Housed in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, GW’s graduate chemistry program fosters active learning through a research-based curriculum. Beginning with advanced coursework and training in the discipline as a whole and one or more selected subdisciplines, our award-winning graduate students engage in cutting-edge research alongside expert faculty. Research areas include proteomics, and bioanalytical methods development, synthetic medicinal chemistry and drug design, combustion, battery chemistry and renewable energy sources, laser and molecular spectroscopies, nano- and biomaterials, modeling, coordination chemistry and novel inorganic framework structures.
The Ph.D. program is designed to develop students who are able to plan and carry out original research in analytical, biochemical, inorganic, materials and organic or physical chemistry. Studies begin with core courses in focus areas, with students quickly moving on to join research groups that match their interests. Opportunities abound for research presentations, publications and award achievement. Collaborations with colleagues in medicine, engineering and nearby federal research laboratories—including the National Institutes of Health, Naval Research Laboratory and the National Institute of Standards and Technology—provide rich research experiences.