Prospective Graduate Student FAQs
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.
As of Spring 2023, neither the GRE general nor the subject exam is required for admission to GSU. There is no option to upload GRE scores to the application.
Non-native speakers of English are required to demonstrate English proficiency. This requirement can be met in one of the following ways:
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL, including the special home edition) with a total score of 80 or above.
- International Language Testing System (IELTS) with a score of 6.5 per category and 6.5 overall.
- Completion of a University System of Georgia approved ESL program (case-by-case basis).
- Documentation that the baccalaureate or a prior graduate degree was obtained in an institution where the primary language of instruction is English and is located in one of the following English-speaking countries:
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
If you are unable to take one of the tests due to closures or social distancing practices, alternatives may be available. Please submit a ticket to the graduate school with details at the following link: https://gradapply.gsu.edu/register/gradapplyhelp.
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.
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.
The application portal for Spring and Fall 2025 admissions will open some time in July 2024.
Students who wish to start in the Spring 2025 semester should apply by September 15th, 2024.
Students applying for Fall 2025 admission are encouraged to apply by the early priority deadline: December 1st, 2024. Students who apply by the early priority deadline will typically receive responses faster than students who apply after the deadline.
Students interested in applying for a graduate assistantship are encouraged to apply by February 15th, 2025.
Our department will continue to accept and review Fall 2025 applications until May 1st, 2025.
Graduate students may apply to be considered for graduate assistantships. Such assistantships are also accompanied by full tuition waivers as long as students maintain good academic standing and take the minimum required credit hours during their graduate education. Graduate students on assistantships do not have to pay for tuition and receive a stipend in the form of a teaching or research assistantship (see next FAQ).
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, and/or with grading as part of their assistantship.
Student who receive graduate assistantships will also receive tuition waivers. However, all 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/
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.
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:
An official transcript from each post-secondary institution previously attended is required for newly admitted graduate students into the Department of Chemistry. While unofficial transcripts are accepted at the initial application stage, admission into our graduate programs is contingent upon submitting final official transcripts.
Requirements for submitting official transcripts upon admission:
- Each set of hard-copy transcripts must be in an envelope from the institution, closed with the institution’s official seal, and must be submitted unopened to the address listed below.
- Official electronic transcripts are electronically delivered official transcripts sent securely from the issuing academic institution to [email protected].
- Final official transcripts must include:
- One or more of the following features: registrar’s seal, registrar’s signature, or watermark of the institution.
- Your name and the institution’s name.
- Degree and date conferred if from institutions granting a degree.
- An official diploma or degree certificate page, if the degree is not listed on the transcript.
- Notarized translation with the original document if not in English.
- Final Transcript: An applicant who may have been granted admission pending completion of their undergraduate degree must file an official final transcript showing the awarding of the degree as soon as it is available, but at the latest by the first day of classes.
- International Credentials: International transcripts must be in English and include mark sheets and course listing with grades, degree certification, and the signature of the Registrar.
If the institution does not provide an English translation, a certified English translation must be provided with the original transcript.
If official transcripts have not been received by the first day of classes, a registration hold will be placed on students’ account. This hold will prevent students from registering for future terms, withdrawing or changing enrollment, or generally progressing beyond the first semester until all official transcripts have been received by the Graduate School for Georgia State University.
Ways to submit the transcripts:
By regular mail at:
Office of Admissions – Graduate Programs
Georgia State University
P.O. Box 4018
Atlanta, GA 30302
By express courier at:
Graduate Admissions, The Graduate School
Georgia State University
55 Park Place NE, Suite 308
Atlanta, GA 30303
In-person at GSU:
Graduate Admissions, The Graduate School
Georgia State University
55 Park Place NE, Suite 308
Atlanta, GA 30303
By official electronic email:
Every application goes through a careful review process that may take several weeks. We make every effort to make admission decisions within a month or, at most, two months, from the application date. However, please note that we sometimes waitlist applications to be reconsidered during additional rounds of reviews. In such cases, your application will be retained for longer and a final decision may not be made until late May.