FAQs

Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to major in chemistry, biochemistry, chemical engineering, molecular biology, or a similar field. Although, applicants who have a background in chemistry/biochemistry (e.g. minor or double major) may still apply to our program.

We recommend that students entering the program have a combination of the following classes:

• One year of general chemistry (with lab)
• One year of organic chemistry (with lab)
• One semester of physical chemistry
• One semester of biochemistry
• One semester of inorganic chemistry
• One semester of chemical analysis or analytical chemistry
• Optional: Cell biology and genetics

The Department usually accepts about 25 graduate students per year. While admissions have no demographics requirements, usually about half of the accepted students are domestic and half are international.

Admitted students do not join research groups until the end of their first semester. During that first semester, biochemistry students take a lab rotation course to explore potential labs. Chemistry students are not enrolled in a course but are instructed to speak with at least four professors during the first semester to learn about current research, explore their lab, attend lab meetings, etc.

At the end of the fall semester, they meet with the Department Chair to discuss whom they would like to work with and why. A sincere effort is always made to allow students to join the group of their first choice, but on rare occasions that is not possible.

Your next step will be to complete the IERF process.

Official transcripts and other documentation should be sent as directed to IERF. All documents need to be received and complete before the I-20 process can begin. Expediency in having the official transcripts sent to BYU upon notice of being recommended for admission is important. Admission will not be complete until official transcripts are received and verified.

Transcripts should be in the native language and accompanied by an official English translation unless the university issues transcripts in English only. The translation into English must be literal, not interpretive. Transcripts must bear official, not photocopied, signatures, seals, or stamps.

For an accurate evaluation of your unofficial transcript, it is helpful to have a grading scale with the transcript. The degree must be at least the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree (a four-or five-year degree program) and must be completed before you begin your graduate program.

The application deadline for Fall and for those desiring fellowship consideration is January 14.

While we do review applications submitted after that date, applicants who meet the deadline have a higher possibility of being admitted. Late submissions are considered as we have openings in our programs.

The application fee is $50.

For applications completed by December 20th, we can offer a fee waiver. Questions on waiving the application fee are encouraged to contact Amy Royer (amy@chem.byu.edu), Graduate Program Administrator.

1. Ecclesiastical Endorsement
2. Undergraduate Transcripts
3. Standardized Test Scores
   
   1. English Proficiency Exams - international students
4. Three Letters of Recommendation
5. Resume
6. Statement of Intent
7. Video Interview

See Admissions Criteria for more details.

Per the Graduate Studies website -

HONOR CODE

Whether on or off-campus or between semesters, all students are expected to abide by the Honor Code, and Related Policies. Students are required to be in good Honor Code standing to graduate.

Students who are "members" and who are “non-members” of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are required to abide by the rules and standards of conduct. All students must be in good Honor Code standing to graduate, to receive a diploma, and to have the degree posted.

Agree to the Honor Code and Related Policies


ECCLESIASTICAL ENDORSEMENT
An ecclesiastical endorsement is a religious recommendation by your religious clergy.

All persons wanting to attend BYU must complete and maintain a valid ecclesiastical endorsement in order to be enrolled at the university. The endorsement process can be started at endorse.byu.edu.

All applicants must select the first option "Apply to BYU (including FlexGE, ELC, and Graduate Studies)." when submitting the endorsement request.

Applicants who require assistance should email gsadmissionintern@byu.edu.

Employees must initiate the new "APPLICANT" ecclesiastical endorsement through endorse.byu.edu. This process is in addition to their current employee endorsement and/or temple recommend and all applicants are required to complete this process.

All applicants are encouraged to complete the Ecclesiastical Endorsement process well in advance of their respective graduate program application deadlines to prevent possible delays in being considered for admission.

All applicants are encouraged to complete the Ecclesiastical Endorsement process well in advance of their respective graduate program application deadlines to prevent possible delays in being considered for admission.

International Students:

English Proficiency Exams: We accept the CAE, E3PT, IELTS, and TOEFL tests. Minimum scores are below:

• CAE C1 Advanced
  
  • Minimum score of (180/Grade C) or higher.
    
• E3PT
  
  • Overall minimum score of 79 (with minimum speaking, reading, and listening scores of 21, and a minimum writing score of 16).  
  • Receive a 50% discount by entering the code “GOFORTHTOSERVE”
    
  IELTS            
  
  
  • Overall minimum band score of 7.0 (consisting of minimum band scores of 6.0 in each module).
    
