graduate School
• Mastering the Art of Presenting

Comprehensive Oral Examination

The purpose of the examination is to test the knowledge of the student's subject area and to determine if the student is prepared to proceed on to the thesis writing. The examination typically lasts for 2 hours which includes a 20-minute presentation by the examinee.

Students may request to arrange a comprehensive oral examination generally after the completion of the required course work in their field of study. However, students should satisfy this requirement before the end of their third year of registration in the case of a four year program or before the end of their fourth year in the case of a five-year program (PhD direct-entry from Bachelors degree).

To arrange an examination, please contact the  Chemistry Graduate Office  with the proposed dates, and names of the three members of the supervisory committee including your supervisor (4 if co-supervised) and another University of Toronto graduate faculty member. No more than one member outside the Chemistry Department is acceptable. The exam requires four voters and the student needs at least 3 votes to pass (4 if co-supervised).

The examinee should print out the  voting ballot  for the examination. Examinations to be held in the Lash Miller building may contact the departmental  receptionist  to book a projector. If the exam is booked in LM151 there is no need to book a projector through the receptionist. Students also have the option to hold their annual supervisory meeting after the examination. The  Doctoral Supervisory Committee report form  should be forwarded to the Chemistry Graduate Office to ensure a record of the meeting.

If a student fails to pass the examination, a reconvened examination is to be held within one year. No new members shall be added to the committee except for necessary replacements to ensure a quorum. The chair of the examination is required to explain in a written report reasons for an unsuccessful exam and determine, if possible, a timeline to reconvene.

Fees for Final Year PhDs

Academic fees for full-time doctoral students in the final year of their program are pro-rated based on the twelve-month academic year. Incidental fees are charged on a sessional (term) basis.

When a final corrected thesis is submitted to School of Graduate Studies, fees and service charges are adjusted accordingly. For more information please review the monthly academic and incidental fees schedule with  Fees Department .

Doctoral Completion Award

The aim of the Doctoral Completion Award (DCA) is to help ensure that meritorious PhD students who are no longer receiving the normal funding from their graduate unit can complete their degree program within time limit. Students may receive a DCA only once during their program. Criteria and conditions include: academic merit and quality of research, the availability of alternative funding, and, if appropriate, special features of the research program that require more time than usual.  Deadline:  The Chemistry Graduate Office generally sends out a notification in the spring

Thesis and Planning for a PhD Final Oral Examination

Review the  SGS Guide to Program Completion . In addition, the Department follows its own procedures to ensure that the PhD candidate meets the timelines specified by SGS. 

Guidelines on thesis formatting, submission, copyright and deadlines can be found on the SGS website .   There are no specific requirements by the department but consult with your supervisor for their expectations.  Make sure to peruse the Writing at UofT for tips and advice and use the resources offered at Graduate Centre for Academic Communication .

Planning for the final oral examination must begin at least  eight weeks  before the proposed date(s) of the examination. Note that the two-week closure in December does not count.

At Least Eight Weeks or Earlier Prior to the Proposed Exam Date(s)

