Ph.D. - Frequently Asked Questions

Applications should be submitted by the first week of January each year to be considered for admissions during the Fall Semester.

The department does not have a minimum GPA or GRE score for admissions, but it is important that potential applicants have shown mastery of their undergraduate course work, especially those relevant to furthering their education in Pharmaceutical Chemistry.

We view each applicant carefully and consider the combination of GPA (with emphasis on chemistry courses), letters of recommendation, the personal statement and any other additional documents included.

We have in the past taken students with deficiencies in one of the above areas that have turned out to be outstanding scientists.

We view the collection of materials to arrive at our decision. One requirement, set by the Graduate School and the University, deals with the English Proficiency minimum requirements. If an applicant’s scores for the TOEFL/IELTS are below a set level the student must take courses in English through the Applied English Center on campus to overcome their deficiencies.

The number varies from year to year but averages around 10 per year.

Generally, the number of applicants per year varies quite a bit but the average typically ranges from 75 to 100. The number of students desired by faculty varies from year to year as well. We have taken as many as 15 new students and as few as three. A very rough estimate of the percentage of applicants that apply that get accepted is around six to nine percent.

For more information and statistic on previous years admissions and graduation rates please visit Graduate Studies Program Profiles page. You will want to scroll down the page to the “School of Pharmacy” section and then select the link for Pharmaceutical Chemistry. Select the link “DPP” to view information regarding the PhD program.

No. We accept only students who receive unanimous support by all faculty members. In doing so, we ensure that each faculty member is comfortable in accepting any of our applicants into his or her laboratory. The first semester the student does not have a formal advisor and attends a series of lectures regarding the research interests of the faculty members in the department. After these seminars have concluded, the student rank ranks the faculty members he or she would most like to work with. Every effort is made to give students their first choice.

No, we only offer admissions to the Ph.D. track.

From the point a student joins the department until the time they defend their dissertation is approximate 5 - 6 years. The university confers degrees at the end of each semester; therefore, it is possible that the thesis or dissertation defense may occur several months prior the actual degree is conferred.

Maybe. If the university is reputable and the syllabus clearly identifies the content similarity it may be possible but requires faculty approval.

If accepted, you will be considered to be 50% supported by a graduate research assistanceship (GRA) and will be provided with the full cost of tuition, a generous stipend and basic health insurance. You will be responsible only for general living expenses as well as a couple campus fees.

The application fee can only be paid through the application website. Please check there for payment options.

Most likely yes, if you are an international student. For more information on requirements and exemptions please see English Proficiency Requirements

No. We do not require special formatting. However, it is important that the reference be signed and printed on institutional letterhead.

To be considered for a fee waiver, most applicants* must submit a fee waiver request.  

Before submitting a fee waiver request, you must first start a graduate admission application and select the program you wish to apply to - waiver requests without a graduate program will be denied.  Although not required, you are encouraged to complete your admission application before submitting your waiver request.  Your application fee is non-refundable, so do not pay the application fee when you submit your admission application if you plan to submit a waiver request.  Fee waiver requests should be submitted well before the program application deadline (January 5th) to allow time for the university to review your request.

For applicants who are citizens of countries with Temporary Protected Status or countries in crisis defined by internal resources, Graduate Admissions reviews fee waiver requests within 2-3 business days.  

Unfortunately, the Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department does not have the resources to waive application fees for applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements set by the university, so if your waiver request is denied then you will be responsible for the application fee.

* Individuals that provide documentation in the applicatio of previous participation in a federally funded TRIO program are not charged an appliction fee.