PhD in Chemistry (PhD)

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis; tuition is Transfer credits are accepted and reviewed by the committee..

This program is designed for students with backgrounds in chemistry, biomedical sciences, environmental engineering, mathematics, and atmospheric sciences. It focuses on advanced research training in specific subdisciplines of chemistry through laboratory and computational work. Students develop expertise in research design, analytical instrumentation, and chemical techniques under faculty supervision. The program prepares graduates for faculty positions, postdoctoral research, and senior roles in industry and federal agencies.

Focus areas include analytical chemistry, atmospheric chemistry, biological chemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, materials chemistry.

The program requires 72 credit hours of coursework and dissertation research. Students complete core courses, advanced seminars, and conduct original research culminating in a doctoral dissertation.

Graduates secure positions as university faculty, postdoctoral researchers, senior scientists in industry, and research professionals at federal agencies such as NASA and the EPA.

Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with a minimum 3.0 GPA. The GRE is required, and applicants must submit a statement of purpose, autobiographical statement, three letters of recommendation, official transcripts, and a resume. The application is submitted through GradCAS.

The programme totals about 72 credit hours. On-campus, full-time. For international students, tuition is well above the median for US programmes. The institution admits about 35% of applicants.

Howard University’s legacy is shaped by academic study, research, and service. Its community includes scholars, student researchers, athletes, artists, and entrepreneurs. The university carries the identity of an HBCU while preparing students for study and careers across a broad range of disciplines. Alumni stories include physicians, astrophysicists, educators, lawyers, public officials, and advocates whose work has reached beyond the campus.

Students can apply to more than 130 areas of study across 14 schools and colleges. Howard offers undergraduate, graduate, professional, and doctoral programs, with fields ranging from the humanities to scientific disciplines. Research and centers address health and medical issues, economic disparities, cybersecurity, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence and machine learning, drug abuse, energy systems, accounting and finance, women’s leadership, and journalism and democracy. The university has also launched an AI certificate program for undergraduate students.

Located in Washington, DC, Howard connects academic life with a city central to American government, public service, journalism, and cultural life. International students should review the university’s range of schools and degree levels carefully, since programs differ across undergraduate, graduate, professional, and doctoral study. Howard’s guiding phrase, “Excellence in Truth and Service,” reflects the university’s emphasis on student success and service to local and global communities.