The Department awards approximately 15 doctoral degrees per year. The graduate population includes roughly 20 students from 10 foreign countries and 80 students from 50 colleges and universities throughout the United States. Approximately one-third of our students are women. This diversity of student backgrounds contributes to the enrichment of student life within the Department. The graduate program in the Department of Chemistry at Rochester concentrates on the course of study leading to the Ph.D. degree.
Emphasis is placed on independent research culminating in the preparation of a doctoral thesis.
In addition to research, five courses determined by the student's interests and field of study are taken. Students may choose from a variety of intermediate and advanced chemistry courses in the areas of synthetic organic, physical organic, physical, inorganic, bioorganic, biophysical, organometallic, nuclear, theoretical chemistry, chemical physics, and spectroscopy. Courses in related fields such as biochemistry, pharmacology, biophysics, physics, optics, and mathematics are also available. Recommended programs of study in organic, inorganic, biophysical, physical, and nuclear chemistry can be modified to best address a student's research needs and interests. In consultation with his or her adviser, a student may take additional advanced level courses.