M.S./Ph.D. in Chemistry
FAQs
Do I need to have an M.S. degree to apply to your Ph.D. program?
Absolutely not! Some of our students begin with M.S. degrees from other programs, but the majority of our incoming Ph.D. students only have undergraduate degrees.
When can I apply for the Ph.D. program?
Applications for Fall semesters typically open during the second week of September – that is, approximately one year before the semester starts. The application deadline for the Fall semester of each year is February 1st for international students and June 1st for students with degrees from U.S. institutions. We admit students on a rolling basis, so applications well in advance of those deadlines are strongly encouraged. For fall admissions, we typically begin reviewing applications in late December. Please note that we will not be admitting any students for the Spring 2026 semester.
What is the application fee?
The subsidized application fee is $35 for applications to the Fall 2026 semester. We do not expect to be able to provide full application fee waivers this year.
Do you require the GRE?
No, we do not. You are of course welcome to submit GRE scores if you have them, but we do not require the exam for any applicant.
Do you require an English proficiency exam for international applicants?
We require a TOEFL, IELTS, or DuoLingo exam for all students from non-Anglophone countries. That means that if English is not one of the official languages of your country of citizenship, you must submit scores from one of those exams. You can find the minimum scores for these exams on the Graduate School website. If you need financial assistance to pay for an exam, please let us know.
Do I need to have a faculty member in your department agree to be my advisor before I can apply?
No, not at all. In fact, students rarely settle on a research group before they arrive. You will have most of your first semester to meet with faculty and visit labs before you must join a group. However, you are welcome to reach out to faculty at any time to discuss their research.
Will I be supported through an assistantship? Do I need to find external support?
All our full-time graduate students receive support from the Department of Chemistry through assistantships. These assistantships pay tuition, health insurance, and a stipend for living expenses. For international students, the stipends are sufficient to obtain a visa for study in the United States. The only situation in which you would need to find external support is if you wish to pursue a terminal M.S. degree. You are of course always welcome to pursue external support if you wish.
Is there a minimum undergraduate GPA for admission to your program?
Yes, a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 (or equivalent) is required to apply to our program. There are no exceptions, so please do not submit an application if your GPA is lower than 3.0/4.0.
Do you require third-party credential evaluation for international transcripts (for example, through WES)?
No, we do not. However, if your transcripts have not been evaluated, it is helpful to us if you provide as much information as possible about your undergraduate degree program and grading system.
Do I need to submit an official undergraduate transcript (or transcripts) when submitting my application?
No, you can upload unofficial transcripts. However, if you are admitted to our program and you decide to accept our offer, you must provide official transcripts to the Graduate School before you can matriculate.
If you have additional questions that are not answered here, please reach out directly to the Chair of the Graduate Recruitment Committee, Dugan Hayes, at chm_grad@etal.uri.edu