Department website: https://www.chemistry.wvu.edu/
Degrees Offered
- Master of Science
- Doctor of Philosophy
Nature of the Program
The Department of Chemistry offers graduate studies leading to the degrees of master of science and doctor of philosophy with research concentration in the areas of analytical, chemical education, inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry. The master of science and doctor of philosophy degrees require completion of a research project which represents the principal component of the graduate program. The M.S. program is limited in scope and involves advanced coursework and a study of a problem in chemical research culminating in the preparation and oral defense of a M.S. thesis.
The Ph.D. program has a much wider scope than the M.S. program. Ph.D. students are expected to take a broad range of advanced coursework, both within and outside of the major area of interest. The major emphasis of the Ph.D. program is on research. A typical research problem may take several years to complete and involves many advanced techniques and concepts at the frontiers of chemical knowledge. The Ph.D. program culminates in the preparation and oral defense of the Ph.D. dissertation.
The program for the degree of doctor of philosophy reflects a flexible, research-oriented approach geared to develop the interests, capability, and potential of students. A program of courses is recommended to suit individual needs based on background and ability. These courses are classified as basic graduate courses, which present the essentials of a given discipline on an advanced level, and specialized graduate courses, which take one to the frontiers in a specific area of research. The course offerings are designed to provide guidelines from which students can launch their independent studies in preparation for candidacy examinations. Students are required to enroll in the departmental seminar program and attend special lectures and seminars offered by visiting scientists. Graduate students in the Ph.D. program are required to satisfactorily complete a minimum of six courses (three credits each) at the 500 to 700-level offered by the Department of Chemistry. In addition, each major area in chemistry requires students in that area to enroll in basic graduate courses presenting the essentials of that discipline on an advanced level.
Faculty
Chair
- Brian Popp - Ph.D. (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Associate Chair of Graduate Studies
- Fabien Goulay - Ph.D. (University of Rennes, France)
Associate Chair of Undergraduate Studies
- Mark Tinsley - Ph. D. (Leeds University, England)
Teaching Faculty; Regular Graduate Faculty; Physical Chemistry, Nonlinear Dynamics
Professors
- Fabien Goulay - Ph.D. (University of Rennes, France)
Regular Graduate Faculty; Physical Chemistry, Laser Spectroscopy - Terry Gullion - Ph.D. (William and Mary)
Regular Graduate Faculty; Physical Chemistry, Solid State NMR, Biological Materials, Polymers - Lisa Holland - Ph.D. (University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill)
Regular Graduate Faculty; Micro-separations, High Throughput Drug Screening - Brian Popp - Ph.D. (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Regular Graduate Faculty; Organic and Organometallic Chemistry, Catalysis - Joshua Osbourn - Ph.D. (University of Pittsburgh)
Teaching Faculty; Organic Chemistry - Betsy Ratcliff - Ph.D. (University of Binghampton-SUNY)
Teaching Faculty; Chemical Education, Physical Chemistry - Michelle Richards-Babb - Ph.D. (Lehigh University)
Regular Graduate Faculty; Chemical Education
Associate Professors
- Erin Battin - Ph.D. (Clemson University)
Teaching Faculty; Bioinorganic Chemistry - Carolyn Kitchens - Ph.D. (University of Pittsburgh)
Teaching Faculty; Biochemistry - Brian Nichols - Ph.D. (West Virginia University)
Teaching Faculty; Organic Chemistry - Oluwatobi (Tobi) Odeleye - Ph.D. (South Dakota State University)
Regular Graduate Faculty; Chemical Education - Trina Perrone - Ph.D. (West Virginia University)
Teaching Faculty; Organic Chemistry - Mark Tinsley - Ph.D. (Leeds University, England)
Teaching Faculty; Regular Graduate Faculty; Physical Chemistry, Nonlinear Dynamics - Mingming Xu - Ph.D. (Ohio University)
Teaching Faculty; Analytical Chemistry
Assistant Professors
- Hacer Karatas Bristow - Ph.D. (University of Michigan)
Regular Graduate Faculty; Chemical Biology, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry - Brian Dolinar - Ph.D. (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Regular Graduate Faculty; Inorganic Chemistry - David Mersing - Ph.D. (West Virginia University)
Teaching Faculty; Physical Chemistry - Mark Schraf - M.S. (West Virginia University)
Teaching Faculty; Analytical Chemistry
Professors emeriti
- Harry Finklea - Ph.D. (California Institute of Technology)
- Charles Jaffe - Ph.D. (University of Colorado)
- Jeffrey Petersen - Ph.D. (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
- Kenneth Showalter - Ph.D. (University of Colorado)
- Ronald Smart - Ph.D. (University of Michigan)
- Bjorn Soderberg - Ph.D. (Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden)
- Kung Wang - Ph.D. (Purdue University)
Admissions for 2027-2028
Ph.D. in Chemistry
The Chemistry program admits students directly to the doctoral degree. Admitted students may transition to the M.S. in Chemistry during their studies. In addition to the university’s general admission requirements, applicants to the Ph.D. program must hold a bachelor’s degree in chemistry or a related field with a concentration in chemistry and an appropriate background in physics and mathematics, with an overall GPA of at least 3.0. The GRE is not required for admission to this program.