• The supervisor and student discuss the potential members of the Examination Committee. Please forward the names of the members to the  Chemistry Graduate Office . The quorum for voting members is four. However, SGS requires five voting members to obtain approval from the SGS Vice-Dean to book the examination. In case of emergency in which one of the members is unable to attend, the candidate can therefore still proceed with the examination since it meets the quorum. A maximum of three of the voting members of the Exam Committee will have served on the candidate's Supervisory Committee. At least two voting members (including the external examiner) will not have been closely involved in the supervision of the thesis. Eligible voters are the external appraiser, members of the graduate faculty of the Chemistry Department and members of the graduate faculty of other departments, centres or institutes of the University of Toronto.  
• The supervisor must submit a  list of three potential external appraisers  to the Graduate Office. The list should be in order of preference. For each name listed, the reason for the choice is presented with specific regard to the subject of the thesis. The first choice is generally approved unless the Associate Dean at SGS deems the first choice unsuitable. To avoid issues with SGS and delays, the supervisor and the student should ensure that there is an "arms-length" relationship between the external examiner and the rest of the examination committee.  
• Once the Graduate Office receives the list of the potential members of the Examination Committee, a request is forwarded to the SGS Associate Dean for pre-approval. Once approved, the Graduate Office may contact the members, including the external appraiser for their availability to determine acceptable dates for the examination. It is not required that the external examiner be present at the examination. Teleconference or videoconference is available upon request.  
• The student completes the thesis and forwards copies to members of the Supervisory Committee for the review. The members must have at least two weeks to review the thesis. Please contact them directly as early as possible to confirm if the allotted time for appraisal is sufficient in case of other commitments and to properly estimate a timeline. Forward a copy of the  Thesis Review Guidelines  to your reviewers along with your thesis. The advance reading by members of the Supervisory Committee allows the student to avoid situations where major changes are needed after the examination and a good quality appraisal can be expected.  
• The student amends the thesis based on the comments and suggestions from members of the supervisory committee. The members must also deem that the thesis is ready and may be forwarded to the external appraiser. A thesis may  only  proceed to examination without the approval of the Supervisory Committee, if there is a letter of authorization from the Associate Dean (SGS).  
• The student must certify that he or she has fulfilled all the degree requirements for his or her field of study. These include completion of courses with satisfactory grades, seminars, cumulative examinations (if applicable) and comprehensive examination. For more information about the degree requirements for your field of study, please refer to  PhD Program Requirements .  
• The student must confirm that the record of Supervisory Committee meetings in the Chemistry Graduate Office is up-to-date. The last committee meeting must have taken place within the last 12 months prior to the proposed examination date and the outcome must be noted as "satisfactory" on the record.

At Least Six Weeks or Earlier Prior to the Exam Date

• The student submits a copy of the corrected version of the thesis to the Graduate Office along with the signed  PhD Examination Form . The office will forward the thesis to the external examiner via FedEx. The supervisory committee members must have signed the form to confirm that they have read the thesis before a copy can be forwarded to the external examiner. An e-mail from the faculty members to the Graduate Office will suffice.  
• As well, a thesis abstract (no longer than 350 words) via e-mail must be submitted to the Graduate Office.  
• A copy of the reviewed thesis is also forwarded to the fourth University of Toronto examination member. The copy can be submitted to the Graduate Office if faculty member(s) is not easily accessible.  
• The Graduate Office books the examination at the SGS PhD Office and sends out a final confirmation of the examination date and location to the candidate and members of the examination committee.

At Least Two Weeks or Earlier Prior to the Exam Date

• A copy of the external appraisal is forwarded to the candidate, members of the Examination Committee, Graduate Chair and the Ph.D. Office. The student may discuss the appraisal with members of Examination Committee except with the external appraiser. The candidate may have the option to revise the thesis and postpone the examination date at this point.  
• An examination program is forwarded to the candidate and members of the Examination Committee as a final confirmation along with the name of the Examination Chair.  
• Prepare presentation (up to 20 minute for a closed oral exam or 30 minutes for a public seminar).   
• Review Voting Procedure.  
• Additional reading:  The Last BIg Hurdle

After a Successful Examination

Theses are submitted electronically to SGS and approved by the PhD Completion Office.  Carefully follow the SGS' instructions.  Theses that do not conform to the formatting guidelines will be rejected and negatively impact eligibility to proceed with graduation.  In addition, final corrections to the thesis must be approved by the supervisor before submitting to SGS. Please refer to  Producing Your Thesis  for more information. Enquiries should be redirected to the PhD Completion Office .

See also:  SGS Academic Calendar

• Graduate Studies
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Chemistry MPhil/PhD

London, Bloomsbury

Studying for an MPhil/PhD at UCL Chemistry means joining one of the top departments in the UK, working with a large cohort of researchers alongside academics and, potentially, industry. The department has wide-ranging links with science and technology industries offering excellent prospects for employability.

UK tuition fees (2024/25)

Overseas tuition fees (2024/25), programme starts, applications accepted.

• Entry requirements

A UK Master’s degree in Chemistry, or an MSci or MChem with upper second-class Honours, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 1

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

If you are intending to apply for a time-limited visa to complete your UCL studies (e.g., Student visa, Skilled worker visa, PBS dependant visa etc.) you may be required to obtain ATAS clearance . This will be confirmed to you if you obtain an offer of a place. Please note that ATAS processing times can take up to six months, so we recommend you consider these timelines when submitting your application to UCL.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website .

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

The department offers a broad range of research themes across physical, organic, inorganic and computational chemistry, specific departmental strengths are listed under research areas below.

Who this course is for

Applicants should have a strong academic record in a relevant technical discipline (for example Chemistry, Materials, Biochemistry, Physics, Computer Science) and a strong interest in Chemistry and its sub-disciplines. Typically applicants should have achieved or expect to obtain the equivalent of a good UK Masters (e.g. MSci, MChem, MEng or MSc) degree by the start of the new academic year. The programme will not accept applications from candidates who are only qualified to Bachelor's level except in truly exceptional circumstances. We particularly encourage applications from female students and students of minority ethnic backgrounds as these are currently under-represented within the field.

What this course will give you

UCL Chemistry has excellent facilities, a large research staff and postgraduate research cohort spanning a broad range of cutting-edge science and the department is situated in the heart of the UCL campus. There are very strong interdisciplinary links with other departments, including the London Centre for Nanotechnology and extensive collaborations with industry.

The foundation of your career

Recent UCL Chemistry PhD graduates have become postdoctoral researchers at a range of institutions in the UK and abroad, including ETH Zurich and Princeton, amongst others. Other PhD graduates have followed a wide range of careers, becoming research chemists, secondary school science teachers, working in finance and publishing and becoming technical consultants.

Employability

Recent UCL Chemistry PhD graduates have become postdoctoral researchers at a range of institutions in the UK and abroad, including ETH Zurich and Princeton, amongst others. Other PhD graduates have followed a wide range of careers, becoming university staff, research chemists, secondary school science teachers, working in finance and publishing and becoming technical consultants.

Networking opportunities are available throughout the PhD at departmental seminars and events for interdisciplinary research collaborations with other institutions and departments. Furthermore all of our PhD students have the opportunity to meet with subject-specific visiting academic speakers giving seminars. Networking is also possible at the Chemical & Physics Society (CPS), which holds weekly talks from staff and visiting speakers throughout each term.

Teaching and learning

Students are taught technical skills by supervisors and/or group members. Additionally, students are expected to attend group meetings, departmental seminars and encouraged to attend relevant internal and external training opportunities and conferences.

There are two assessment steps, MPhil to PhD upgrade and once entered onto the PhD programme fully, the candidate is assessed in an oral exam (typically approximately 3 hours) on their PhD thesis by an appointed examiner from UCL (usually from the department) and an approved external examiner from another university in the UK or occasionally from overseas.

Typically a PhD student would work the equivalent to a standard full-time job of around 37 hours per week. Depending on the nature of the research project, a student would expect to spend several hours per week in contact with supervisor(s), face to face meetings, in group meetings, through online meetings or through email.

Research areas and structure

• Biocatalysis and synthetic biology
• Bionanotechnology
• Chemical biology and drug discovery
• Chemical modification and synthesis of proteins and complex peptides
• Chemical sensors and gas-phase electrochemistry
• Chemistry in interstellar space
• Computational chemistry, from materials simulations to quantum dynamics
• Computational chemistry - biomolecular simulations and drug design
• Development of chemical probes for biological systems
• Development of synthetic methodology for organic synthesis
• Gas-phase reactions of ions and molecules related to atmospheric chemistry
• Industrial materials
• New synthetic methods for inorganic materials
• Thin film growth and analysis
• Surface solid-state science
• Ultrafast molecular dynamics and coherent control.

The department takes a leading role in the following interdisciplinary research centres, which bring together expertise from various departments in UCL, and which maintain strong and coherent links with external institutions:

• The Centre for Computational Science (CCS)
• The Centre for Cosmic Chemistry and Physics
• The Materials Chemistry Centre.
• The Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology
• UK Catalysis Hub- Research Complex at Harwell
• The Francis Crick Institute (2015 onwards)

Research environment

UCL Chemistry is a thriving department with a large cohort of researchers working alongside academics and potentially, industry. The department has wide-ranging links with science and technology industries offering excellent prospects for employability. The department has excellent facilities and was ranked 3rd nationally for their 4* research submissions and joint 1st for 4* and 3* submissions according to the Research Excellence Framework 2021 (REF).

Every PhD is different but typically in year 1, students familiarise themselves with the literature in the area of the research project and formulate their research project as well as receiving training in research skills, as well as technical skills as the project dictates. At around the start of year 2, there is a MPhil to PhD upgrade assessment to establish that students have achieved sufficient progress that they are on track to produce a high quality PhD thesis. Years 2-3 or 2-4 for a 4 year PhD involve intensive research including a period of writing up of the thesis. After the thesis is submitted, the candidate is assessed for the award of a PhD by an oral examination (viva voce).

