Graduate

Program Overview

The Department of Chemistry at UNC Charlotte provides opportunities for graduate research in all traditional chemical disciplines while maintaining strong ties to interdisciplinary programs in nanoscale science, biotechnology and bio-medicine, optical science, and electrical and mechanical engineering. The department maintains an impressive array of chemical instrumentation, most of which are available for hands-on use by any research student that needs it. A Master of Science in chemistry is an excellent terminal degree in preparation for careers in the chemical, pharmaceutical, textile, food, and power industries. A master’s degree in chemistry may also serve as a useful step toward professions such as medicine, pharmacy, industrial hygiene, and patent law, or toward more advanced study in chemistry, physics, biology, and other scientific and engineering disciplines. Graduates of our master’s program thrive in a variety of career paths and excel in some of the most competitive Ph.D. programs in the country.

Chemistry faculty perform research in all areas of modern chemistry, and many participate in formal or informal interdisciplinary research programs. Faculty research interests include nanoscale science, computational chemistry, organic synthesis, polymer chemistry, organometallic chemistry, electrochemistry, structural and mechanistic organic chemistry, materials and interfacial chemistry, catalysis, biochemistry, bioanalytical chemistry, and biophysical chemistry. Many chemistry faculty perform collaborative research with colleagues in Biology, Bioinformatics and Genomics, Physics and Optical Science, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering, or with researchers at the Carolinas Medical Center.

Students receive academic credit for their research and benefit from a low student-to-faculty ratio. Graduate students are assigned individual projects and work closely with faculty members to make their own original contribution to the scientific literature. Students have full access to and receive excellent training in the use of any departmental instrumentation needed to carry out their research. Results are presented at informal seminars, scientific conferences (for which financial support is available through the Association of Chemistry Graduate Students), and in articles published in high-quality, refereed journals.