Frequently Asked Questions
All Ph.D. students admitted into the Graduate Program in the Department of Chemistry are automatically given a Teaching Assistantship for the first year. The monthly stipend for this assistantship is approximately $2,325. After the first year, students who are eligible for employment and with good academic standing in our program will continue to receive Teaching Assistantship or Research Assistantship. There is no need to apply for financial aid after you are admitted to the graduate program.
No, all admission decisions are made by Graduate Admissions Committee, not by individual faculty members.
GRE: Submission of GRE exam scores is encouraged but not required for application to the graduate program. There is no minimum requirement for GRE scores, but the following scores are considered competitive with other applicants:
- Tests taken prior to August 1, 2011: Verbal + Quantitative ≥ 1100
- Tests taken after August 1, 2011: Verbal + Quantitative ≥ 305
TOEFL & IELTS: The University of Houston requires all international students to meet the following English proficiency standards:
- TOEFL - Computer-Based Test: 213
- TOEFL - Paper-Based Test: 550
- TOEFL - Internet-Based Test: 79
IELTS: 6.5
An image of the test score should be uploaded when available during the application process. Our committee will review your file; however, all official test scores should be reported by ETS with the exception of IELTS which must be sent directly to the University of Houston-Graduate School.
For more details regarding English language proficiency requirements, please visit the following website: English Language Proficiency Requirement.
Students who have scores below the UH English proficiency standards will not be admitted.
Yes, for domestic applicants, your Overall GPA and Chemistry GPA should both be at least 3.0 out of 4.0 (B average).
Ph.D. candidates who apply by January 31 are guaranteed full consideration, although you may apply after that deadline. Applications will be reviewed starting December 8.
Prospective students will have until April 15 to decide whether to accept or decline admission to our graduate program. We strongly recommend international students decide well before April 15th as there may be delays in visa processing.
Domestic applicants are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. All others are international.
This number varies from year to year, but typically the entering graduate class is 30–40 students.
Each application is examined individually with respect to the other applicants.
Yes, but you must take the required exams and arrange for your scores to be sent directly to our University as soon as possible. The language test is required for international students. Submission of GRE exam scores is encouraged but not required for application to the graduate program. We will not decide on international applications until we receive the required language scores. An application will be denied due to incomplete required information at the end of our application deadlines.
There is no application fee for domestic applicants. The application fee is $80 for international applicants. You can pay with major credit cards. Application fee waivers for international students are only given in exceptional circumstances - i.e., one or two waivers per application cycle. The application fee must be received prior to an admission decision release.
The student’s grades, recommendation letters, GRE and TOEFL scores, and personal statement are all considered.
No, the TSE score is not required.
No, taking the GRE Chemistry or Physics Subject Test is strongly recommended, but it is not required.
No, the Department of Chemistry no longer admits students in the spring semester. All graduate students must start in the fall semesters (mid-August).
If you are admitted, you have until the beginning of your second semester (end of January) to choose a research advisor. Thus, you will have nearly five (5) months after arriving at the University of Houston to choose a research advisor.
Once you are admitted, you will receive an email from the University within 48 hours with your myUH ID number and instructions to retrieve a password. Please also check your Junk Mail box if you do not receive this email. This system generated email is often miss-labeled as a junk mail.
Yes, we offer a Non-Thesis M.S. program (M.S. Plan II) that requires 30 credit hours of pre-approved coursework to earn the degree. We do not provide any type of financial support to M.S. degree objective students. Our program is designed for students pursuing a Ph.D. degree.
Due to the large number of applications, we cannot provide unsuccessful applicants a specific reason why they have not been accepted.
Required documents including official transcripts and degree certificates (if available) should be uploaded during the application process. A good suggestion is to gather all your documents in PDF format prior to the application process.
Go to your application account (if time allows) and upload all missing items. Once completed, send a message to the department notifying us of completion. List all completed items in the email message.
A decision will be posted on your application account once our committee receives a final approval from our College Dean’s Office. This process can take time so please be patient. You will also receive an email message regarding the final decision from our department. Please be sure that your email address is accurate. Information will not be released via telephone.