Prospective Graduate
Prospective Graduate
Ranked 12th overall in the country, and 9th in analytical chemistry by U.S. News and World Report (2005 ed.), the graduate program in Chemistry and Biochemistry at The University of Texas at Austin currently comprises about 250 graduate students and offers programs leading to both M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in biochemistry and in four major divisions of chemistry: analytical, inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry. In each division there are numerous programs of research directed by renowned chemists, many of who are leaders in their respective fields. We encourage qualified and energetic prospective graduate students to join our program.
All graduate students must take six courses for their graduate program, and the course selection is very flexible to allow each student to tailor the program to his/her research interests. The six courses may encompass any area of science or engineering, including the five areas of chemistry (analytical, biochemistry, inorganic, organic, physical), computer science, molecular biology, physics, pharmacy, and life sciences, among others. Most graduate students select a research group in the fall semester of their first year based on interviews with faculty and current graduate students, by attending group meetings, and by attending faculty seminars. New graduate students are typically supported as teaching assistants (TA) during their first year, and then financial support is provided by TA positions or by graduate research assistant positions thereafter depending on the funding status of the permanent research group.
All graduate students undertake their qualifying exams, either an oral exam or series of written exams, during the second year of the program. After passing these exams, the students are eligible for admission to candidacy and may focus fully on their doctoral research. Note that entrance exams or cumulative exams are not part of our graduate program. At some point during their graduate years, most students give divisional seminars to present their research, and this is a great way to develop effective oral presentation skills and remain well connected to their divisions.
Although advanced course work is an integral part of the doctoral candidate's program, no set minimum number of hours is required for the degree. The Ph.D. is awarded on the basis of the candidate's mastery of the selected field and the ability to pursue independent scholarship and research in it. The average time needed to earn the Ph.D. degree is four to five years, the final three of which are devoted almost exclusively to research work. Requirements for the M.A. degree include a total of 30 hours of course work and research culminating in a written thesis. The M.A. degree is usually completed in approximately 2 1/2 years.
More information on coursework choices, etc., can be found in the current graduate area of our website.
