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A majority of our graduate students are pursuing the Ph.D. degree, in
which original research is performed under the guidance of a faculty
member to produce a written thesis. This option has been available to
chemistry students at Portland State University since 1969.
Today, students in all areas of chemistry pursue the Ph.D. at Portland
State University, and recent theses have explored cutting-edge research
in biological chemistry, environmental chemistry, materials science,
atmospheric chemistry, molecular evolution, inorganic chemistry, organic
chemistry, and physical chemistry. Some of our students have engaged in
cross-cutting collaborations with faculty members from other
departments, including Biology, Environmental Science, Geology, and
Physics. Research in the department is supported both by the university
and by ongoing grants to individual faculty members from agencies such
as the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health,
the Department of Energy, NASA, the American Chemical Society, the
Research Corporation, and the Dreyfus Foundation.
The graduates of the Chemistry Ph.D. program have pursued careers in
academics as chemistry faculty members, in industry, and in governmental
agencies. Most have taken advantage of the strong interdisciplinary
nature of the program, and they report that their doctoral training
prepared them well for rewarding careers. Recently, our students have
benefited from the establishment of new interdisciplinary programs on
campus, such as the Center for Nanotechnology and the Center for the
Life in Extreme Environments. New programs are in the making, such as a
collaborative effort in Chemical Biology with Oregon's medical school,
OHSU.
Admission to the program through the Chemistry Department requires a
background equivalent to that of a B.S. in Chemistry or Biochemistry,
although minor deficiencies can be made up during the first year. All
students undertake a series of entrance examinations before initial
advising and registration for the first term of study. These exams
evaluate undergraduate preparation and cover five areas of chemistry:
organic, inorganic, analytical, physical and biochemistry.
Students select a research advisor during their first year, which is
normally occupied with coursework. A Dissertation Committee is
established, which reviews the student's research prospectus,
contributes to overseeing progress in the program, and serves as the
committee for the final oral examination.
Formal program requirements are few, with specific coursework tailored
to each student's area of specialization. All graduate students in the
Department of Chemistry complete a one-term course in seminar
preparation, and present a departmental seminar. In addition, Ph.D.
students must also present their research in a seminar to a
multi-departmental audience. Students with teaching and/or research
assistantships normally complete the Ph.D. program within five years.
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