The Department of Chemistry granted its first master's degree in 1909 and the first Ph.D. in 1930. Since then, we have awarded over 1500 graduate degrees. Approximately forty current faculty are engaged in research in all areas of modern chemistry. Specializations in biochemistry, organic, physical, inorganic and analytical are offered with extensive interdisciplinary research opportunities (e.g., bio/nano-science, particle science, green chemistry, polymer chemistry, chemical physics, health related biochemistry, chemistry-engineering, and genomics). The department currently has 260 graduate students, 90 postdoctoral associates and 49 support staff. Housed in three adjacent buildings, we occupy 144,000 square feet of laboratory, teaching and administrative space. A fourth chemistry building will soon add 80,000 square feet. Our external research funding last year totaled over $12 million.
The Department presently offers the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees with a major in chemistry. The non-thesis Master of Science in Teaching degree is also offered with a major in chemistry.