The part time programme broadly follows the same structure as the full time programme but over a period of up to 6 years.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk . Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing team .

Fees and funding

Fees for this course.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees .

Additional costs

T here are no programme-specific costs.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs .

Funding your studies

The department may be able to offer, on a competitive basis, BBSRC, EPSRC, and NERC studentships, teaching assistantships and industrially supported studentships.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website .

CSC-UCL Joint Research Scholarship

Value: Fees, maintenance and travel (Duration of programme) Criteria Based on academic merit Eligibility: EU, Overseas

Deadlines and start dates are usually dictated by funding arrangements so check with the department or academic unit to see if you need to consider these in your application preparation. In most cases you should identify and contact potential supervisors before making your application. For more information see our How to apply page.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2024-2025

Got questions get in touch.

[email protected]

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students .

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Diversifying the PhD

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Making courses fit for different purposes

Source: © Getty Images

PhDs come in an increasing variety of shapes and structures to address different societal purposes

PhDs are evolving. There’s an increasing acknowledgment that most PhD graduates will not move into an academic career, or even a non-academic research position. Funders and institutions are therefore providing students with more training and opportunities to help them develop skills that will be useful in any future career.

However, there’s a catch. A PhD is already time-pressured, so adding in more training requirements as new skills demands arise – programming, entrepreneurship, public engagement, emotional intelligence  – cannot be the answer to everything. What we need is a diversification of the PhD experience.

That was the message of a recent Westminster Higher Education Forum policy conference on the next steps for postgraduate research in the UK. Among the projects presented there, one that particularly caught my attention was the Faraday Institution’s PhD training in battery technology . Students are provided with a range of support and opportunities designed to encourage them into careers in the battery sector, including career coaching, a mini-MBA project to build entrepreneurial skills, visits to different research sites and a three-month industrial placement. The approach has been effective: the first PhD cohort all remained in the battery sector after graduating, working across industry (including launching start-ups), academia and policymaking.

Another intriguing pilot is the Co(l)laboratory programme in Nottinghamshire. This funds PhD projects and research apprenticeships that are codesigned with local people, ensuring that the research is relevant to the local community and helping to train the civic leaders of the future. None of the PhD projects announced so far deal with chemistry-related issues, but I can imagine many environmental and medicinal chemistry projects would suit such an approach very well.

Co(l)laboratory also explicitly advertises itself to people with non-traditional academic backgrounds. This is another important part of diversifying PhDs: making them attractive to a wider range of people. There’s still a perception that successful PhD candidates need to have a stellar academic track record (even though, as Dean Thomas argues , exams aren’t necessarily that great at measuring depth of understanding). Even students with high grades may find themselves excluded by the standard PhD structure: full-time study, low stipends and inflexible funding durations are unappealing or impossible for many, including carers, people with chronic health conditions and those from low-income backgrounds.

While innovative course structures could help to broaden participation in various ways, inclusivity should be a core principle of all PhDs. To achieve that, we need to keep on experimenting with how PhDs can best serve society through both the research and the training that they produce.

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School of Chemistry & Biochemistry

College of sciences, college of sciences announces new minors, ph.d. program and curriculum additions.

May 15, 2024

This fall, the College of Sciences will debut three new minors, a new Ph.D. program, and a new “4+1” B.S./M.S. degree program. 

The announcement follows curriculum updates for the 2023-24 academic year, including the launch of the Minor in the Science of Mental Health and Well-Being in the School of Psychology and the creation of three new bachelor of science degrees in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. 

“We are excited to announce these additions to the College’s portfolio of academic opportunities for our students,” says David M. Collard , senior associate dean in the College of Sciences and professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry . “The updates reflect our College’s growth and respond to our students’ interest in pursuing advanced study.”

The additions for the 2024-2025 academic year include: 

“4+1” B.S./M.S. Degree Program

The College offers several options for undergraduate students to earn both a bachelor of science degree and a master of science degree as a part of a “4+1” program. Students may apply to the B.S./M.S Degree Program after being at Georgia Tech for about one year. This allows them to tailor their undergraduate and graduate academic requirements to complete both degrees in a timely manner. 

