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2024 Best Chemistry Doctor's Degree Schools

College Factual reviewed 112 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for doctor's degree seekers in the field of chemistry. Combined, these schools handed out 2,721 doctor's degrees in chemistry to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

• Best Doctor’s Degree Schools List

Choosing a Great Chemistry School for Your Doctor's Degree

A Great Overall School

The overall quality of a doctor's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of doctorate graduates during the early years of their career. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their doctor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

• Major Focus - How much a school focuses on chemistry students vs. other majors.
• Major Demand - The number of chemistry students who choose to seek a doctor's degree at the school.
• Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
• Student Debt - How much debt chemistry students go into to obtain their doctor's degree and how well they are able to pay back that debt.
• Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized chemistry related body.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for chemistry students working on their doctor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Chemistry Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Chemistry Doctor's Degree Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings , to help you make that decision.

Best Schools for Doctorate Students to Study Chemistry in the United States

Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for chemistry students seeking a a doctor's degree. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

16 Top Schools for a Doctorate in Chemistry

It is hard to beat Northwestern University if you wish to pursue a doctor's degree in chemistry. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston.

Chemistry doctor's degree recipients from Northwestern University earn a boost of about $32,594 above the average income of chemistry majors.

Stanford University is a wonderful option for individuals pursuing a doctor's degree in chemistry. Stanford is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Stanford. More information about a doctorate in chemistry from Stanford University

Every student pursuing a degree in a doctor's degree in chemistry needs to look into University of Chicago. Located in the large city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. More information about a doctorate in chemistry from University of Chicago

University of California - Berkeley is a wonderful decision for individuals pursuing a doctor's degree in chemistry. UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Berkeley.

Those chemistry students who get their doctor's degree from University of California - Berkeley make $36,925 more than the typical chemistry graduate.

Located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a very large student population.

Those chemistry students who get their doctor's degree from University of California - Santa Barbara receive $33,709 more than the standard chemistry student.

U-M is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor. More information about a doctorate in chemistry from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population.

Chemistry doctor's degree recipients from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign earn a boost of around $21,466 over the typical earnings of chemistry majors.

UMCP is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of College Park. More information about a doctorate in chemistry from University of Maryland - College Park

Johns Hopkins is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Baltimore. More information about a doctorate in chemistry from Johns Hopkins University

Located in the large suburb of Storrs, UCONN is a public university with a very large student population. More information about a doctorate in chemistry from University of Connecticut

Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Ithaca. More information about a doctorate in chemistry from Cornell University

UCSD is a fairly large public university located in the city of La Jolla.

Chemistry doctor's degree recipients from University of California - San Diego get an earnings boost of around $3,546 above the average income of chemistry graduates.

Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population.

Doctorate graduates who receive their degree from the chemistry program earn around $57,938 in the first couple years of working.

Located in the small city of Ames, Iowa State is a public university with a very large student population. More information about a doctorate in chemistry from Iowa State University

Located in the large suburb of Amherst, UMass Amherst is a public university with a very large student population. More information about a doctorate in chemistry from University of Massachusetts Amherst

Ohio State is a very large public university located in the large city of Columbus.

Chemistry doctor's degree recipients from Ohio State University - Main Campus earn a boost of approximately $14,928 over the typical earnings of chemistry majors.

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Chemistry Doctor's Degree Schools award.

Chemistry by Region

View the Best Chemistry Doctor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Other Rankings

Best associate degrees in chemistry, best master's degrees in chemistry, best value in chemistry, best for non-traditional students in chemistry, best online in chemistry, most popular online in chemistry, best bachelor's degrees in chemistry, best overall in chemistry, highest paid grads in chemistry, best for veterans in chemistry, most popular in chemistry, most focused in chemistry.

View All Rankings >

Rankings in Majors Related to Chemistry

One of 8 majors within the Physical Sciences area of study, Chemistry has other similar majors worth exploring.

Chemistry Concentrations

Majors similar to chemistry, notes and references.

• The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System ( IPEDS ) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s ( College Scorecard ). More about our data sources and methodologies .

Popular Reports

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Chemistry Graduate Programs in America

1-25 of 325 results

MIT School of Science

Cambridge, MA •

Massachusetts Institute of Technology •

Graduate School

Massachusetts Institute of Technology ,

Graduate School ,

CAMBRIDGE, MA ,

Stanford University Department of Humanities and Sciences

Stanford, CA •

Stanford University •

Stanford University ,

STANFORD, CA ,

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

New Haven, CT •

Yale University •

• • Rating 4.5 out of 5   2 reviews

Master's Student: The resources at Yale are outstanding. While some of the required courses are slow-moving and less informative, I do have more academic freedom in my second year to the program to take classes that I enjoy across all departments (including data science, statistics, computer science, and law). ... Read 2 reviews

Yale University ,

NEW HAVEN, CT ,

2 Niche users give it an average review of 4.5 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says The resources at Yale are outstanding. While some of the required courses are slow-moving and less informative, I do have more academic freedom in my second year to the program to take classes that I... .

Read 2 reviews.

College of Arts, Sciences and Education - Florida International University

Florida International University •

Graduate School •

College of Arts and Sciences - Sacred Heart University

Sacred Heart University •

FAIRFIELD, CT

• • Rating 5 out of 5   6

University of Houston - Clear Lake

HOUSTON, TX

• • Rating 4.65 out of 5   68

Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Harvard University •

• • Rating 4.56 out of 5   9 reviews

Other: I am Harvard Extension School student pursuing a master degree, ALM, in sustainability. I have achieved a 3.89 in this program so far and have qualified, applied, and accepted as a 'Special Student' in the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Through this School, I will be focusing my time at the John A. Paulson school of Engineering & Applied Sciences. Looking forward to wrapping up my final year on campus! ... Read 9 reviews

Harvard University ,

9 Niche users give it an average review of 4.6 stars.

Featured Review: Other says I am Harvard Extension School student pursuing a master degree, ALM, in sustainability. I have achieved a 3.89 in this program so far and have qualified, applied, and accepted as a 'Special Student'... .

Read 9 reviews.

Princeton University

Princeton, NJ •

• • Rating 4.33 out of 5   3 reviews

Master's Student: The best part of the Princeton University mechanical engineering graduate degree is the excellent faculty that teach the courses. They are incredibly knowledgeable and also very willing to help students in office hours or in sponsorship of projects. The worst part of the Princeton University mechanical engineering graduate degree is the lack of structure for the graduate research program which can leave you feeling unsure on the direction of your research. ... Read 3 reviews

PRINCETON, NJ ,

3 Niche users give it an average review of 4.3 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says The best part of the Princeton University mechanical engineering graduate degree is the excellent faculty that teach the courses. They are incredibly knowledgeable and also very willing to help... .

Read 3 reviews.

The Graduate School at Duke

Durham, NC •

Duke University •

• • Rating 4.8 out of 5   5 reviews

Current Master's student: The program is the best in the nation. It is the origin of the profession and it has helped developed it to what it is today. They seem to ver much involve alumni and are involved in your future. ... Read 5 reviews

Duke University ,

DURHAM, NC ,

5 Niche users give it an average review of 4.8 stars.

Featured Review: Current Master's student says The program is the best in the nation. It is the origin of the profession and it has helped developed it to what it is today. They seem to ver much involve alumni and are involved in your future. .

Read 5 reviews.

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Brown University Graduate School

Providence, RI •

Brown University •

Brown University ,

PROVIDENCE, RI ,

School of Arts & Sciences - University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA •

University of Pennsylvania •

University of Pennsylvania ,

PHILADELPHIA, PA ,

Wiess School of Natural Sciences

Houston, TX •

Rice University •

Blue checkmark.

Rice University ,

HOUSTON, TX ,

Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences

Evanston, IL •

Northwestern University •

Northwestern University ,

EVANSTON, IL ,

College of Arts and Science

Nashville, TN •

Vanderbilt University •

Vanderbilt University ,

NASHVILLE, TN ,

Washington University in St. Louis - Arts & Sciences

St. Louis, MO •

Washington University in St. Louis •

Washington University in St. Louis ,

ST. LOUIS, MO ,

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• Law Schools
• Public Administration Graduate Programs

Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies

Hanover, NH •

Dartmouth College •

• • Rating 5 out of 5   1 review

Alum: I had a beautiful life-changing experience at the grand Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies. The Guarini graduate program MALS created so many beautiful opportunities in interdisciplinary learning. Guarini is well integrated within the College, which provides a unique world-class learning experience. Guarini went beyond my expectations and made this experience the best I had and will ever have in my life. The only thing I would like changed is having a GRAD diploma in Latin instead of English to keep up with College tradition. ... Read 1 review

Dartmouth College ,

HANOVER, NH ,

1 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars.

Featured Review: Alum says I had a beautiful life-changing experience at the grand Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies. The Guarini graduate program MALS created so many beautiful opportunities in interdisciplinary... .

Read 1 reviews.

Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering - California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA •

California Institute of Technology •

California Institute of Technology ,

PASADENA, CA ,

College of Science - University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN •

University of Notre Dame •

University of Notre Dame ,

NOTRE DAME, IN ,

Physical Sciences Division - University of Chicago

Chicago, IL •

University of Chicago •

Master's Student: The masters in computer science at UChicago has an opportunity for students from nontraditional computer science backgrounds to take “immersion courses” to get up to speed before taking the masters level coursework, which is extremely inclusive programming. The program is also a top competitor and prepares students for professional careers. ... Read 1 review

University of Chicago ,

CHICAGO, IL ,

Featured Review: Master's Student says The masters in computer science at UChicago has an opportunity for students from nontraditional computer science backgrounds to take “immersion courses” to get up to speed before taking the masters... .

Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Los Angeles, CA •

University of Southern California •

University of Southern California ,

LOS ANGELES, CA ,

Cornell University College of Arts & Sciences

Ithaca, NY •

Cornell University •

Cornell University ,

ITHACA, NY ,

Rackham School of Graduate Studies

Ann Arbor, MI •

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor •

• • Rating 5 out of 5   3 reviews

Master's Student: I was nervous about attending a prestigious school like The University of Michigan but once classes started I realized that I had made the right decision. Tuition is very expensive but I love my professors and I believe that I am getting the best education in the country! ... Read 3 reviews

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ,

ANN ARBOR, MI ,

3 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says I was nervous about attending a prestigious school like The University of Michigan but once classes started I realized that I had made the right decision. Tuition is very expensive but I love my... .

Graduate School of Arts & Sciences - Georgetown University

Nw Washington, DC •

Georgetown University •

• • Rating 5 out of 5   2 reviews

Master's Student: The program is highly practical. The professors explain concepts in class and give us home works to submit on each topic discussed on a weekly basis. This enables us to grasp the concepts more. We are informed of the professors office time and so we can email them to make inquiries and get assistance when needed. We make presentations during class which train us to become more bold and be able to communicate the concepts easily. We are able to discuss and critic writings independently. We work on projects in groups of about 3-4 and discuss findings to the entire class and professor. We review research papers and make meta-analyses inform of class projects. The program is well structured and i am gaining skills. My worst experience is having to worry about Tuition and other related school bills. ... Read 2 reviews

Georgetown University ,

NW WASHINGTON, DC ,

2 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says The program is highly practical. The professors explain concepts in class and give us home works to submit on each topic discussed on a weekly basis. This enables us to grasp the concepts more. We... .

School of Arts and Sciences - Tufts University

Medford, MA •

Tufts University •

• • Rating 4 out of 5   3 reviews

Master's Student: Best: - Incredible colleagues, many of whom are working professionals in the field, all of whom are passionate & come from diverse backgrounds & bring a wide variety of life/ professional experiences that enhance the overall experience -One of the few DEIJ degree programs offered worldwide -flexible options for program completion -many passionate professors & deep learning opportunities -increasing program investment by Tufts, including 2 new FT program-specific professors Most challenging: -program has grown exponentially in the last several years & has experienced commiserate growing pains, including confusion about requirements, need for more faculty, and more opportunities for practice. Tufts is responding but needs to continue its investment. -Since the program is interdisciplinary, students in the DEIJ-L program often need to take classes offered by other dept's/ colleges which may have different requirements & DEIJ-L students may not get preference for registration purposes ... Read 3 reviews

Tufts University ,

MEDFORD, MA ,

3 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says Best: - Incredible colleagues, many of whom are working professionals in the field, all of whom are passionate & come from diverse backgrounds & bring a wide variety of life/ professional experiences that... -One of the few DEIJ degree programs offered worldwide -flexible options for program completion -many passionate professors & deep learning opportunities -increasing program investment by Tufts, including 2 new FT program-specific professors Most challenging: -program has grown exponentially in the last several years & has experienced commiserate growing pains, including confusion about requirements, need for more faculty, and more opportunities for... -Since the program is interdisciplinary, students in the DEIJ-L program often need to take classes offered by other dept's/ colleges which may have different requirements & DEIJ-L students may not... .

UCLA College of Letters and Science

University of California - Los Angeles •

• • Rating 3 out of 5   1 review

University of California - Los Angeles ,

1 Niche users give it an average review of 3 stars.

Krieger School of Arts & Sciences

Baltimore, MD •

Johns Hopkins University •

• • Rating 4.53 out of 5   19 reviews

Master's Student: I have yet to enroll for Fall 2023 after receiving my acceptance letter due to a delay in my need-based financial aid from JHU. However the Homewood Campus in Baltimore is beautiful and my Student Advisor, Alexis has been extremely helpful in initiating my enrollment process and answering all of my questions in a timely matter. My intended Advanced Academic Program is the accelerated (2 semester), dual-modality, 40-credit M.S. in Biotechnology, Biodefense concentration. All of the anticipated course subjects are diverse and there's even a customizable core lab course on campus (at least until Summer 2024). I can't wait and I wish you all the best in your search for academic programs or professional certifications. ... Read 19 reviews

Johns Hopkins University ,

BALTIMORE, MD ,

19 Niche users give it an average review of 4.5 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says I have yet to enroll for Fall 2023 after receiving my acceptance letter due to a delay in my need-based financial aid from JHU. However the Homewood Campus in Baltimore is beautiful and my Student... .

