Ph.D. - Chemistry

The PhD program in Chemistry at UCSB provides a dynamic, interdisciplinary research experience across all subdisciplines—including biochemistry, inorganic, materials, organic, physical, and theoretical chemistry. Students work with a faculty that includes two Nobel laureates and researchers consistently ranked among the most impactful in the field. The program emphasizes innovation, advanced research training, and high-impact scientific contributions.

Students are supported by state-of-the-art research facilities and collaborative partnerships across campus institutes like the California Nanosystems Institute and Materials Research Laboratory. Graduates pursue influential careers in academia, industry, and government. The program also offers the Chemistry/TEP Joint Graduate Degree Program with the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, allowing students to earn an MS in Chemistry alongside a Single Subject Credential.

Set against the stunning backdrop of the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains, UCSB provides a unique and inspiring environment for graduate student researchers.

Application Quarter(s) and Deadline(s)

Program Contact Information

Requirements

Quick Overview

*See English Language Exam Scores for more information

Requirements - Detailed Information

Transcripts from all Post-Secondary Institutions

You are required to upload a transcript for each institution attended. All schools at which you completed one or more full academic terms (or equivalent) should be reported on your application. This includes community colleges, summer sessions, extension programs, and any other postsecondary education for which you received credit. Do not include high schools or college preparatory schools.

The transcript legend or key for each institution (usually found on the backside of the official transcript or in the school’s general catalog or website) must be included in your uploaded document. Additional instructions can be found in the Education History section of the How to Complete the Application webpage and within the application itself.

Note: DO NOT send your transcripts or any other documents directly to UCSB unless you have been admitted and chosen to attend UCSB or you have been specifically instructed to do so. You must upload a PDF of your transcript to your application.

Letters of Recommendation

Applicants to the Ph.D. - Chemistry program are required to provide 3 letters of recommendation. General instructions can be found in the Letters of Recommendation section of the How to Complete the Application webpage and within the application itself.

Program Note on Reference Type: Academic and professional letters are equally acceptable

Résumé or Curriculum Vitae

List your positions of employment or volunteer work/community service since high school, either full or part-time, including the hours per week worked and the nature and dates of employment or service.

Note: Do not include GRE scores on your Résumé or Curriculum Vitae (CV) if your program does not accept them.

Statement of Purpose

Give a brief statement outlining your reasons for undertaking a graduate program, your particular area of specialization within the major field, your past academic work, and your plans for future occupation or profession. Also include any additional information that may assist the selection committee in evaluating your preparation and aptitude for graduate study at UC Santa Barbara.

Your Statement of Purpose must be written in narrative (essay) form without duplicating content from your Personal History Statement.

Additional Program Instructions: The statement of purpose (SoP) is intended to convey your (1) motivation for graduate study, (2) area of specialization, (3) preparation for research, (4) fit within the program, and (5) plans for future professional occupation. Each of these parts should be connected in a narrative that presents the applicant as a researcher with a past, present, and exciting future. While there is no official “right” way to write an SoP, below are some guidelines that may help provide the most effective information for communicating with the admissions committee. Avoid ChatGPT and the like for everything. Your SoP is read by at least two members of the Graduate Admissions Committee who are selected to best match your background and graduate research interests, then discussed with the broader committee as a whole.

1. Motivation for graduate study. Pursuing a PhD in chemistry is no small undertaking. It can be fantastically rewarding, but also requires discipline and diligence. What experiences have led you to decide that graduate research, as opposed to other paths such as directly entering industry, was the right choice for you? Avoid childhood (pre-university) references. There should be plenty of recent experiences, and there is certainly no shortage of current societal issues, that may motivate a student to pursue a PhD in chemistry. It is, of course, the central science. It is unlikely that you will cure cancer during your PhD, but it may set you on a career track to ultimately do this in the future! A well-executed SoP will convince the graduate admissions committee that the student applicant will be intellectually and professionally challenged during their graduate studies, which is a key to success.

