Chemistry
- Application Deadlines
- Application Requirements
- Contact Information
- Degree Programs (Ph.D., M.A.)
- Faculty
- Overview
- Research & Computer Facilities
Overview
The Department of Chemistry provides graduate students a unique atmosphere, with state-of-the-art instrumentation, talented teachers and motivated researchers. Much of the current research transcends traditional boundaries to include fields such as bio-organic, bioinorganic, biophysical and environmental chemistry. Weekly seminars and the annual Denkewalter Lecture — which brings the winner of either the American Chemical Society’s Pure Chemistry or Eli Lilly awards to campus — provide opportunities to learn about recent advances from respected academic and industrial scientists.
Degree Programs (Ph.D., M.A.)
The Department of Chemistry offers both Ph.D. and M.S. degree programs.
Ph.D. Degree Program
The Ph.D. program at Loyola University Chicago encompasses the traditional fields of specialization, including:
- Analytical chemistry
- Biochemistry
- Inorganic chemistry
- Organic chemistry
- Physical chemistry
The program also places special emphasis on environmental chemistry and biological interactions at a molecular level.
Students complete five formal courses: Three are taken in the areas of specialization and two outside the areas of specialization. A total of 60 credit hours with an average grade of "B" is required. Students are encouraged to become proficient in statistics, computer programming or languages of scientific importance as needed to conduct their research. Students must write and orally defend a research dissertation of publishable quality.
Length of Program: Full-time students usually complete the program in 4.5 years. Part-time students generally complete the program in seven years.
M.S. Degree Program
Students may choose from either a thesis-based master’s degree program or a course-based master’s degree program.
Thesis-based Program
This program requires at least five courses in chemistry, with at least two courses completed in the student’s major field and three in the student’s minor fields. The remaining credits are earned in research courses. A total of 24 credit hours is required. To complete the degree, students must write and defend a research thesis.
Full-time students usually complete the program in two years. Part-time students generally complete the program in 3.5 years.
Course-based Program
This program requires eight graduate level courses in chemistry for a total of 24 credit hours. One course must be taken in four of the following five areas: analytical, biochemistry, inorganic, organic, and physical. The remaining four courses may be distributed among the different areas, or a student may specialize in a particular area.
Full-time students usually complete the program in one year. Part-time students generally complete the program in two years.
Research & Computer Facilities
The Department of Chemistry is housed in the Thomas U. Flanner Science Hall, a modern, well-equipped building that provides ample research space for faculty, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Modern labs include research and instructional facilities.
The department has the modern instrumentation necessary for current chemical research, including two high-field multinuclear NMR spectrometers with VT capabilities and UV/Visible and FT infrared spectrometers. More specialized instrumentation in the research labs includes:
- LC MS with electrospray and GC MS
- Electrochemical apparatus
- A fluorescence and phosphorescence spectrometer capable of both steady-state and time-resolved measurements
- Capillary and standard gas chromatographs with chiral capabilities
- High-performance and fast-protein liquid chromatography
- Laser systems, including argon ion, helium cadmium, Nd:YAG, nitrogen and carbon dioxide lasers
- An oxygen-binding apparatus
- PHAST electrophoresis
- Scintillation counters
- Polarimeters
- EPR spectrometer
- TXRF spectrometer
The Department of Chemistry and Loyola University Chicago have a wide variety of computers to support chemistry research. The Chemistry Department PC Network has 50 workstations. The department has eight Silicon Graphics and 30 Dell Linux workstations which support molecular modeling (Spartan, Gaussian, CHARMM, VMD and Quanta). Finally, the department also has access to two Cray supercomputers at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications.
Faculty
The diverse research interests of the faculty open up a wide range of research to students. Ongoing work is well-balanced between analytical, biochemistry, inorganic, organic and physical chemistry. In addition, students have access to shared faculty in the Departments of Biology and Physics.
James Babler, Ph.D. (Northwestern University), Professor, Organic Chemistry
Miguel Ballicora, Ph.D. (University of Buenos Aires), Assistant Professor, Biochemistry
Daniel Becker, Ph.D. (Indiana University), Associate Professor, Organic Chemistry
Paul Chiarelli, Ph.D. (University of Nebraska-Lincoln), Associate Professor, Analytical Chemistry
David Crumrine, Ph.D. (University of Wisconsin, Madison), Professor and Chair, Physical Organic Chemistry
Alanah Fitch, Ph.D. (University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana), Professor, Analytical Chemistry
Jan Florian, Ph.D. (Charles University), Assistant Professor, Physical Chemistry
Duarte Mota De Freitas, Ph.D. (University of California, Los Angeles), Professor, Bioinorganic Chemistry
Daniel Graham, Ph.D. (Washington University, St. Louis), Associate Professor, Physical Chemistry
Patrick Henry, Ph.D. (Northwestern University), Emeritus Professor, Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis
Albert Herlinger, Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State University), Professor, Inorganic Chemistry
Ken Olsen, Ph.D. (Duke University), Professor, Biochemistry and Biophysics
Martina Schmeling, Ph.D. (University of Dortmund, Institute of Spectrochemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, Germany), Associate Professor, Analytical Chemistry
For more information about Department of Chemistry faculty, visit www.luc.edu/chemistry/faculty.shtml.
Application Requirements
- A $50 application fee
- A completed application form. To apply, go to www.luc.edu/gpem
- Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work
- Scores for the GRE (general and subject examination)
- Three letters of recommendation (usually from referees familiar with the applicant's academic work)
- A statement of purpose describing academic and research interests, as well as professional goals
- Either a TOEFL or IELTS score report is required for international applicants whose native language is not English. For the TOEFL, a score of at least 213 on the computer-based test or 550 on the written test is required. The minimum score for the new TOEFL iBT (Internet-based test) is 79. For the IELTS, a minimum score of 6.5 is required.
- International applicants, or U.S. applicants who completed school abroad, are required to submit non-U.S. transcripts to Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE). For more information, contact ECE at 414-289-3400 or visit www.ece.org
Please request a general evaluation report and have the official report sent to Loyola University Chicago, Graduate Enrollment Management, 820 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611.
Application Deadlines
Fall admission: February 1 (for assistantship applicants) or August 1
Spring admission: December 1
Deadlines and application requirements are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information, visit www.luc.edu/chemistry.
Contact Information
The application and all supporting documents must be sent to Graduate Enrollment Management at the following address:
Graduate Enrollment Management
Loyola University Chicago
820 N. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611
Phone: 312.915.8950
E-mail: GradApp@luc.edu
For more information about the academic program, or to arrange a visit, contact:
Department of Chemistry
Loyola University Chicago
6525 N. Sheridan Road
Chicago, Illinois 60626
Phone: 773.508.3100
Fax: 773.508.3086
www.luc.edu/chemistry