Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical Physics

The Chemical Physics Program is a course of study and research leading to a Doctor of Philosophy degree for students who wish to enter professional careers requiring an in-depth knowledge of both physics and chemistry. Students can choose research topics across many disciplines including biophysics, chemistry, physics, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, materials and nuclear engineering, mechanical engineering, meteorology and quantum science, information and technology. The Chemical Physics Program is designed for students with undergraduate degrees in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, or Engineering who are sufficiently well prepared in mathematics and the physical sciences to undertake graduate training in physics and physical chemistry. Formal course offerings in quantum mechanics, quantum chemistry, spectroscopy, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, statistical mechanics and biophysics prepare a student to explore the broad range of research topics at the University of Maryland.

The Chemical Physics Program is hosted and administered by the Institute for Physical Science and Technology, in collaboration with seven academic departments: Chemistry and Biochemistry, Physics, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials and Nuclear Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Meteorology. The Chemical Physics Committee oversees the program and is made up of representatives (Chemical Physics faculty) from the sponsoring units with the Program Director as chair. Formal arrangements with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) allow students to perform research off campus under the supervision of a government scientist associated with the program and a Chemical Physics faculty member.

The program is for students with undergraduate degrees in chemistry, physics, mathematics, or engineering. For those students with degrees in other disciplines, knowledge of calculus, differential equations, and vector algebra, as well as introductory mechanics, electricity and magnetism, and quantum mechanics is ordinarily expected.
Statement of Purpose
Transcript(s)
TOEFL/IELTS/PTE (international graduate students)
Letters of Recommendation (3)
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) (optional)
GRE Subject (optional)
CV/Resume
Writing Sample (1)
Description of Research/Work Experience
iBT TOEFL - 96 Overall (Speaking 22, Listening 24, Reading 26, Writing 24)
IELTS - 7 Overall (Listening 7, Reading 7, Writing 7, Speaking 6.5)
TheGraduate'Schoolrequires as a minimum standard anaverageof 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in allundergraduatecourses taken at a regionallyaccreditedcollege or university.