Preparing for Graduate Studies in Chemistry

Graduate school in chemistry is an important option to our bachelor’s degree recipients, although it is not for everyone.   Most commonly, graduate students work directly on a Ph.D. degree program; an initial M.S. degree is not very common (still, there are a number of schools that have very good M.S. programs without a Ph.D. program). Benefits enjoyed by Ph.D. chemists are better job, higher salary, more independence, opportunity to lead, and a focus on research.  It is also important to note that there is a shortage of good graduate students in chemistry in the U.S., particularly domestic students, so there is great interest among graduate schools for good undergraduates.   This works to be benefit of a good undergraduate seeking go to graduate school.

Students graduate with a B.S. in chemistry (including with a concentration in biochemistry) from the Department of Chemistry are very well prepared to step the next step and undertake graduate studies in chemistry.   Students graduating with a B.A. in chemistry, while less rigorous prepared in math and physics than the B.S. students nonetheless have a solid core education in chemistry and are sufficiently prepared for grad studies.  Approximately 1/3 of all chemistry majors graduating from UC do so, attending excellent graduate schools with full financial support (tuition scholarship and a stipend of up to $20,000 - 25,000/year or more is common if not expected). 

The requirements for admission and support in graduate schools varies widely as a function of the school.  Currently, near 200 universities in the U.S. grant a Ph.D. in chemistry.  The top schools (e.g. Berkeley, Harvard, Caltech) will require grade point averages that are very high, 3.9 or greater as well as strong GRE scores.   However, many solid schools will accept students with a 3.2 or higher, and some will accept students with below a 3.0 is there are other strong points in the application file.

One factor that is considered strongly is whether the applicant has carried out undergraduate research, and the letter of recommendation from the research advisor.   For this reason, among many, students considering graduate school should very strongly consider becoming involved with undergraduate research for multiple quarters.  This will provide a student with an idea of how research operates and whether this is a true interest.  Since graduate studies in chemistry are largely focused on the research process, it is important to understand this process and be committed to doing research.

Key considerations for students considering graduate school include:

1.  To what schools should I apply?
2.  When should I apply?
3.  Once accepted, how do I determine the best school for me? (visit!)
4.  How long does a Ph.D. program take?
5.  When do I make my decision from among several offers?
6.  How important is a specific area of chemistry in choosing a graduate school?
7.  How important is working with a specific advisor in choosing a graduate school?
8.  Should I take time off and work before going to graduate school?
9.  Should I take a “gap year” before graduate school (do service work, etc.)?

Much has been written already in response to these questions, and the reader of this page is referred to some of this prepared material.   In particularly, the American Chemical Society website has extensive discussions on this point, at:
http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=PP_TRANSITIONMAIN&node_id=1110&use_sec=false&sec_url_var=region1

This is worth a serious look.  Also, the PowerPoint presentation give by Dr. Ault to undergraduates each year can be accessed by clicking here.

Finally, the process of applying to and choosing a graduate school is complex.   Students are strongly encourage to see their research director for guidance on this subject, as well as a departmental academic advisor.