Graduate Curriculum

The graduate program in Chemistry and Biochemistry at Florida State University was established in 1949 and is a prominent graduate program nationally and internationally. The Department offers programs leading to the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Chemistry. Although courses are required to achieve a high level of proficiency in one’s field, the primary emphasis of the degree program is in the completion of an original research project that makes a substantial contribution to science. The requirements for Ph.D. candidacy for all programs are listed below.

Unified Doctoral Program for Chemistry and Biochemistry

• The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry requires that all students pass a minimum of eighteen hours of graduate coursework (6 classes). The cumulative grade point average for the courses must be a 3.0 or higher.
•  Students must pass a PhD Oral Competency Exam that focuses on the student’s current research (i.e research prospectus) by the end of their second year in the program..
• No later than end of their ninth semester (third calendar year) in the program students must submit a written proposal and completed a presentation to their advisory committee. 
•  Ph.D. Candidacy is granted after completion of all the above requirements.
•  Finally, a minimum of 24 dissertation hours must be completed after candidacy along with successful defense of the written dissertation before the doctoral degree can be conferred upon a doctoral candidate.