Read 19 reviews.

Mellon College of Science

Pittsburgh, PA •

Carnegie Mellon University •

Carnegie Mellon University ,

PITTSBURGH, PA ,

The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences - University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA •

University of Virginia •

• • Rating 4 out of 5   1 review

Alum: Very good in some areas, excellent in other areas, many academic choices available in all areas of study ... Read 1 review

University of Virginia ,

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA ,

1 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Alum says Very good in some areas, excellent in other areas, many academic choices available in all areas of study .

University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley College of Sciences

University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley •

EDINBURG, TX

• • Rating 5 out of 5   2

Clarkson University

POTSDAM, NY

• • Rating 3.88 out of 5   41

Mississippi State University College of Arts and Sciences

Mississippi State University •

MISSISSIPPI STATE, MS

Showing results 1 through 25 of 325

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Survey of Ph.D. Programs in Chemistry

By Joel Shulman

How does your chemistry Ph.D. program compare to others in terms of department size and student demographics? Requirements for the degree? Graduate student progression and support? Developing skills that go beyond knowledge of chemistry? Answers to these questions and many others can be gleaned from the Survey of Ph.D. Programs in Chemistry recently reported by the ACS Committee on Professional Training (CPT) . Highlights of the survey are given here.

View the full report

The primary objective of the CPT is to facilitate the maintenance and improvement of the quality of chemical education at the postsecondary level. Not only does the Committee develop and administer the guidelines that define high-quality undergraduate education, but it also produces resources such as the ACS Directory of Graduate Education and publishes data on undergraduate and graduate education. Approximately every ten years, CPT fields a survey of Ph.D. programs. The latest survey solicited data from all 196 Ph.D. programs in chemistry and received usable information (base year, 2007) from 139 of these programs.

Figure 1. Size Distribution of Ph.D. Programs

Program size and demographics of students

The 139 reporting Ph.D. programs are divided for purposes of comparison into three groups of approximately equal size according to the total number of graduate students in the program: 44 small (defined as 0 to 40 total graduate students), 46 medium (41 to 105 graduate students), and 49 large programs (106+ graduate students). The number of students in Ph.D. programs ranges from 0 to 394 (see Figure 1) with a total of 13,280 students. Eighteen departments have more than 200 students, accounting for more than one-third (4,460) of the total graduate students in chemistry. The 30 largest programs account for almost 50% of graduate students. The average program size is 96 students (and 23 faculty), while the median program size is 67 students.

Of the doctoral students in responding programs, 27.4% are women, 5.2% are underrepresented minorities, and 42.3% are international students (Table 1). Small programs tend to have a higher percentage of underrepresented minority students (averaging 7.8%), while large programs have a higher percentage of women (28.5%) and a lower percentage of international students (37.3%).

Table 1. Demographics of Graduate Students by Program Size

Requirements for degree (table 2).

Of course, a doctoral dissertation is required by all Ph.D. programs. Most (71%) graduate programs require entering graduate students to take placement exams, although this requirement tends to be less prevalent as program size increases. The average program requires a minimum of 20 credits (semester hours, corrected for programs on the quarter system) of coursework, a number that does not vary significantly by program size. In addition to course work and dissertation, 96% of programs require at least one of the following: cumulative examinations (58%), an oral preliminary exam (54%), a comprehensive oral exam (50%), and/or a comprehensive written exam (31%). All four of these exams are required by 7% of programs; 17% of programs require three; 43% of programs require two; and 28% require only one. Large programs require cumulative exams less often and oral exams more often than small or medium programs. Only four programs (3%) require students to pass a language exam for the Ph.D.

Table 2. Requirement in Ph.D. Program

Graduate student progression and support (table 3).

The mean time to the Ph.D. is 5.1 years, a number that varies neither by program size nor by public vs. private institution (data not shown). Most programs place a limit on the amount of time allowed to achieve a Ph.D. (average of 7.8 years) as well as on the number of years of departmental support allowed a student (average of 5.9 years). More than 80% of students choose a research advisor within six months of entering graduate school. A significant number of programs either require or permit laboratory rotations before a final advisor is selected.

Monetary support for Ph.D. students comes from teaching assistantships more often than from research assistantships at small and medium programs, while the reverse is true in large programs. There is wide variation in TA stipends, depending on both program size and geographic location. Most programs have a range of stipends, which on average run from $18,000 to about $20,000 per year. Teaching assistants at larger programs are more likely to teach discussion (recitation) sections than those in small or medium programs.

Table 3. Student Progression and Support in Ph.D. Programs

Developing student skills.

In addition to chemistry knowledge and laboratory skills, it is important that all Ph.D. chemists develop skills in areas such as critical thinking, oral and written communication, and teamwork. Toward this end, 74% of all programs require students to create and defend an original research proposal (Table 2). All but six programs require students to make presentations (exclusive of the thesis defense) to audiences other than their research group; the average number of required presentations is 2.4, with little variation by program size. When asked whether any graduate students receive student-skills training outside of formal course work, 67% responded that at least some students receive specific training in communications; 59% in ethics/scientific integrity; 43% in grant writing; 37% in mentoring; 37% in intellectual property/patents; and 18% in business/economics. Students in large programs are more likely to receive some training in these skill areas than are students in other programs.

The data from this CPT survey provide a snapshot of graduate student demographics, requirements for the degree, and progression and support in chemistry Ph.D. programs. Survey results highlight similarities and differences among small, medium, and large programs across the country.

Dr. Joel I. Shulman retired as The Procter & Gamble Company's Manager of Doctoral Recruiting and University Relations in 2001 and is now an adjunct professor of chemistry at the University of Cincinnati. He serves the ACS as a consultant for the Office of Graduate Education and the Department of Career Management and Development and as a member of the Committee on Professional Training.

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10 Top PhD Programs in Chemistry in 2024

A PhD program in Chemistry can equip you with a range of professional skills and advanced knowledge in the field. With a doctorate in chemistry on your resume, you’ll be able to find prestigious jobs in research labs, industry, academia, or government.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary of chemists and material scientists is $79,760 , and jobs are estimated to grow by 6%  over the next decade, in line with growth prospects for all professions.

Which of the best PhD programs in Chemistry is right for you?

Read on to learn about the best programs, including essential information like tuition, acceptance rates, and whether you can get a degree online or not.

Table of Contents

Top PhD Programs in Chemistry

1. massachusetts institute of technology.

PhD in Chemistry

Massachusetts Institute of Technology has been ranked first in the nation  for Chemistry, so it’s no surprise that this is one of the best PhD in Chemistry programs. The program is flexible because students can choose courses based on their long-term research goals.

• Courses include: Principles of inorganic chemistry, crystal structure refinement, and heterocyclic chemistry.
• Credits: 48
• Duration: 4 years +
• Tuition:  Full funding
• Financial aid: Fellowships, teaching assistantships, and research assistantships.
• Delivery: On-campus
• Acceptance rate: 7.3%
• Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts

2. Stanford University, School of Humanities and Sciences

Stanford University is one of the world’s leading research institutions with innovative and flexible programs. This chemistry PhD program is world-class with a cross-disciplinary approach, collaborating with various other departments and institutes.

• Courses include: Advanced inorganic chemistry, organic polyfunctional compounds, and chemical principles.
• Duration: 5 years
• Tuition: Refer tuition page
• Financial aid: Research assistantship, teaching assistantship, fellowships, grants, and loans.
• Acceptance rate: 5.2%
• Location: Stanford, California

3. California Institute of Technology, Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Caltech’s Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering is renowned for its large number of faculty members conducting leading research in chemistry, biochemistry, and chemical engineering. This chemistry doctoral program aims to develop students’ creative and original research abilities.

• Courses include: Bioinorganic chemistry, organic reaction mechanisms, and advanced quantum chemistry.
• Duration: 5.5 years average
• Tuition : $56,364
• Financial aid: Scholarships, grants, work-study, fellowships, assistantships, and loans.
• Acceptance rate: 6.7%
• Location: Pasadena, California

4. Harvard University, The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

PhD in Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Harvard University’s faculty in the Chemistry and Chemical Biology division includes several Nobel and Welch Award laureates conducting research in various areas of interest in chemistry. In this PhD program for chemistry, students can pursue interdisciplinary research in various institutes and research centers in the Boston area.

• Courses include: Advanced organic chemistry, materials chemistry, and advanced inorganic chemistry.
• Duration: 5-6 years
• Tuition: Full funding
• Financial aid: Scholarships, research assistantships, and fellowships.
• Acceptance rate: 5%

5. Northwestern University, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences

Northwestern University’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences emphasizes interdisciplinary thinking that is adaptive, flexible, and practical in the context of the modern world. This chemistry PhD program aims to provide students with a strong foundation in chemistry and valuable exposure to research projects important to wider society.

• Courses include: Organic chemistry, physical/analytical chemistry, and biological chemistry.
• Financial aid: Fellowships, graduate assistantships, and loans.
• Acceptance rate: 9.3%
• Location: Evanston, Illinois

6. Yale University, Department of Chemistry

Yale is one of the most acclaimed universities in the world, with a diverse student population, including 22%  international students from a total of 115 different nations . This flexible PhD chemistry program allows students to choose their areas of study based on their research subjects rather than maintaining a rigid course list.

• Courses include: Fundamentals of transition metal chemistry, bioinorganic spectroscopy, and organic structures & energetics.
• Financial aid: Stipends, fellowships, and grants.
• Acceptance rate: 6.5%
• Location: New Haven, Connecticut

7. The University of Chicago, Department of Chemistry

The chemistry department was one of the University of Chicago’s first departments to be inaugurated and currently has a strong faculty in organic, inorganic, and physical chemistry, as well as interdisciplinary studies. This is also one of the most flexible Chemistry PhD programs in the country, allowing you to study from different departments as well as giving you the freedom to choose your areas of study.

• Courses include: Complex chemical systems, chemical biology, and chemical dynamics.
• Tuition : $63,936
• Financial aid: Fellowships, research assistantships, health insurance, grants, scholarships, work-study, and loans.
• Location: Chicago, Illinois

8. Princeton University, Department of Chemistry

Princeton University’s prestigious Frick Chemistry Laboratory encourages faculty and students to conduct collaborative and interdisciplinary research in the field. This doctorate degree in chemistry encourages students to pursue individualized studies and conduct original research in specific areas of chemistry.

• Courses include: Advanced quantum chemistry, biophysical chemistry, and synthetic organic chemistry.
• Tuition : $57,410
• Financial aid: Assistantships, fellowships, work-study, veteran benefits, and loans.
• Acceptance rate: 5.6%
• Location: Princeton, New Jersey

9. The University of California, Berkeley, College of Chemistry

The University of California was founded with a vision for a better future and is well-known as a pioneer in various areas, including diversity and free speech. This graduate program offers three concentrations: physical chemistry, synthetic chemistry, and chemical biology.

• Courses include: Chemical kinetics, coordination chemistry, and organic reactions.
• Tuition : $14,476
• Financial aid: Fellowships, teaching assistantships, research assistantships, grants, and loans.
• Acceptance rate: 17.5%
• Location: Berkeley, California

10. Cornell University, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Cornell’s Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology has a history of discovery and innovation and boasts Nobel laureates as well as National Academy Members among its faculty. The TATP (Teaching Assistant Training Program) is an integral part of this PhD program, and a satisfactory performance in this program is a mandatory part of the doctorate.

• Courses include: Engineering general chemistry, principles of organic chemistry, and physical chemistry of proteins.
• Financial aid: Teaching assistantship, research assistantship, fellowships, grants, stipend, and health insurance.
• Acceptance rate: 10.7%
• Location: Ithaca, New York

What Do You Need To Get a PhD in Chemistry?

To be admitted as a PhD candidate , you’ll generally need a master’s in chemistry or a related field. As part of the application process, you’ll typically need to submit academic transcripts, letters of recommendation, GRE scores, and a personal statement or research proposal.

Other documentation may be required depending on the program you want to apply for, so check the requirements with the admissions office.

Most PhD in chemistry programs involve a mix of coursework, which may cover chemistry courses and related sciences, and a research thesis or dissertation.

To earn your doctorate in chemistry, you typically also need to participate in seminars, pass oral and written exams, and complete a teaching assistantship.

Preparing for a Chemistry Doctorate Program

A PhD in chemistry is a technical, relatively-difficult advanced degree, so it’s important to prepare well to get the best results. Ahead of commencing, or even applying for the program, familiarize yourself with the latest developments and research in the field.

It can be a good idea to join professional associations, take advantage of other networking opportunities, and seek out extra-curricular activities in the field. Practical experience can also be very valuable, so try to work in a lab if possible.

Things To Consider When Choosing a Chemistry PhD Program

There are a range of chemistry doctorate programs offered by different institutions and covering several different concentrations. Before choosing the right program for you, it’s important to carefully consider your interests, passions, and career goals in order to decide on your preferred area of study.

From there, look for strong programs in this discipline with renowned faculty specializing in your area of interest.

Other key factors to consider include the following:

• Mode of delivery: on-campus, online, or hybrid
• School location, accessibility, and affordability to live in the area if you’re planning on studying on campus
• Program costs, including not only tuition but also fees and other expenses
• Financial aid options

Why Get a Doctorate in Chemistry?

A PhD in chemistry is one of the most in-demand and highest-paying PhDs . Graduates with a PhD chemistry are highly employable, with most finding roles in private industry. According to Duke University , from their 242 candidates, 118 were employed in business/industry, and Boston University  also tells us that most PhD Chemistry holders are employed in the private sector.

The benefits of studying for a doctorate in chemistry include:

• High level of prestige
• Many chemistry PhD programs are fully-funded or offer access significant to financial aid
• Wide range of job prospects in academia, research, and management
• Access to senior leadership positions and opportunities to manage research projects

Jobs you can land with a PhD in Chemistry include:

• Post-doctoral Research Assistant ( $52,672 )
• Chemical Materials Scientist ( $130,008 )
• Professor of Chemistry ( $94,914 )
• Development Chemist ( $59,802 )
• Director of Research ( $107,150 )

The tuition for a PhD in chemistry can range from $10,000 to $70,000 based on various factors, with public schools being much more affordable than private schools. On top of tuition, you also need to consider other expenses, such as fees, study materials, and living expenses. However, many chemistry doctorates offer scholarships, grants, and even full funding.

