Graduate Studies

The University of Rochester Chemistry Department is a medium-sized department with a balance between internationally known research and a small student/faculty ratio. The Chemistry Department is a center for cutting-edge research, where graduate education focuses on instruction leading to the Ph.D. degree.

In the Department of Chemistry, we educate through research. The Department has strong research programs in the traditional areas of organic, inorganic and physical chemistry, as well as in interdisciplinary areas such as chemical physics, photochemistry, nanotechnology, organometallic, biophysical, bioorganic, and bioinorganic chemistry. Collaboration between groups often leads to fruitful cross-disciplinary learning opportunities.

The Chemistry Department operates a wide variety of sophisticated research instrumentation, available 24 hours a day, which are used by students and faculty in a "hands-on" way. The availability of major state-of-the-art instrumentation represents one of the special strengths of graduate education at the U of R.

Full tuition scholarships are awarded to all Chemistry PhD students, at levels competitive with other top research institutions. The graduate base stipend is increased annually, and will be $25,000 for the 2012-2013 academic year. Numerous distinguished fellowships also exist within the Department and the University that recognize excellence in graduate work and supplement the base level of support.