Graduate Program

The UC San Diego Chemistry & Biochemistry Graduate Program is one of the country’s leading institutions for scientific research and is among the most exciting departments on campus with internationally renowned faculty. More than 60 faculty members perform cutting-edge research in areas including molecular synthesis, structural biology, atmospheric chemistry, and materials research, just to name a few. Our faculty, who have won numerous awards and honors, include two Nobel laureates, three Howard Hughes Medical Investigators and ten members of the National Academy of Sciences. Our junior faculty have been recognized with honors such as the NSF CAREER, Beckman, Searle, Pew, Keck Scholar, Ellison Medical Foundation, and NIH Innovator awards.

As a prospective graduate student, what does this mean to you? It means that UC San Diego has amazing research opportunities to match your interests. Housed in state-of-the-art buildings with top-notch facilities, the department can assure that you have an outstanding educational experience. Between the science, the city, and the shoreline, we know that if you choose UC San Diego Chemistry and Biochemistry for your graduate studies that you are in for nothing less than the research experience of a lifetime.

The department offers curricula leading to the following degrees:

• M.S. in Chemistry
• Ph.D. in Chemistry
• Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
• SDSU Joint Doctoral Program in Chemistry

The department has developed a flexible program that provides a broad, advanced education and at the same time gives students the opportunity to focus on their specialized interests. These programs consists of graduate courses, apprenticeship in research, teaching experience, and thesis research.