For most programs, you’ll take around five years to complete a chemistry PhD when studying full-time. However, it can take up to seven years or even longer in some cases.

What Skills Do You Gain When Doing a Ph.D. in Chemistry?

You’ll build a range of advanced skills as part of a PhD in Chemistry program, most notably:

• Research skills
• Communication skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Mentoring and teaching skills
• Leadership skills
• Organizational skills

PhD in Chemistry FAQs

How long does a phd in chemistry take.

A PhD in Chemistry takes five years to complete on average, though the duration can typically be anywhere between three and seven years.

Which Field of Chemistry Is Best for a PhD?

There is no single field that is best for a PhD in Chemistry. The best option for you will depend on your preferences, interests, and career ambitions. Common specializations include organic,         inorganic, physical, analytical, and computational chemistry.

What Can You Do With a PhD in Chemistry?

A PhD in chemistry is typically considered the most advanced degree in this scientific field and opens up a range of positions in academia, research, and the private sector. Positions for graduates with PhD doctorates include lecturers, professors, research leaders, environmental scientists, and materials scientists.

Is It Hard To Get a PhD in Chemistry?

Given that chemistry is a highly technical field and a PhD is an advanced degree, it’s not surprising that a PhD in chemistry is an in-depth, involved, and relatively-challenging degree. There’s no denying that you’ll need a background in the field and a certain degree of dedication to earn your doctorate in chemistry, but it’s certainly not impossible with some hard work and a little passion!

Key Takeaways

A PhD in chemistry is a valuable, advanced degree that opens up a wide range of career prospects, including senior-level positions in research, industry, and academia. There are a number of high-quality PhD programs in chemistry offered by renowned institutions across the country, covering a range of disciplines and including both on-campus and online programs .

Be clear on your areas of interest and career objectives, do your research to choose the best program for you, and you can’t go wrong!

For more options, look at our guide to the best online PhD programs , or if you’re ready to start preparing your application, check out our ultimate grad school test guide .

Lisa Marlin

Lisa is a full-time writer specializing in career advice, further education, and personal development. She works from all over the world, and when not writing you'll find her hiking, practicing yoga, or enjoying a glass of Malbec.

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PhD Program

Professor Wender discusses chemistry with his graduate students.

Doctoral study in chemistry at Stanford University prepares students for research and teaching careers with diverse emphases in basic, life, medical, physical, energy, materials, and environmental sciences.

The Department of Chemistry offers opportunities for graduate study spanning contemporary subfields, including theoretical, organic, inorganic, physical, biophysical and biomedical chemistry and more. Much of the research defies easy classification along traditional divisions; cross-disciplinary collaborations with Stanford's many vibrant research departments and institutes is among factors distinguishing this world-class graduate program.

The Department of Chemistry is committed to providing academic advising in support of graduate student scholarly and professional development.  This advising relationship entails collaborative and sustained engagement with mutual respect by both the adviser and advisee.

• The adviser is expected to meet at least monthly with the graduate student to discuss on-going research.
• There should be a yearly independent development plan (IDP) meeting between the graduate student and adviser. Topics include research progress, expectations for completion of PhD, areas for both the student and adviser to improve in their joint research effort.
• A research adviser should provide timely feedback on manuscripts and thesis chapters.
• Graduate students are active contributors to the advising relationship, proactively seeking academic and professional guidance and taking responsibility for informing themselves of policies and degree requirements for their graduate program.
• If there is a significant issue concerning the graduate student’s progress in research, the adviser must communicate this to the student and to the Graduate Studies Committee in writing.  This feedback should include the issues, what needs to be done to overcome these issues and by when.

Academic advising by Stanford faculty is a critical component of all graduate students' education and additional resources can be found in the  Policies and Best Practices for Advising Relationships at Stanford  and the  Guidelines for Faculty-Student Advising at Stanford .

Learn more about the program through the links below, and by exploring the research interests of the  Chemistry Faculty  and  Courtesy Faculty .

Department of Chemistry

• PhD Requirements
• Pathways to Your Career
• Professional Societies
• Student Groups
• Chemistry-Biology Interface Program

Johns Hopkins University was the first American institution to emphasize graduate education and to establish a PhD program in chemistry. Founding Chair Ira Remsen initiated a tradition of excellence in research and education that has continued until this day. The Hopkins graduate program is designed for students who desire a PhD in chemistry while advancing scientific knowledge for humankind.

The graduate program provides students with the background and technical expertise required to be leaders in their field and to pursue independent research.

Graduate students’ advancement is marked by entrance exams, coursework, teaching, seminars, oral examinations, and an individual research project that culminates in a thesis dissertation. The thesis research project represents an opportunity for graduate students to make a mark on the world. Working in conjunction with a faculty member or team, individually tailored thesis projects enable students to think independently about cutting-edge research areas that are of critical importance. Thesis research is the most important step toward becoming a PhD scientist, and our program provides an outstanding base with a proven track record of success.

Graduate students make up the heart of the Chemistry Department, and the department strives to support students’ individual needs. Each student is carefully advised and classes are traditionally quite small. Multidisciplinary research and course offerings that increase scientific breadth and innovation are hallmarks of the program.  In addition to academic and technical development, our department also offers several outlets for professional and social development.

For more information, contact the Director of Graduate Studies. Dr. Art Bragg Office: Remsen 221 410-516-5616 [email protected]

The 50 Best Chemistry Programs in the World

Staff Writers

Contributing Writer

Learn about our editorial process .

Updated September 18, 2023

thebestschools.org is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

Are you ready to discover your college program?

Attending chemistry programs to become future chemists.

While physicists focus on the quantum realm or the stars, chemists are concerned with understanding and manipulating the atoms and molecules that compose the world around us. Chemists of the past worked to discover types of elements, molecules, and the relations between them. While this research still carries on, today’s chemists also work in new, exciting fields. In the nanomaterials field, chemists develop substances with enormous manufacturing implications, like graphene, an incredibly strong and light carbon molecule. In the bioengineering field, chemists produce environmentally friendly materials using bacteria, such as bacteria that create natural, biodegradable plastics.

However, chemists need well-equipped laboratories to do their work. Each school on this list has proven time and again that it has the investments and facilities required to fully utilize their chemists’ potential. Wherever the future of chemistry lies, these schools will be at the forefront.

Featured Chemistry Programs

Taking the QS ranking as our point of departure, we set their ranking against the ranking for chemistry programs produced by AcademicInfluence.com . Using machine learning and search algorithms to characterize academic influence on the web, AcademicInfluence.com avoids the human bias that infects most academic rankings.

The rankings uncovered by AcademicInfluence.com are based on the influential faculty and alum publications, citations, and references associated with a school, degree programs, departments, or discipline. This ranking by influence approach elevates a school or degree program based on which members of its academic community are objectively influential in a given discipline.

By weighing both the QS Programmatic World Rankings and Academic Influence’s rankings, we not only created a unique ranking of the top 50 chemistry programs, but we reveal why each university chemistry program appears where it does.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Cambridge, Massachusetts

MIT featured some of the best undergraduate chemistry programs as early as 1865. The list of intellectual greats associated with the school is almost as impressive as its long-standing history in offering the subject. These luminaries include James Mason Crafts, Arthur Amos Noyes, G. N. Lewis, James Flack Norris, Arthur C. Cope, and F. Albert Cotton.

MIT’s Department of Chemistry maintains two service centers. The Instrumentation Facility features the numerous research tools used by the department, such as seven NMR spectrometers (ranging from 300 to 600MHz), an EPR spectrometer, and a high resolution FT mass spectrometer operating with a 4.7 Tesla superconducting magnet. The second service center is the X-Ray Diffraction Facility. Research facilities at MIT include:

• The Center for Materials Science and Engineering
• The Institute for Medical Engineering and Science
• The Institute for Soldier Nanotechnology
• The Lincoln Laboratory
• The Novartis Center for Continuous Manufacturing
• The Plasma Fusion Center
• The Research Laboratory of Electronics
• The Whitehead Institute

2. University of California – Berkeley

Berkeley, California

Berkeley has offered some of the best chemistry programs since 1868, and there have been an impressive 13 Nobel Prize recipients associated with the school’s College of Chemistry . The college is divided into two main areas: (1) chemistry, and (2) chemical and biomolecular engineering. The numerous facilities and centers on campus feature a variety of research equipment and techniques that allow study in high-vacuum, high-pressure, low-temperature environments as well as equipment for nuclear magnetic resonance and gas chromatography.

Research facilities include:

• The Mass Spectrometry Facility
• The Microanalytical Facility
• The Molecular Graphics and Computation Facility
• The NMR Facility
• The X-ray Facility

Supplemental research centers and institutes at Berkeley include:

• The Catalysis Center
• The Center for Green Chemistry
• The Institute for Quantitative Biosciences
• The Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis
• The Nanotechnology Club
• The Stem Cell Center
• The Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center

3. University of Cambridge

Cambridge, England

The University of Cambridge strongly encourages interdisciplinary work. Within the Department of Chemistry , there are five specific research groups: biological research, materials chemistry research, physical chemistry research, synthetic chemistry research, and theory/modeling and informatics research.

There are an additional three areas of collaborative research associated with the school’s chemistry graduate programs:

• Innovative Molecular and Materials Design
• Sustainable Energy, Environment, and Climate Studies
• The Chemistry of Health

The research centers and facilities associated with these collaborative efforts include:

• The BP Institute for Multiphase Flow
• The Cambridge Centre for Climate Science
• The Cambridge Graphene Center
• The Centre for Molecular Informatics
• The International Centre for Advanced Materials
• The Lennard-Jones Centre
• The Melville Laboratory for Polymer Synthetics

The faculty members for the department include fellows of the Royal Society, the Academy of Medical Sciences, and the Royal Society of Chemistry.

4. Harvard University

Harvard’s Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology boasts the distinction of claiming the first American recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Professor Theodore William Richards. Richards received the prize for his research on atomic weights. The department is associated with a total of seven Nobel laureates associated , four of whom currently serve as members of the faculty.

The various laboratories and research centers utilized in Harvard’s chemistry master’s programs include the FAS Small Molecule Mass Spectrometry Facility, the X-Ray Laboratory, and the Magnetic Resonance Lab. These labs and facilities offer instruments such as X-ray diffractometers, nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers, and a small molecule mass spectrometer. Harvard’s chemistry department has also partnered with the FAS Green Labs Program to promote green practices on campus.

5. Stanford University

Stanford, California

The Department of Chemistry at Stanford University maintains a strong focus on instrumentation for analysis and spectroscopy. The department’s instruments include five Varian NMR spectrometers equipped for a variety of atomic nuclei. Other specialized technologies available to research groups include:

• Biological Culture Facilities
• Dynamic Light Scattering Spectroscopy
• Electrochemical Systems
• Femtosecond and Picosecond Linear and Nonlinear Spectroscopy
• Ion Cyclotron Resonance Facilities
• Single-molecule Spectroscopy
• Ultra-high Resolution Laser Spectroscopy

To facilitate its chemistry Ph.D. programs, the school features a Cary UV/Vis/NIR spectrophotometer, a Fluorolog 3 Fluorometer, and a Vertex 70 FTIR.

Stanford’s research centers and laboratories include the NMR Facility, the Mass Spectroscopy Laboratory, and the Optics Facility. The department also maintains close affiliations with the Center for Molecular Analysis and Design and the Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource.

6. University of Oxford

Oxford, England

In 1860, chemistry became a separate academic discipline at the University of Oxford after the construction of a dedicated laboratory. Since 1904, there have been 21 Nobel laureates associated with the school’s Department of Chemistry and a total of 92 Nobel laureates associated with the school at large. The most recent Nobel recipients include Michael Levitt in 2013 for his development of multiscale models for complex chemical systems and Venki Ramakrishnan in 2009 for his studies of the structure and function of the ribosome.

The department’s research laboratory houses NMR facilities and a mass spectrometry research facility with sixteen systems, each the largest facility of its kind in the United Kingdom. Oxford’s other research centers and facilities include the Centre for Advanced Electron Spin Resonance, the Surface Analysis Facility, and the X-ray Crystallography Facility.

7. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California

There have been five Nobel laureates associated with Caltech’s chemistry Ph.D. programs: Linus Pauling, Rudy A. Marcus, Ahmed H. Zewail, Robert H. Grubbs, and Frances Arnold, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in October of 2018. She is only the 5th woman ever awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the very first woman associated with CalTech to win a Nobel Prize for any category. These researchers have been recognized for their work in the nature of the chemical bond, electron transfer reactions, femtochemistry, and metathesis in organic synthesis, respectively.

Through Caltech’s Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , graduate students can pursue tracks of study in biochemistry and molecular biophysics. The department boasts severalresearch centers, including:

• The Center for Catalysis and Chemical Synthesis
• The Center for Science and Engineering of Materials
• The Donna and Benjamin M. Rosen Bioengineering Center
• The Materials and Process Simulation Center
• The Resnick Sustainability Institute

8. University of California – Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

Most research universities have a building dedicated to the study of chemistry, but UCLA turned its chemistry building into an ongoing experiment. The structure features transparent solar cells under study by Dr. Paul Weiss and other researchers from the school’s California NanoSystems Institute, the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering, and UCLA’s Chemistry and Biochemistry Department . Offering some of the best undergraduate chemistry programs, the school’s chemistry department manages research facilities and technologies such as:

• The Magnetic Resonance Facility
• The Mass Spectrometry Laboratory
• The Materials Characterization Laboratory
• The Molecular Instrumentation Center
• The X-ray Diffraction Laboratory

The school’s magnetic resonance facilities contain NMR spectrometers for liquid samples, solid-state NMR spectrometers, and an EPR spectrometer.

Other interdepartmental and research facilities associated with UCLA’s chemistry department include:

• The Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research
• The Institute for Genomics and Proteomics
• The Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
• The Molecular Biology Institute

9. Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Established in 1884, the Department of Chemistry at Northwestern University celebrated the completion of its Integrated Molecular Structure Education and Research Center in 2013. This endeavor has fostered new opportunities for interdisciplinary work and novel instrumentation in the university’s offering of some of the best chemistry programs available.

Other research centers and institutes affiliated with Northwestern’s chemistry department include:

• The Argonne-Northwestern Solar Energy Research Center
• The Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence
• The Center for Molecular Innovation and Drug Discovery
• The Chemistry for Life Processes Institute
• The High Throughput Analysis Laboratory
• The Institute for Sustainability and Energy
• The Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center
• The Quantitative Bioelemental Imaging Center

The Northwestern University Atomic and Nanoscale Characterization Experimental Center manages three subcenters:

• The Electron Probe Instrumentation Center
• The Keck Interdisciplinary Surface Science Center
• The Nanoscale Integrated Fabrication, Testing, and Instrumentation Center

10. ETH Zürich

Zürich, Switzerland

The Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology boasts association with 10 Nobel laureates in the field of chemistry. These researchers were awarded and recognized for work in various areas including ammonia synthesis, polymethylenes and higher terpenes, the development of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and the stereochemistry of organic molecules and reactions.

Founded in 1855 with the opening of the school, the chemistry department has grown to include 55 research groups. The department’s research, which facilitates a variety of chemistry graduate programs, occurs at five institutes and laboratories:

• The Institute for Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
• The Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences
• The Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry
• The Laboratory of Organic Chemistry
• The Laboratory of Physical Chemistry

11. Imperial College London

London, England, UK

Imperial College is a public research university established in 1907. Initially known as the Royal College of Chemistry, the Chemistry Department is home to many famous chemists, including two Nobel prize winners. Imperial College boasts an extensive list of faculty members who specialize in areas such as analytical chemistry, biophysics, cancer, drug discovery, infectious diseases, and organic chemistry.

Most recently, Dr. Anna Barnard won the Sir Henry Dale Fellowship for her research on bacteria. Additionally, Professor James Durrant won the 2018 Hughes Medal for his research on solar energy. The school’s state-of-the-art research facilities include:

• Computational Chemistry Labs
• Crystallography
• Mass Spectrometry
• The Center for Rapid Online Analysis of Reaction

Offering some of the best chemistry programs in the United Kingdom, Imperial College grants degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. The department offers unique language-focused tracks in which candidates study both chemistry and French, German, or Spanish. These students spend their final year studying at a university in France, Germany, or Spain after completing intensive language-focused coursework in London.

Prospective doctoral candidates should hold an honors degree in chemistry and a strong academic research record before applying. The department typically admits 65–70 doctoral and 90–100 master’s students per year, many of whom receive funding.

12. Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut

Yale boasts more than 300 years of academic history and excellence, making it the third-oldest institution for higher education in the U.S. The school’s Department of Chemistry is no less impressive. Professor Thomas Steitz of the Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale was awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize in chemistry for his pioneering work with the ribosome. Other notable chemists associated with Yale’s chemistry department includes Francis S. Collins, the director of the Human Genome Project and a major science advisor to the Obama administration as well as Josiah Willard Gibbs, a mathematician and chemist known for his work in thermodynamics and physical chemistry.

Yale’s Department of Chemistry features four primary areas of study:

• Biophysical Chemistry
• Inorganic Chemistry
• Organic Chemistry
• Physical and Theoretical Chemistry

The school’s chemistry Ph.D. programs also include three interdisciplinary research groups in chemical biology, synthetic chemistry, and green chemistry.

13. The University of Tokyo

Tokyo, Japan

The Department of Chemistry at the University of Tokyo was founded in 1861. The department’s history of successful research endeavors includes its discovery of umami in 1908, the development of the concept of rotation isomers in 1933, and the discovery of organic semiconductors in 1958. The department also experienced unprecedented success in recent years; it is associated with seven Nobel Prize winners since 2000.

All chemistry graduate programs at the University of Tokyo are available in English. Students in these programs may apply for two research stipends: (1) the Advanced Leading Graduate Course for Photon Science, and (2) the Materials Education Program for the Future Leaders in Research, Industry, and Technology. The University of Tokyo’s 12 main research groups can be broadly organized into the areas of physical, organic, inorganic, and analytical chemistry. Associated research laboratories and facilities include:

• The Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute
• The Center for Ultrafast Intense Laser Science
• The Earthquake Research Institute
• The Photoelectric Conversion Chemistry Laboratory
• The Research Center for Spectrochemistry

14. Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey

Princeton is a private Ivy League research institution in New Jersey. Founded in 1746, the school serves approximately 8,200 students. The university’s Chemistry Department offers undergraduate and graduate programs along with postdoctoral research positions.

Princeton’s chemistry faculty specializes in several areas:

• Catalysis and Synthesis
• Chemical Biology
• Materials Chemistry
• Spectroscopy and Physical Chemistry
• Theoretical Chemistry

The department acts as a collegial forum where faculty engage in collaborative projects with professors inside and outside their field. There are four ongoing projects:

• Computational Science and Engineering
• Energy and The Environment
• Materials Science and Technology
• Theoretical Science

The chemistry department fosters opportunities for undergraduate students to conduct active research while pursuing their degrees. Graduate candidates may also participate in summer research opportunities, and some obtain permission to take courses outside of the chemistry program for further collaborative opportunities and interdisciplinary learning. Students pursuing a Ph.D. in chemistry can build a community outside of the lab and engage with student organizations that offer team-based scientific research projects and community outreach programs. Many chemistry program graduates take advantage of networking and job opportunities through Princeton’s extensive alumni community.

15. The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, Texas

The faculty members serving the Department of Chemistry at the University of Texas at Austin include four members of the National Academies, three fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and one recipient of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. These and other members of the department make significant contributions to the areas of chemical biology and material science.

U.S. News & World Report listed UT Austin’s graduate chemistry department in the top 15 for its 2018 rankings because of UT Austin’s high-caliber chemistry master’s programs. The department offers many interdisciplinary research opportunities through facilities such as:

• The Center for Nano and Molecular Science and Technology
• The Glass and Instrument Repair Shop
• The Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology
• The Mallet Chemistry Library
• The Texas Materials Institute
• NMR, Mass Spectrometry, and X-ray Facilities

The chemistry library includes over 100,000 volumes, which makes it the largest chemistry library in the U.S.

16. University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan

The University of Michigan has hosted some of the best undergraduate chemistry programs since the school’s founding in 1839. The Chemistry Department saw the completion of the country’s first laboratory exclusively dedicated to chemistry research in 1856. The first chair of the department was Professor Moses Gomberg, known for the discovery of organic free radicals.

Research at Michigan breaks down into six major clusters: physical, organic, material, inorganic, chemical biology, and analytical chemistry. These areas divide further into 15 research themes. The analytical chemistry program centralizes in the areas of:

• Electrochemistry
• Microfluidics
• Separations

The organic chemistry cluster has strengths in the areas of:

• Bioorganic Chemistry
• Organic Materials
• Organic Synthesis
• Organometallic Chemistry

Facilities and technologies supporting the department’s research include:

• Porous Materials Characterization
• The Glass and Instrument Shop
• Raman Spectroscopy
• X-ray Crystallography

17. National University of Singapore

Founded in 1905, NUS is a research university specializing in medicine, chemistry, dentistry, and food science. The school’s Chemistry Department offers three-year bachelor’s degree tracks and four-year undergraduate programs for honors students. All undergraduates learn fundamental inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry principles in addition to energy and environmental science. Candidates also explore multidisciplinary fields such as nanotechnology, chemical biology, materials chemistry, and medicinal chemistry.

Other bachelor’s degree options include a four-year chemistry and food science program and a four-year degree offered in partnership with the Australian National University. The department offers minors in nanoscience, analytical chemistry, environmental chemistry, and forensic science. NUS students can also pursue a minor in chemistry while majoring in another field. Undergraduates enjoy several research opportunities, including a European research immersion program, a professional internship program, and a student exchange program.

Graduate students may pursue a master of science or Ph.D. in chemistry. Each fully funded doctoral position takes four years to complete. Graduate studies at NUS are highly individualized, with room for independent study and experimental work as well as original research and thesis components. Ph.D. candidates can specialize in general chemistry or food science and technology.

18. University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Several Nobel laureates of the sciences claim association with the University of Chicago. Specific recognition in chemistry has been given to Robert S. Mulliken in 1966 for his work with chemical bonds and the electronic structure of molecules, Herbert C. Brown in 1979 for the development of the use of boron and phosphorus-containing compounds, F. Sherwood Rowland in 1995 for work in atmospheric chemistry, and most recently, Irwin Rose in 2004 for the discovery of ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation.

The school’s Department of Chemistry offers eight general research areas for chemistry graduate programs:

• Materials/nanoscience
• Physical Chemistry

Affiliated research institutions include:

• The Argonne National Laboratory
• The Enrico Fermi Institute
• The Howard Hughes Medical Institute
• The Institute for Biophysical Dynamics
• The Institute for Molecular Engineering
• The Materials Research Science and Engineering Center

Research support facilities at UChicago include:

• An Electronics/machine Shop
• Glassblowing Facilities
• Spectroscopic Facilities
• The Searle Cleanroom and Nanofabrication Facility
• MRSEC Facilities

19. (tie) Technical University of Munich

Munich, Germany

TUM prides itself on its research in the area of catalysis since the groundbreaking work of Professor Ernst Fischer, recognized for his work through the 1973 Nobel Prize in chemistry. In 2008, the university’s Department of Chemistry established the Catalysis Research Center as a corporate research center that fosters interdisciplinary work between 19 research teams.

Biochemistry and protein science also feature strongly in TUM’s chemistry graduate programs. Students and professors conduct research at the Center for Integrated Protein Science Excellence using techniques such as:

• Biophysical and Biochemical Methods to Study Folding and Modifications
• Chemical Synthesis of Complex Compounds
• Small Angle X-ray Scattering
• Solid-state NMR Methods

The chemistry department now focuses on the development of new electrocatalysts for electrolysers and fuel cells and has built a unique facility dedicated to algae cultivation on the Ludwig Campus.

19. (tie) University of Manchester

Manchester, England

Manchester is a public research university in England. With over 40,000 students, it is the second largest university in the United Kingdom. The School of Chemistry grants undergraduate and graduate degrees. Distinguished faculty members specialize in organic chemistry, systems genomics, nanoscience, synthetic biology, theoretical chemistry, and biophysics. Professor Nikolas Kaltsoyannis is the school’s head and co-director of the Centre for Radiochemistry Research. Other faculty members have received awards for their research from:

• The Institute of Chemistry of Ireland
• The Royal Society of Chemistry
• The Swiss Chemical Society
• Thieme Chemistry Journals

Many chemistry students gain hands-on laboratory experience and work with other universities' distinguished faculty by enrolling in one of Manchester’s study abroad programs. These programs typically take place during the student’s third year, and most candidates complete their bachelor’s degree in chemistry within four years. Manchester also offers chemistry master’s programs and doctoral degrees.

The school’s graduate program offers traditional, research-intensive graduate degrees such as the doctor of philosophy, master of philosophy, and master of science. The department also presents two research-based programs unique to Manchester: (1) a doctor of enterprise degree, and (2) a master of enterprise.

21. Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

Home to five Nobel laureates, including Manfred Eigen, Peter Debye, and Richard Ernst, Cornell’s Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology recently celebrated two of their alumni, Eric Betzig and William Moerner, winning the 2014 Nobel Prize in chemistry relating to achievements in optical microscopy.

In addition to excellent research, the school’s chemistry department claims prestige for its peer-reviewed Journal of Physical Chemistry and some of the best chemistry programs available today. The facilities on Cornell’s campus include:

• The Advanced Center for Electron Spin Resonance Technology
• The Center for Materials Research
• The Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source
• The Cornell Nanofabrication Center

Other research bodies at Cornell include:

• The Center for Advanced Computing
• The Center for Nanoscale Systems
• The Center for a Sustainable Future
• The Institute for Biotechnology and Life Science Technologies
• The Nanobiotechnology Center
• The Northeastern Collaborative Access Team
• The Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology

22. Nanyang Technological University

Known for a strong chemistry program, this research university was established in 1981 and serves approximately 33,000 students at its eco-friendly 490-acre campus. NTU’s School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences offers chemistry degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels.

NTU undergraduates can pursue a degree in general chemistry, biological chemistry, or add a second major in food science and technology. Graduate learners can select either a research or coursework track. Students on the research track progress through coursework and projects independently with occasional help from their research committee and supervisor. Research-track students must pass doctoral examinations, an oral examination, and compose a dissertation based on original research. On the coursework track, candidates spend most of their time attending lectures and seminars and conducting laboratory work. While most write a dissertation, some students fulfill the dissertation requirement by completing additional coursework.

NTU’s chemistry faculty work in diverse areas, specializing in organic, biological, and green chemistry in addition to molecular electrochemistry. Department chair Choon Hong Tan runs the TCH Lab that bears his name and has published more than 120 articles in academic journals. Professor Loh Teck Peng earned the 2018 President’s Science Award for his work in organic and green chemistry.

23. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, Illinois

The Department of Chemistry at UI can trace its history back to 1868. Over time, there have been many notable accomplishments associated with the department, including the discovery of the amino acid Threonine, the development of electron transfer theory, groundbreaking work in polymer synthesis and coordination chemistry, and the discovery of the artificial sweetener sodium cyclamate. A total of 10 Nobel Prize recipients count among the department’s professors and alumni who have completed chemistry graduate programs.

UI offers four major research centers on campus:

• The Chemical and Life Sciences Laboratory
• The Chemistry Annex
• The Roger Adams Laboratory
• The William Noyes Laboratory

The Chemistry Annex serves as a collection of general laboratories specifically for undergraduates. Interdisciplinary and Supporting facilities at UI include:

• The Beckman Institute
• The Cell Media Facility
• The Glass and Machine Shops
• The High-Throughput Screening Facility
• The Institute for Genomic Biology
• The Mass Spectrometry Center
• The Materials Research Laboratory

24. University of Toronto

Toronto, Ontario

Established in 1859, the Department of Chemistry at the University of Toronto hosts 11 research facilities. The school’s Center for Nanostructure Imaging opened in 2004 with joint funding from the Canada Foundation of Innovation and the Ontario Innovation Trust. The Chemistry Library, the Chem Stores, and the Machine Shop provide many of the supplies and services that support the school’s chemistry graduate programs.

Other chemistry facilities at the University of Toronto include:

• The Mass Spectrometry Lab
• The X-Ray Crystallography Lab
• The X-Ray Powder Diffraction Lab
• NMR Facilities

The school also hosts three research centers:

• The Center for Nanostructured Polymer and Inorganic Materials
• The Center for Quantum Information and Quantum Control
• The Center for The Study of Thin Polymer Films for Advanced Properties

25. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia Tech has been offering degrees in chemistry since 1906 and was one of the first schools in the state to feature chemistry Ph.D. programs. Today, its School of Chemistry and Biochemistry operates numerous research centers, facilities, and laboratories.

Some of these research centers include:

• The Aquatic Chemical Ecology Center
• The Center for Computational Molecular Science and Technology
• The Center for Drug Design, Development, and Delivery
• The Center for Ribosomal Origins and Evolution
• The Center for Selective C-H Functionalization
• The Institute for Paper Science and Technology
• The Integrated Cancer Research Center
• The Integrative BioSystems Institute

Other supporting research facilities include:

• The Equipment Engineering and Support Services Center
• The Laser Dynamics Laboratory

26. Columbia University

New York, New York

Located in one of the epicenters of culture and surrounded by research facilities, Columbia University has long prided itself on collaborative efforts in its chemistry graduate programs. It’s not surprising, then, that interdepartmental research plays a key role for the school’s Department of Chemistry . The school features severalcenters promoting shared research, including:

• The Ancient Ink Laboratory
• The Center for Precision Assembly of Superstratic and Superatomic Solids
• The Columbia Science Initiative
• The Energy Frontiers Research Center
• The Genome Center
• The Integrated Science and Engineering Center

The Columbia Nano Initiative, also managed by the chemistry department, maintains the Electron Microscopy facility. Other instruments available at the school include 10 NMR spectrometers; four of these possess solid-state capabilities. Columbia’s Protein Chemistry Core Facility is maintained by both the chemistry department and the medical school. The Brookhaven National Laboratory is nearby.

27. Peking University

Beijing, China

At Peking University, the research and study of chemistry is managed by the College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering . The college can trace its history back to the Chemistry Division of the Metropolitan University of the Qing Dynasty, making it one of the oldest chemistry departments in China. Today, the college is organized into 10 departments and research institutes, including:

• Applied Chemistry
• The Departments of Polymer Science and Engineering
• The Institutes of Inorganic, Organic, and Analytical Chemistry

Offering a variety of chemistry graduate programs, the school also hosts two State Key laboratories, two Ministry of Education Key laboratories, and one National Defense Key laboratory. These laboratories include:

• The Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Science
• The Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering
• The National Laboratory of Rare Earth Material Chemistry and Application

The achievements of professors and researchers associated with Peking University’s chemistry department are published in 500–600 SCI papers each year.

28. Kyoto University

Kyoto, Japan

Kyoto University was originally founded on June 18, 1897 as the College of Science and Technology, Kyoto Imperial University. It has since grown into one of Japan’s premiere research universities; the study of chemistry has been present since the Kyoto University’s inception. The diversity of the research fields and areas of study at Kyoto’s Department of Chemistry fall into four main categorizations: theoretical and physical chemistry, inorganic chemistry of materials, organic chemistry, and chemical biology.

Nearly 30 laboratories sit under the umbrella of the university’s Division of Chemistry, which is part of the Graduate School of Science. 16 of these reside in the Department of Chemistry, eight reside in the Institute for Chemical Research, one resides in the Institute for Virus Research, one resides in the Institute for Reactor Research, one resides in the Research Center for Low Temperature and Materials, and two are headed by affiliate professors who teach chemistry graduate programs.

29. Tsinghua University

Founded in 1926, Tsinghua’s Chemistry Department includes 40 full professors and 22 associate professors, many of whom are known for their award-winning research in the field. The National Natural Science Foundation of China named 25 faculty members from Tsinghua University as distinguished young scholars. Furthermore, five professors serve as academicians at the Chinese Academy of Sciences or Engineering.

Chemistry students at Tsinghua can pursue a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree. With 500 graduate and 300 undergraduate students, the large department is strategically divided into five institutes and two labs:

• Analytical Chemistry Institute
• Inorganic Chemistry Institute
• Organic Chemistry Institute
• Physical Chemistry Institute
• Polymer Chemistry Institute
• The Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology Lab
• The Organic Optoelectronics and Molecular Engineering Lab

The department boasts a connection to the analysis center at Tsinghua and maintains research partnerships with the National Center of Surface Analysis at Beijing.

This graduate program for chemistry majors features a diverse curriculum that presents the necessary concepts for research-driven careers in chemistry and related fields, including chemical engineering, medicine, energy studies, and biology. Tsinghua undergraduate chemistry students must complete 170 credits and at least one semester of lab research training. In most cases, bachelor’s students earn their degree in four years. The master’s and doctoral degrees require approximately three and six years to finish, respectively.

30. École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne

Lausanne, Switzerland

EPFL is a Public Research Institute located in French-speaking Lausanne, Switzerland. As one of the best chemistry programs in the world, EPFL focuses on education, research, and technology development. The school offers a bachelor of science that serves as a pathway to master’s programs in molecular and biological chemistry or chemical engineering and biotechnology. EPFL students can also earn a Ph.D. in chemistry.

Doctoral program applicants must possess a master’s or bachelor’s degree from an exceptional university. Both undergraduate and graduate students can pursue specializations in:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Chemical Engineering
• Organic and Inorganic Chemistry
• Renewable Energy

EPFL’s chemistry faculty work in various labs across campus, including:

• The Magnetic Response Laboratory  
• The Nanobiotechnology Laboratory
• The Protein Engineering Laboratories Laboratory
• The Ultrafast Spectroscopy Laboratory

Some of the notable faculty research areas include:

• Drug Discovery
• Engineering Chemistry and Related Devices
• Nanoscience
• Sustainability and Environmental Issues
• Theoretical and Computational Chemistry

Dr. Lyndon Emsley heads the institute of chemical sciences and engineering. Dr. Emsley holds several awards and honors for his work in the field, including the Burke Award of the Royal Society of Chemistry. He is also a fellow of the International Society of Magnetic Response.

31. Seoul National University

Seoul, South Korea

Established in 1946, SNU is a prestigious public university in South Korea. The university maintains 16 colleges, one graduate school, and nine professional schools that serve over 28,000 learners. SNU chemistry students can earn bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. In 2017, the National Science and Technology Commission in Korea named SNU’s Chemistry Department one of the country’s top 100 research programs.

Students can explore a wide variety of chemistry subfields, including biological, inorganic, physical, and analytical chemistry — along with practical applications such as polymer synthesis. As one of the best chemistry graduate programs, many graduates become professors at universities and colleges, researchers in governmental or industrial laboratories, or business leaders engaged in commercial endeavors throughout South Korea and beyond. The university also serves as home to the Research Institute of Molecular Science, established in 1990, and the Center for Space-Time Molecular Dynamics, founded in 2007.

The department encourages students from all backgrounds to apply, especially international candidates. The chemistry department offers three internal scholarship programs for incoming undergraduate and graduate students. These programs include merit-based scholarships, grants for international students, and work-study positions. At present, this large department contains 35 faculty members, 224 undergraduate students, and 278 graduate students.

Daejeon, South Korea

A public research university, KAIST was established in in 1971 and holds the distinction of being South Korea’s first research-based educational institution for the sciences and engineering. KAIST’s Chemistry Department offers a diverse selection of specialization options, including tracks in polymer, inorganic, physical, bio/nano, analytical, and organic chemistry. The department grants bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.

Because of its reputation as one of the best chemistry programs, admission to the institute proves highly competitive. Prospective graduate students should demonstrate a successful academic record, including a history of receiving academic awards and scholarships. Acceptance rates for local students and international students are 14.9% and 13.2%, respectively.

KAIST’s chemistry faculty members have earned several significant awards over the last two years. Professors Hee-Sung Park, Mu-Hyun Baik, Hye Ryung Byon, and Sungwoo Hong received research awards from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in Germany, the Chemical Society of Japan, the Korean Chemical Society, and the Korean government’s Ministry of Science. As the chair of the college of natural sciences, Sang Kyu Kim collaborates with department faculty to develop engaging creative projects that help students become future leaders in chemistry research and education.

33. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The founding of the University of Pennsylvania and the history of its Department of Chemistry can be traced back as early as 1740. Benjamin Rush, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, served as a professor of chemistry at Penn in 1769. Penn’s chemistry department, featuring some of the best chemistry programs available, claims association with seven recipients of the Nobel Prize and 18 members of the National Academy of Sciences. Recent Nobel laureates include Ei-ichi Negishi in 2010 for his work on developing palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions and Alan G. Macdiarmid in 2000 for his discovery and development of a new form of organic polymer that conducts electricity.

Other Nobel recipients associated with Penn have been acknowledged for their work in establishing the connection between chemical structure and catalytic activity at the center of the ribonuclease and for developing ultrafast laser techniques for observing chemical reactions in real time. Research facilities at Penn’s Department of Chemistry include:

• The Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter
• The Parallel Reaction Screening Service Center
• The Wistar Center for Cancer Research

34. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Hong Kong

Located in Clear Water Bay, HKUST is a public research university that serves approximately 9,800 domestic and 5,000 international students. The university is one of eight major schools in Hong Kong. Chemistry students at HKUST can pursue intense study in virtually any science-related field, including molecular biology, molecular physics, material sciences, nanotechnology, drug design, and forensic science.

Learners can obtain a bachelor of science degree with optional concentrations in:

• Biomolecular Chemistry
• Environmental and Analytical Chemistry
• International Research Enrichment
• Pure Chemistry

This makes HKUST one of the best undergraduate chemistry programs . Graduate students may earn both master’s and doctoral degrees. HKUST even offers an environmental chemistry master’s program with concentrations in marine or atmospheric studies. Incoming Ph.D. candidates with a previously completed master’s degree in chemistry often earn their doctoral degrees in as few as three years.

Professor Ian D. Williams serves as both the head of the department and the master’s chemistry programs director. HKUST students work alongside renowned professors, receiving hands-on laboratory training with state-of-the-art equipment. Prospective students should consider visiting the department and participating in events, including an undergraduate “information day” and a summer research camp for prospective graduate students.

35. Purdue University

West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue established its Department of Chemistry in 1874. The first appointed chemistry professor was Dr. Harvey Wiley, the father of the Pure Food and Drug Act. Another notable professor is Ei-ichi Negishi, who received recognition in 2010 through the Nobel Prize for his work on building complex organic molecules.

Purdue’s chemistry department, which offers some of the best chemistry programs, maintains affiliations with severalresearch institutes, including:

• The Bindley Bioscience Center
• The Birck Nanotechnology Center
• The Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship
• The Center for Catalyst Design
• The Homeland Security Institute
• The Purdue Cancer Center
• The Purdue Climate Change Research Center

36. Fudan University

Shanghai, China

This prestigious C9 league university is in Shanghai, China, and got its start in 1905. Today, the school maintains four campuses in Handan, Fenglin, Zhanjiang, and Jiangwan. The Chemistry Department began in 1926 with the goal of creating a cutting-edge research facility to generate top scholars in the field. It now serves 400 undergraduate and 400 graduate students today. The department is home to five independent research institutions: inorganic chemistry, analytical chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, and chemical biology. It also hosts several important laboratories, including:

• The Engineering Research Center of Innovative Scientific Instruments
• The Shanghai Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology for Protein Research
• The Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials

Fudan offers doctoral degrees and one of the best undergraduate chemistry programs, which allows students to pursue a bachelor’s degree in general or applied chemistry. The department boasts a wide-reaching curriculum and offers 160 courses per academic year.

Since 2010, the distinguished faculty has received more than 800 research grants and approximately $331 million in grant money to fund their world-class chemistry research projects. The university sponsors several collaborative student opportunities, including chemistry student exchange agreements with UC Berkeley, UC Santa Barbara, and ParisTech.

37. The University of Hong Kong

HKU is a public research university in Lung Fu Shan. Founded in 1911, it was originally the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese. Today, the university enrolls approximately 29,000 students and teaches the majority of its courses in English. The diverse chemistry curriculum holds accreditation from the Royal Society of Chemistry and trains students in new and progressive chemical science and technology areas. The Chemistry Department boasts several cutting-edge facilities for conducting research in areas such as analytical chemistry, chemical biology, polymer chemistry and synthesis, and x-ray crystallography.

The department offers undergraduate and graduate degrees focused on physical, organic, inorganic, and analytical chemistry. Graduate students can pursue a master of philosophy or doctor of philosophy degree. Students who complete the program receive a royal society of chemistry certificate and may apply for society membership upon graduation.

Department chair Professor Chi-Ming Che is known for his research in:

• Green Oxidation
• Inorganic Medicines
• Material Science
• Metal-nitrogen Multiple Bonds
• Solar Chemistry

The chemistry faculty recently earned several international awards, including the L'OREAL-UNESCO Award for Women in Science and the TWAS prize in chemistry. Additionally, two faculty members obtained membership to the Chinese Academy of Sciences and became foreign associates of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.