• TOEFL iBT (internet based test)
  
  • Minimum subscores of 22 (Speaking) and 21 (Listening, Reading, & Writing respectively) comprising an overall score at least 85.

For more information on each exam, click here.

A credential evaluation is required for all international applicants for transcript and degree verification. BYU accepts reports from International Education Research Foundation (IERF).

Because of the high expense for this service, if an applicant does not already have a credential evaluation, the Department reviews each application to the graduate program and then makes an initial admission decision. If an applicant is recommended for admission, Graduate Studies instructs the applicant to submit the credential evaluation application, with documentation, to IERF. The Department will pay the cost for the IERF service.

In order to expedite this process, applicants should maintain complete, up-to-date documentation for their country.

No. Upload unofficial copies of all transcripts to your application. Official transcripts will be required after a recommendation for admission.

The department graduate studies program usually only admits new students for the fall semester. On rare occasions, students may be accepted for winter, spring, or summer terms.

In addition, it is possible for newly admitted domestic students to begin paid research early, but their program will not officially begin until the fall. If you wish to be considered for off-cycle admission or early research, please contact the Graduate Program Administrator at amy@chem.byu.edu.

Tuition: All graduate students are provided full tuition support for degree-related coursework at the university required for a master's (MS) degree at 30 hours or doctoral (PhD) degree at 54 hours. Tuition is paid for the program of study course work and research credits as long as the student is making satisfactory progress in his/her degree program.

Assistantships: For the 2022-2023 academic school year,

• MS chemistry and biochemistry graduate students- $26,390 for a full year of work (absences greater than two weeks may result in lower compensation).
• PhD chemistry and biochemistry graduate students - $29,000 for a full year of work (absences greater than two weeks may result in lower compensation). 
  
  • $1000 signing bonus for PhD students
• Graduate students making normal progress toward their degrees are guaranteed assistantships for the 2-2.5 years usually needed to complete an MS degree or for the 4-5.5 years usually needed to complete a PhD degree.
  
  • These assignments give graduate students experience in scholarship and instruction, which aligns with our department mission and graduate program objectives (https://chembio.byu.edu/graduate-program.) Students who elect not to participate in the TA or RA assistantship are not eligible for a department tuition scholarship. Students will be responsible for the tuition cost each semester or term the student is not a TA or RA. For exceptions, contact the Graduate Coordinator.
    
    • Generally, your time is not your own. By receiving financial support from the department, you are committing your full effort to your assistantship, coursework and research. It is not acceptable to have any other employment or studies while in this graduate program.

All admitted chemistry and biochemistry graduate students receive tuition scholarships covering tuition for classes required for their degrees. PhD candidates receive a 54-credit tuition waiver and MS students receive a 30-credit waiver. These waivers are usually more than enough to cover the tuition needed to obtain the respective degrees.

**TA and RA assignments give graduate students experience in scholarship and instruction, which aligns with our department mission and graduate program objectives (https://chembio.byu.edu/graduate-program.) Students who elect not to participate in the TA or RA assistantship are not eligible for a department tuition scholarship. Students will be responsible for the tuition cost each semester or term the student is not a TA or RA. For exceptions, contact the Graduate Coordinator.

The graduate program in chemistry and biochemistry at BYU is of intermediate size. There are currently approximately 105 full-time graduate students. The large majority of whom are doctoral students. Since the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry retains about 35 full-time faculty members, graduate students have the opportunity to interact often and closely with faculty.

Newly admitted Chemistry graduate students (M.S. and Ph.D.) must demonstrate proficiency in general chemistry, their area of emphasis - analytical, biochemistry, inorganic, organic, or physical, and within a breadth course. All graduate students must complete the general chemistry and area of emphasis requirement by the conclusion of their 1^st semester. Any graduate student not meeting this requirement may be dismissed from the graduate program.

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ACS GENERAL CHEMISTRY EXAM REQUIREMENT:

All graduate students must pass the ACS general chemistry exam by the 60^th percentile by the end of the fall semester in their first year.

a) For those that pass within the 60^th percentile or above will have completed this requirement and will need to focus on passing their area proficiency and/or breadth class.

b) For those that do not pass within the 60^th percentile, students will be given two more chances at the end of October and the end of November of the fall semester to complete this requirement. Students can audit Chem 105/106 to help with general chemistry material and/or can study on their own.

