Graduate Studies Office
Dept. of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
Cornell University
Baker Laboratory
Ithaca, NY 14853-1301
chemgrad@cornell.edu
phone: (607) 255-4139

Graduate Application Forms

Chemical Biology at Cornell University

Graduate students enrolled in the field of chemistry and chemical biology select a major research concentration in one of the following subfields: analytical, chemical biology, inorganic, organic, organometallic, bioorganic, physical, biophysical, polymer, theoretical, or chemical physics. Students must also choose a minor concentration from these subfields or a related graduate field such as materials science or biochemistry. Once major and minor concentrations have been selected, students choose permanent special committees consisting of the research adviser and two additional faculty members.

To help students select a research adviser the faculty present research orientation seminars in which first-year students are introduced to the research of each professor. The research adviser and other members of the special committee are usually chosen by the end of the fall semester.

Requirements for the Doctorate

Ph.D. students in Chemistry and Chemical Biology are required to choose three or more faculty members to serve as a Special Committee to represent their major and minor areas of study. The representative of the major area serves as Chair of the Special Committee, and usually has primary responsibility for directing the student’s research and studies. Each fall, first-year graduate students attend orientation lectures in which faculty members give presentations to introduce their research. From these seminars students make an informed selection of a research advisor by the end of the first semester. Degree requirements are kept to a minimum, and there are no specific course requirements. The number of formal courses required depends on student’s previous preparation, their chosen concentration, and the advice of the Special Committee.

Every student takes an oral examination for admission to candidacy within the first two years of graduate study. The exam takes place after the student’s coursework has been completed and before the commencement of full-time research. The thesis, which is the final outcome of this research, must constitute an original contribution to chemical knowledge and be defended at a final examination overseen by the Special Committee. The Ph.D. degree is awarded on successful defense of the thesis. Typically students take five years to complete the Ph.D. program.

Financial Support

Complete financial support accompanies every offer of admission. Each student is guaranteed at least five years of full financial support as long as he or she makes satisfactory progress toward the Ph.D. degree. This support includes a 12-month stipend, a full tuition award, and health insurance. Financial support comes in the form of teaching assistantships, graduate research assistantships, research fellowships, and several NIH-funded training grant programs. Eligible applicants are strongly encouraged to seek federally funded fellowships such as those available from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and other appropriate government agencies.

In addition, those who attend the Teaching Assistant Training Program receive a special stipend while participating in the program. For nearly a decade, the Teaching Assistant Training Program has provided incoming graduate students with a comprehensive introduction to both teaching and the department. Students who participate in this five-week summer session attend lectures about undergraduate chemistry courses and facilities, complete special educational projects, lead recitations, and supervise undergraduate laboratories during Cornell's summer session.