Degree Programs
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Chemistry
Highest degree awarded in chemistry. There are 7 areas of research specialization, but much of the novel research occurs at the interfaces. The 50+ faculty provide a wide variety of research opportunities. Graduate students are fully supported by the Department of Chemistry.
Master of Science (M.S.) in Chemistry
Two-year program focuses either on coursework or research. Most of the M.S. candidates are from local companies, the military, or UW-Madison undergraduate students. Students need their own funding; in some cases, funding may be available as a teaching or research assistant.
UW Bridge to the Chemistry Doctorate Program
The UW Bridge to the Chemistry Doctorate Program is a post-baccalaureate program aimed at increasing the number of students from under-represented minority groups who complete the Ph.D. degree in chemistry.
Student Programs
Chemistry Opportunities (CHOPS)
The Chemistry Opportunities (CHOPS) program invites approximately 20 highly qualified prospective students to the UW-Madison Chemistry Department for an all-expense-paid weekend to explore the chemistry Ph.D. graduate program.
Catalyst
The Catalyst program is designed to help first-year graduate students from underserved populations succeed in the chemistry graduate program at UW-Madison.
Graduate Program News
Chemists discover new way to harness energy from ammonia
A research team at the University of Wisconsin–Madison has identified a new way to convert ammonia to nitrogen gas through a process that could be a step toward ammonia replacing carbon-based fuels. The discovery of this technique, which uses a metal catalyst and releases, rather than requires, energy, was reported Nov. 8 in Nature Chemistry and has received a provisional patent from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.
An exciting discovery from an incorrect hypothesis
A hypothesis can be a scientists' best-educated guess about how an experiment might turn out or why they got specific results. Sometimes, they're not far off from the truth. Other times, they're wrong. Being wrong isn't always a bad thing. Often, it means that the researchers get to discover something new and exciting. This exact scenario happened when the Burstyn and Buller lab decided to work together on a project.
Chemistry graduate students use virtual ‘zine to bridge gap between arts and science
Although art and science are commonly viewed as two completely unrelated ventures, over the years, their coexistence has been realized as more compatible than immiscible. Graduate students from the Department of Chemistry, through their recently established art and literary magazine, are advocating for this interdisciplinary approach and the benefits it renders. The Benzine, besides being a great pun, is a platform for the chemistry community to share their art, build a sense of community and alleviate stress.
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Graduate Student Spotlight
Grad Spotlight: Princess Merenini
Princess Merenini, a first-year graduate student in the Department of Chemistry, was one of the 2019 Pei Wang Fellowship award recipients. The Pei Wang Fellowship honors the late Pei Wang (Ph.D. 1952, chemistry) by gifting this award to honorable graduate students at UW–Madison. Merenini is an international student from Nigeria. She moved to the United States in 2016 to pursue her undergraduate education at Savannah State University (SSU). Growing up in Nigeria, Merenini was taught that there were only four “prestigious” career paths: medicine, law, engineering and pharmacy.
Grad Spotlight: Nicholas M. Riley
Nicholas M. Riley is a graduate student from Louisville, KY, who attended the University of South Carolina as an undergraduate. He currently works with the Coon Research Group. Tell us about your research. My graduate research …
Summer Research Snapshot: Graduate Student Steven Chapman
The weather in Madison is slowly cooling down, undergraduates are moving in, and the first football game of the season is one week away. We are nearing the end of summertime in Madison. Today marks …
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Graduate Program Documents
University Policies
Graduate Program Contacts
Helen Blackwell
Position title: Norman C. Craig Professor of Chemistry, Associate Chair for the Graduate Program, Director of Graduate Studies
Email: blackwell@chem.wisc.edu
Phone: 608.262.1503
Arrietta Clauss
Position title: Director of Graduate Student Services
Email: gradadm@chem.wisc.edu
Phone: 608.262.0363
Taylor Mathewson
Position title: Graduate Coordinator
Email: tmathewson@wisc.edu
Phone: 608.265.0517