Chemistry

The Department of Chemistry at the University of Idaho offers a Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctorate (Ph.D.) in Chemistry. It is a midsized department that strikes a perfect balance between excellent teaching and high-level research, providing access to state-of-the-art equipment and outstanding facilities.

M.S. and Ph.D. degrees are offered in analytical, inorganic, organic and physical chemistry. There are many opportunities to do interdisciplinary work, including research in bio-organic chemistry, biophysical chemistry, environmental chemistry, medicinal chemistry, and nanomaterials.

An advanced degree in chemistry will position you at the front lines of chemical research and development, where you can make significant contributions to the knowledge of our physical world. As a student in the program, you will learn to operate sophisticated instrumentation. You may work on the development of new materials used in medicine, agriculture, food production and many other fields. You also may become involved with environmental monitoring and pollution abatement, or with the building of sensors for use in explosives detection.

With around 40 graduate students in the program, the department is small enough that you’ll receive individual attention, but it’s large enough to provide you with the latest in instrumentation and facilities. You will have a chance to collaborate with, and learn from, postdoctoral fellows, visiting scientists, and faculty from other departments and colleges.

The Department of Chemistry is located in Renfrew Hall, on the University of Idaho campus in Moscow. Most of your course and lab work will be performed on campus, although there are some opportunities to utilize nearby facilities, such as the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, Wash. and the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Prepare for Success

If you’re interested in earning a graduate degree in chemistry, you must have a solid background in the areas of analytical (qualitative, quantitative and instrumental), inorganic, organic (including qualitative organic analysis) and physical chemistry. As you prepare to pursue a graduate degree, it’s also important to take several physics courses and to strengthen your writing skills by contributing to research projects as an undergraduate.

Your First Year

In order to earn a master's in chemistry, you must complete a minimum of 30 credits in required 500-, 400- and 300-level courses. Ph.D. candidates need a minimum of 78 credits, with a large number of credits coming from research activities. Depending on your interests and the results of your cumulative entrance exam, your first year could include classes, such as:

• Nucleic Acids: Synthesis and applications (Chem 571, Topics in Organic Chemistry). You will learn about RNA and DNA as the carriers of genetic information, as well as their role in therapeutics and even nanotechnology.
• Electrochemistry (Chem 558): You’ll discover the fundamental concepts of electrochemistry, including the principles of redox processes, in-depth treatment of electroanalytical techniques and much more.
• Environmental Chemistry (Chem 418/518): This course is divided into three parts – soil, water and atmosphere – to give you a thorough understanding of the chemical and biochemical activities that occur in the natural environment.

What You Can Do

Many students with advanced degrees find work in research and development (R&D) in the chemical, pharmaceutical or oil industries. They may also join smaller biotechnology or environmental consulting firms or government laboratories.

Opportunities

With an advanced degree in chemistry, you will be in demand by today’s top companies. Your salary could range from about $50,000 to more than $100,000, depending on the particular job. The upper ranges of the salary spectrum generally apply to senior research and management positions in large corporations or in the federal government. A large variety of career opportunities are available, including:

• Manufacturing: You may work in a team that produces plastics and other synthetic materials, drugs, detergents and cleaners, pesticides and fertilizers, paints, industrial chemicals and many other products.
• Medical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology: In this area you may study human genes and work towards the development of new drugs.
• In-house research and development (R&D): Many students with advanced chemistry degrees work in R&D to create more effective medicines, higher-yielding crops, food processing advancements and more.
• Chemical/environmental: You may work to develop processes such as improved oil refining and petrochemical processing that save energy and reduce pollution.
• Engineering/architectural: You may work in a team that studies materials, integrated circuits, fuel cells or sensors that are incorporated in buildings and other structures.
• R&D services firms: Many companies use chemists from consulting firms in specialized R&D projects to develop new or improved products.
• Academia: You have the opportunity to teach chemistry in high school, junior college or at the university level. With a Ph.D., you can build a career in teaching and research in partnership with private or public institutions.

Current Research

The Department of Chemistry at the University of Idaho offers research programs in many branches of chemistry, including:

• Nanoscience
• Fluorine chemistry
• Environmental/analytical chemistry
• Organometallic chemistry and catalysis
• Mass spectrometry
• Medicinal chemistry
• Supercritical fluid reactions
• Theoretical chemistry

Hands-On Experience

Due to the fact that research is such a vital component of your graduate work, our department fosters strong interactions with two national laboratories, giving you greater options and access to sophisticated facilities. Many of our students have the opportunity to perform experiments in collaboration with scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, Wash. and the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in Idaho Falls, Idaho. 

Current student research includes collaborative work at the Idaho National Laboratories, including a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) project involving the development of fuel for a lunar nuclear reactor.

Facilities

Renfrew Hall, where the Department of Chemistry is located, has just undergone a $7 million renovation. We have world-renowned research laboratories in fluorine chemistry, supercritical fluids and FT-IR spectroscopy. Our facilities include:

• 600 and 500 MHz NMR spectrometers
• A high resolution GC/MS
• A single crystal X-ray diffractometer
• Nanosecond lasers
• Twelve Fourier transform infrared spectrometers
• Three Raman spectrometers
• Three 300-MHz NMR spectrometers
• A photon correlation spectrometer
• Two atomic absorption spectrometers
• Chromatographs (SFC, GC and HPLC)
• Facilities for neutron activation analysis