38. Osaka University

Osaka, Japan

The Department of Chemistry at Osaka University branches out from the Graduate School of Science. There are four major divisions within the department: inorganic, physical, organic, and interdisciplinary chemistry. Each division maintains its own research groups and laboratories. Research facilities such as the Center for Structural Thermodynamics and the Laboratory for Natural Products Chemistry house and maintain instruments for areas including:

• Electronic Spectroscopy
• Magnetic Measurements
• X-ray Diffraction Studies

The department’s inorganic chemistry and physical chemistry division manage research for:

• Bioinorganic Chemistry
• Condensed Matter Physical Chemistry
• Quantum Chemistry
• Radiochemistry
• Reaction Dynamics
• Surface Chemistry

The organic chemistry division includes:

• Natural Product Chemistry
• Organic Biochemistry
• Physical Organic Chemistry
• Structural Organic Chemistry

Finally, the interdisciplinary chemistry division covers biomolecular chemistry and coordination chemistry. Osaka University features an additional 13 interdisciplinary research groups in other institutes that collaborate with the Department of Chemistry in delivering its chemistry graduate programs.

39. Tokyo Institute of Technology

Tokyo Tech, a top national university for science and technology in Japan, is in the nation’s premiere center for culture and commerce. Tokyo Tech has become a leading research center in the Far East and can trace its history to the 1881 Tokyo Vocational School. Tokyo Tech’s Department of Chemistry , formally established in 1998, now falls under the purview of the Graduate School of Science and Engineering.

The department offers five major research areas for its chemistry master’s programs, each with corresponding laboratories: inorganic, organic, physical, analytic, and volcanic chemistry. The school boasts a total of 14 laboratories, including:

• The Goto Lab
• The Hibara Lab
• The Kawano Lab
• The Ohshima Lab
• The Terada Lab

State-of-the-art instruments available at the various laboratories include NMR technologies, X-ray diffractometry, and laser Raman microscopy.

40. (tie) National Taiwan University

Taipei, Taiwan

Founded in 1928, NTU is a prestigious university located in Taipei City and has additional campuses in New Taipei City, Hsinchu County, Yulin County, and Nantou County. The university features 11 colleges, 54 academic departments, and 107 graduate institutes that serve over 33,000 students. NTU chemistry students can pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees. Since NTU is known as one of the best undergraduate chemistry programs in the world, department admission is highly competitive. Only five bachelor’s students and up to 10 master’s and doctoral candidates gain admission each year.

NTU is home to the Regional Advanced Instruments Center, which houses sophisticated research instruments, including a high-field NMR, elemental analyzer, and x-ray diffractometers. In 2004 and 2009, the school finished construction on two new chemistry buildings, demonstrating a strong dedication to providing students with cutting-edge facilities.

The chemistry department retains 33 academic staff members, 11 adjunct professors, and six distinguished research professors. Many instructors hold top research awards in the field. Department chair Yit-Tsong Chen boasts multiple teaching awards and specializes in physical chemistry, nanomaterial, and biosensor. Faculty members are active in Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs, national defense, Department of Health, and private organizations promoting technological development for society’s benefit.

40. (tie) University of Melbourne

Melbourne, Australia

This public research university in Victoria, Australia houses 10 colleges on its main campus. Melbourne is also home to several of Australia’s most important research centers, including the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research and the Grattan Institute.

As part of the world-class Bio21 biotechnology initiative, the School of Chemistry recently constructed a new research laboratory known as the Institute of Molecular Science and Biotechnology. Department head Professor Evan Bieske specializes in laser spectroscopy and served as the first researcher to capture high-resolution infrared spectra of anion complexes in the gas phase.

Melbourne offers chemical science degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels, including a master of philosophy and a master of science in chemistry. Students can also pursue a joint MS/Ph.D. program in a dedicated research-intensive track. Melbourne currently enrolls 150 chemistry students. The Melbourne University Chemical Society hosts social and educational events open to both undergraduate and graduate students. Graduate students may also participate in or help organize functions hosted by the Chemistry Postgraduate Society, a branch of the Graduate Student Association at Melbourne.

42. Monash University

Founded in 1958 in Melbourne, Australia, Monash University features a science faculty that spans several schools: the School of Biological Sciences; the School of Chemistry; the School of Earth, Atmosphere, and Environment; the School of Mathematical Sciences; the School of Physics and Astronomy; and the Malaysia School of Science.

Monash’s School of Chemistry offers severalsubdivided research groups covering a broad span of topics in support of its chemistry graduate programs.

These groups include:

• Biospectroscopy
• Coal and Soil Science
• Green Chemistry
• Solar Energy Conversion
• Surfaces and Surfactants
• Water and Environmental Chemistry

Technologies that support the various research groups include:

• Chromatography
• General Analytical Services
• NMR Spectroscopy
• Water Studies Analytical Services

43. University of Sydney

Sydney, Australia

USYD is an Australian public university established in 1850. A research-centered school, USYD boasts several cutting-edge chemistry research facilities, including on-campus laboratories, field stations in remote wilderness areas, and even an island research station called One Tree Island. The Chemistry Department engages in collaborative research projects with medical and technology companies like Microsoft, Sirtex Medical, and IBM.

Department head and award-winning scholar Professor Philip Gale specializes in supramolecular chemistry and has received prizes and honors like the 2018 International Izatt-Christensen Award in Macrocyclic and Supramolecular chemistry and the 2014 Royal Society of Chemistry Supramolecular Chemistry Award.

The school offers a flexible bachelor of science degree with a concentration in mathematics and chemistry, in addition to master’s and doctoral degrees in the philosophy of science. Degree seekers can focus on:

• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• General Chemistry
• Medicinal Chemistry
• Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
• Pharmacology

Graduate degrees are research based, focusing on advanced subjects such as:

• Molecular Design and Synthesis
• Soft Matter
• Supramolecular Chemistry

Undergraduates in the four-year program can take advantage of USYD’s elective year option before graduating. The elective year allows students to seek full-time employment in the chemical industry or at government-funded scientific laboratories where they analyze industrial chemicals, test pharmaceutical products, and develop laboratory techniques.

44. McGill University

Montreal, Quebec

Established in 1821, McGill is a public research university in Montreal, Canada. The Department of Chemistry boasts 37 professors, more than 150 graduate students, and 40 postdoctoral fellows. McGill’s faculty specialize in biophysical chemistry, chemical synthesis, bio-organic chemistry, and nanochemistry.

Departmental chair Dima Perepichka is an award-winning scholar and teacher recognized by Peking University, the Italian Chamber of Commerce, and the California Nanosystems Institute. Most research in the department centers on six main topics:

• Analytical and Environmental Chemistry
• Chemical Physics
• Green and Sustainable Chemistry
• Synthesis and Catalysis

The McGill chemistry faculty provide ample support for prospective students interested in any of these areas.

McGill offers one of the best undergraduate chemistry programs, with bachelor’s degrees in atmosphere and environment, bio-organic, materials, measurement, and bio-physical chemistry. Undergraduates may also pursue a bachelor of science degree through “liberal program” tracks and a major in biological or general chemistry. The department also offers a chemical engineering minor. Graduate students at McGill can earn a thesis-track master of science in chemistry and a doctor of philosophy in chemistry. Each graduate program focuses on independent research, and candidates must compose a thesis or dissertation based on original laboratory research prior to graduation.

45. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

The University of North Carolina system’s flagship school, UNC, is the 17-campus system’s main school. Altogether, UNC offers 71 bachelor’s, 107 master’s, and 74 doctoral programs and serves approximately 30,000 students.

Undergraduates in the Chemistry Department can pursue a bachelor of science in biochemistry or polymer chemistry, or they can earn a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science in general chemistry. UNC undergraduates enjoy unique opportunities to work as chemistry assistants in on-campus laboratories.

Bachelor’s degree seekers can also participate in six-week summer study abroad programs at foreign universities like the University of Hong Kong, the National University of Singapore, and institutions in Australia and Great Britain. Graduate students can earn a master’s or Ph.D. in chemistry, focusing on research areas such as:

• Biological Chemistry
• Polymer Chemistry

Most first-year graduate students receive teaching assistantships. UNC offers one of the best chemistry programs in the country. The department’s researchers and students produce more than 300 academic publications annually; they filed over 100 patents in the last decade. The faculty includes members or fellows of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering — not to mention recipients of the Institutes of Health Director’s Pioneer Award.

46. University College London

London, England

Based on total undergraduate and graduate enrollment figures, this public research institution is the largest university in the United Kingdom. UCL’s main campus is in central London’s Bloomsbury neighborhood and houses over 100 academic departments and research centers. Professor Claire J. Carmalt serves as the head of the university’s Chemistry Department . She specializes in the study of inorganic materials, transparent conducting oxides, photocatalysts, and superhydrophobic paints. Carmalt also enjoys status as a Royal Society of Chemistry fellow and a winner of the Meldola medal and prize in 2000.

UCL’s reputation for offering one of the best undergraduate chemistry programs makes admission competitive, with only about 140 students accepted each year. Degree seekers can take advantage of UCL’s flexible programs and enhance their learning and career prospects through interdisciplinary course combinations. Undergraduates typically pursue minor concentrations in mathematics, management, medicinal chemistry, or chemical physics.

Graduate students at UCL can pursue master’s and doctoral degrees. The chemistry department offers five master’s programs, including:

• Applied Analytical Chemistry
• Chemical Research
• Materials for Energy and Environment
• Molecular Modeling

The chemistry department allows students to take maternity, paternity, shared parental, and adoption leave while enrolled in the program. Under special circumstances, students may enroll on a part-time basis while tending to matters outside of school. The department can also make arrangements for students on leave to receive additional financial support.

47. University of British Columbia

Vancouver, British Columbia

Located in Vancouver, UBC is a public research university. The school serves as home to the TRIUMF physics laboratory — a leading international research facility that houses the world’s largest cyclotron — in addition to the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies and the Stuart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute. Professor Michael Wolf, the head of the chemistry department , is known for his work in sulfur-bridged conjugated oligomers metal nanoparticle-conjugated polymer nanocomposites and biological imaging.

One of the best undergraduate chemistry programs for students interested in developing a specialty, UBC offers seven concentrations:

• Chemical Analysis and Physics
• Computational Chemistry
• Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmacy

Undergraduates complete a rigorous, research-based curriculum that includes dedicated research skills courses and provides real-world experience through funded research opportunities. Graduate students at UBC can pursue master’s or doctoral degrees. Postgraduate candidates receive institutional funding packages which include a departmental research or teaching assistantship appointment. The graduate school guarantees master’s and doctoral students funding for two and five years, respectively.

Canadian prime ministers Kim Campbell and Justin Trudeau are notable UBC alumni, and students and graduates alike can secure job opportunities and collaborative research partners through the university’s extensive alumni network.

48. (tie) University of California – San Diego

La Jolla, California

UCSD enjoyed a recent success in its Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry when Professor Roger Tsien won the 2008 Nobel Prize in chemistry with Osamu Shimomura and Martin Chalfie for their discovery of and work with green fluorescent protein. UCSD’s prior recipient of the Nobel Prize in chemistry was Professor Mario Molina in 1995 for his study of the ozone layer and chlorofluorocarbon gases.

Chemistry research institutes at UCSD include:

• The BioCircuits Institute
• The Center for Aerosol Impacts On Climate and The Environment
• The Center for NMR Spectroscopy and The Imaging of Proteins
• The Center for Systems Biology
• The Liquid Maps Institute

The chemistry department also supports severalresearch facilities and associated technologies. The school’s Biophysics Instrumentation Facility provides tools such as:

• A Stopped-flow Fluorimeter
• An Aviv CD Spectrometer
• An Analytical Ultracentrifuge

Other facilities on and near campus that support the school’s chemistry master’s programs include:

• The Biomolecular/Proteomics Mass Spectrometry Facility
• The Cryo-Electron Microscopy Facility
• The Molecular Mass Spectrometry Facility
• The UCSD Biomolecule Crystallography Facility

48. (tie) RWTH Aachen University

Aachen, Germany

RWTH, Germany’s largest technical university, is a research university located in North Rhine-Westphalia. The school boasts more than 42,000 students and 144 academic programs. The Department of Chemistry is divided into five central research institutes: inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, technical and macromolecular chemistry, and interactive materials. The campus’s two prominent research laboratories include the Catalytic Center, which is in the Center for Molecular Transformations. Both labs organize and carry out large-scale research projects and foster collaboration between RWTH’s chemists, biologists, and engineers.

The chemistry department offers bachelor of science and master’s degrees, most of which focus on producing chemistry educators. The research-centered chemistry master’s program allows candidates to concentrate on:

• Bioactive Compounds in Synthetic Methods
• Computer Chemistry and Spectroscopy
• Mesoscopic Systems

Similarly, RWTH offers one research-focused bachelor’s chemistry degree that explores the field’s foundations and culminates in a thesis project.

Chemistry students can also acquire hands-on practical lab work experience by participating in one of several internships and study abroad programs. RWTH is a member of an international association of technical universities that maintains a campus in California. Students enrolled in study abroad programs receive partial funding through the department.

50. Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Established in 1896, this Chinese research university is nicknamed “The MIT of the East.” SJTU’s School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering consists of three departments: polymer science and engineering, chemical engineering, and chemistry. The department has made substantial scientific contributions to notable national initiatives over the years, including projects sponsored by the Natural Science Fund and the federal “863” and “974” projects.

Undergraduates may pursue a degree in applied chemistry and chemical engineering or technology, choosing concentrations in foundational areas such as:

• Polymeric Chemistry

SJTU also offers master’s and doctoral degrees in chemistry, chemical engineering and technology, and applied chemistry. In total, SJTU’s chemistry department consists of approximately 280 undergraduate students, 555 graduate students, and 100 professors and instructors.

With the ultimate goal of serving nearby communities, faculty research focuses primarily on popular Chinese industries. Faculty members contribute to many national projects, including the Shanghai Spark Program and other government-commissioned initiatives. Many of SJTU’s newer collaborative research projects take place on an international scale, and the department maintains partnerships with university researchers in America, Canada, Japan, Germany, and Holland.

The 50 Best Chemistry Programs in the World | 2015

• University of California – Berkeley (Berkeley, California)
• Harvard University (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
• Stanford University (Stanford, California)
• California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, California)
• Northwestern University (Evanston, Illinoise)
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
• University of Cambridge (Cambridge, England)
• ETH Zürich (Zürich, Switzerland)
• Kyoto University (Kyoto, Japan)
• University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
• University of California – Los Angeles (Los Angeles, California)
• Yale University (New Haven, Connecticut)
• University of California – Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara, California)
• Technical University of Munich (Munich, Germany)
• Cornell University (Ithaca, New York)
• Columbia University (New York, New York)
• University of Oxford (Oxford, United Kingdom)
• University of California – San Diego (San Diego, California)
• University of Strasbourg (Strasbourg, France)
• Purdue University (West Lafayette, Indiana)
• Heidelberg University (Heidelberg, Germany)
• Rice University (Houston, Texas)
• University of Toronto (Toronto, Ontariot)
• École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (Lausanne, Switzerland)
• University of Tokyo (Tokyo, Japan)
• University of Texas at Austin (Austin, Texas)
• University of California – Irvine (Irvine, California)
• Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, Georgia)
• University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, Michigan)
• University of Minnesota – Twin Cities (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
• Peking University (Beijing, China)
• University of Wüerzburg (Würzburg, Germany)
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Champaign, Illinois)
• University of Colorado at Boulder (Boulder, Colorado)
• Tohoku University (Sendai, Japan)
• King Abdulaziz University (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia)
• University of Florida (Gainesville, Florida)
• Zhejiang University (Hangzhou, China)
• Osaka University (Osaka, Japan)
• Texas A&M University (College Station, Texas)
• Weizmann Institute of Science (Rehovot, Israel)
• University of California – Riverside (Riverside, California)
• University of Wisconsin – Madison (Madison, Wisconsin)
• Monash University (Melbourne, Australia)
• University of Chicago (Chicago, Illinois)
• University of Southern California (Los Angeles, California)
• University of Müenster (Münster, Germany)
• Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo, Japan)
• Imperial College London (London, England)
• Nagoya University (Nagoya, Japan)

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Chemistry PhD Program

The University of Pennsylvania is an internationally renowned research institution that attracts the best students from the United States and around the globe. The Graduate Program is designed for students who wish to earn a Ph.D. in Chemistry while undertaking cutting edge research. The program provides students with the necessary theoretical background and hands-on training to become independent and highly successful scientists.  Graduate students achieve mastery of advanced chemistry topics through courses in different subdisciplines. Broad exposure to current research also occurs via four weekly departmental seminar programs and many interdisciplinary, university-wide lecture series.

Currently, faculty, students, and postdoctoral associates in Chemistry work in the fields of bioinorganic chemistry, bioorganic chemistry, chemical biology, biophysical chemistry, bioinformatics, materials science, laser chemistry, health related chemistry, structural and dynamical studies of biological systems, X-ray scattering/diffraction, NMR spectroscopy, applications of computing and computer graphics, as well as investigations of chemical communication and hormone-receptor interactions. Many research groups combine different techniques to explore frontier areas, such as nanomaterials applied to biology, photoactive biomolecules, and single-molecule imaging. Novel synthetic procedures are under constant development for targets ranging from super-emissive nanoparticles to highly specialized drug molecules and giant dendrimers, which are being explored, for example, as drug-delivery systems. The Research Facilities in the Department of Chemistry provide a strong technology base to enable the highest level of innovation. Graduate students are a driving, integral force at Penn Chemistry.

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The Department of Chemistry offers a program of study leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). There are approximately 165 graduate students and 120 postdoctoral researchers, visiting faculty and senior scholars representing diverse backgrounds and experiences pursuing research in all major areas of chemistry. There is considerable interdisciplinary and collaborative research pursued both within the Department and with other departments and programs around campus.

Erik Sorensen Director of Graduate Studies [email protected] Frick Laboratory, 132 609-258-8135

Patti Wallack Manager of Educational Programs, Outreach, and Events [email protected] Frick Laboratory, A21 609-258-4116

Sarah Mullins Graduate Program Manager [email protected] Frick Laboratory, 222 609-258-3651

The Graduate Program in Chemistry welcomes students pursuing doctoral research in a broad range of areas:

• Catalysis and Organic Synthesis
• Physical Experimental Chemistry
• Theoretical and Computational Chemistry
• Materials Chemistry

The Graduate Catalog provides an overview of the chemistry academic and interdisciplinary programs available to students. Click to visit the chemistry section of the Graduate Catalog.

Chemistry, PhD

Zanvyl krieger school of arts and sciences.

Johns Hopkins University was the first American institution to emphasize graduate education and to establish a PhD program in chemistry. Founding Chair Ira Remsen initiated a tradition of excellence in research and education that has continued until this day. The Hopkins graduate program is designed for students who desire a PhD in chemistry while advancing scientific knowledge for humankind.

The graduate program provides students with the background and technical expertise required to be leaders in their field and to pursue independent research.

Graduate students’ advancement is marked by entrance exams, coursework, teaching, seminars, oral examinations, and an individual research project that culminates in a thesis dissertation. The thesis research project represents an opportunity for graduate students to make a mark on the world. Working in conjunction with a faculty member or team, individually tailored thesis projects enable students to think independently about cutting-edge research areas that are of critical importance. Thesis research is the most important step toward becoming a PhD scientist, and our program provides an outstanding base with a proven track record of success.

Graduate students make up the heart of the Chemistry Department, and the department strives to support students’ individual needs. Each student is carefully advised and classes are traditionally quite small. Multidisciplinary research and course offerings that increase scientific breadth and innovation are hallmarks of the program.  In addition to academic and technical development, our department also offers several outlets for professional and social development.

Admission Requirements

Application materials include:

• Academic transcripts
• Three letters of recommendation
• Statement of Purpose
• The GRE General Test is required.  However, this requirement can be waived for individuals for whom personal circumstances make it difficult or impossible to access the GRE General Test at this present time.  If so, please let the Academic Affairs Administrator (information below) be aware of these circumstances, and the application will be given full consideration.
• The GRE Chemistry Subject is Test is recommended, but not required.
• The application fee is $75. However, fee waivers may be requested for applicants that have documentation showing they are a part of SACNAS, MARCC, oSTEM and many other organizations. To access the full list to see if you qualify, go to the  Krieger Graduate Admission and Enrollment  page.

Assistance with the application process is available. Candidates with questions about the application process, or requests for a GRE General Test waiver (or on other matters related to the application) should contact the Admissions Committee’s Academic Affairs Administrator ( [email protected] ).

There are no fixed requirements for admission. Undergraduate majors in chemistry, biology, earth sciences, mathematics, or physics may apply as well as all well-qualified individuals who will have received a BA degree before matriculation. A select number of applicants will be invited to visit campus to tour our facilities and interact with our faculty members and their lab members over a weekend in March.

For further information about graduate study in chemistry visit the Chemistry Department website . 

Program Requirements

Normally, the minimum course requirement for both the M.A. and the Ph.D. degrees is six one-semester graduate courses in chemistry and related sciences. Exceptionally well-prepared students may ask for a reduction of these requirements.

Requirements for the Ph.D. degree include a research dissertation worthy of publication, and a knowledge of chemistry and related material as demonstrated in an oral examination. Each student must teach for at least one year.

Below is a list of the core Chemistry courses for graduate level students.

U.S. News & World Report Rankings

The College of Chemistry consistently earns top rankings* nationally and globally, standing out among a select few chemistry colleges by various metrics. Moreover, our individual disciplines consistently maintain top positions within all chemistry programs.

*U.S. News undergraduate rankings are published in the fall for the coming year; graduate numbers are formulated in early spring for the following year.

Public University

#1 ranked U.S. top public university

#1 U.S. graduate chemistry program

Chem Engineering

#2 U.S. chemical engineering grad program

#4 U.S. chemical engineering undergrad program

Additional Rankings

U.S. News & World Report University of California, Berkeley Rankings

U.S. News & World Report University of California Berkeley's Graduate School Rankings

• Analytical Chemistry

Purdue University’s analytical chemistry program is the top graduate program in the United States. With 16 faculty members and more than 100 graduate students, our program is one of the largest in the world. Analytical Chemistry at Purdue has a strong emphases on mass spectrometry (Cooks, Kenttämaa, A. Laskin, J. Laskin, McLuckey, Tao);  NMR spectroscopy (Yang);  structural biology (Drown, Metskas, Yang);  environmental chemistry (A. Laskin, Michalski); soft matter and nanostructures (Claridge, Mao);  optical spectroscopy and microscopy (Metskas, Simpson, Zhang);  machine learning and immunology (Chopra);  electrochemistry (Dick);  chemical imaging (Claridge, Dick, A. Laskin, J. Laskin, Metskas, Simpson, Zhang)

Our Faculty

Gaurav Chopra

• Neuroimmunology
• Machine learning
• Drug discovery

Shelley Claridge

• Nanomaterials
• Confinement effects

Graham Cooks

• Synthesis by mass spectrometry
• Accelerated reactions
• High throughput bioassays

Bryon Drown

• Protein mass spectrometry
• Chemical proteomics
• Protein-drug interactions

Jeffrey Dick

• Accelerated Reactions
• Single Cell Metabolomics using Nanoelectrochemistry
• Nanomaterial Synthesis & Characterization

Hilkka Kenttämaa

• Mass spectrometry
• Analysis of complex mixtures
• Structural characterization of polyfunctional organic compounds

Alex Laskin

• Chemistry of atmospheric aerosols
• Multi-modal characterization of complex mixtures
• Environmental chemistry

Julia Laskin

• Ion soft-landing
• Mass spectrometry imaging
• Instrument development

Chengde Mao

• DNA nanotechnology
• Self-assembly
• Biosensing/nanomedicine

Scott McLuckey

• Top-down biomolecule characterization
• Bio-complex analysis

Lauren Ann Metskas

• Cryo electron tomography
• Correlative microscopy
• Protein ultrastructure

Greg Michalski

• Stable isotope geochemistry
• Atmospheric chemistry
• Nitrogen cycling in aquatic and soil systems

Garth Simpson

• Nonlinear optics
• Chemical imaging
• Dynamic sampling

• Molecular signaling in cancer cells
• Identification of biomarkers for cancer and AD

Danzhou Yang

• NMR spectroscopy
• Structure biology
• Cancer-specific DNA molecular targets

• Optical microscopy/spectroscopy
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• Cell metabolism
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Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry

Get your phd in chemistry.

Thank you for your interest in the graduate program at the University of Iowa Department of Chemistry. The Department has had a chemistry PhD program for over 75 years and currently consists of over 25 research faculty, over 130 graduate students, and over 20 postdoctoral associates, research scientists and visiting scholars. Our graduates and postdocs have accepted positions at leading academic and industrial institutions and national laboratories.

State-of-the-art research labs, support facilities, and classrooms are located in the Chemistry Building and the Iowa Advanced Technology Laboratory. Extensive resources are readily accessible such as NMR, mass spectrometry, and X-ray analysis facilities, advanced computational resources, and complete machine, electronics, and glass shops. In addition to strong programs in the core areas of analytical, inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry, we offer unique research opportunities in emerging interdisciplinary areas such as biocatalysis, natural products, materials, surface science, bioinorganic, chemical sensors, chemical education research, and environmental and atmospheric chemistry.

The Department of Chemistry funds the tuition for all of our graduate students in good standing. In addition, we offer teaching and research assistantships that pay an annual stipend and provide employee benefits such as health insurance. Additional funding from a variety of sources is also available. 

For more information, contact the graduate program by e-mail at [email protected] . 

Student resources

• First year student guide
• Annual review resources
• Teaching assistant resources
• Postdoctoral scholar resources
• Thesis and dissertation
• General catalog
• Current courses

Degree requirements

Competency requirement.

Students must demonstrate basic competency in three chosen sub-disciplines of chemistry (analytical, biochemistry, inorganic, organic, physical). Competency is established in one of the following ways: Scoring at the 50th percentile level (national norm) on the proficiency exam, completing a one-semester review course with a grade of C or better (courses specified below), or completing a one-semester graduate-level/advanced course in that sub-discipline of chemistry with a grade of B or better. The competency requirement must be fulfilled before the beginning of the student's third semester in the graduate program.

Review courses

Courses currently designated as review courses are:

• CHEM:4171 (formerly 4:171): Advanced Analytical Chemistry
• BIOC:3120 (formerly 99:120): Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I
• CHEM:4270 (formerly 4:170): Advanced Inorganic Chemistry
• CHEM:4372 (formerly 4:172): Advanced Organic Chemistry
• CHEM:4431 (formerly 4:131): Physical Chemistry I

Advanced course requirement

Beyond the competency requirements, a minimum of four additional courses that total at least 11 semester hours of graduate credit must be completed by the end of the fourth semester in residence. Grades of "B" or higher must be attained in all of these advanced courses. A grade of "B-" does not meet this requirement. Research, seminar, and pedagogy credits, courses that are doubly listed with sub-100 level numbers, courses taken with the S/U grade option, and courses with grades of "B-" or lower cannot be used to fulfill this requirement. The student is strongly encouraged to develop a detailed course plan that is reviewed and approved by the research advisor.

Comprehensive examination

The oral comprehensive examination is designed to assess the student's overall progress, knowledge of fundamental chemical principles and chosen area of specialization, and general competency for PhD research.

Before the beginning of the second semester after a permanent advisor has been appointed, a Graduate Academic Committee (GAC) of five faculty, at least four from Chemistry, will be formed for each student with a PhD degree objective. The committee will consist of the research advisor and four additional members invited by the student subject to the advisor’s approval.

The five member committee for the comprehensive examination is the same as the student's Graduate Academic Committee (GAC). Additional faculty members may be invited to attend the oral comprehensive examination and may be consulted in judging the presentation when it bears upon their areas of expertise.

