Ph.D. in Chemistry

Saint Louis University’s chemistry Ph.D. program offers specializations, including traditional areas of analytical, physical, organic and inorganic chemistry, as well as cross-disciplinary areas of materials and biological chemistry. Students must complete intensive research culminating in a dissertation.

Program Highlights

The chemistry program offers students:

• Close mentoring relationships
• Small research group size
• Opportunities to participate in interdisciplinary research

Graduate students in SLU's Department of Chemistry have access to a number of research tools, including:

• Bruker 400 and 700 MHz NMR spectrometers
• Bruker-EMX EPR, UV-Vis and FTIR spectrometers
• Research-grade spectrofluorometers
• GC-MS and LC-MS
• Electrochemical analyzers
• Gas chromatographs
• A scanning electron micrograph
• Computational facilities with modern molecular software
• A Bruker CCD X-ray diffractometer facility

Saint Louis University formed the School of Science and Engineering in 2022 to better meet the future needs of students and faculty. The school brings together science, engineering and technology to promote cross-functional, interdisciplinary research and study. SLU’s newly formed School comprises the following departments: Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering; The Oliver L. Parks Department of Aviation Science; Biomedical Engineering; Chemistry; Civil, Computer and Electrical Engineering; Computer Science; Earth and Atmospheric Science; and Physics. Students in SLU’s School of Science and Engineering receive a hands-on education from world-class, award-winning faculty in their fields. From the time they arrive on campus, students have access to staff advisors, research mentors and a number of student support services - including career services. Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious Catholic institutions. Rooted in Jesuit values and its pioneering history as the first university west of the Mississippi River, SLU offers more than 13,500 students a rigorous, transformative education of the whole person. At the core of the University’s diverse community of scholars is SLU’s service-focused mission, which challenges and prepares students to make the world a better, more just place. SLU is located in St. Louis, Missouri. The city is a hotbed of innovation and entrepreneurship — with Popular Mechanics ranking St. Louis the No. 1 start-up city in America — and SLU is right in the center of it. The Cortex Innovation Community, a center for business, innovation and technology, neighbors’ campus and the metro area is home to eight Fortune 500 companies. Additionally, St. Louis is home to more than 55,000 SLU alums. To learn more about Saint Louis University’s School of Science and Engineering, visit slu.edu/science-and-engineering.