Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Chemistry

University of Illinois Chicago

The Department of Chemistry offers the opportunity to earn degrees at both the master’s and doctoral levels, and participates in the Interdepartmental Concentration in Neuroscience. Study and research is available in analytical, biochemistry, educational, inorganic, organic, physical, and theoretical, as well as a number of cross-disciplinary concentrations such as catalyst and battery design, drug discovery, and neuro and nanosciences. The Ph.D. program is an individualized program worked out between the students and advisor within the framework of the Department and the Graduate College. The Graduate College requires 96 hours of course work, including thesis research, beyond the baccalaureate for the Ph.D. It is possible for students entering with an accredited master's degree to transfer up to 32 hours.Entering students take a series of placement examinations, based on undergraduate material typical of programs approved by the American Chemical Society, in analytical, biochemistry, inorganic, organic, and physical. Students are required to show proficiency in three of the five areas by achieving a score of 50 percentile. Scores less than 50 percentile indicate a deficiency that must be remedied by taking a 400- or 500-level course. Students are required to remedy deficiencies in their first year. Such an approach is designed to assure a good background for taking specialized courses and successful accomplishment of thesis research. The Graduate Advising Committee directs the candidate's course work in the period before a thesis advisor has been selected.

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences