Drexel University’s Doctorate (PhD) in Chemistry offers students a wide range of graduate scholarship in analytical chemistry, atmospheric chemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, materials and polymer chemistry, physical chemistry, chemistry education, and biochemistry. The MS in Chemistry curriculum is designed to prepare students for the research and practical application of chemistry to challenges facing society.

Concentrations

Program Format

• Full-time or part-time, 90 credit program.
• Dissertation and seminar presentation are required.
• This PhD program begins each Fall.

Program Deadlines

The deadlines below are the dates by which applications must be submitted and all application requirements received.

• Fall (Domestic/International) – December 1
• No Spring or Summer intake.

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Program Overview

Drexel’s Chemistry PhD degree is awarded in any of six main areas of chemistry: analytical, biological, inorganic, organic, physical, or polymer chemistry. The Chemistry PhD degree recipient must demonstrate scholastic breadth in chemistry and contribute significantly to scientific advancement in a chosen major area. Requirements of the program include coursework, candidacy examinations, a chemical information retrieval or technical writing course, and successful completion of a publishable PhD thesis.

A PhD thesis, the heart of the PhD degree, must be written accepted by the research supervisor, presented to a PhD Thesis Examining Committee, and defended orally to the satisfaction of the Examining Committee. It is the responsibility of the student, not the research supervisor, to submit an acceptable thesis. It is expected that the students will have at least one peer-reviewed research article accepted for publication by the time of the thesis defense.

Financial Assistance

Chemistry PhD students at Drexel can obtain two main types of financial support: teaching assistantships and research assistantships. Teaching assistantships are available on a competitive basis to incoming students and are normally renewable for several years.

Teaching Fellow Policy

The College of Arts and Sciences regards training in pedagogy and instruction to be core to the mission of doctoral education. Therefore, all PhD students in the College are required to perform significant teaching duties (defined over multiple terms) during their pursuit of their degree. These activities may include, but are not limited to:

• Supervising teaching labs
• Running course recitations
• Teaching as the primary instructor
• Running student seminars
• Training junior researchers in core research methods
• Running or actively participating in pedagogical seminars or conferences

Alternate fulfillment of this requirement is at the discretion of the program director and the head of the student's home department.

Research Areas

Research is the heart of the Department of Chemistry at Drexel University, where students, faculty, and staff forge an interdisciplinary collaboration dedicated to advancing the forefront of the field. Faculty conduct pioneering work in research areas that include: analytical, atmospheric, inorganic, materials, organic, physical, theoretical and computational chemistry, as well as concentrations in chemical biology and chemical education. Research activity across the department has earned the support of federal agencies, such as the National Science Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in addition to funding from many private foundations.

Chemistry Department Research

Recent Chemistry Publications

Recent Dissertations

Chemistry doctoral students complete dissertations on a wide range of topics. We proudly invite prospective students to review recent dissertations authored by our PhD in Chemistry degree recipients.

Recent Dissertations

Drexel Library: Theses, Dissertations and Projects