Prospective Students

Degrees Offered

The Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department offers the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and Masters of Science (M.S. Plan I and III) degrees. Financial aid is given to those students intending to pursue the Ph.D, there is currently no funding available for M.S. students. A full description of the separate degree requirements is provided here.

Fall 2027 Application Deadline: December 1, 2026

Application Process

All graduate cohorts begin in the fall semester and applications are due December 1. Applicants must have a BS in Chemistry or a related field, a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, and show potential to succeed in the core classes by demonstrating good grades in organic chemistry, physical chemistry, and inorganic chemistry. Applicants are encouraged to identify the faculty members whose reasearch interests them and reach out to them before applying. 

To Apply:

Application Fee Waiver

To be considered for an application fee waiver, please fill out this form and upload all required documents. 

The fee waiver deadline for Fall 2027 admission is November 1, 2026. If approved, you will hear from us by November 20. Do not submit your application on the UNM portal before hearing from us regarding the status of your fee waiver. The fee waiver cannot be given after you have submitted your application on the UNM portal.

If you have any questions please email ccbgrad@unm.edu. 

Funding 

Ph.D. graduate students in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology receive support from the department in the form of teaching assistantships. Generally, a student will be responsible for three laboratory sessions of 3 hours each. In addition to a stipend, all graduate teaching assistants are granted a full waiver of tuition for the academic year.

After the first year, students may receive aid in the form of research assistantships. These are provided from the resources generated by the student's research advisor. Alternatively, a student may continue to be assigned to a teaching appointment. Summer support is available in the form of research or teaching assistantships for students making satisfactory progress towards an advanced degree. Learn more about funding for graduate students here. 

 

Visit Graduate Studies to learn more about UNM and its graduate school.