PhD Chemistry at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Programme overview

The Ph.D. degree in chemistry is a research degree, and students normally begin research during the first year in graduate school. The Ph.D. degree consists of completion of a suitable program of study, a preliminary doctoral oral examination, a written comprehensive examination (satisfied by a research summary and dissertation prospectus), an original research proposal, an original research project culminating in a dissertation, and a final oral examination. The master of arts (non-thesis) degree requires a minimum of 30 semester hours. A typical path to degree completion is 18 hours of advanced chemistry courses and 12 hours in seminar courses and thesis registration.

Faculty: The Graduate School | Department: Chemistry | Study mode: full-time | Location: Chapel Hill, NC, United States

What you will study

The master of arts (non-thesis) degree requires a minimum of 30 semester hours. The master of arts degree requires a minimum of 30 semester hours of credit.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Graduate School minimum (applies to all graduate programmes): a four-year bachelor's degree (or international equivalent) from an accredited institution completed before graduate study begins and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (B) or better; application via the Graduate School online application with transcripts, three recommendation letters, statement of purpose and CV, plus any programme-specific tests/materials; international applicants add a TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo English Test score; admission decisions are made by each programme.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Graduate applicants apply for a start term; fall is the main start term. Very few programmes admit new students for spring or summer terms.

Graduate applications and payment must be received by the deadline of the academic programme applied to, which varies by programme; the application closes at 11:59pm Eastern Time on the deadline date. The Graduate School recommends complete applications by December 15, 2026 for full fellowship consideration.

Apply through the official page: https://gradschool.unc.edu/admissions/instructions/

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