Program Overview

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Chemistry, PhD

The field of chemistry contributes to solving a wide variety of scientific problems in fields such as energy, disease diagnosis and treatment, and materials design and production. In this program, you'll generate molecular solutions to problems of all scales, create new scientific knowledge, and develop skills to tackle complex challenges.

Program Description

The Doctor of Philosophy program in chemistry in the School of Molecular Sciences provides students with the training they need to solve molecular-scale problems and to be successful independent scientists who can contribute to addressing challenging societal issues.

• Students are trained in the foundation disciplines of analytical, organic, physical, inorganic, environmental or geological chemistry, and most also choose to join transdisciplinary research teams that work on larger, mission-based contemporary problems in areas such as:
  • energy and sustainability
  • frontiers of chemical measurement
  • fundamental molecular science
  • geologic and biospheric science
  • materials and nanoscience
  • medicine and health
  • structure function and dynamics

At a Glance

• College/school: The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Location: Tempe
• STEM-OPT extension eligible: Yes

Degree Requirements

• 84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation
• six graduate-level courses (12-18 credit hours)
• enrollment in a BCH 501 or CHM 501 seminar (8 credit hours)
• CHM 792 Research (46-52 credit hours)
• CHM 799 Dissertation (12 credit hours)

Additional Curriculum Information

The program consists of coursework and seminars selected by the student in consultation with their supervisory committee and based on the student's area of research.

• Qualifying exams that consist of a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam and a prospectus are required to advance to candidacy.
• Students must successfully defend their dissertation during a public final oral defense.
• Students must also maintain a minimum GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") or higher.

Admission Requirements

• General university admission requirements: All students are required to meet general university admission requirements.
• Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
• Applicants must have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in chemistry, biochemistry or a closely related field from a regionally accredited institution.
• Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program.
• All applicants must submit:
  • graduate admission application and application fee
  • official transcripts
  • personal statement
  • three letters of recommendation
  • proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information

An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.

Tuition Information

When it comes to paying for higher education, everyone’s situation is different. Students can learn about ASU tuition and financial aid options to find out which will work best for them.

Application Deadlines

• Fall:
  • Session A/C: In Person, 01/01, Final
  • Session A/C: In Person, 12/15, Priority

Program Learning Outcomes

Program learning outcomes identify what a student will learn or be able to do upon completion of their program. This program’s learning outcomes include the following:

• Critically evaluate chemical information.
• Create new chemical knowledge through experimentation or computation.
• Communicate an original contribution to the field of chemistry, through effective presentation of their research in their dissertation and oral defense.

Career Opportunities

Professionals with knowledge achieved in pursuit of a graduate degree in chemistry have opportunities in five general areas: industry (research and development, quality control), academia (high school and higher education), government (research, policy), nonprofits (policy, public education), and entrepreneurship (consulting, startups). In addition to specialized technical skills, graduates have high-demand, vital skills in critical thinking, teamwork and collaboration, time management and many others.

• Career examples include:
  • environmental science specialist
  • government scientist
  • materials scientist
  • military scientist
  • research and development scientist
  • research group leader
  • science consultant
  • university professor

Research Areas

• Astrobiology
• Computational
• Environment
• Nanotechnology
• Pollution
• Science
• analytical
• approved for STEM-OPT extension
• biochemistry
• chemistry
• inorganic
• materials
• molecular
• organic
• physical
• sustainability