Graduate Programs

Graduate Student Support

We are committed to supporting the well-being and development of our graduate students. Students in the MS and PhD programs are provided financial support in the form of teaching assistantships, research assistantships, or fellowships. The stipend for students in good standing in the PhD program is over $32k/year. Students are also provided a tuition waiver and a health insurance scholarship to cover the cost of the DU student health insurance plan and health and counseling fees. Stipend support generally increases each year, and this is expected to continue.

Faculty-led research projects represent a major component of our MS and PhD degrees. Due to high ratio of sponsor funding to number of graduate students in our program, students and research projects are well supported. Students have excellent hands-on access to an array of instrumentation in the department.

• Key Information for Applicants

  Did you know that in chemistry it is most common to go straight from undergraduate to a PhD without getting a Masters?

  Students are encouraged to consider applying to our PhD program. It is less common, but we do offer and admit students directly into our MS program. Please reach out to discuss this option.

  A summary of admission requirements is provided below. Full details can be found here.

  Due dates

  • Priority Deadline 1 – December 15th, 2023 (Preliminary review for early offers of admission)
  • Priority Deadline 2 – January 15th, 2024 (All completed applications reviewed)
  • Miss the deadlines above? Reach out and apply! We continue to review new applicants even after the priority deadlines.

  GPA and Prerequisites

  The minimum requirement for consideration is 2.5. We understand that individuals often experience growth during their undergraduate degree and often work hard to improve their GPA over time. It is encouraged to address low grades in a particular class or period during your degree in your personal statement.

  The average undergraduate GPA of students entering our graduate program is ~3.3 (4.0 scale).

  We do not require GRE scores.

  Applicants must earn and submit proof of earning the equivalent of a baccalaureate degree in chemistry, biochemistry or a related field from a regionally accredited institution prior to beginning graduate coursework at DU. Additionally, it is beneficial if students have taken a full year of physical chemistry.

  Please reach out if you have questions about your preparedness for our program. Students with certain interdisciplinary backgrounds may also be interested in apply to the Molecular and Cellular Biophysics Program (link).

  English language requirements (TOEFL, IELTS, C1 Advanced, Duolingo)

  Our department is an inclusive environment with students from around the globe. Since most students are offered graduate teaching assistantships (GTA) as part of their financial support, the English language requirements for non-native English speakers are more stringent than the general requirements for admission consideration.

  The requirements to be considered for GTA support are:

  • IELTS – 8 on speaking section
  • TOEFL – 26 on speaking section
  • C1 Advanced - 200 on the C1 Advanced exam speaking section
  • Full details and exceptions can be found here

  International students who do not meet the requirements for GTA support are still considered for admission if they meet the general requirements. Fellowships may be available to highly qualified international candidates that do not meet the requirements for GTA support.

  Acceptance Rates and Outcomes

  Our acceptance rate varies from year-to-year, but ~47% of applicants are offered admission to our program.

  If you have additional questions about requirements, please contact us.

• Course-Program Information

  For full detailed information on our graduate programs, please see the Bulletin.

  All first year students take a sequence of courses that provide deep exposure to core areas of chemistry and biochemistry, a unique benefit to the approach in our department. This broad education helps shape students who are chemically literate and who can then contribute profoundly to the cross-cutting interdisciplinary research for which many of our faculty are known.

  Course Requirements: First year graduate students typically take three courses each quarter that comprise the graduate core curriculum in chemistry. Students must maintain a B average in the following courses.

  1. CHEM 3110 - Chemical Systems I - Advanced discussion of modern concepts in organic chemistry.
  2. CHEM 3120 - Chemical Systems II – An advanced inorganic chemistry course that covers trends in the chemistry of the elements in terms of orbital interactions.
  3. CHEM 3130 - Chemical Systems III - An advanced physical biochemistry course. 
  4. CHEM 3310 - Molecular Structure and Energetics I – An introduction to symmetry and applications of group theory to molecular vibrations and to a molecular orbital interpretation of chemical bonding.
  5. CHEM 3320 - Molecular Structure and Energetics II - This is a course that covers computational methods in chemistry and biochemistry.
  6. CHEM 3220 - Advanced Analytical Chemistry - This course covers principles of chemical instrumentation and electronics applied to analytical measurements.
  7. CHEM 3831 - Advanced Protein Biochemistry - This course provides fundamental insights into the chemistry and physics of proteins.
  8. CHEM 3705 - Topics in Biochemistry – This course may include physical techniques for exploring biological structure, biological catalysis, and selected fields within biochemistry taught from original literature.
  9. An elective course is selected from topics that rotate each year, but often covers advanced organic chemistry, organic spectroscopy, organometallics, biochemistry, analytical chemistry.

  Research Rotations: A trial period in a research laboratory takes place during November and December of the first year, and with additional rotations possible in summer before the start of the program or continuing into the spring of the first year. There are also opportunities to come the summer before classes and get a running start in lab!

  Cumulative examinations: are generally taken during the student's second year in residence. These exams cover fundamental materials found in review articles and topics appearing in the current literature. The purpose of these exams is to acquaint the student with the literature and to keep the student abreast of new developments in his/her field. The student must pass three of six examinations.

  Proposition Oral Examination: Upon successful completion of the cumulative exams, the student will develop a proposal of original research. The idea will be discussed in a preliminary meeting with the student's advisory committee. A public presentation will be given to the Department. After the public presentation, the student must defend his/her proposal before a committee. At the time of this proposition oral exam, the student's committee will evaluate the student's overall performance in course work, cumulative exams, and the proposition oral, and will decide if the student may continue in the Ph.D. program on the basis of this overall evaluation. 

  Seminar: All students in the PhD and the MS program present a technical seminar to the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. The topic of the seminar is chosen in consultation with the research advisor and other members of the department. 

  Original Work: A thesis (MS) or dissertation (PhD) of publishable quality based on the original research completed by the student under the direction of the research advisor is written. A summary of the work is presented in a public seminar and later defended in an oral examination before a thesis examination committee.