Department of Chemistry
Graduate Study
Our Department
The Department of Chemistry at ESF is unique in that it is structured around four areas of application:
Faculty members in the department are internationally recognized experts and are well funded by federal agencies (NSF, DOE, NASA, etc.), industry, government, and NGOs. Graduate students commonly receive national fellowships. The environment for graduate students is challenging but supportive, as faculty are invested in student success.
Graduate degrees require an appropriate program of courses at ESF and Syracuse University. Master of Science and doctoral students must complete a minimum of 18 credit hours and 30 credit hours of graduate level coursework, respectively. In addition, doctoral students must pass a doctoral candidacy examination.
Current research projects encompass natural and synthetic polymer chemistry, biochemistry and microbiology, organic chemistry of natural products and chemical ecology, photochemical degradation of pollutants, chemistry of air and water, climate change, and more.
Degree Programs
MS & PhD
We offer MS and PhD degrees, and both degrees are research-focused. PhD students are eligible for graduate assistantships which include a $20,000 stipend, tuition scholarship, and excellent health benefits. Research assistantships are also available to MS and PhD students in collaboration with their research advisor and carry a minimum stipend of $18,000 and $20,000, respectively.
MPS
We also offer the MPS degree for students who are not planning on pursuing a research career but need additional coursework in Chemistry.
Research Facilities
Edwin C. Jahn Laboratory is a a 71,080-square-foot space dedicated to laboratory education and graduate research in chemistry. The department is well-equipped for state-of-the-art polymer, chemical, and biochemical research, with facilities that include:
- 800 and 600 MHz multinuclear NMR
- Mass spectrometers, both high and low resolution, attached to ICP, LCs, GCs, etc.
- UV-vis with integrating sphere, FTIR with ATR
- Polymer Characterization Lab (DSC, TGA, DMA, torsion pendulum, membrane and vapor phase osmometry, solution and solid-state light-scattering photometers)
- Electron Microscopy Lab - JEOL JSM 5800LV scanning electron microscopes and JEOL 2000EX 200-KV transmission electron microscope
See our research page for detailed information on these and other facilities.
We also take advantage of collaborations with SUNY Upstate Medical University and Syracuse University, both of which are within walking distance.