List of Admission Requirements:
- See the steps to apply for admissions and access the application on the Admissions How to Apply website.
- A personal statement discussing specific examples of the applicant’s ability to write effectively, analyze complex situations, and complete quantitative analyses. The following topics should also be included in the statement: 1) why a career in chemistry, 2) how will a PhD in Chemistry help the applicant reach their professional goals, 3) why WVU Chemistry offers the best opportunity for achieving those future professional goals, and 4) which faculty member(s) and/or research area(s) the applicant wishes to pursue in the WVU Chemistry PhD program. Information about the Chemistry faculty and their research interests can be found on the Department of Chemistry Faculty and Staff Directory Page.
- A current curriculum vitae or resume that lists work experience, volunteer activities, internships, academic degrees and honors, and other accomplishments the applicant considers relevant.
- Three letters of recommendation from professional or academic references who can comment directly on the applicant's skills and experience.
International Applicants:
- See the steps to apply for admissions and access the application on the Admissions How to Apply website.
- International applicants should view additional requirements on the International Student Admission page and the Admissions for International applicants page.
- English language proficiency is required in order to hold a graduate teaching assistantship. More information can be found on the English Proficiency for GTAs webpage.
Application Deadline:
- The Chemistry program admits students for the Fall and Spring semesters.
- The priority review deadline for all application materials for Fall admission is January 1st.
- The priority review deadline for all application materials for Spring admission is October 1st.
- Applicants are typically notified of the committee’s decision on or before February 1st for Fall admission and on or November 1st for Spring admission
- Completed applications for admission may be considered after the priority review deadlines on a space-available basis.
- Exceptional applicants may be nominated by the Chemistry program for competitive University Fellowships. Qualified applicants will be notified if they are nominated. More information on WVU fellowships can be found on the Graduate Education and Life Fellowships page.
- At this time, the Chemistry program is not accepting applications to the MS program.
For further information, please contact the Chemistry Department
Assistantships
All applicants will be considered for financial support in the form of graduate teaching assistantships (GTAs) and graduate research assistantships (GRAs). Graduate research assistantships are sometimes available through funded faculty member research. Students who qualify for available research assistantships will be made aware of these opportunities during the Chemistry New Graduate Student Orientation held prior to the beginning of the Fall term.
Certain application requirements may be waived based on a preliminary review of an application by the program.
Major Code: 1439
For specific information on the following program, please see the link to the right:
- Chemistry, M.S.
For specific information on the following program, please see the link to the right:
- Chemistry, Ph.D.
Degree Progress
The Department of Chemistry requires the following milestones for all students. According to the graduate catalog, students will receive a yearly evaluation. All graduate students enrolled in at least one credit hour during the academic year must be provided with a written evaluation from their program following the end of each spring term. This requirement may be waived for students in good standing who are expected to graduate in spring or summer.
Annual evaluation may result in probation for students either not making adequate degree progress or failing to uphold professional standards. At the end of each academic semester, students are evaluated by the chemistry faculty to ensure timely progress in their degree programs. Students may be notified of academic consequences outside of routine evaluation processes if an issue must be addressed immediately.
Each year, no later than the first day of classes of the Fall semester, the department will distribute an updated version of the Graduate Handbook, which contains specific processes and timelines for each program’s evaluation.
Master of Science (M.S.)
Timely Progress
- Year One: Form a Committee and Present the Program of Study.
- Year Two+: Complete Coursework Requirement (Coursework and Thesis tracks).
- Year Two+: Submit Written Thesis and present Oral Thesis Defense (Thesis track).
Satisfactory Progress Students must maintain a GPA of 2.75 or higher. Students are expected to meet research expectations established with their faculty research advisor; failure to do so may result in an “Unsatisfactory” grade in CHEM 797 (Independent Research).
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Timely Progress
- Year One: Form a Committee and Present the Program of Study.
- Year Two: Complete the Written Research Progress Report and Present the Oral Research Progress Defense.
- Year Three+: Complete Yearly Meeting with Chemistry Committee Members (Research Progress) and complete the Original Research Proposal.
- Year Five+: Submit Written Dissertation and present Oral Dissertation Defense.
Satisfactory Progress Students must maintain a GPA of 2.75 or higher. Students are expected to meet research expectations established with their faculty research advisor; failure to do so may result in an “Unsatisfactory” grade in CHEM 797 (Independent Research).
Probation, Suspension, or Dismissal
Students who are either not making adequate degree progress or who are failing to uphold professional standards may receive notice of probation, suspension, or dismissal. Specific reasons for probation include:
- Code of Conduct: A documented violation of the student code of conduct. Depending on the nature of the violation, dismissal without a probationary period may be appropriate.
- Research Performance: Receiving an “Unsatisfactory” in CHEM 797 due to failure to meet advisor expectations.
- GPA Requirements: A GPA below 2.75. If a student’s GPA remains below 2.75 for two consecutive semesters, the student may be dismissed from the program.
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