Chemistry

Admission to the graduate programs requires admission to both the Graduate School and the Department of Chemistry. Students will apply through the online application portal with the Graduate School and applications will be reviewed by both the Graduate School and the Department of Chemistry. The Graduate School requirements for admission can be found here and in the Graduate Handbook. Please note: the Graduate School has additional requirements for international applicants.

In addition to the requirements of the Graduate School, the department strongly recommends applicants have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better (on a 4.0 scale) or a GPA of 3.3 or better (on a 4.0 scale) in an MS program. Applicants are also required to submit the following documents through the online portal, after the application has been submitted:

  • 3 letters of recommendation
  • Resume or curriculum vita
  • Personal statement or statement of purpose

The Department of Chemistry does not require applicants to submit scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). However, if students believe submitting scores would strengthen their application, they are encouraged to do so. Scores must be less than 3 years from the date of admission. The University Code for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville is 1843.

The department reviews and makes application decisions on a rolling basis, typically beginning in December so students are encouraged to submit their applications early. Applications are only reviewed once completed. While the department has no formal deadline, the Office of Graduate Admissions has set the following deadlines for non-domestic applicants:

Semester of Initial EnrollmentApplication Deadline
FallFebruary 1
SpringJune 15
SummerOctober 15

The Department of Chemistry currently requires all graduate students to enter the program beginning in the Fall semester. Exceptions due to unforeseen circumstances will be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

PhD Degree

The primary requirements for the PhD are summarized below. Please consult the Department of Chemistry Graduate Student Handbook for more information. 

Credit Hour Requirement

  • 52 graduate credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree
  • 31 graduate credit hours beyond the master’s degree

Required Courses

  • Research and a dissertation to give at least 24 credit hours of graduate credit in CHEM 600. Registration must be continuous from the beginning of research.
  • Required participation in seminar (CHEM 501) at the beginning of the period of graduate study until 6 credit hours have been earned.
  • Preparation of a written candidacy proposal (CP) based on current and proposed research and oral defense of the CP for 2 credit hours in CHEM 603
  • Preparation and defense of an original research proposal (ORP) for 1 credit hour in CHEM 604
  • 18 additional credit hours in courses at the 500-level or above including, which must be completed with a GPA of 3.0 or greater
    • At least one course above 604
    • the concentration sequence of courses
  • CHEM 503 (1 credit hour)

Other requirements

  • A final oral examination is conducted in which the dissertation is defended
  • Publication of a minimum of 2 articles in peer-reviewed journals, 1 of which lists the graduating student as first author or equally-contributing first author
  • 1 presentation of research at a regional, national, or international conference

PhD students must also present their research progress in a 3rd year seminar.

Rules for Graduate Coursework

In addition to the requirements of the department, the Graduate School has several important policies related to coursework. A few important points:

  • A graduate student must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA on all graduate coursework taken at UT to be in good academic standing with the Graduate School.
  • A student cannot receipt a graduate degree (MS or PhD) if their GPA is less than 3.0.
  • No graduate course with less than a “C” grade can be used to satisfy a degree requirement.
  • A graduate student may repeat up to two courses in which the earn a grad of D or G, subject to the following conditions:
    • The decision to repeat a course is made between the student and their advisor.
    • Each course may only be repeated once.
    • The original and repeat grades will be included in the calculation of the cumulative GPA.
    • Credit hours will only be counted once toward meeting degree requirements.
    • To re-enroll in a class the graduate student must complete a petition for consideration by the Dean of the Graduate School. This is done using the “Permission to Repeat a Graduate Course” form.

MS Degree

Credit Hour Requirements

  • Minimum of 30 graduate credit hours

Required Courses

  • Research and a thesis for 6-12 credit hours in CHEM 500
  • Required participation in seminar (CHEM 501) at the beginning of the period of graduate study until 3 credit hours have been earned.
  • 30 credit hours in graduate coursework in chemistry (at 400-level or above) and/or a related field including:
    • The concentration sequence of courses
    • At least 14 hours of this coursework must be at the 500-level or above
  • CHEM 503 (1 credit hour)

Non-course Requirements

  • A final oral examination in which the thesis is defended

Rules for Graduate Coursework

In addition to the requirements of the department, the Graduate School has several important policies related to coursework. A few important points:

  • A graduate student must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA on all graduate coursework taken at UT to be in good academic standing with the Graduate School.
  • A student cannot receipt a graduate degree (MS or PhD) if their GPA is less than 3.0.
  • No graduate course with less than a “C” grade can be used to satisfy a degree requirement.
  • A graduate student may repeat up to two courses in which the earn a grad of D or G, subject to the following conditions:
    • The decision to repeat a course is made between the student and their advisor.
    • Each course may only be repeated once.
    • The original and repeat grades will be included in the calculation of the cumulative GPA.
    • Credit hours will only be counted once toward meeting degree requirements.
    • To re-enroll in a class the graduate student must complete a petition for consideration by the Dean of the Graduate School. This is done using the “Permission to Repeat a Graduate Course” form.

Concentrations

Each chemistry sub-discipline offers 3 or 4 courses that explore the fundamental concepts of the field.

Analytical Chemistry – CHEM 510, CHEM 511, CHEM 513

Inorganic Chemistry – CHEM 530, CHEM 531, CHEM 532, CHEM 533

Organic Chemistry – CHEM 550, CHEM 551, CHEM 552

Physical Chemistry – CHEM 570, CHEM 571, CHEM 572, CHEM 573

Polymer Chemistry – CHEM 590, CHEM 594, CHEM 595, CHEM 596

All PhD students must complete one of these sequences in its entirety. 

MS students with a concentration in Inorganic Chemistry or Physical Chemistry are required to take 3 of the 4 courses in the track. MS students with a concentration in Polymer Chemistry are required to take the first 3 courses in the track.

The department also offers a PhD in the concentration areas of Chemical Physics, Environmental Chemistry, and Theoretical Chemistry. Each of those tracks requires a student to complete one of the above sequences. The Environmental Chemistry concentration is also offered at the MS level and a sequence of 3 courses from any of the above concentrations is required.

A graduate certificate in Radiochemistry may also be completed. This program is designed to educate students about working in the field of radiochemistry/nuclear engineering.