For a student wishing to earn an M.S. in Chemistry or a PhD in Environmental Science, the selection of a graduate school is one of the most important career decisions you will make. Your choice will not only determine where you will be during the next several years, but will lay the foundation for your future. Your decision to enter a particular graduate program will only be the beginning of exciting challenges.

At Arkansas State University, we feel that our program provides excellent and diverse opportunities for the student interested in a career in cutting-edge research, higher education or any one of a number of chemically related positions requiring an advanced degree. We have a department of outstanding faculty, each of whom is dedicated to providing mentoring to graduate students and guiding them during their journey from undergraduate to colleague. Of course, that could be said about many chemistry departments at research universities. When choosing a graduate school, you need to ask what makes ASU unique? Among many distinguishing characteristics, there are three that stand out.

Research Diversity - the Department's research programs and faculty place ASU Chemistry at the leading edge of scientific research in a broad range of areas ranging from the highly geological end of the spectrum (such as our well regarded program in aqueous geochemistry, or other efforts in biogeochemistry and and hydrology), to chemical physics (both experiment and theory), to synthetic chemistry (e.g. dendrimers), to state-of-the-art laser spectroscopy, and to the development of new analytical methods and instrumentation for environmental research.

Commitment and Support of Interdisciplinary Research and Training - the Chemistry and Physics Department and the University put a strong premium on interdisciplinary research and the vast majority of our faculty have research collaborations that strongly involve other departments at ASU, around the country, or abroad. All such projects involve significant graduate student participation. Active collaborations exist with the Departments Biology, Mathematics, Engineering and Agriculture,  to name only a few. The department is also a major participant in several interdisciplinary programs at ASU including the Arkansas Biosciences Institute. 

Collegiality - ASU has a strong culture of collegial interaction among the faculty, staff and students. The department recognizes that effective scientific interaction and development is best achieved within an atmosphere of mutual respect and professionalism and takes an active role in fostering and maintaining such an environment.

We are very proud of our tradition of excellence in research and of our many former graduate and undergraduate students have gone on to highly successful careers in chemistry. We encourage you to visit our campus if possible and to correspond directly with faculty members whose research areas interest you. We hope that you will explore this site and decide for yourself that ASU is your first choice for graduate school. 

The majority of the graduate students in either the MS or PhD programs are supported on research grants through their faculty mentor.  Additional funding opportunities include teaching assistantships and graduate assistantships.  Also ASU provides several research and stipend fellowship opportunities offered on a competitive basis to current and prospective students.

Graduate Placement

The majority of students completing their MS at ASU continue their education in PhD programs across the country ultimately working in industry or academia.  Of the students completing a terminal MS over the past 5 years the majority of these students are employed by chemical industries or wastewater treatment facilities in the southern US.  Our programs have an excellent placement record for our graduates.

If you have any questions about our graduate programs or research opportunities, please feel to contact us by e-mail or by phone at 870-972-3086.