Graduate Studies
Challenge yourself. Drive innovation. Push frontiers.
Our department tackles a diverse range of research problems in the four sub-disciplines of chemistry and also offers many multi-disciplinary options, such as materials chemistry, forensics, and biophysical chemistry. Our research faculty at ISU Chemistry guide students to think critically and creatively about solutions to important and challenging scientific problems. Our department’s 27 active research groups receive more than $30 million in annual funding by federal and state agencies and by industry to support our research. Our graduate students develop their full potential here at ISU by working closely with faculty in individual and collaborative research projects in a beautiful chemistry building equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.
Additional information
Explore our PhD program! If you have questions, please contact us by email at chemgrad@iastate.edu
Join our research community!
Our application portal opens on September 1st, admitting students for the following Fall semester. Our application deadlines are January 10 for international students and February 1 for domestic students. There is no application fee.
Graduate Programs
Chemistry: Ph.D.
Our Ph.D. program offers majors in the more traditional fields of analytical/bioanalytical, inorganic/materials, organic/bioorganic and physical/theoretical chemistry plus a customizable interdisciplinary “chemistry” major in which a course sequence is designed by the student and their major professor. Additionally, we offer specializations in Materials Chemistry, Industrial Chemistry, Biomolecular Science, Chemical Instrumentation, Forensic Chemistry and Chemical Education.
Chemistry: Graduate Specializations and Outside Minors
Graduate students within the Department of Chemistry can add a chemistry specialization to their chosen discipline, thereby expanding their PhD degree. Graduate students outside the department can add a minor in multiple chemistry disciplines.
Specialization and Outside Minors Overview
Research Areas
Our department tackles a diverse range of research problems in the four sub-disciplines of chemistry and also offers many multi-disciplinary options, such as materials chemistry, forensics, and biophysical chemistry.