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Chemistry

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

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Earn Your Doctorate in Chemistry at UW

Welcome to the Department of Chemistry at the University of Wyoming!  We are a multinational team of scientists pursuing research at the forefront of molecular science. Our award-winning faculty, staff and students pursue cutting-edge research in the areas of chemical biology, physical, inorganic, organic and analytical chemistry as well as through multidisciplinary collaborations with other scientific fields. 

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Program Details

Tuition and Fees

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Program Requirements

Curriculum & Courses

Department

College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
Department of Chemistry

About UW's Chemistry Ph.D. Degree

Our faculty emphasize working closely with your colleagues and advisor with respect to not just your research project, but also your growth as an aspiring professional chemist.  As a result, you will receive ample hands-on training and opportunities for professional development.  Graduate students admitted into our program receive full funding, including tuition and fee waivers, as well as student health insurance. Campus is conveniently located between two scenic mountain ranges and within a two-hour drive to Denver.

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Student posing for photo in the Enzi STEM Building on UW's campus

What you need to apply for the Chemistry Ph.D. program at UW:

  • Resume or CV
  • Undergraduate transcript
  • A personal statement including why you want to pursue a Ph.D., why Wyoming is a good fit for you and what experiences have prepared you for graduate school
  • TOEFL/IELTS for non-native English speakers

View the full list of requirements and application deadlines.

The Department of Chemistry, located in the Physical Sciences Building at UW, houses all the facilities necessary to carry out world-class research. Each research-active faculty member maintains a laboratory space designed to meet the unique needs of their research. In addition, the department maintains a number of shared instrumentation facilities:

  • NMR: The Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) facility houses three research-grade Bruker Avance III NMR spectrometers (600 MHz, 400 MHz, and 300 MHz wide-bore).
  • X-Ray Diffraction: Bruker-AXS Smart Apex II w/ Oxford Cobra Cryosystem and Bruker D8 Venture (dual-source Cu/Mo) w/ Oxford Crysostream 800
  • Mass Spectrometry: A number of mass spectrometry systems are available spanning a wide variety of ionization and detection methods.
  • X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy: Kratos Ultra DLD
  • Electron Microscopy: FEI Tecnai G2 F20 200 kV TEM, FEI Helios 5 UX Focused Ion Beam-Scanning Electron Microscope and FEI Talos F200X Transmission Electron Microscope
  • High-Performance Computing: The department of chemistry regularly utilizes the Teton High-Performance Computing cluster for computational tasks, and maintains licenses for software packages such as GAUSSIAN and COMSOL.
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Fast-Track Chemistry M.S. Program

The fast-track chemistry master's is designed to allow qualified students to be admitted to the M.S. program during their junior or senior year of the B.S. program and to work towards both the B.S. and M.S. degrees in chemistry. This B.S./M.S. program allows for early planning of the graduate portion of the student's education by taking graduate courses as part of the B.S. degree. This is not a separate or new master's program but rather a method for B.S. students to jump start their M.S. degree while enrolled as an undergraduate student.

 

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What Can You Do With a Ph.D. in Chemistry?

In addition to the skills you build during research, the graduate program is designed to train students to be better writers and communicators of science. Studying the molecular sciences is a doorway to a large variety of scientific careers.

Chemistry Careers

A doctoral degree in Chemistry can set you on the path to a variety of academic, industrial, and government-based chemistry careers. Graduates from UW chemistry have become faculty at other universities and colleges (e.g. James Madison University, the City University of New York Brooklyn College, Colorado State University-Pueblo), research scientists and process engineers in large research corporations (e.g. Intel), and staff scientists at national laboratories (e.g. Argonne National Laboratory). Graduates have also gone on to work in a variety of companies as research staff, product managers, and sales representatives. Graduates have also become entrepreneurs and launched successful businesses.

Those interested in a research-intensive career often build their skills as postdoctoral research associates, and Ph.D. graduates from the Department of Chemistry have gone on to post-doctoral work at a variety of institutions (e.g. Northwestern University, Columbia University, Los Alamos National Laboratory). The connections built during graduate study at the University of Wyoming can help build any career based in the chemical sciences.

 

 

The Department of Chemistry is home to research-active faculty members whose work spans all traditional areas of chemistry. These faculty are world-renowned experts in fields such as chemical and materials synthesis, catalysis, sensing, biology, and solar energy conversion.

Read about faculty research!

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Chemistry Graduate Degree Program Highlights

Earning a Ph.D. in chemistry at UW typically takes five years to complete. Most students enter the Ph.D. program immediately following their bachelor's degree studies (a master's degree is not required for admission). The doctoral program in chemistry is a research-intensive degree that is similar to an apprenticeship. While students do take some coursework, the majority of their time is spent working closely with a faculty advisor on a research project. Along the way, students will author publications in scientific journals, travel to share their work at conferences, and ultimately become recognized experts in their field.

Program Requirements

The Ph.D. program requires the completion of 72 credit hours of coursework. 21 of the hours are earned through the completion of seven lecture courses, usually within their first two years in the program. The remaining credit hours are earned through research activities and seminar courses. In addition to coursework, students must pass cumulative examinations designed to test their ability to independently acquire knowledge in their field and defend their research in front of a faculty committee. More details can be found on the graduate student webpage.

 

Financial Support

All Ph.D. students in good academic standing receive financial support consisting of a yearly $25,500 stipend and a full waiver for tuition and fees. In the first year in the program, student support is provided through a Teaching Assistantship (TA), in which students teach undergraduate laboratory courses and/or assist faculty with lecture courses. Beyond the first year, students may continue to work as graduate teaching assistants or receive financial support through grants or fellowships associated with their project.

 

UW Chemistry Department is an intimate group of chemists who work very closely with scientists and engineers from the wider UW research community. The access to faculty and scientific facilities at UW is outstanding. This fosters a conducive environment for their graduate students to explore, expand and succeed in their chosen discipline. The access to a network of researchers afforded due to the small and intimate nature of the chemistry department within UW and outside, be it at national labs or in industry, is what makes UW chemistry department a truly exciting place to hone your skills and build a successful career as PhD scientists.

- Yagya Regmi, Ph.D. '15
Research fellow, Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Centre, United Kingdom

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College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Department of Chemistry

Department 3838, 1000 E. University Avenue

Laramie, WY 82071

Phone: (307) 766-4363

Email: chemistry@uwyo.edu