Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Chemistry and Biochemistry (MA,MS,PhD)

Telephone: (302) 831-1247 https://www.udel.edu/academics/colleges/cas/units/departments/chem-biochem/
Faculty Listing: https://www.udel.edu/academics/colleges/cas/units/departments/chem-biochem/our-people/

Program Overview

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry offers programs leading to the PhD, MS, and MA degrees. Financial support for PhD students is available in the form of teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and fellowships. The thesis for the Master of Science degree or the doctoral dissertation may be in analytical chemistry, biochemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, or physical chemistry. Certain courses offered in other departments may be taken for credit for advanced degrees in chemistry if these fit logically into the proposed course of study and have the approval of the candidate’s advisor.

Five major state-of-the-art facilities support the research of faculty and students. These laboratories are operated by PhD-level scientists who provide analytical service and training courses. The CBC NMR Center houses eight state-of-the-art NMR spectrometers, including one located on the STAR Campus. These instruments operate at proton frequencies ranging from 400 MHz to 850 MHz and support both solution and solid-state spectroscopy. The Center also features an ESR spectrometer with X- and Q-band capabilities. Graduate students regularly use these instruments through a tailored training program that is fully integrated into their research activities. The departmental mass spectrometry laboratory encompasses instruments that provide service in electrospray ionization (ESI), matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI), fast-atom bombardment (FAB), chemical ionization (CI), and electron ionization (EI) mass spectrometry. GC/MS, LC/MS, and MALDI instruments are available for routine student use. The X-ray laboratory includes two CCD X-ray diffractometers for small molecule crystallography. Our department also houses the university-wide Surface Analysis Facility, which provides analytical capabilities in scanning probe microscopy (SPM), including scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS or ESCA), and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS). Finally, our university-wide High Throughput Experimentation Center hosts a variety of automated and manual tools for high throughput reaction set-up and analysis, including automated solid and liquid dispensing robots, chromatography instruments, and a library of over 600 chiral and achiral ligands.

A research facility to perform macromolecular crystallography is also housed in the department. A wide variety of equipment is available in individual research laboratories. The department maintains electronics, machine, and glass-blowing shops as well as a chemistry reference library. Further information regarding research areas and resources can be found at the departmental web site https://www.udel.edu/academics/colleges/cas/units/departments/chem-biochem/.

Requirements for Admission

Admission to the graduate program in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is determined holistically on the basis of the applicant’s undergraduate records including the transcript and letters of recommendation. TSE and TOEFL scores are required for foreign applicants for whom English is not the first language. Each individual applicant’s prior scholastic experience, and research interests and aspirations are also considered during evaluation. Admission is selective and competitive based on the number of well-qualified applicants and the limits of available faculty and facilities. Those who meet stated minimum academic requirements are not guaranteed admission, nor are those who fail to meet those requirements necessarily precluded from admission if they offer other appropriate strengths.

Programs

Master’s

Doctorate

Chemistry and Biochemistry (PhD)