Chemistry
Doctor of Philosophy
Overview
- In-state: $11,796
- Out-of-state: $31,272
Related Topics
Bond with your future
Scientists with advanced degrees in chemistry play a vital role in advancing chemical research, pushing the boundaries of what we know about the physical world and driving innovation across industries.
In this program, you’ll have the chance to dive into the branch of chemistry that sparks your curiosity — whether it’s analytical, inorganic, organic or physical chemistry. You’ll gain real-world experience with advanced instrumentation as you contribute to the development of new materials for medicine, agriculture, food science or industrial applications. Your work might also involve tackling field-based challenges, such as environmental monitoring, reducing pollution or designing sensors for detecting explosives.
What sets this program apart is the opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary research. Students explore groundbreaking topics across fields like bio-organic chemistry, biophysical chemistry, medicinal chemistry, environmental chemistry and nanomaterials — making your learning both broad and deeply impactful.
This degree could be a good fit if you:
- Have a solid background in analytical, inorganic, organic and physical chemistry
- Want to be in the lab designing and conducting research
- Want to apply your chemistry knowledge to solve pressing global problems in areas such as medicine, agriculture, environmental science or advanced materials.
- Are interested in collaborating across chemistry and related scientific disciplines.
- Have the persistence, curiosity and work ethic required for graduate-level research.
Mixing curiosity and chemistry
Curriculum
The Ph.D. in chemistry is a 78-credit program combining advanced coursework with original, independent research. You’ll develop specialized expertise in chemistry while gaining extensive experience designing and conducting research, analyzing scientific evidence and contributing new knowledge to their field.
Explore program courses in the University Catalog
Real-world experience
- Our department fosters collaboration with research labs including:
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)
- Idaho National Laboratory (INL)
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Career outcomes
Current job openings
2,414 in ID, WA, OR, MT and HIPotential careers and mid-career salaries
- Natural Sciences Managers
$153,637 - Industrial Engineers
$124,662 - Chemists
$94,290 - Postsecondary Chemistry Teachers
$87,482
* Career data provided by Lightcast.
Costs, funding and research
To learn about various ways to fund your graduate degree, check out Graduate Funding.
For detailed information about the cost of attendance, visit Financial Aid.
Beginning Fall 2026, Ph.D. students appointed as Teaching Assistants will receive an annual support package that includes:
- Base stipend: $21,177.00 for the 9-month academic year
- In-state tuition: fully covered by the program
- Out-of-state tuition: waived for non-resident students
- Health insurance: fully covered
- Summer support: additional scholarship up to $8,000, depending on funding availability
Real-world experience
Our department fosters collaboration with research labs including:
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)
- Idaho National Laboratory (INL)
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Recognized STEM Program
This program is recognized as a STEM program by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and may be eligible for the 24-month STEM optional practical training extension for international students.
Contact information
Department contact:
Frank Cheng
ifcheng@uidaho.edu
Graduate admissions contact:
graduateadmissions@uidaho.edu
208-885-4001
Application information
Applicants for the Ph.D. in chemistry must meet the following degree-specific admission requirements:
Program availability
- Semester intake: Fall, spring
- Open to international applicants, including those requiring F-1 or J-1 visa status
- Campus location accepting applications: Moscow
- Deadlines: General application deadlines
- Start dates: View the academic calendar to see start and end dates
University requirements
- Education level: Bachelor's degree in a similar field from an accredited or recognized institution (earned or expected before the start of the graduate program)
- Transcripts for all post-secondary education will be required. Unofficial transcripts may be used for initial admission review. Official transcripts sent directly to Graduate Admissions by the issuing institution(s) will be required if admitted. View more information on the Graduate Admissions page.
- GPA: 3.0 (Applicants with a lower undergraduate GPA who have relevant professional experience in the field, have already earned a graduate degree, or have completed graduate-level credits may still be considered for admission with approval from the academic program.)
- GRE: Yes (for applicants with international education)
- Letters of recommendation: Three
- Resume
- Statement of Purpose
- Valid picture ID (required to verify students’ identity and will be kept confidential)
- English proficiency (for applicants whose education was completed in countries where English is not an official language).
- Accepted tests: TOEFL: 4.5, IELTS: 6.5, Duolingo: 115, PTE-A: 58. Learn what qualifies as proof of English proficiency.
Other requirements
- An interview is required before admission
- It is recommended to fill out the Chemistry Department’s Prescreening Form
- Application fee: $50
Application and admission process
Applications are submitted online and are specific to the program and term selected. Applicants seeking admission to multiple programs must submit a separate application for each program.
Before submitting an application, applicants must provide personal and academic information from all post-secondary institutions attended, recommender information, required program-specific materials, and their intended program and start term.
Applicants seeking a Ph.D. are encouraged to identify and contact a potential faculty advisor or major professor during the application process. Early identification of an advisor can help ensure that a faculty member in the applicant’s area of interest has capacity to supervise the student and appropriate research opportunities are available. Applicants should consult the College of Science website to identify faculty whose research aligns with their academic and research interests.
Applications are reviewed for admission by the academic program. Only complete applications, including required letters of recommendation and payment of the application fee, will be forwarded for evaluation and admission decision. Applicants are strongly encouraged to complete their applications early to allow sufficient time for a thorough review.
International students seeking F-1 or J-1 visas must provide financial documentation demonstrating their ability to cover the cost of attendance. This documentation is required only after admission.
Visit Graduate Admissions to learn more and start your application.
Overview
- In-state: $11,796
- Out-of-state: $31,272
Related Topics
Program faculty
Chemistry faculty expertise areas
Ray Von Wandruszka, Department Chair and Professor
- Analytical chemistry
- Environmental chemistry
- Chemistry of surface-active materials
Daler Baidilov, Assistant Professor
- Synthetic organic chemistry
- Synthesis of structurally complex natural products
Eric B. Brauns, Associate Professor
- Physical chemistry – Thermodynamics, kinetics and statistical mechanics with an emphasis on fundamental principles and quantitative modeling
- Biophysical chemistry – Application of physical chemistry to biological systems, including biomolecular structure, energetics and dynamics
- Spectroscopy – Use of spectroscopic methods to probe molecular structure and dynamics
- Chemical education – Teaching and curriculum development in physical chemistry, with a focus on conceptual understanding and mathematical rigor
I. Francis Cheng, Professor
- Solar energy conversion
- Biological oxidations
- Explosives detection
- Environmental remediation
- Photosystem II
Patrick J. Hrdlicka, Professor
- Synthetic organic chemistry
- Medicinal chemistry
- Nucleic acid based therapeutics/diagnostics
- Biological applications of nanomaterials
Jean’ne M. Shreeve, Distinguished Professor
- Energetic materials
- Materials chemistry
- Theoretical calculations
- Hypergolic ionic liquids
- Fluorine chemistry
Sebastian Stoian, Assistant Professor
- Nuclear gamma resonance (Mössbauer)
- Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopies
- Molecular magnetism
- Computational chemistry
- Synthetic inorganic chemistry
Kristopher Waynant
- Synthetic organic chemistry
- Natural products total synthesis
- Organometallics
- Materials chemistry
- Polymeric biomaterials
Richard Thompson
- Organometallic chemistry
- Catalysis
- Metal-ligand multiple bonds
- Photochemistry