Computing and Cognition Minor 

The Minor in Computation and Cognition is a highly interdisciplinary program that combines advanced computational training with the study of human cognition. Students will learn about the computational mechanisms underlying human cognition and use computational methods to better understand human cognition. Established by the School of Psychology in collaboration with the College of Computing and with support from the Schools of Physics and Mathematics , the minor is open to all students starting this fall.

There are several new courses in the School of Psychology supporting this minor, including PSYC 4690 (Sensation and Perception: A Computational Perspective) and PSYC/PHYS 4745 (Physics of Cognition). These two classes are offered as special topics this fall but will have permanent course numbers in Spring 2025. More new courses in computation and cognition are planned for the next year and beyond.  

Neuroscience and Neurotechnology Ph.D. Program, Neuroscience Minor

The new Ph.D. and minor offerings build on the recently launched Neuro Next Initiative in Research and the Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience , respectively. 

The new Neuroscience and Neurotechnology Ph.D. Program is a joint effort across the Colleges of Science, Computing and Engineering. It is focused on educating students to advance the field of neuroscience through an interdisciplinary approach, with scientists and engineers of diverse backgrounds — ultimately integrating neuroscience research and technological development to study all levels of nervous system function. The program expects to enroll its first graduate students in Fall 2025.

Approved by the Board of Regents in 2017, the interdisciplinary B.S. in Neuroscience degree enrolled more than 400 undergraduate students in 2022, and has been the fastest growing undergraduate major at Georgia Tech. The Minor in Neuroscience is set to become available during the 2024-25 academic year.  

Quantum Sciences and Technology Minor

In response to the explosion of research, development, investment, and hiring in quantum information science taking place across academia, national labs, and private industry, the School of Physics is now hosting a new Minor in Quantum Sciences . 

Available starting this fall, the program is open to all students, regardless of major, who are interested in learning more about quantum information theory, applications of quantum information to measurement, quantum materials, quantum computation, quantum algorithms, quantum communication, or any other quantum science related topics. The coursework includes basic training in quantum mechanics and quantum information, and a choice of quantum-related electives in physics, math, chemistry, computer science, and electrical engineering. 

The minor was established by the School of Physics in partnership with the School of Mathematics and the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry in addition to the Colleges of Computing and Engineering.

Writer: Lindsay C. Vidal

Related links

Pharmaceutical Sciences

Why study pharmaceutical sciences.

Unleash your potential in the dynamic field of pharmaceutical sciences through our PhD program. Designed to inspire and challenge, our comprehensive curriculum combines cutting-edge coursework with advanced research, allowing you to delve into captivating areas such as pioneering drug development, unraveling the intricate impact of medications on the body, exploring breakthrough drug delivery techniques, and maximizing the therapeutic potential of medications for optimal patient outcomes. With flexible scheduling options available, including online and in-person formats, you can tailor your learning experience to fit your needs and preferences. 

Become part of our program and unleash your potential to make groundbreaking contributions that will shape the future of pharmaceutical sciences.

Choose Your Specialization

Because the scope of pharmaceutical sciences is so broad, our graduate program has a number of specialty disciplines:

Biomembrane Sciences Track

In the Biomembrane Sciences track, students delve into captivating research projects encompassing drug delivery strategies, cosmetic product safety assessment, mathematical modeling of membrane transport, innovative drug formulations, nanocarrier design, and advancements in skin and hair development.

Experimental Therapeutics Track

Discover a world of possibilities in our Experimental Therapeutics track, where we bridge the gap between innovative therapeutic entities and real-world applications. Explore captivating research opportunities in areas ranging from cancer biomarkers to neuropharmacology, stroke, epilepsy, and more.

Health Outcomes Track

The Health Outcomes track aims to train interdisciplinary scholars in pharmaceutical sciences, economics, business, and quantitative analysis. By conducting research in this emerging field, students develop expertise that can improve patient health. This track offers exciting opportunities to contribute to the pharmaceutical industry's growing demand for scientists skilled in social and administrative aspects of pharmaceutical sciences. Students in the Health Outcomes track explore diverse research projects, ranging from drug safety and pharmacovigilance to pharmacy facility design, operation, and pharmacoeconomics.

