Prospective Graduate Students

  • The Department offers both Ph.D. and MS. degrees in Chemistry & Biochemistry.
  • All students who meet application deadlines and are admitted to the program are offered full financial support.
  • Research specializations available for graduate study include Analytical Chemistry, Biochemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Materials Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and Physical Chemistry.
  • Over 40 faculty and 100 graduate students in the program.

The graduate program is divided into six areas, Analytical, Biochemistry, Inorganic, Materials, Organic, Physical. Before applying students should carefully examine the research specializations of the faculty in their area of interest to identify faculty labs in which they would like to study. In our admission process we make it a priority to match prospective graduate students with potential faculty mentors. In addition to applying, students are encouraged to contact faculty directly.

Required Materials

To apply for admission to the M.S. or Ph.D. in Chemistry, please submit an application through the FSU Office of Admissions Graduate Online Application. There is no longer a separate online application for the department. The following information will be requested during the Online application process, so please have these items close when completing the application:

  1. Review the six academic programs within Chemistry and be prepared to rank those areas in regards to your interest.
  2. Review the faculty and select those with whom you might be interested in working.
  3. Statement of Goals and Purpose.
  4. Resume.
  5. Transcript for each college or university that you have attended
  6. Scores reports for the GRE (U.S. and International Applicants) and TOEFL (International Applicants only) exams.
  7. Contact information for a minimum of three (3) references including a valid email address.

Two (2) official transcripts from each college and university that you have attended, official test cores (i.e., GRE, TOEFL, etc.) and the $30 application fee should be sent to:

Florida State University
Office of Admissions
P.O. Box 3062400
Tallahassee, FL 32306-2400

Any application materials (e.g. unofficial transcripts, test scores, etc.) that were unable to be uploaded on to the University Online Application may be sent to:

Graduate Student Advisor, 208 HTL
FSU Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
95 Chieftan Way
Tallahassee, FL 32306-4390

Please note that all application materials must be received by the FSU Office of Admissions, including the $30 application fee, prior to your application being reviewed by the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Admissions Requirements

Minimum GPA and test score requirements are the same as the University requirements. You may view these at http://www.fsu.edu/students/prospective/graduate/minadminreqs.shtml. However to be competitive for admission and additional fellowships, we recommend competitive applicants have a GPA 3.3 and a GRE total score (V+Q) above 1200.

Application Priority Deadlines:

Normally, the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry admits students directly to the Ph.D. program upon completing a bachelor's degree from a domestic college or university or the equivalent from an international institution. Students who apply for the M.S. will need to justify their reason for wanting to obtain an M.S. rather than a Ph.D. degree on Supporting Document 1 when submitting their application.

In addition, the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry admits students primarily to the Fall semester each academic year. Students who apply for the Spring semester will be considered based on their qualifications and admitted if additional students can be accommodated. However Spring applications are considered only for outstanding candidates in exceptional situations.

Spring Deadlines

November 1, 2008 - Applications with all supporting (official and unofficial) documentation submitted by November 1, 2008 will be considered if additional students can be accommodated. All INTERNATIONAL applicants wishing to start in the Spring semester are encouraged to submit a complete application by September 15, 2008 in order to have visa documentation processed in a timely manner.

Summer Deadlines

Applications are not considered for the summer semester.

Fall Deadlines

The Chemistry Department has a deadline of January 31 for receipt of all application materials (including test scores, official transcripts, and letters of recommendation) for regular fall admission to the graduate program. All applications received by January 1 will automatically be considered for the Hoffman scholarship. Therefore, we suggest the prospective student arrange for his or her application materials to arrive as early as possible. Applications received after the January 31 deadline may still receive consideration depending upon space and funding availability.

*The base level of support for TA and RA will be approximately $19,000 per year. In addition, most tuition costs are paid.

Questions regarding the Graduate programs offered by the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry should be directed to the Chemistry and Biochemistry Student Affairs Office. You may send an email to gradinfo@chem.fsu.edu or telephone toll-free within the US at 1-888-525-9286. The Student Affairs Office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Questions regarding fee payment, whether or not official transcripts and test scores have been received and residency classification should be directed to The FSU Office of Admissions. You may send an email to gradadms@admin.fsu.edu or telephone 850.644.3420. The fax number for Admissions is 850.644.0197.

Web Addresses, Emails, and Other Useful Information

Department of Chemisty & Biochemistry
Florida State University