• Undergraduate Degree (must be the equivalent of a 4-year Bachelor's Degree in the U.S.)
• At least 25 semester hours in chemistry (properly distributed)
• GPA: 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) is the minimum admission requirement for the Graduate College (however, Chemistry typically does not make offers to students with an undergraduate GPA below 3.5, unless they have a high graduate GPA or extensive research experience to compensate for a lower undergraduate GPA) 
• A completed online application (link below, in the application process section)
• Academic Statement and Personal Statements
  • Academic Statement (1,000 words max)
  • Two Personal Statements (250 words max)
  • Optional Personal Statements (250 words max)
• Resume/CV
• Three letters of reference
• Official Transcripts of all previous undergraduate and graduate work (one transcript for each institution attended). Electronic transcripts must contain the name of the university/college, university/college seal, and/or signature of a registrar/dean. One or a combination of these features must be present, for the document to be considered a transcript. "Self-service, student versions of transcripts" and/or grade lists that students are able to obtain without submitting a request to their university/college will not be accepted. 
• Graduate Records Examination
  •  GRE scores (general or subject) are not required. Please do not submit them.
• English Language Proficiency Requirements: official test scores are required. The Department of Chemistry requires graduate students to serve as a Teaching Assistant (TA), with in person teaching duties. As a result, English Proficiency requirements are more stringent than general admission into the Graduate College. All applicants who were born outside of the United States should follow the link above about English Proficiency requirements, to make sure you will qualify to TA.   
  • Minimum TOEFL: 103 overall, 24 on speaking subsection
  • Minimum IELTS: 7 overall, 8 on speaking subsection, no less than 6 on any subsection

• Your academic record and recommendations must be a strong indicator of your capability to pursue advanced study and research in chemistry.

A student who is currently enrolled in a graduate program at another institution must complete the degree that the student is currently pursuing before being considered for admission to our program. Only under exceptional circumstances will a student be admitted without a degree from their current institution. In all cases, we require the student to submit a complete application, including a statement from the applicant detailing the situation, along with a letter from the applicant's research advisor or department head. Any such student will be expected to begin our program as a first-year student, take all of our normal coursework, and join a research lab via our normal group-joining process.

Graduate College Application

• To apply online, please fill out the Graduate College Application. 
• International applicants must upload a copy of their passport. Additionally, Proof of Funding documentation will be required for students requesting a F-1 or J-1 visa.
• You will be asked which research area specialization and program code you are applying to for admission; Degree Codes and research areas are listed below.  

Application Fees and Waivers

There is an application fee of $70 for US citizens and permanent residents and $90 for all other applicants. The fee must be paid by credit card at the time the online application is submitted. These fees are non-refundable.

Application fees are assessed by our Graduate College. As a result, individual departments are unable to waive the application fee. However, the Graduate College does offer several application fee waivers that you may be eligible to receive. Please follow this link for more information about application fee waivers offered through our Graduate College: Application Fee Waivers.

Program Codes

        10KS0335PHD — Chemistry-PhD
        10KS0294MS — Teaching of Chemistry-MS

Fields of Specialization for the Chemistry PhD Program (10KS0335PHD)
        (Please list up to 3 areas on your applications under "Specialization")

Research Areas: Analytical,  Chemical Biology,  Inorganic,  Materials,  Organic, and  Physical Chemistry.

Please contact us if you have any questions about the application process.

A large number of fellowships are awarded to graduate students in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Illinois. These range from Departmental fellowships sponsored by chemical companies and private donations to national fellowships from various federal and private foundations. Details about specific opportunities can be found at the following Fellowship and Award Opportunities webpage. 

Graduate Admissions flyer: information about the department, technology, facilities, and "where to start".

Corporate Engagement flyer: departmental highlights, research, ways to engage, and student information.

Research Area flyers: listing of faculty members along with their research interests.

Analytical Chemistry          Chemical Biology          Inorganic Chemistry         

Materials Chemistry          Organic Chemistry          Physical Chemistry 

The following webpage has a series of Lab Tour Videos for you to watch at your leisure. 

Chemistry Graduate Admissions

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
109 Noyes Laboratory, MC-712, Box 57-1
505 South Mathews Avenue 
Urbana, IL 61801
Phone: (217) 244-6245
Fax: (217) 244-7091
Email: chem-adm@illinois.edu