Graduate Admission 

Applicants should hold a B.A. or B.S. (or the foreign equivalent) in chemistry, biochemistry or a related field with a significant background in chemistry, and a 3.00 or better grade point average.

Applicants to the graduate program at the Department of Chemistry should apply online at the Graduate Admissions page:

• Complete online application for admission to graduate school (Online Form).

This is the direct link to the application portal. 

In addition, applicants should send the following to the Department of Chemistry:

• Official transcripts from each college or university attended. 
• Three letters of recommendation, including one from a faculty member at the institution most recently attended.
• M.S. Thesis and Ph.D. program applicants: Completed Research Interest Questionnaire. (Word) (PDF)
• International students: An official TOEFL Score (Institution Code: 1829) OR IELTS Score
• Minimum score for M.S. applicants: 79 – TOEFL or 6.5 – IELTS
• Minimum score for Ph.D. applicants: 79 – TOEFL** or 6.5 – IELTS
• International students who have completed a B.S. or M.S. at a college or university in the USA are exempt from this requirement

** For financial support, Ph.D. applicants who take TOEFL must have 23 or higher for Speaking and if they take the IELTS the Speaking score must be 7.0. This is a mandatory requirement by the University of Akron for any international student regardless of degrees if English is not the native language and student desires financial support in the form of a teaching assistantship. Applicants not seeking financial support are exempt from this requirement.

Scores more than two years old will not be accepted.

Note:  The GRE is NOT a requirement for to be eligible for admission to the Ph.D. program, but if you wish to submit a score to be considered as part of your application, the Institution Code is 1829.

The above materials should be assembled and sent to:

Prospective students are encouraged to contact the department or any of the faculty if they have any questions concerning the graduate program. Interested students are invited to visit the department, meet with faculty and graduate students, and tour the teaching and research facilities.  Applications for fall admission will not be considered after April 15.

Financial Assistance

Ph.D Students entering with a B.S., M.S., or equivalent degree in chemistry will find financial support is generally available, on a competitive basis, for up to a total of five years of support toward completion of their doctoral degree.  Our stipends begin at $25,000/year.

Sources of support for full-time doctoral students include teaching and research assistantships and industrial fellowships. Teaching assistantships involve recitations, grading or laboratory instruction, typically for approximately 20 hours per week. Along with an assistantship, the student receives a full-tuition waiver.

In addition, a number of named scholarships/fellowships, including the Coleman, D'ianni, Livigni, Stevens and Wolfe graduate fellowships, are awarded each year to outstanding applicants to our Ph.D program. These provide additional financial support above the base stipend. Each year, a series of awards provided by private and corporate donors are presented to graduate students who have excelled in the areas of research and teaching.

Masters Students are responsible for their own tuition on a per credit hour basis (for more information see the university website on graduate tuition).  There is no financial support available from the university or department for M.S. students.