Application Process

Our Director of Graduate Studies, Dr. Kathryn Schreiner, with some of our 2023 MS Graduates. (from left to right: Jordan Bremer, Shannon King, Dr. Kathryn Schreiner, Samuel Scott, Jonathan Tigner, Maggie Brown, and Jam Hamza)

Graduate Application and Admission

Thank you for your interest in the University of Minnesota Duluth's Master of Science program in Chemistry!

Apply Online

Apply here!

We accept applications on a rolling basis with a priority deadline of January 7, 2024 for the 2024-2025 academic year. All applications are submitted online at the graduate admissions website. 

To learn more about admission requirements, please visit the UMD graduate school website. 

Application Fee

You can find the required application fee here.

Requirements for Applicants

An undergraduate degree in chemistry or biochemistry is required for admission. Undergraduate courses should include calculus and college physics, a junior-senior level course in inorganic chemistry, and one year of physical chemistry. The minimum English-language scores for international students are given on the university's website.

GRE scores are optional and there is no minimum score for international students.

Application Materials

Applicant statement #1 (personal statement) is required, while statements #2 (diversity) is strongly encouraged and #3 (extenuating circumstances) is optional. In the "Program Supplementary Information" section, a curriculum vitae or resume should be uploaded. Three (3) letters of recommendation are required and should be uploaded by the letter writers to the system. Applicants upload unofficial transcripts directly to the online application. Please do not mail in paper copies of transcripts. After admission, the University will request official paper copies of transcripts.

Uploads Required

When writing your personal statement, please think about the prompts below. Your application will be evaluated in part based on the bullet points listed below when we consider you for admission to our program, so please be sure to discuss all or most of these aspects in your statement. It is important to tie these prompts together into a cohesive, well-written personal statement essay as a cornerstone of your application to our program. An ideal essay would touch on the seven points below while still telling a cohesive, compelling story about you as the applicant. We also strongly encourage the submission of an essay describing your personal commitment to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusivity both in academic and extracurricular settings.

We also encourage applicants to share the points below with their Letter Writers, as we look for evidence of all seven aspects below from letters of recommendation as well. 

Aspects for evaluation by the admissions committee:

  • Research ability and interest: Describe your experience with scientific research, in an official and unofficial capacity. What drives your scientific curiosity, and what motivates you to want to be a scientist?
  • Teaching ability: Describe your teaching and mentoring experience, through TA or tutoring positions, outreach, volunteer work, or other venues both inside and outside of the classroom.
  • Leadership experience: Describe your leadership experience, inside or outside of the classroom, or situations where you took personal initiative to lead a project or a group.
  • Teamwork skills: What are some examples of times that you have worked productively in a team? What was your role in the team, and was the team successful?
  • Grit and Tenacity: What is an example of a time that you have faced challenges or adversity in your life? How did you overcome those challenges, and what did it teach you?
  • Career goals and fit with our program: What are your career goals, and specifically how does this Chemistry MS program fit into your career plans?
  • Evidence of equity and inclusivity work: Why are diversity, equity, and inclusivity important in science, and how have you worked to build an inclusive community either within your undergraduate program or in another setting? How would you advance these issues as a graduate student in our program?

 

If you have further questions about our program, please contact the Director of Graduate Studies, Dr. Kathryn Schreiner, in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.Â