Education

Harvard University: Arts & Sciences: Chemistry & Chemical Biology

Category Art and Social Sciences, Biological Sciences, Chemistry & Biological Chemistry, Harvard University, Science, USA, Undergraduate
Tags Arts, Biology, Chemical, Chemistry, Harvard University, Sciences

Program Description The Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology (CCB) offers a program of study leading to the degree of doctor of philosophy in chemistry.  An interdepartmental PhD program in chemical physics is also available.  The graduate student joins a diverse scientific community composed of about 200 graduate students, 200 postdoctoral fellows, and 21 core faculty members.  The Department’s faculty and its affiliated student scientists share a rich training in the unique tools of chemical inquiry and commitment to scientific investigation at the molecular level.  Doctoral research, based on the student’s own interests and those of the faculty supervisor, is concerned with problems of intrinsic interest and importance at the frontiers of chemical science.

The Department’s home research facilities are located in six buildings on the beautiful and historic main Harvard campus: Mallinckrodt, Conant, Converse, Naito, Bauer, and the Mallinckrodt/Hoffman “Link.”  These laboratories are adjacent to the Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Physics, Earth and Planetary Sciences, the Center for Genomic Research, and to the Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Nearly all CCB faculty are affiliated with multiple cross-departmental programs and research centers at Harvard.  Additionally, considerable opportunity exists for participation in other departments and groups at MIT, and at other research centers in the Boston area.

For more information, please visit www.gsas.harvard.edu/programs/degree/chem.html and www.chem.harvard.edu

Admissions & Financial Support

The Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology admits students with a record of classroom and laboratory training in biological, organic, inorganic, and physical chemistry.  We expect students to possess a strong enough grounding in chemistry to perform well on the required Chemistry GRE subject exam, and to be thoughtful enough about the discipline of chemistry to communicate their desire to pursue doctoral research in our department.

CCB does not require an interview.  Applicants must take the GRE general and chemistry examinations.  These must be taken no later than November of the year prior to admission and preferably earlier so that score reports arrive by the December application deadline.

Prospective students should submit their applications online whenever possible at www.gsas.harvard.edu/admissions/.  We also ask the student’s recommenders to submit their letters online whenever possible.

The Department hosts official Friday visits in March for prospective students who have been offered admission to the program.  An invitation to attend our “G-0 Visits” will be extended by the admissions administrator for the Chemistry & Chemical Biology Department, Kathy Weldon weldon@chemistry.harvard.edu .

CCB meets the financial needs (tuition and stipend) of its graduate students through department scholarships, department fellowships, teaching fellowships, research assistantships, and independent outside fellowships.  Financial support is awarded on a 12-month basis, enabling students to pursue their research throughout the year.  Tuition and stipend is guaranteed to all graduate students whose academic standing and research work is satisfactory.

Program of Study and Formal Academic Requirements

Coursework

During orientation week, students will formulate a plan of study in consultation with a member of the Curriculum Advising Committee.  It is expected that required coursework be completed no later than the end of the third term in residence.  Students must pass four advanced half-courses in chemistry and/or related fields with average grades of B or higher.

Laboratory Rotations

Students are expected to complete 3 four-week laboratory rotations in the first semester of their first year.  The goal of lab rotations is to give first-year students an opportunity to engage in a variety of areas in chemistry and to become familiar with both the science and the environment of different laboratories in the CCB department.

Second-Year Research Proposal and Oral Examination

During their second year, CCB students will write an original research proposal of no more than five pages in length.  The topic of the research proposal may or may not coincide with the topic of the student’s thesis research, but the content must be well-conceived and original.  The student subsequently delivers an oral presentation of the proposal to a faculty Graduate Advising Committee (GAC) and answers questions about the proposal and allied areas.

The purpose of the research proposal and oral examination is:

• to provide students with an opportunity to think deeply and creatively about a significant problem in chemistry or chemical biology, and to propose how that problem can be addressed experimentally;

• to provide students with an opportunity to develop and present research ideas and results in a professional manner;

• to encourage in depth analysis and advice from faculty members, as well as provide a formal mechanism for students to receive constructive feedback.

Teaching Requirement

Beginning in the second semester of their first year, all students are expected to teach for two semesters.  With the research advisor’s approval, a student may also teach in subsequent semesters.

Thesis Research and Advising

After laboratory rotations have been successfully completed, students will select a thesis advisor, who will then assume the responsibilities of directing the student’s doctoral research.

Over the course of their graduate careers, students are required to participate in a “2-4-6 Graduate Advising Committee” (GAC) advisory structure.  In their second year of residence, students are expected to present and defend a research proposal before their GAC (see above).  In addition, students are expected to meet with the GAC in the fall term of their fourth and sixth years.  The objective of these meetings is to bring focus to the timely completion of degree requirements, to foster faculty-student interactions, and to provide career counseling.

The doctoral degree in CCB is designed to take between five and six years to complete.  The PhD dissertation is based on independent scholarly research, which, upon conclusion, is defended in an oral examination before a PhD committee.

Participating Faculty and Their Research Interests

A complete directory (searchable by research interest, name, and title) of faculty affiliated with the Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology can be found at the HILS Faculty Directory’s CCB listing.