If the student does not pass their general chemistry requirement by the end of the fall semester, they will be assigned an unsatisfactory rating for fall. The student will be given one more chance, during the last week in February of the winter semester, to pass their general chemistry exam. If they fail to pass the general chemistry exam, they will be given up to a four-month transition period, starting at the beginning of March, to transition out of the graduate program.

PROFICIENCY IN AREA REQUIREMENT:

All graduate students must show adequate proficiency in their area of emphasis by passing their area-specific ACS exam at a level set by the area (each area will decide on their percentage) by the end of the fall semester. The area exam will be issued three times during the fall semester. If the student does not pass their area requirement by the end of the fall semester, they will be assigned an unsatisfactory rating for fall. The student will be given one more chance, during the last week in February of the winter semester, to pass their area exam. If they fail to pass their area general chemistry exam, they will be given up to a four-month transition period, starting at the beginning of March, to transition out of the graduate program.

These are the score requirements for the academic year 2023-2024. Score requirements are subject to change each academic year.

Area	Passing Score/#of Questions	Percentile
Analytical	30/50	60th
Biochemistry	30/60	50th
Inorganic	35/60	55th
Organic	45/70	83rd
Physical	35/60	65th

a) Students who pass the area-specific ACS exam will be able to enroll in the graduate-level core courses upon arrival.

AREA CLASSES
Analytical	Biochemistry	Inorganic	Organic	Physical
Chem 521, 523, 629R, 729R	Chem 581, 583, 584, 586, 689R, 789R	Chem 514, 518, 619R	Chem 552, 553, 555, 659R, 759R	Chem 563, 565, 567, 569

b) Students who do not pass their area exam will be enrolled in a preparatory study course, Chem 596R. Students will be able to sit for the area exam at the end of the 1st-term. The hope is that everyone will pass the exam by the end of the 1st-term. If, however, the student does not pass after the 1st-term, the student will have one last try at the end of the 1st semester - after finals. If the student’s area proficiency hasn’t improved after the fall semester, they will receive an unsatisfactory rating.

BREADTH REQUIREMENT:

All graduate students must show adequate proficiency in an area outside of their area of emphasis. To complete this requirement, students have two options.

a) Students who pass an ACS exam outside of their area of emphasis (e.g., a student’s area of emphasis is organic and passes an inorganic exam) can use the ACS exam as their breadth requirement.

b) Students who are unable to pass out-of-area emphasis exams will be required to take a breadth course (this course is in addition to the required core elective courses). This course must be non-area specific (i.e., for the Organic area, both organometallics and chemical biology would count as one of these breadth courses). All breadth courses require a B or better.

Example of breadth courses:

Analytical	Biochemistry	Inorganic	Organic	Physical
Chem 629R - Mass Spec	Chem 689R-Proteomics; BIO 559R-Bioinformatics	Chem 565; PHSCS 581 - Solid State Physics	Chem 659 -Organometallics or Bioorganic Chemistry	PHSCS 581 - Solid; Chem 629R - Mass Spec; CH EN 536 - Machine Learning & Dynamic Opt

Yes. Incoming graduate students are supported on teaching assistantships (TAs) in their first year of graduate studies. Usually, after their first year of graduate studies, students may receive research assistantships, allowing them to spend more time on their research rather than in the classroom. As long as they are progressing in their program, all Department graduate students are guaranteed teaching or research assistantships.

• Students in teaching assistantships participate in teaching-related assignments including teaching a course, overseeing student laboratories, grading coursework, or being responsible for a departmental instrument. Most graduate students are required to take two semesters' worth of teaching responsibilities; most graduate students complete their teaching assistantships during their first two years of graduate school, while they themselves take classes.
• Students working in labs may take on research assistantships if they wish to carry out degree-related research. Most research assistantships are provided for by faculty members who have received external funding. Graduate students may therefore receive partial or full financial support, depending on the size of the grant. What research assistantships do not financially provide for, teaching assistantships may make up the difference. Some research assistantships are available only via merit.

The average time required to complete a postdoctoral (PhD) degree is 5.5 years. Masters (MS) degrees generally require about 2.5 years of study.

Yes. The department has an excellent track record for placing graduate students in industry, government, and/or academic positions. (For a partial listing of employment destinations of some of the Department's recent graduates see here for more information.)