A high graduation rate in an average of just over five years is attributable to the quality of applicants admitted, the flexibility of our program of study, the opportunity for students to begin research in the first year, and the affordability of education made possible by our generous financial support policies. However, progress to degree is generally similar for all students. Beginning the first summer, the emphasis is on research, although courses of special interest may be taken throughout a student's residency. In the second year, there is a departmental examination, which includes critical discussion of a recent research article. In the third year, students advance to candidacy for the doctorate by defending the topic, preliminary findings, and future research plans for their dissertation.
Subsequent years focus on thesis research and writing the dissertation.
Most students graduate during their fifth year. Please refer to the faculty pages for full descriptions of the on-going research in our department. At UCSD, chemists and biochemists are part of a thriving community that stretches across campus and out into research institutions throughout the San Diego area, uniting researchers in substantive interactions and collaborations. Seminars are presented weekly in biochemistry, inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry. Interdisciplinary programs in nonlinear science, materials science, biophysics, and atmospheric and planetary chemistry also hold regular seminars.