Admission Requirements

Applicants with an undergraduate degree in chemistry, biology, engineering, or related fields from an accredited institution are eligible to apply for our full-time, research-intensive MS program in Pharmaceutical Sciences. Similarly, those with a completed professional degree like PharmD, MD, or DVM also meet eligibility requirements. Interested applicants can directly apply without prior completion of an MS degree. Admission to our competitive program, which offers supervised, full-time research training, is based on a selection process. 

Programmatic minimum admission criteria include:

• A U.S. bachelors degree from a regionally accredited college or university or an equivalent degree from outside of the U.S.
• A grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.00 or non-U.S. equivalent
• A Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score of at least 290/3.0 obtained within the past 5 years
• International Applicants: qualifying English language profiency score

Supplemental Application Documents

To be considered for admission, please complete the University of Cincinnati Graduate Application and submit the following documents electronically within the application: 

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Statement of Purpose: Explain your motivation for pursuing a research-intensive Ph.D. degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Cincinnati. Include your desired research focus area within the broad field of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Submit all college transcripts, including evidence of high academic achievement (unofficial transcripts are sufficient for initial review).

• Three letters of recommendation are required for applications, and we strongly recommend that applicants seek letters from individuals who can provide insights into their research experience. Please note that letters of recommendation from family members, friends, current students, politicians, or clergy will not be accepted. 

Non-Matriculated Students

If you are interested in exploring Pharmaceutical Sciences graduate-level courses without formal enrollment in a degree-seeking program, please complete the  basic data form .

Our program opens doors to a wide range of exciting career opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry, clinical research organizations, academia, and government sectors. Upon graduation, you may find yourself in roles such as a scientist, clinical pharmacologist, clinical trial manager, post-doctoral fellow, or regulatory affairs manager.

Furthermore, there are additional career paths available, including positions as a medical science liaison, pharmaceutical consultant, medical writer, or chemist, providing you with diverse avenues to pursue your passions and contribute to the advancement of the field.

Scholarship Opportunities

To explore available scholarship opportunities, please visit our Financial Aid & Scholarships page .

The graduation requirements for this program include: 

Completion of Plan of Study

Successful passing of the PhD qualifier and research proposal

Verification of at least one (1) first-author manuscript related to PhD dissertation research that is accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal

Compliance with degree-required seminar and journal club credit hours per semester

Cumulative grade point average of all didactic courses ≥3.0

Min of 90 credit hrs from track-based curriculum outline

No failing “F” grade in any of the degree-associated graduate courses

Successful upload of a chair-signed dissertation through the Graduate College ETD portal by the specified deadline

• Guide: Pharmaceutical Sciences- Biomembrane Sciences Track
• Guide: Pharmaceutical Sciences- Health Outcomes Track
• Guide: Pharmaceutical Sciences- Experimental Therapeutics Track

Application Deadlines

Early Admission

General Admission

All application documents must be electronically submitted through the online application. When completing the online application, please select the desired degree path carefully, as document switches between different tracks are not permitted. Applications are reviewed with the following timeline:

Fall semester applications are reviewed by the Admissions Committee in May, with submissions accepted until August 1st. 

Spring semester applications are reviewed by the Admissions Committee in October, with submissions accepted until December 1st. 

Typically, the Fall semester provides more opportunities for incoming applicants.

For further inquiries, contact [email protected] .

Contact Information

Find related programs in the following interest areas:.

• Medicine & Health
• Natural Science & Math

Program Code: 25DOC-PCEU-PHD

Two receive Klemperer Award for outstanding materials PhD thesis

Two PhD graduates, Qi Hua and Falon Kalutantirige, were awarded the 2024 Klemperer Award for Outstanding Materials Chemistry Ph.D. Thesis in the Department of Chemistry.

In a special presentation to the department on May 9, 2024, Hua presented her thesis, “Understanding and Controlling the Reactivity of Oxygen Reduction and Methanol Oxidation Electrocatalysts,” and Falon presented her thesis, “Morphogenesis-Morphology-Function Relationships of Irregular Nanomaterials Using Advanced Electron Microscopy and Graph Theory.”

Advised by chemistry Prof. Andrew Gewirth, Hua began her graduate studies at Illinois in 2019 after completing a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry at Lanzhou University. And Kalutantirige earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, in 2017, and was advised at Illinois by materials science and engineering professor Qian Chen, who is also affiliated with the Department of Chemistry.

