skip to content

Bulletin Archive

This archived information is dated to the 2008-09 academic year only and may no longer be current.

For currently applicable policies and information, see the current Stanford Bulletin.

Graduate Programs in Chemistry

The University's basic requirements for the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees are discussed in the "Graduate Degrees" section of this bulletin.

CHEMISTRY GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Placement Examinations—Each new graduate student must take placement examinations upon entrance. These consist of three written examinations of two hours each in the fields of inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry, and cover such material as ordinarily is given in a rigorous one-year undergraduate course in each of these subjects. Students majoring in biophysical chemistry or chemical physics must take examinations in biophysical or chemical physics, physical chemistry, and organic or inorganic chemistry. All placement examinations are given the week before instruction begins in Autumn Quarter, and must be taken at that time. Each new graduate student meets with a member of the graduate study committee to define a program of courses based on results of the placement examinations.

Candidates for advanced degrees must have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 for all Chemistry lecture courses as well as for all courses taken during graduate study. Required courses must be taken for a letter grade. Most course work ends in the second year of studies and students will then focus on full-time dissertation research. All prospective Ph.D. candidates, regardless of the source of financial support, are required to gain teaching experience as an integral part of graduate training. During the period in which a dissertation is being read by members of the faculty, candidates must be available for personal consultation until the dissertation has had final department approval.

CHEMISTRY FELLOWSHIPS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

In addition to school fellowships and scholarships open to properly qualified students, there are several department fellowships in chemistry. Undergraduate scholarships are administered through the Financial Aid Office. Teaching assistantships and research assistantships are open to graduate students. Graduate fellowships, scholarships, and teaching assistantships are administered through the Department of Chemistry.

© Stanford University - Office of the Registrar. Archive of the Stanford Bulletin 2008-09. Terms of Use | Copyright Complaints