Program Overview

Chemistry Ph.D.

Overview

The Chemistry Ph.D. program at the University of North Texas (UNT) emphasizes independent research in an area of chemistry of your choosing. It also includes advanced coursework that equips you with a solid understanding of the fundamentals of chemistry while preparing you to apply your knowledge to problems at the forefront of science.

Program Details

• Program Type: Doctoral Degree
• Major: Chemistry
• Format: On Campus
• Estimated Time to Complete: 3-4 years
• Credit Hours: 72 (with Bachelor's degree), 42 (with Master's degree)

Program Description

The Ph.D. program is grounded in the four traditional fields of analytical, inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry, but also encompasses emerging interdisciplinary areas such as computational chemistry, materials chemistry, chemical biology, and chemistry education research.

Marketable Skills

• Advanced chemical experiment design
• Research proposals writing
• Proficiency in scientific ethics
• Safe handling of hazardous chemicals
• Research presentation skills

Career Outlook

Earning an advanced degree in chemistry prepares you to be a leader in the scientific and technological advances that will bring us a better future. M.S. and Ph.D. graduates are valued for their knowledge of advanced subject material and, especially, for their research skills and experience. Ph.D. chemists often rise to positions of leadership within their organizations.

Recent Alumni Placements

• Intel
• Honeywell
• Savannah River National Laboratory
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
• Lockheed-Martin
• AMPAC Fine Chemicals

Sample Courses

• Computational Chemistry and Biochemistry (3 hrs) Course covering the latest techniques for the study of reactions of interest to chemists and biologists via the use of molecular modeling and quantum mechanical simulations.
• Advanced Inorganic Chemistry (3 hrs) Advanced study of the interrelation of structure, bonding and reactivity of inorganic and organometallic compounds; basic applications of molecular symmetry and group theory to chemical problems.
• Seminar for Doctoral Candidates (3 hrs) Demonstration of competence in a specific area of chemistry (analytical, organic, physical, inorganic) as evidenced by criteria established by the faculty of each discipline.
• Advanced Analytical Chemistry (3 hrs) Advanced treatment of analytical chemistry, including the following topics: advanced separation methods, analytical applications of electrochemistry and spectroscopy, experimental design, sampling and data analysis.
• Learning Theories in Chemistry Education (3 hrs) Survey of chemistry education and preparation for teaching and learning as they have developed, along with pertinent research findings and design from the current literature.
• Chemical Biology Design and Instrumentation (3 hrs) Emphasizes the determination, structure and chemical function of biological molecules. Topics include biological chemical function, structure related to function of biological chemistries, instrumentation and methods in molecular biology, and biochemical kinetics.