2. Area of specialization. Chemistry is a very broad science, and graduate study is a time to hone experimental skills in some specific areas of the chemical sciences. Most students who apply for graduate study have some research experience. Explain what part of chemistry excites you and where you think you have the greatest potential to make meaningful contributions. Classic areas of specialization include organic, inorganic, physical, material, and biological chemistry, but these are not boxes you have to fit yourself into. Articulation of this in your SoP illustrates to the admissions committee that you have perspective of the chemical sciences and a clear vision of how you will fit within it.

3. Preparation for research. Graduate education involves training in research, but prior experience is, perhaps, the most likely metric of success. What experiences (e.g. undergraduate research, internships, fellowship programs, lab tech, industry) inform your understanding of scientific research? What research skills have you developed? Be specific here. Technical details are not necessary, but what your research involved, what the outcomes were, and how those outcomes inform your approach moving forward are highly relevant. This section should give the admissions committee an excellent perspective on how you might approach experiments in the lab.

4. Fit within the program. As a graduate student, you will be mentored and supported by a faculty advisor for many years, and this decision is an important one. Based on what you know about our program, who do you think you would like to work with? On what? Careful thought as to who you may wish to take on this role lets the admissions committee know that this is not a blanket application, but that the applicant has thought about what graduate research will be like at our institution in particular. This is by no means a commitment to a particular lab and applicants are encouraged to identify all potential faculty mentors that may align with the students’ research interests. As a committee, we typically like to see at least three labs identified that align with the applicant’s interests with rationale.

5. Plans for future professional occupation. Graduate school is a training program. What do you want to do after you are trained? This doesn’t need to be extremely specific, but should illustrate to the admissions committee that the applicant has a vision, and is not just continuing their education for the sake of staying in school.

Applicants should be able to address these five points in two pages. We receive 350+ applications per year and this is just one of many documents associated with your application. Keep the admissions committee in mind; be direct and to the point.

Personal History Statement

UC Santa Barbara is interested in a diverse and inclusive graduate student population. Please describe any aspects of your personal background, accomplishments, or achievements that you feel are important in evaluating your application for graduate study. For example, please describe if you have experienced economic challenges in achieving higher education, such as being financially responsible for family members or dependents, having to work significant hours during undergraduate schooling or coming from a family background of limited income. Please describe if you have any unusual or varied life experiences that might contribute to the diversity of the graduate group, such as fluency in other languages, experience living in bi-cultural communities, academic research interests focusing on cultural, societal, or educational problems as they affect under-served segments of society, or evidence of an intention to use the graduate degree toward serving disadvantaged individuals or populations.

A minimum word count of 250 words is required for your Personal History Statement. There is no maximum length requirement. Most statements are typically 1–2 pages. Your Personal History Statement must be written in narrative (essay) form without duplicating content from your Statement of Purpose.

Additional Program Instructions: The admissions committee is interested in cultivating a vibrant graduate student cohort. This requires evaluating applicants holistically. The personal history and diversity statement is an opportunity to describe, in essay format, how an applicant’s unique journey to apply to graduate school has affected and shaped them. For example, please describe if you have experienced economic challenges in achieving higher education, such as being financially responsible for family members or dependents, having to work significant hours during undergraduate schooling or coming from a family background of limited income. Please describe if you have any unusual or varied life experiences that might contribute to the diversity of the graduate group, such as fluency in other languages, experience living in multicultural communities, academic research interests focusing on cultural, societal, or educational problems as they affect under-served segments of society, or evidence of an intention to use the graduate degree toward serving disadvantaged individuals or populations.

A minimum word count of 250 words is required by the Graduate Division and most statements are 1-2 pages.

English Language Exam Scores (if applicable)

An excellent command of written and spoken English is required prior to enrollment at UC Santa Barbara. Applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the Duolingo English Test (DET).

Exemptions from the English language admissions requirements are permitted for applicants who have completed an undergraduate or graduate degree at an institution where the verified sole official language of instruction is English. More information can be found in the Exam Scores section of the How to Complete the Application webpage.

The minimum score requirements for accepted exams are listed below:

• TOEFL Minimum Total iBT Score: 4.0 (post-January 2026) or 80 (pre-January 2026)
• IELTS Minimum Overall Band Score: 7
• DET Minimum Total Score: 120