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Chemistry students accepted into the graduate program are admitted primarily to pursue a Ph.D. The Ph.D. program at UA prepares high-achieving students for senior research positions in industry or government laboratories, or a career in college-level or university-level teaching and research. A number of interdisciplinary research and training programs are also available under the Chemistry Ph.D. program including, Biological Chemistry Program, Biological Physics Program, Chemical Physics Program and others.
Primary research and coursework concentrations are available in: Analytical Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, and Chemical Education. Research and coursework may also include an emphasis in chemical physics, materials science, optical sciences, polymer sciences, surface sciences, astrochemistry, biological chemistry and several other interdisciplinary fields.
The Doctor of Philosophy with a major in chemistry is primarily a research degree. The number and selection of courses is tailored to the individual student's needs and interests according to the guidelines available from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. A dissertation based upon original laboratory research is required. All students must pass a series of written examinations, a comprehensive examination, and a final oral defense examination.
The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Arizona offers Ph.D. programs in both Chemistry and Biochemistry. Our, cutting-edge research programs span several traditional subdisciplines of chemistry including analytical, biochemistry, organic, physical, inorganic, chemical education and teacher preparation, as well as a broad range of multidisciplinary research programs including biological chemistry, materials science, surface science, polymer science, protein science, and gas phase and interstellar chemistry. The breadth and diversity of our program provides students considerable freedom in their Ph.D. studies.
In addition to formal Departmental appointments, our faculty members routinely participate in a number of interdisciplinary graduate training programs including the Biological Chemistry Program, Chemical Physics Program, Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Program in Applied Mathematics,and the Computational Modeling of Biomedical Systems. Graduate students may choose to be affiliated with any number of these programs, some of which provide research assistantships on a highly competitive basis.
The faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry consistently receive research support from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense and Department of Energy. Annual research expenditures in the Department are in excess of $23 million. The research endeavors in the Department are further supported and enhanced by our world-class research support services.
College of Science
University of Arizona - Main - Tucson
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
1. Three letters of recommendation. One of the letters must come from your research advisor. These letters should be submitted by your referees using the online system.
2. Transcripts from all colleges and universities you have attended or are currently attending. Transcripts should be uploaded in your online application.
3. A brief Statement of Purpose, describing your past research experiences, goals, teaching experience and why you want to attend The University of Arizona.
4. TOEFL or IELTS scores.
Please self-report your total internet-based TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score and upload a copy of your score report. English proficiency is one of the conditions for admission for all applicants whose native language is not English. A minimum aggregate TOEFL score of 80, with a score of at least 24 on the speak portion is required for admission. An IELTS (International English Language Testing System) total minimum score of 7.5 or above with no score lower than 7 on any section of the test. A score of 8 is the recommended level.composite.
Please upload all application materials to your online application.
Minimum TOEFL: 80
Minimum IELTS: 7.5
Students in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Ph.D. program are supported for the duration of their studies at UA through research or teaching assistantships, as well as full graduate tuition remission. In addition, a number of our students have received highly-competitive fellowships, including prestigious National Science Foundation predoctoral fellowships, which support them for the duration of their studies in the program. Moreover, students who are engaged in interdisciplinary research through one of the externally funded research programs qualify for training grant support.
Domestic Applicants:
International applicants will not be considered for conditional admission by this program.
4832
ETS Major Field Code(s) for this program: 0300, 0301, 0303, 0304, 0306, 0399
NRC Taxon(a) for this program: Chemistry
63
Analytical Emphasis
CHEM 526b Analytical Spectrometry, 3 units
CHEM 527 Analytical Separations, 3 units
CHEM 528b Advanced Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, 3 units
CHEM 522 Electroanalytical Chemistry, 3 units
CHEM 525 Mass Spectrometry, 3 units
CHEM 595b Group Meeting, 10 units maximum
CHEM 696a Seminar, 10 units maximum
CHEM 595a/b Professional Development, 2 units
CHEM 695a Research Opportunities, 1 unit
CHEM 900 Research, 1 – 5 units per semester
CHEM 920 Dissertation, 18 units
Inorganic Emphasis
CHEM 510 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry, 3 units
CHEM 514 Organometallic Compounds, 3 units
CHEM 515 Physical Methods in Inorganic Chemistry, 3 units
CHEM 512 Inorganic Preparations, 3 units
CHEM 545 Laboratory Methods of Organic Chemistry, 4 units
CHEM 595b Group Meeting, 10 units maximum
CHEM 696b Seminar, 10 units maximum
CHEM 595a/b Professional Development, 2 units
CHEM 695a Research Opportunities, 1 unit
CHEM 900 Research, 1 – 5 units per semester
CHEM 920 Dissertation, 18 units
Organic Emphasis
CHEM 550 Synthetic and Mechanistic Organic Chemistry, 3 units
CHEM 541 Mechanisms of Organic Reactions, 3 units
CHEM 545 Laboratory Methods of Organic Chemistry, 4 units
CHEM 542 Polymer Chemistry, 3 units
CHEM 640 Advanced Organic Synthesis, 3 units
CHEM 595b Group Meeting, 10 units maximum
CHEM 696c Seminar, 10 units maximum
CHEM 595a/b Professional Development, 2 units
CHEM 695a Research Opportunities, 1 unit
CHEM 900 Research, 1 – 5 units per semester
CHEM 920 Dissertation, 18 units
Physical Emphasis
CHEM 580 Introduction to Quantum Chemistry, 3 units
CHEM 582 Statistical Thermodynamics, 3 units
CHEM 587 Introduction to Molecular Spectroscopy, 3 units
CHEM 680 Quantum Chemistry, 3 units
CHEM 581 Mathematical Methods for Chemists, 3 units
One minor course, 3 units
CHEM 595b Group Meeting, 10 units maximum
CHEM 696d Seminar, 10 units maximum
CHEM 595a/b Professional Development, 2 units
CHEM 695a Research Opportunities, 1 unit
CHEM 900 Research, 1 – 5 units per semester
CHEM 920 Dissertation, 18 units
Minimum GPA in core coursework 3.0
Research Directors discretion
Research Directors discretion
3 units - Research Directors discretion
Please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for students who are pursuing this program of study.
| Program-level Information | |
|---|---|
| Application Acceptance Rate | 66% |
| Avg. Time-to-degree (years) | 5.81 |
| Department-level Information | |
| Enrollment Percent Male | 53.98% |
| Enrollment Percent Female | 46.02% |
| Enrollment Percent International | 31.86% |
| Enrollment Percent URM | 9.73% |