Related People

• Awards and Honors
• Women in Chemistry
• Materials Chemistry

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• Two receive Klemperer Award for outstanding materials PhD thesis Two PhD graduates, Qi Hua and Falon Kalutantirige, were awarded the 2024 Klemperer Award for Outstanding Materials Chemistry Ph.D. Thesis in the Department of Chemistry. Read full story
• Two receive TS Piper Award for outstanding PhD thesis Two PhD graduates in the Department of Chemistry — Chi-Herng "Daniel" Hu and Joe Lastowski — were awarded the 2024 Theron Standish Piper Award for outstanding thesis work in inorganic chemistry. Read full story

Mellon College of Science

Rafael guzman-soriano wins k&l gates prize.

By Ann Lyon Ritchie

• Interim Director of Communications, MCS
• opdyke(through)andrew.cmu.edu
• 412-268-9982

The future is bright for Rafael Guzman-Soriano, Carnegie Mellon University’s 2024 K&L Gates Scholar, whose time at CMU left him feeling prepared for what’s next.

The $5,000 prize is given to one graduating undergraduate student who has inspired their fellow students to love learning through a combination of intellect, scholarly achievement, engagement with others and character.

Guzman-Soriano, a senior and chemistry major, started college in the fall of 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when students took courses remotely because of social-distancing guidelines.

“I struggled with asking for help,” he said.

In addition to loneliness, he said he experienced imposter syndrome — a feeling that he did not deserve his success — despite earning top marks in his courses. It was the support from Carnegie Mellon faculty that helped him through.

His academic adviser, Karen Stump, recommended him for the Mellon College of Science’s Leadership Development Seminar, taught by Michael Murphy, a distinguished service professor and executive director of the Center for Leadership Studies . The seminar empowered him.

“One takeaway from the seminar was a lesson on phrasing your success,” he said. “I used to say ‘I got lucky’ a lot, but it's more, like, ‘being ready.’ I use the skills, resources and everything that I've learned from prior experiences to seize opportunities and succeed in them. I definitely try to share this perspective with the first-year students that I'm mentoring.”

Prior to the seminar, he said he had never thought of himself as a leader.

“You're your own biggest critic, and sometimes it can be hard to get past your own criticism,” Guzman-Soriano said. “When you're so hard on yourself, it can blind you to what you're capable of doing.”

When he became a Tartan Scholars Ambassador and a peer tutor in the Student Academic Success Center in 2022, Guzman-Soriano said he was determined to help other students avoid the struggles he experienced.

“After some time and practice, I gained the trust of these students, and they were trusting of my ability to teach them,” he said.

Among Guzman-Soriano’s accolades: he is an Andrew Carnegie Society Scholar and a Senior Leadership Recognition honoree and will be inducted into Phi Beta Kappa this spring. He received the 2023 ACS Division of Inorganic Chemistry Undergraduate Award and a 2023 CMU Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship .

Guzman-Soriano said he is inspired by the diverse talents of his undergraduate peers in the arts and sciences.

“I just think of Carnegie Mellon as a collection of the future,” he said.

Guzman-Soriano discovered his own happy place in the chemistry lab. During his first year, he took a junior-level course in inorganic chemistry and was invited to work in Chemistry Professor Stefan Bernhard’s lab group. His work earned a 2021 NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium Undergraduate Scholarship.

“Dr. Bernhard was always very much a believer in me,” said Guzman-Soriano, who will begin graduate studies at Cornell University in August. “My relationship with him is showing me the kind of professor that I want to be if I get the opportunity. He's very personable, easy to interact with and very fun.”

Guzman-Soriano’s most recent research with Bernhard is a chemical-based project to develop an oxygen sensor.

He has presented his work to the National Organization for the Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers and the American Chemical Society and is a co-author on a manuscript that will be submitted for publication.

Stump, director of undergraduate studies and teaching professor in chemistry, said that “people gravitate to Rafael to get things done.”

“Rafael has developed into a remarkable leader through his passionate commitment to supporting others through the full breadth of his metacurricular experience,” Stump said. “He is singular in the strength of his intellect and his commitment to engage deeply and with his full attention to his many commitments to the CMU community and its students.”

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Mackenzie riley wins resnik award, 2024 mcs graduates, chemistry's zhongyu liu receives ipmi student award.

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