To be eligible to take the Comprehensive Examination, the student must have a cumulative average of 3.00 or greater on appropriate graduate coursework at The University of Iowa. Appropriate graduate coursework includes review courses (Section II.B.), graded seminar presentations (Section III.F.), courses that satisfy the advanced course requirement (Section III.A.), and additional courses in chemistry or related disciplines that are judged appropriate by the student’s GAC. Graduate Chemistry Orientation (CHEM:5091, formerly 4:191), Ethics in Chemical Sciences (CHEM:5092, formerly 4;192), Research in Chemistry (CHEM:7999, formerly 4:290) and Research Seminar (CHEM:6990, formerly 4:291) shall be graded on an S/U basis and therefore are not included in the computation of the cumulative average.

The general comprehensive examination requirements set by the Graduate College must be completed by the end of the fourth semester in residence, unless written consent is received from the GAC and is approved by the Departmental Graduate Review Committee (DGRC). A student who fails to meet this requirement may be dropped from the PhD program. A student on academic probation is not eligible to take the comprehensive exam. Students entering with a Master's degree and those exempted from review courses are strongly encouraged to take the comprehensive examination during the second or third semester in residence.

The comprehensive examination is a two-part oral examination. The first part consists of an oral defense of the student's research problem and progress, and will be based upon a written Research Report submitted by the student. The second part consists of an oral defense of an original Research Proposal submitted by the student. The Research Report and the Research Proposal must be submitted (together) prior to five weeks before the last day of classes in the semester during which the examination is to be taken (or, for a spring semester examination, by the last Friday prior to Spring Break, whichever is earlier). It is strongly recommended that the examination be held at the earliest possible date in the semester to facilitate scheduling.

If the GAC approves both the Research Report and the Research Proposal, the oral examination may be scheduled. The student should then complete a Formal Plan of Study and a Request to the Graduate College for the PhD Comprehensive Examination. At the examination, the student will be asked to present a short (20 minute) summary of their research project. During or following this presentation, the committee will ask questions designed to probe the student's understanding of the research topic and important background material, the experimental methods and techniques which are important in the particular area, and the goals and significance of the research. The committee next will examine the candidate's understanding of areas related to the Research Proposal. The student will be asked to give a short (30 minute) presentation of the Research Proposal. The committee will ask questions designed to probe the quality and the student's understanding of the proposal. Typically, however, this discussion will evolve into a wide-ranging examination of the student's general competency in the chemical sciences.

Seminar requirements

Each student is expected to give a minimum of two acceptable seminars. One seminar must cover the student's research. The other may also deal with the student's research, or can be an extensive literature report. The student may register for the appropriate divisional seminar course and receive letter grade credit during those semesters in which the seminars are presented. The final PhD defense cannot be used to meet this requirement.

The research conference/three-month seminar

At least three months before the anticipated final defense, the PhD candidate must meet with their graduate academic committee. If scheduling permits, the research work can be reported as a research seminar during a regularly scheduled divisional seminar, with a subsequent committee meeting for questions and advice.

Final defense of the PhD dissertation

The Dean of the Graduate College will make a public announcement of a candidate’s final defense three weeks prior to the exam date. This final oral examination is open to the public. Dissertation copies must be made available to all members of the examining committee not later than two weeks before the examination date.

Milestones toward the PhD

The milestones on the path toward earning your PhD in chemistry at the University of Iowa are described below. These are illustrative of a typical student; most students follow this path, but some variations are possible.

Typical timelines for PhD completion

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Credit: Will Kirk / Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins graduate programs again ranked among nation's best

'u.s. news & world report' includes 38 jhu programs among the top 10 in the u.s. in its annual rankings, including no. 1 ranked programs in nursing and public health.

By Hub staff report

Johns Hopkins University has 38 graduate schools, academic programs, and specialties ranked among the top 10 in the nation, including nine with No. 1 rankings, according to the latest edition of "Best Graduate Schools" from U.S. News & World Report , published earlier today.

Two schools at Hopkins—the Bloomberg School of Public Health and the School of Nursing —earned No. 1 rankings overall, and the School of Education entered the top 10, according to U.S. News & World Report .

Portions of the publication's annual list were released today but rankings for schools of medicine and engineering were delayed and will be released at a later date.

Among the new rankings released today:

The School of Nursing's DNP program ranked No. 1 for the third year in a row. Its master's degree programs tied at No. 1, up from No. 2 last year. In gerontology, the school moved up two spots to No. 1 for primary care, and up one spot to No. 2 for acute care. In other specialty areas, the School of Nursing's doctoral programs ranked:

• Psychiatric/mental health: No. 1
• Family: No. 3 (tied)
• Leadership: No. 4 (tied)
• Nursing Anesthesia: No. 36 (tie)

Public Health

The Bloomberg School retained its longtime No. 1 overall ranking among public health programs—it has held the top spot since 1994, the year the rankings began. In specialty areas, the Bloomberg School ranked:

• Environmental Health Sciences: No. 1
• Epidemiology: No. 1
• Health Policy and Management (Public Health): No. 1
• Social and Behavioral Sciences: No. 1
• Biostatistics: No. 2

Johns Hopkins tied at No. 8 in the Education category, up from No. 13 last year. The school also tied at No. 23 in higher education administration programs.

Public Affairs

Overall, Johns Hopkins programs in public affairs tied at No. 39. In subcategories, Johns Hopkins tied at No. 6 in Health Policy and Management (Public Affairs), No. 11 in International/Global Policy and Administration, and tied at No. 35 in Public Policy Analysis.

U.S. News & World Report updates some of its rankings each year and republishes the most recent rankings in other areas. Among the republished rankings for Hopkins, which are still current:

Biological Sciences

Hopkins is tied for No. 6 overall with six top 10 specialty rankings:

• Molecular biology: No. 3 (tie)
• Cell biology: No. 4
• Neuroscience: No. 4 (tie)
• Immunology: No. 5
• Genetics, genomics, and bioinformatics: No. 6 (tie)
• Biochemistry, biophysics, and structural biology: No. 8

Biostatistics

Hopkins is ranked No. 1 (tie) for Biostatistics at the doctoral level. (Note: U.S. News & World Report also ranks biostatistics as a sub-category of public health, where Hopkins is No. 2.)

The university is tied at No. 20 in Chemistry and ranks No. 9 in the Biochemistry subcategory.

Computer Science

The university is tied for No. 24 overall and tied at No. 21 in the specialty of Artificial Intelligence.

Earth Sciences

The university is tied at No. 30 in Earth Sciences.

Johns Hopkins' program in economics is tied at No. 22.

English tied at No. 13 overall with the following specialty rankings:

• Literary criticism and theory: No. 3
• British literature: No. 10 (tie)
• American literature after 1865: No. 17

Health Care Management

The university is No. 7.

Johns Hopkins ranks No. 10 overall, with the following specialty rankings:

• African-American history: No. 3 (tie)
• Cultural history: No. 4 (tie)
• U.S. Colonial history: No. 5 (tie)
• Women's history: No. 6 (tie)
• African history: No. 7 (tie)
• European history: No. 7 (tie)
• Modern U.S. history: No. 16 (tie)

Mathematics

Johns Hopkins is tied at No. 20 in Mathematics with the following specialty rankings: + Analysis: No. 18 (tie) + Algebra: No. 23 (tie) + Applied Math: No. 25

Overall, the university is tied at No. 13 with the following specialty rankings: + Living Systems: No. 5 (tie) + Cosmology: No. 7 + Condensed Matter: No. 13 (tie)

Political science

Overall, political science is tied at No. 41. In sub-categories, Johns Hopkins ranked: + Political theory: No. 8 (tie) + International politics: No. 24 (tie)

The university's graduate program in psychology is tied at No. 12 overall and tied at No. 5 in the subcategory of behavioral neuroscience.

Overall, sociology is tied at No. 29. The sub-category of sociology of population is tied at No. 17.

Posted in University News

Tagged u.s. news and world report , university rankings

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Hopkins No. 9 in 'U.S. News' rankings

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US News & World Report: CU Boulder graduate programs rank among nation’s best

Us news & world report: cu boulder graduate programs rank among nation’s best.

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Numerous CU Boulder graduate level programs are among the top 25 of their kind in the United States, according to the U.S. News and World Report rankings released today.

Highlights include:

• Environmental law has improved by eight points to No. 7.
• Atomic/molecular/optical physics, geology and physical chemistry continue to be ranked within the top 10.

“These rankings have shown, year after year, that CU Boulder is among the top institutions nationally for graduate studies—and that couldn’t be accomplished without the exemplary work of our students, faculty and staff,” said Scott Adler, dean of the Graduate School and vice provost for graduate affairs. “We are appreciative of all that they do to support our ongoing commitment to preparing our students to not just succeed but to thrive.”

U.S. News does not update its rankings for every program each year, and this year there is also a delay announcing the rankings for engineering and clinical psychology, which CU Boulder has historically scored well on. 

In the publication’s 2025 issue, CU Boulder maintains previous rankings or has taken new positions in a number of disciplines. These rankings are among public and private institutions combined. 

Programs ranking in the top 10 nationally include: atomic/molecular/optical physics (4); environmental law (7); geology (7); and physical chemistry (8).

CU Boulder’s graduate offerings in the following areas rank in the teens nationally: quantum physics (11); psychology (12); condensed matter physics (13); Earth sciences (14); audiology (15); physics (17); sociology of population (17); and education policy (19).

Several other CU Boulder departments and programs are ranked in the top 25 nationally for graduate-level offerings in the categories of: speech-language pathology (21); education curriculum and instruction (22); and fine arts (23).

A full list of CU Boulder graduate rankings is available on the U.S. News website (U.S. News College Compass subscription required for full access). Additional graduate rankings in engineering and clinical psychology are forthcoming. 

Campus Community

Programs in the top 20

• Atomic/molecular/optical physics, 4
• Environmental law, 7
• Physical chemistry, 8
• Quantum physics, 11
• Psychology, 12
• Condensed matter physics, 13
• Earth sciences, 14
• Audiology, 15
• Physics, 17
• Sociology of population, 17
• Education policy, 19

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Bachelor of Science (B.S. Chem)

About this Degree

This program is designed for the student who intends to become a professional chemist. The curriculum for this degree consists of a selection of rigorous chemistry courses as well as supporting courses in related areas of physical science and mathematics. This curriculum meets the standards set for certification by the American Chemical Society.

The Department of Chemistry offers the SURO, Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunities program. Undergraduate researchers will join active research groups and participate in projects directed by faculty members. Participants are introduced to new and innovative areas of research in a variety of chemistry sub-disciplines through interaction with faculty members and joint seminars with other participants in the summer research program.

The Chemistry Learning Center (CLC) is available as an educational resource for undergraduates and faculty. To fulfill this goal, the CLC provides students with a diverse assortment of resource to aid them in their studies. The simplest resource the Center can provide is a quiet place to study alone or as part of a small group. Teaching Assistants (TAs) hold their office hours in the CLC and help answer student questions about class work, lab assignments, or homework and mentor the small group discussions. Computer resources are also made available to students to help them in their studies. Computer tutorials and demonstrations are available that help students cover material in General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry at their own pace.  Professors have worked to develop special projects that expand the breadth and depth of topics that can be covered in class.

Expectations of Transfer Students

To transfer into chemistry without delay, students must already have credit in two semesters of freshman chemistry, two semesters of organic chemistry, one semester of quantitative analysis, two semesters of calculus, and two semesters of calculus-based physics. No transfer students will be accepted as candidates for this degree later than the beginning of their junior year. Students wishing to obtain this degree should enter the University no later than the beginning of their sophomore year. For further information, contact the head of the Department of Chemistry.

Special Requirements

An average GPA of 2.5 or higher is required in chemistry and in other academic subjects in both lower and upper division programs.

What you will learn

All students who satisfactorily complete this curriculum are certified by the Department of Chemistry to the American Chemical Society as having completed the undergraduate training recommended by the A.C.S. The curriculum for this degree offers training in the field of chemistry and its allied sciences for students who desire to enter commercial or government laboratories or the teaching profession, to become associated with chemical industries in a technical position, or to pursue graduate work in chemistry in order to enter some field of research or college teaching.

• Analytical Chemistry
• Inorganic Chemistry
• Organic Chemistry
• Physical Chemistry
• Biological Chemistry
• Chemical Education
• Computational/Theoretical Chemistry
• Environmental/Atomospheric Chemistry
• Materials Chemistry and Nanoscience

Anesthesiologist Environmental Protection Analysis and Testing Glass & Textiles Industry Argolyn Bioscience Astra Zenca Pharmaceuticals Hickson Corporation Chemical Industry Industrial Production Inspector Machinery Industry Cosmetics Industry Packaging Industry Defense Industry Paint Industry Drug Industry Petroleum Industry Pfizer Central Research Electronics Industry Engineering Firms Pharmaceuticals Occupational Safety Specialist Production/Testing labs facilities Research and Development Rockland React-Rite Sandia National Laboratory Savannah Laboratories Scientific journals Springborn Testing & Research Technical consulting firms Thermo Electron Corp. GlaxoSmithKline Chemical Manufacturers

Environmental Chemist Industrial Chemist Environmental Specialist Chemical Distributor Glass Industry Manager Chemical Engineer Industrial Production Inspector Children's Hospital Chemist Medical Sales Customer Training Specialist Medical Chemical Specialist Defense Industry Chemist Nuclear Chemical Technician Developmental Scientist Paint Industry Scientist Drug developer/tester Pharmaceutical scientist Quality Control Specialist Petroleum Industry Scientist Textiles Industry Chemist R & D Manager/Consultant Scientific writer/Editor Nutritional Chemist Testing labs Researcher

Degree Details

Need more direction.

Robert Phillips Undergraduate Coordinator [email protected] (706) 542-6376

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Got More Questions?

Undergraduate inquiries:   [email protected] 

Registration and credit transfers :  [email protected]

AP Credit, Section Changes, Overrides, Prerequisites :  [email protected]

Graduate inquiries:  [email protected]

Contact Us!

Assistant to the Department Head:   D onna Spotts , 706-542-1919 

Main office phone: 706-542-1919 

Main Email:   [email protected]

Head of Chemistry: Prof. Jason Locklin

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