Doctor of Philosophy

The Ph.D. degree is offered by the Department primarily in the areas of Analytical, Organic, Inorganic, and Physical Chemistry. However, many members of the faculty have research interests that cross traditional boundaries to cover a range of interdisciplinary areas. The course of study leading to this degree is designed to provide the student with a broad fundamental background in chemistry through a core course curriculum in addition to a more rigorous experience in particular area of specialization.

The first year program is flexible and is arranged to prepare the student for independent study, which is so essential for successful graduate research. Formal course work is arranged on an individual basis taking into consideration, the student's own requirements and placement examinations covering undergraduate preparation. Students may choose from a broad range of courses providing necessary skills to carry out chemical research. An advanced degree also represents experience in, and ability to carry out, original research. Thus, the major part of a student's training will be applied tosolving research problems in their chosen area of chemistry.

Research toward the Ph.D. is undertaken under the supervision of a faculty member of the student's choosing. Students are encouraged to make their selection and begin research at the end of their first semester.

Master of Science

The MS degree is a research degree and requires, like the Ph.D., successful completion of both formal course work and a research problem, but on a lesser scale than the Ph.D. Most of our Master's students go on to complete a Ph.D.

Financial Support

Generally, the Department has been able to offer financial assistance to all students accepted into the program. In most cases, this aid comes in the form of a teaching assistantship for first year students. The duties associated with a teaching assistantship vary and may include teaching an undergraduate laboratory, grading, or laboratory experiment preparation. The other common form of aid, research assistantships, are offered by many of the faculty members and do not involve any teaching duties; thus the student is free to concentrate all of his or her time in research toward their degree. In addition, the Department works with outstanding students in applying for various local, state and national fellowships. As is the case for research assistantships, no teaching duties are associated with Fellowship awards.

The selection of prospective graduate students is based on an assessment of the student's potential for performing well in the graduate program. The information used to make this assessment includes 1) scholastic records; 2) evaluations of personal character and professional attributes made by teachers and/or employers; 3) evidence of productive research experience as indicated by a history of relevant publications and/or presentations, be it from academia or industry; 4) Graduate Record Examination scores (verbal, quantitative and analytical). In addition, students whose native language is not English must also submit scores of the Test of English as a Foreign language (TOEFL). Reporting scores for the Test of Spoken English (TSE) is highly recommended. Proficiency in English is essential for students to fulfill their teaching duties and to effectively carry out their research projects.

There is no deadline for application; however, most fellowship awards are typically made before March 1 for students beginning the following August. Students interested in beginning graduate study in the Spring semester should inquire about the availability of financial aid before submitting application materials. On our receipt of the application form and the completion of your application file, you will be promptly notified of the decision of the Graduate Selections Committee.

Each year we have available fellowships from the Louisiana State Board of Regents. For more information, please see our web page on the Board of Regents Fellowships or please contact us by e-mail at jwiley@uno.edu.

Inquiries and requests for application forms for admission and financial aid as well as all correspondence concerning admission should be addressed to: