Department of Chemistry

Department of Chemistry Graduate Programs

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The Department offers graduate work leading to the following degrees: Master of Arts or Master of Science in Chemistry; Ph.D. in Chemistry.

The Department of Chemistry offers opportunities to conduct research on topics ranging from biophysics, catalysis, chemical biology, chemistry education, molecular imaging, nanotechnology, renewable energy, sensors, synthesis, therapeutics, and environmental,  green, materials, and systems chemistry. We invite you to visit our department. You will find our students, staff, and faculty to be friendly and accessible. Importantly, you will get a glimpse of what it is like to study at a outstanding university that has all the advantages of being located in a major city, but is surrounded by the beauty and recreational opportunities of the Pacific Northwest.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

  • Meet PSU's minimum requirements
  • Copies of transcripts from schools where a bachelor’s degree was awarded and/or graduate-level coursework was completed.
  • Some international students are required to take an English proficiency exam results. Requirements, accepted exams, and required scores are outlined on the Graduate Admissions website.
    • If you are required to complete one of these tests, please notify the test center that you are applying to Portland State University; if you did not do so at the time of the test you should contact them with this information prior to submitting your application.

Applicants to the masters or doctoral programs should have training equivalent to that of an undergraduate chemistry or biochemistry major, including coursework in the fundamental areas of chemistry (organic, physical, analytical, biological, and inorganic). It is assumed that an applicant will possess a good working knowledge of mathematics and physics. 

Graduate Record Exams (GRE) are not required for our program.

DEADLINES

  • September 1: Applications open
  • December 15: Priority consideration
  • January 15: Application window closes
  • Dec 16 - Jan 31: Rolling consideration
  • Feb 1: Applications close
  • NOTE: Admission to the M.S. program is not considered a typical pathway into the Ph.D. program. If a student is interested in earning a Ph.D. in Chemistry, they should apply directly to the Ph.D. program.

NOTE: Admission to the M.S. program is not considered a typical pathway into the Ph.D. program. If a student is interested in earning a Ph.D. in Chemistry, they should apply directly to the Ph.D. program.

This program only admits students once a year for fall term. Please note that our application fee policies have changed. An application fee of $67 is required from all applicants. If you have any questions, please contact gradschool@pdx.edu. 

APPLICATION MATERIALS

Below is the list of the materials and information you will need to provide as part of your application. We recommend preparing these materials in advance of submitting your application.

  • Potential Advisor: Our program typically admits students with a direct pairing to the research group they will work with. Prepare a primary and backup choice of faculty you would like to work with, ie research labs you would like to join. 
  • Statement of Purpose: In this we require you to address 4 questions in no more than 150 words per question. These include: your research interests in Chemistry including the names and research of faculty you would like to work with, previous experience that will assist with success in a PhD program, an example of overcoming adversity, and why a PhD is important to your life goals. 
  • References: Submit contact information for at least two references. Portland State will contact your references and provide them with instructions for submitting recommendation forms.
  • GRE (optional): The graduate programs in the Biology department at PSU do not currently require the GRE.
  • Copies of transcripts only from schools where a bachelor’s degree was awarded and/or graduate-level coursework was completed.
  • Proof of English Language Proficiency (if applicable)
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ACCEPTING GRAD STUDENTS FOR FALL 2027:

  • Jack Barbera
    • Research: Chemistry education research focusing on the development and evaluation of educational assessments and their use in measuring the effectiveness of pedagogical practice.
    • Barbera Lab Site
    • jack.barbera@pdx.edu
  • Andrea Goforth
    • Research: Synthetic development, property control, analytical characterization and application of surface-tailored, size-controlled inorganic nanoparticles for biomedical imaging and nanoscale electronics.
    • Goforth Lab Site
    • amgofort@pdx.edu
  • Papireddy 'Reddy' Kancharla
    • Research: The team is particularly focused on discovering and developing next-generation antimalarial agents capable of targeting multiple stages of the Plasmodium parasite life cycle, with novel mechanisms of action to overcome emerging drug resistance.
    • Kancharla Lab Site
    • papiredd@pdx.edu
  • Tami Lasseter Clare
  • Theresa McCormick
    • Research: Ligand design and metal complexes for solar energy conversion and chiral recognition.
    • McCormick Lab Site
    • t.m.mccormick@pdx.edu
  • Shankar Rananavare
    • Research: Examining soft and hard condensed matter with special emphasis on nanomaterials; includes synthesis, characterization and developing new applications of nanomaterials in fields ranging from nanoelectronics to nanobiology.
    • Rananavare Lab Site
    • ranavas@pdx.edu
  • David Stuart
    • Research: Development of arylation and aryne chemistry with I(III) and S(IV) reagents and mechanistic analysis.
    • Stuart Lab Site
    • dstuart@pdx.edu

STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?

If you still have questions after reviewing the materials on this page, please look at our Prospective Students FAQ page. 

COURSEWORK

Please refer to the Portland State University Class Schedule website for registration and information and to the Portland State University Bulletin for official information about courses, degree programs, and requirements.

Completing the master’s program typically requires two calendar years for those students holding teaching and /or research assistantships. Students with teaching and/or research assistantships normally complete the Ph.D. program within five years.

All graduate students in the Department of Chemistry complete a one-term course in seminar preparation and present a departmental seminar as well as a research seminar that forms the public part of the final oral examination. Ph.D. students must also present their research in a seminar to a multi-departmental audience.

The following courses are regularly offered at OHSU and may be relevant to a course of study in chemistry. Portland State graduate students may take OHSU coursework for PSU credit (please review the Office of Graduate Studies' website for information on joint campus registration and contact the PSU Department of Chemistry). Please consult the OHSU course schedule for more information.

  • Fall
    • CONJ 661    Protein and nucleic acid structure
    • CONJ 670    Foundations of measurement science
    • CEBS 515    Environmental and biomolecular history of Earth
  • Winter
    • CONJ 663    Biochemistry of gene regulation and expression
    • CONJ 671    Analysis in quantitative bioscience
    • EBS 535    Chemistry of organic contaminants
  • Spring
    • CONJ 669    Chemical biology
    • EBS 516    Metals in environment and human health

GRADUATE PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES

The Portland State University Department of Chemistry boasts esteemed faculty who model innovative pedagogy in the University’s state-of-the-art teaching labs and classrooms and access to unparalleled research and support facilities.

  • Advanced Knowledge: Graduate students will have and be able to apply advanced knowledge in specialized areas defined by their graduate program.
  • Methods: Graduate students will have and be able to apply skills in appropriate methods of analysis, whether quantitative or qualitative, or both, to collect and integrate information in ways consistent with the highest standards of their discipline.
  • Research: Graduate students will conduct research that results in an original contribution to knowledge, according to the standards of their discipline, including as appropriate both independent and collaborative research, and in conformity with all standards for responsible conduct of research.
  • Pedagogy: Graduate students will participate in training for teaching and apply their skills in the classroom consistent with their disciplinary norms, in undergraduate or other settings in their own or other disciplines.
  • Communication: Graduate students will have and apply skills in scholarly communication, applied in oral, text, and digital formats consistent with the highest standards of their discipline.
  • Professionalism: Graduate students will engage with the structure of their discipline and their intended career placement as professions, including the legal and ethical dimensions

A majority of our graduate students are pursuing the Ph.D. degree, in which original research is performed under the guidance of a faculty member to produce a written thesis. This option has been available to chemistry students at Portland State University since 1969.

More information about our graduate degrees

Microscopic images of surface structure.

PhD Program Info

MS Program Info
Microscopic images of surface structure.

MA Program Info