Three-Minute Dash: Students Sprint in Thesis Contest
PhD students presented their research in a high-speed challenge during the CCAS Three Minute Thesis Competition. Chemistry’s Dustin Abele won first prize for his green battery proposal.
Graduate
The master’s and doctoral programs in chemistry promote active learning through cutting-edge research. Along with rigorous coursework and training in the discipline, our close-knit group of master’s and PhD students engages in research alongside leading chemists. In addition to our 16 full-time chemistry faculty members, professors from GW's School of Medicine and Health Sciences and GW's School of Engineering and Applied Science also teach classes, exposing students to a broad range of expertise.
The Master of Science offers thesis and non-thesis tracks to prepare individuals for academic careers or professional paths. Graduate students are also eligible for the university’s robust teaching assistant program, which offers professional development and financial support to complement graduate education. The PhD involves original research in analytical, inorganic, organic or physical chemistries, as well as biochemistry.
Join the Graduate Programs Virtual Open House: October 19–30
Registration is now open for GW's 2026 Columbian College of Arts and Sciences (CCAS) Graduate Programs Open House! The virtual event features program-specific information sessions and opportunities to interact with current graduate students, faculty and our admissions team. Attendees will receive an application fee waiver.
The Chemistry Department will host a virtual information session for prospective graduate students on Thursday, October 22, at 2 p.m.
Find Your Program
Chemistry Graduate Programs Info Session: November 18
Join us for an online info session discussing the GW Master of Science in Chemistry and Environmental Green Chemistry programs and the PhD in Chemistry program.
"When you come to graduate school, you don't think you're going to be an inventor of something. You definitely have in mind the idea of contributing to science and hope some people read your papers. But you don't think — and I certainly didn't think — that I would be included on an invention!"
Laine Compton
MS '14, Vertes Lab Member and Patent Holder
Graduate Research and More
Kitchen Chemistry: At-Home Experiments Enhance Remote Learning
When COVID limited students’ access to campus labs, chemistry professors designed a do-it-yourself solution to provide an “authentic research experience.”