Program in Biological Chemistry Graduate School University of Utah

Discover the University of Utah -- A Special Place for Graduate Studies

Utah is a national leader in research in biological chemistry and the Graduate Program in Biological Chemistry at the University of Utah includes over 50 faculty/laboratories that create a close-knit community studying structural and quantitative aspects of biochemistry. Program faculty are drawn from the Departments of Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, Oncological Sciences, and Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, and are organized into research tracks in the general areas of Biochemistry, Chemical Biology/Medicinal Chemistry, and Structural Biology/Biophysics.

There are many advantages for graduate students entering the program in biological chemistry. The broad and rigorous first-year curriculum offers strong training in all aspects of modern biological chemistry. All students are fully funded and there is no teaching requirement in the first year of the program. All students also have the opportunity to complete four laboratory rotations in the first year with Program faculty, allowing students to make a well-informed decision about their selection of a thesis adviser and Ph.D. research project.

Biochemistry Track

Faculty in the biochemistry track seek to understand the chemical and mechanistic aspects of important biological processes. Participating laboratories employ a wide variety of experimental approaches focusing on enzyme reaction mechanisms, protein folding and biosynthesis, protein transport and trafficking, organelle biogenesis, DNA replication, and metabolic regulation.

Chemical Biology/Medicinal Chemistry Track

Faculty in the chemical biology/medicinal chemistry track aim to define and control important biological processes through the use of new molecules prepared by chemical synthesis or through new insight provided by definition of the underlying chemical mechanisms. Faculty are focused on drug discovery, design and delivery, understanding therapeutically relevant biomolecules, enzyme inhibitors, target and diversity-oriented chemical synthesis, biosynthetic engineering and synthetic biology, molecular recognition, in vitro evolution, and chemical genetics.

Structural Biology/Biophysics Track

Faculty in the structural biology/biophysics track employ a variety of experimental approaches, including x-ray crystallography, NMR, electron microscopy, enzymology, virology, protein design, computational biology, bio-optics, and single molecule analyses. The faculty members seek to understand molecular and supramolecular structures, structural organization of complexes, dynamics of cellular processes in real time, mechanisms of molecular motors, and membrane structures.

Training in the biochemical chemistry program permits diverse training that cross traditional boundaries between chemistry, biology, and physics. Students can develop their own individual training with selection of classes in the second semester. The application is also FREE!

Living in Utah and Salt Lake City

At the University of Utah, students discover how great it is to live in Utah and Salt Lake City. Utah offers incredible natural beauty, with the University of Utah located at the base of the Wasatch Mountain Range, a world-renowned skiing, hiking, and mountain biking destination. Students can visit the University of Utah's Web site or the Web site for the Utah Office of Tourism and see how the combination of science and lifestyle in the area are unmatched anywhere else in the nation.

Financial Aid

The 2013-2014 fellowship amount is $26,000 per year plus a $1,000 starting allocation. Despite the relatively low cost of living in Utah, the fellowship usually undergoes an increase during students' graduate career. Additionally, tuition waivers and health and dental insurance are provided to all Program students.



The Biological Chemistry Graduate Program, at the University of Utah, is integrated within the biosciences graduate programs that include the Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, and MD/PhD Programs.

The Biological Chemistry Graduate Program, at the University of Utah, is integrated within the biosciences graduate programs that include the Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, and MD/PhD Programs.

• Degrees Offered
• Major Degree Levels Offered
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

• Degrees Awarded
• Master's Degrees Not reported
• Doctoral Degrees Not reported
• 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? No
• Evening/weekend programs available? No
• Distance learning programs available? No
• Terminal master's degree available? No

• Degree Requirements
• Master's Degrees Not reported
• Doctoral Degrees Required
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported

• Acceptance Rate
• Applied210
• Accepted27
• Acceptance Rate12%
• Enrolled13
• Applying
• Application Fee - Domestic $55
• Application Fee - International $65
• Electronic applications accepted? No
• Applications processed on a rolling basis? Not Reported
• Application Deadlines
• Type Domestic International Priority Date
• Fall deadline December 15th December 15th Not Reported
• Winter deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Spring deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Entrance Requirements
• Master's DegreesNot Reported
• Doctoral's DegreesGRE General Test
• First-Professional's DegreesNot Reported
• Other Advanced DegreesNot Reported
• International DegreesTOEFL required, 500 paper based, TOEFL iBT

• Tuition & Fees
• In-state tuition *$4,384
• Out-of-state tuition *$16,684
• 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 submitNot Reported
• Application deadlines for financial awardsNot Reported
• Types of financial support availableResearch Assitantships, Health Care Benefits

• Gender
• Total Graduate Students16
• Female Percentage38%
• Male Percentage62%
• Participation
• Total Graduate Students16
• Part-time Percentage6%
• Full-time Percentage94%
• Ethnicity
• Hispanic / Latino0%
• Black / African American0%
• White / Caucasian100%
• American Indian / Alaskan Native0%
• Asian0%
• Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander0%
• Two or more races0%
• Unknown0%

• Existing Research
• Focus of faculty researchProtein structure, nucleic acid, enzymes, proteolysis, HIV
• Externally sponsored research expenditures last yearNot Reported