What are the admission requirements for the graduate program in Chemistry at GSU?
Currently, our graduate program requirements are:
- A baccalaureate degree in chemistry or an allied field from an accredited college or university, or fulfillment of the requirements for the baccalaureate degree or its equivalent.
- Two (for MS) or three (for Ph.D.) letters of recommendation from people familiar with the student’s work and background.
- Written responses to the following short-essay prompts:
- Describe your past research experience (or laboratory experiences). What did you learn from those experiences?
- List instruments, specialized techniques, and/or scientific software you have used so far during your scientific training or career.
- Why would you like to join the graduate program in Chemistry at Georgia State University? Please explain if you have any specific coursework, research area/topic(s), and/or research advisor(s) in mind.
- Choose one of the two questions below (a or b) and answer it:
- Was there a time during your life or your professional career when a situation or project did not go as you planned? What caused this, and how did you handle it?
- Explain a time you received feedback or criticism from an instructor or advisor. How did you respond to it?
- Choose one of the two questions below (a or b) and answer it:
- What motivates you?
- Who inspires you?
- For applications from international universities, an English proficiency test (TOEFL or IELFS) may be required. Please see the related FAQ below.
Are either the GRE general exam or subject exam required for admission to GSU?
As of Spring 2023, neither the GRE general nor the subject exam are required for admission to GSU. There is no option to upload GRE scores to the application.
Is an English Proficiency Test (TOEFL or IELTS) required for admission?
The TOEFL or IELTS exam is required for admission for international applicants. However, the exam may be waived for students who have completed their degree in a U.S.-based university. The requirement can also be waived for students born in one of the following countries and whose language of instruction was in English:
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Australia
The Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bermuda
British Virgin Islands
Canada
Cayman Islands
Christmas Island
Cook Islands
Dominica
Falkland Islands, Islas Malvinas
Gambia (The)
Ghana
Gibraltar
Grenada
Guam
Guyana
Ireland
Jamaica
Jersey
Malawi
Micronesia,Federated States of
Montserrat
New Zealand
Nigeria
Pitcairn Islands
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Vincent/Grenadines
South Africa
St Helena, Ascension, Tristanda
Trinidad and Tobago
Turks and Caicos Islands
Uganda
United Kingdom/Gr Britain
United States of America
Virgin Islands
What TOEFL / IELTS scores are required for admission?
A minimum TOEFL score of 80 or IELTS score of 6.5 per category and 6.5 overall is required for admission to GSU.
What GPA is required for admission?
GSU reviews applications holistically and consider several aspects of the application before making admit/reject admissions. Therefore, there is no official cutoff for the GPA score requirement. However, most applicants admitted to the graduate program at GSU have a CGPA above 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or equivalent.
Can I apply with my unofficial transcripts?
At the initial application stage, you may upload a copy of your unofficial transcript to the application portal. Official transcripts will be requested by the college at a later stage in the application/admission process.
When should I apply?
Students who wish to start in the Spring 2024 semester can apply by September 15th, 2023.
Most students are encouraged to apply for Fall 2024 admission by the early priority deadline: December 1st, 2023.
Students who apply by the early priority deadline will typically receive responses faster than students who apply after the deadline.
Our department will continue to accept and review Fall applications until May 1st, 2024.
Can I afford graduate school?
Most of the M.S. and Ph.D. students admitted to the department of chemistry are offered full tuition waivers and assistantships as long as they maintain good academic standing and take the minimum required credit hours during their graduate education. This means that admitted students typically do not have to pay for tuition and receive a stipend in the form of a teaching or research assistantship (see next FAQ).
What teaching or research assistantships are offered by the Department of Chemistry?
M.S. students on teaching assistantships (TA) receive $6,000 per year.
Ph.D. students on assistantships receive $30,000 per year.
M.S. and Ph.D. students on TAs will be required to assist with teaching courses, labs, or with grading in exchange for the assistantship.
Would I be responsible for any fees?
The Department of Chemistry provides tuition waivers and assistantships to graduate students. However, the students are responsible for purchasing health insurance and for paying certain fees. Please see the links below for more details:
https://sfs.gsu.edu/resources/student-health-insurance/insurance-plans/
https://sfs.gsu.edu/resources/tuition/tuition-breakdown/
Should I contact a professor that I want to work with?
It is not required to contact a professor before applying to our graduate program. However, if you have a strong research overlap with a specific research lab in our department, it is recommended to contact the PI to let them know that you are interested in applying or to learn about ongoing projects and available positions in their lab. A list of research faculty in our department and their contacts and research interests can be found here: https://chemistry.gsu.edu/research/.
What is the application fee for applying to the graduate program and can that fee be waived?
The application fee for admission to GSU is $50. The department only provides application fee waivers for applicants who have participated in one of the programs listed below. Outside of those programs, fee waivers are not possible.
PROGRAMS:
- Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) U-STAR Program
- Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD)
- Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP)
- McNair Scholars
- Bridges to the Doctorate
- Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) attendance
- Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) Program
- Research Initiative for Scientific Advancement (RISE)
- Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP)
- PhD Project: Business Doctoral Programs for Minorities
- Annual Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) Conference Attendance
- Completion of GSU's Center for the Advancement of Students and Alumni's 25 to Thrive Program
- Honorably Discharged U.S. Veterans, Active-duty Military, Guard or Reserves.
For additional information about the graduate school application process, please see the following link: