Graduate Student FAQs
Review this website. Once students apply, we frequently invite them to visit the department and meet with students, staff and faculty.
To learn about the application requirements, please visit the department's application information page. Additional information about applying to the University of Cincinnati graduate school, including FAQs, can be found on UC's graduate admissions page.
CURRENTLY THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY IS NOT OFFERING THE MS IN CHEMISTRY DEGREE OPTION. The PhD or the MS program? If your intended terminal degree is a MS, then you should apply to the MS program. If your intended terminal degree is a PhD, then you should apply to the PhD program. (Applicants for the PhD program are not required to hold a MS degree.)
The Department of Chemistry begins reviewing completed applications in early January. All complete applications received by January 15 annually will receive full consideration for financial aid including departmental Fellowships. The application portal for Fall admission will close March 1 annually. There are no Spring admissions.
Once you submit the online application, you will receive an email notifying you that the online application is complete. Once your application file is complete, you will be notified by email, and your application file will be given to a committee of faculty members for review. Review of your application may take a long time. We receive hundreds of applications, and our program is sufficiently small that it takes time to construct each graduate class. If your application is complete and we have not contacted you with a decision, then your application is still under review and you are still being considered for admission. We understand that attending graduate school is a very important decision for you, and we appreciate your patience during the admissions process.
Once your application is complete, it will be given to a committee of faculty members who will review it. The committee will review your personal statement, English proficiency scores (Int'l), previous grades & curriculum, research experience, and letters of recommendation. We recognize that each candidate is unique and has been shaped by a particular set of circumstances and experiences. Therefore, we do not have strict minimums or averages for grades. Other important factors in evaluating candidates include previous education, extracurricular activities, motivation, research interests, and reason(s) for wanting to pursue graduate studies in chemistry.
No. We only offer admission to students for the graduate program beginning in the fall semester of each academic year.
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No. However, if you provide it, we will consider your TSE score in evaluating your application. All international applicants are required to submit their scores from the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) which is administered by the Educational Testing Service. To find more information on the TOEFL and how you can take this exam, please visit: www.ets.org.
No we do not require the Chemistry GRE. In addition we no longer require the general GRE.
The Department requires TOEFL (iBT) >80 (with speaking >17); IELTS 6.5 overall; Pearson 54; and Duolingo English Test with a score of at least 110
We do not have a specific minimum because grades vary among institutions; however, we would normally expect a student to have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
All students who are admitted to the full-time PhD program receive a scholarship that covers tuition and most fees. In addition, each student receives a stipend that allows him/her to live comfortably in Cincinnati. In other words, there is no separate application for financial aid or support. Learn more about financial support for chemistry graduate students.
Yes. However, you will need to complete another online application and pay the $65 (domestic) or $70 (international) fee in order for your application to be considered for the upcoming year. Students who are re-applying are strongly encouraged to strengthen their application by improving test scores, gaining research experience, furthering their education, requesting updated letters of recommendation, etc.
Yes. Chemistry is an increasingly interdisciplinary field. Applicants with pharmacy, biochemistry, biology, physics, engineering, and other science backgrounds may be viable candidates for the program, as long as they have some background in chemistry.
CURRENTLY THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY IS NOT OFFERING THE MS IN CHEMISTRY DEGREE OPTION. Yes for Domestic applicants only (for Domestic students reach out to chemgradprog@ucmail.uc.edu) . However, we do not provide financial support for MS students. MS students rely on their own resources to cover the cost of tuition and living expenses. Learn more about the costs of attending graduate school. You will find that the cost of living in Cincinnati is significantly less than many parts of the U.S.
New students should plan to arrive in early August before the start of the fall academic semester.
Typically we take around 20 new students each year. There are no quotas for domestic or international students. There are no quotas for students from specific countries. We accept students from all over the world, and we take pride in having a diverse student body.
Letters of recommendation should be submitted online by the recommender. The recommender will be notified approximately 24-48 hours AFTER you submit your application with a user name, password and instructions on how to upload their letter of recommendation.
Unofficial copies of all transcripts should be uploaded during the application process. If admitted to our program, official transcripts will need to be sent before joining the program and MUST be received at least one week before the start of the student's first semester.
Verification of your completed bachelor’s degree by a NACES member document-by-document evaluation sent directly from the organization by electronic delivery to grad.admissions@uc.edu or mail to: Graduate Admissions, University of Cincinnati, P.O. Box 210091, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0091. (once admitted to the PhD program)
When completing a graduate school application, international students will automatically be exempted from the English Proficiency testing requirement if they have received a baccalaureate or higher degree from one of the following countries where English is the official language: https://grad.uc.edu/admissions/criteria/english.html