Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology College of Science Northeastern University

Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Northeastern University

A leader in use-inspired research, the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, is recognized globally for its achievements. Faculty members have received prestigious awards, such as the Alfred P. Sloan Award, multiple National Science Foundation (NSF) Career Awards, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Career Awards, and many others. "Chemical and Engineering News" magazine recognized the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Northeastern as one of the top 20 chemistry master degree programs in the nation.

The Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology was also chosen as one of only 4 National Science Foundation (NSF)-National Institutes of Health (NIH) interdisciplinary doctoral sites in the nation and was selected as a designated National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) research center. The department alone has received over $10 million for research in the past 3 years.

The graduate programs in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology offer rigorous training in the traditional fields of organic, physical, and analytical chemistry, while, at the same time, offering a highly interdisciplinary approach with a strong emphasis on materials and chemical biology.

Exciting Initiatives in Industry and Public Policy

The department works with government and private organizations to advance new solutions in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. Directly impacting public policy, Northeastern researchers have collaborated with government agencies -- most recently with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to advance the development of natural biological products that are highly similar to FDA-licensed biological drugs.

Professor Eugene Smotkin's research group is involved in the discovery of better materials for clean energy sources and processes. Professor Smotkin is a founder of NuVant Systems, a company that develops catalysts and electrolytes for portable and station fuel cell electrode assemblies.

Professor Max Diem's research team works to develop new optical methods for medical diagnosis. Professor Diem has received the Lester W. Strock Award from the Society for Applied Spectroscopy for outstanding work in vibrational spectroscopy.

Professor Robert Hanson and his research group have developed novel radiotracers and radiopharmaceuticals, novel steroid hormone receptor ligands, and targeted drug delivery through multifunctional multivalent nanoparticles. His research is well-funded by the NIH, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, and private foundations.

Flexible Graduate Programs for Full-Time Students and Working Professionals

The Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology offers Master of Science (MS) and PhD programs for both full-time students and working professionals. The master's degree coursework program is a part-time program offering courses that meet for 2.5 hours 1 evening a week. Students normally take 1 course per 15-week semester.

The department also offers a full-time master's degree thesis program that students usually complete in two years. Students usually complete the full-time doctoral degree within 5 to 6 years. Students enrolled in either of these programs usually receive financial support in the form of teaching or research assistantships.

The Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology also offers a unique and exciting "Coop PhD" This program allows students to maintain their employment status while earning a PhD. The program is designed for students who have already earned an MS degree and have worked for several years in a chemical-related industry. An involved student's company usually provides both tuition and an industry-based supervisor who sits on the thesis committee.

The Department of Chemistry and Chemistry biology also offers a 5-year Bachelor of Science (BS)/MS degree.

State-of-the Art Research Facilities

Graduate students have access not only to state-of-the-art facilities and laboratory equipment, but also to first rate computational chemistry resources. The department's facilities include nuclear resonance spectrometers; electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometers; visible, ultraviolet, infrared, and Raman spectrometers; mass spectrometers; high resolution field emission scanning electron microscopes; polypeptide and polynucleotide synthesizers; ultrafast laser and photon counting systems; and other equipment.

The Advanced Scientific Computation Center provides an MPI parallel library, a mathematical library, and a parallel cluster of high-speed processors. The center houses software developed for data analysis, molecular modeling and visualization, and predicting molecular and materials properties.

Wide-Ranging Research

Faculty members are engaged in wide-ranging research in bioanalysis, bioorganic and medicinal chemistry, biophysical chemistry, computational biology, inorganic chemistry, nanochemistry, and proteomics. Within the field of analytical chemistry, research teams focus on separation science, electroanalytical chemistry, mass spectrometry, and bioinorganic spectroscopy. Within chemical biology, researchers explore DNA repair mechanisms. Within organic chemistry, faculty and students investigate methods to develop antitumor, antiobiotic, and other natural and synthetic therapeutic agents. Researchers in physical chemistry focus on electron spin-resonance studies of the macromolecules and the photosynthesis process.

A Leading University in a Medical and Biotechnology Center

Northeastern University is a leading experiential research institute located in Boston, a city that serves as biotechnology center with many of the top hospitals and medical research institutes.

The university has an undergraduate population of almost 16,000, while the number of graduate students exceeds 3,500. The school's unique co-op program places students with large corporations such as Google and Turner Entertainment Networks International, engineering firms such as Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, financial institutions such as Merril Lynch and Morgan Stanley, and non-profits and government institutions, such as the Geneva Center for Security Policy and the U.S. Department of Justice.

More Information

More information is available regarding graduate applications and graduate studies at Northeastern University.

• Degrees Offered
• Major Degree Levels Offered
• Organic Chemistry Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
• Physical Chemistry Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
• Chemistry Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
  Master of Science (MS)
• Inorganic Chemistry Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
• Analytical Chemistry Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

• Degrees Awarded
• Master's Degrees 16
• Doctoral Degrees 6
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported
• * Shows the number of degrees awarded for the last academic year that data was reported.

• Earning Your Degree
• Part-time study available? Yes
• Evening/weekend programs available? Yes
• Distance learning programs available? No
• Terminal master's degree available? Yes

• Degree Requirements
• Master's Degrees Required for some
• Doctoral Degrees Required and qualifying exam in specialty area
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported

• Acceptance Rate
• Applied190
• Accepted61
• Acceptance Rate32%
• Enrolled34
• Applying
• Application Fee - Domestic $50
• Application Fee - International $50
• Electronic applications accepted? Yes
• Applications processed on a rolling basis? Yes
• Application Deadlines
• Type Domestic International Priority Date
• Fall deadline February 1st February 1st Yes
• Winter deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Spring deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Entrance Requirements
• Master's DegreesNot Reported
• Doctoral's DegreesNot Reported
• First-Professional's DegreesNot Reported
• Other Advanced DegreesNot Reported
• International DegreesTOEFL required

• Tuition & Fees
• In-state tuition *Not Reported
• Out-of-state tuition *Not Reported
• International student tuitionNot Reported
• * Tuition for full-time graduate student per academic year
• Fees
• Per-academic year feesNot Reported
• Per-term feesNot Reported
• One-time feeNot Reported
• * Fees for full-time graduate students
• Financial Support
• Financial award applicants must submitFAFSA
• Application deadlines for financial awardsMarch 1
• Types of financial support availableResearch Assitantships, Teaching Assistantships, Tuition Waivers, Career or Field-Related Internships, Federal Work-Study, Scholarship and/or loans, Graduate Assistantships

• Gender
• Total Graduate Students129
• Female Percentage57%
• Male Percentage43%
• Participation
• Total Graduate Students129
• Part-time Percentage24%
• Full-time Percentage76%
• Ethnicity
• Hispanic / LatinoNot Reported
• Black / African AmericanNot Reported
• White / CaucasianNot Reported
• American Indian / Alaskan NativeNot Reported
• AsianNot Reported
• Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific IslanderNot Reported
• Two or more racesNot Reported
• UnknownNot Reported

• Existing Research
• Focus of faculty researchBioanalysis, biorganic and medicinal chemistry, biophysical chemistry, nanomaterials, proteonics
• Externally sponsored research expenditures last yearNot Reported