Chemistry MS

2 Years On Campus Masters Program

Drexel University

Program Overview

The Chemistry MS at Drexel University is a 45-credit graduate program designed for students who want to deepen their expertise in modern chemistry while developing the theoretical and practical skills needed for research and applied scientific work. Students can specialize in areas including analytical, atmospheric, biological, inorganic, organic, physical, materials, polymer and computational chemistry, with both thesis and non-thesis pathways available and a graduate co-op option for eligible full-time, on-campus students.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students build advanced knowledge through a selected chemistry specialization and supporting graduate courses. Depending on their chosen area, the first year may include CHEM 521: Inorganic Chemistry I, CHEM 530: Analytical Chemistry I, CHEM 543: Organic Chemistry III, CHEM 555: Quantum Chemistry of Molecules I, CHEM 561: Polymer Chemistry I, or CHEM 571: Chemistry of Biomolecules, followed by the corresponding sequence courses in the winter and spring terms; students also complete CHEM 865: Chemistry Research Seminar.

Year 2: Students broaden their expertise through advanced electives and interdisciplinary coursework while completing the remaining degree credits. The curriculum includes CHEM 767: Chemical Information Retrieval and additional 500–899 level Chemistry courses, with CHEM 997: Graduate Research available for students pursuing research and the thesis pathway; students choosing the co-op option can also undertake a graduate cooperative education placement.

Focus areas: Analytical Chemistry, Atmospheric Chemistry, Biological Chemistry, Chemical Education, Chemical Theory and Computation, Inorganic Chemistry, Materials Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry and Polymer Chemistry.

Learning outcomes: Students develop deeper knowledge in at least two areas of modern chemistry, broaden their understanding of experimental techniques and theoretical concepts, gain familiarity with research literature, and build knowledge related to their area of specialization; thesis students additionally conduct independent research and develop scientific thinking, research strategy and data-analysis skills.

Professional alignment (accreditation): Drexel's official accreditation listing identifies Chemistry as an American Chemical Society (ACS)-accredited program with continued accreditation, with the next accreditation visit scheduled for 2028–29. Drexel's catalog separately identifies the BS in Chemistry as ACS-certified, so the university's current accreditation listing should be used when describing the Chemistry program's ACS status.

Reputation (employability rankings): Drexel states that it participates annually in the QS World University Rankings, where Academic Reputation and Employer Reputation together account for 45% of the overall ranking methodology; a current Chemistry MS-specific QS employability ranking is not stated on the official university sources reviewed.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Chemistry MS at Drexel University gives students direct opportunities to develop research and practical chemistry skills through thesis or non-thesis study, with the thesis pathway involving an original investigation, data collection and analysis, and preparation of a master's thesis. Students can work across analytical, atmospheric, biological, inorganic, organic, materials, physical, polymer and theoretical/computational chemistry, supported by specialized departmental laboratories and university research cores. Full-time, on-campus students are also eligible for Drexel's Graduate Co-op, providing an additional route to professional experience.

Research projects: Thesis students select a research adviser by the spring of their first year and undertake an original chemistry investigation, progressing from developing a research question and reviewing literature to collecting and analyzing data and writing the final thesis.
Graduate co-op: Full-time, on-campus MS Chemistry students are eligible for Drexel's Graduate Co-op, providing an opportunity to gain professional experience alongside graduate study.
Computational tools: The Chemistry Department maintains a molecular-modeling facility using Hypercube's HyperChem and the Schrödinger Suite, including Maestro and BioLuminate, supporting computational chemistry and molecular research.
Mass spectrometry: The professionally staffed Mass Spectrometry Facility provides access to advanced systems including MALDI-TOF, Q-TOF, triple-quadrupole, Orbitrap and FT-ICR mass spectrometry, with users able to receive training to operate instruments for long-term projects.
NMR research: The Chemistry Department's professionally staffed Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Facility includes 400 MHz and 500 MHz NMR systems with multinuclear capabilities, supporting structural and molecular analysis.
Analytical instrumentation: The Analytical Instrumentation Laboratory provides hands-on access to instruments such as Thermo Scientific NanoDrop One, Shimadzu UV-1900/UV-2600/UV-3600, Jasco J-1500 circular dichroism, FTIR, HPLC, UPLC, GC, GC-MS, LC-MS and atomic absorption instrumentation.
Organic chemistry laboratory: The Organic Instrumentation Laboratory includes capillary-column gas chromatographs, FTIR systems with diamond ATR, a microwave synthesis system, 90 MHz NMR and a compact mass spectrometer, giving students access to tools used in organic synthesis and characterization.
Vibrational spectroscopy: The Vibrational Spectroscopy Laboratory houses FTIR, dynamic light scattering and Raman microscopy equipment, including a Renishaw InVia Raman Microscope with 514.5, 632.8 and 785 nm laser wavelengths.
Materials characterization: Drexel's Materials Characterization Core supports chemistry and materials research with electron microscopes, a 3D X-ray microscope, X-ray diffractometers, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and sample-preparation equipment; PhD-level staff provide training and technical assistance.
Research computing: Drexel's University Research Computing Facility provides high-performance and high-throughput scientific computing resources that can support computationally intensive research.
Interdisciplinary experience: Chemistry graduate research can involve collaboration with Drexel's College of Arts and Sciences, School of Education, College of Engineering and College of Medicine, with research extending into areas such as environmental engineering, biomedical science, atmospheric science, biochemistry and biophysical chemistry.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The M.S. in Chemistry at Drexel University is designed to prepare graduates for research and practical applications across analytical, biological, inorganic, organic, materials, physical and polymer chemistry. Graduates can build careers in laboratory and industrial settings or use the thesis/research pathway as preparation for doctoral-level study.

Typical job roles: Research Chemist, Analytical Chemist, Materials Chemist, Laboratory Scientist.

Career Services: Steinbright Career Development Center supports graduate students through individual career counselling, job-search strategy, interview preparation, résumé/CV and LinkedIn reviews, salary negotiation guidance, networking strategies, career fairs, workshops and employer information sessions; Handshake provides access to job and internship postings from more than 500,000 employers.
Graduate co-op: Full-time, on-campus M.S. Chemistry students can participate in Drexel's optional graduate co-op, where professional experience at companies can count toward the master's plan of study; placement is not guaranteed.
Employment statistics: Drexel reports that 96% of its undergraduate alumni from the 2024 graduating class were working or enrolled in graduate/professional education one year after graduation, with 90% of those working full-time employed in professions closely or somewhat related to their Drexel field of study. These figures are university-wide undergraduate outcomes and are not specific to M.S. Chemistry graduates.
Salary figures: Drexel reports an average full-time annual salary of $70,272 for a Drexel graduate one year after graduation, but this is a university-wide undergraduate figure rather than an M.S. Chemistry-specific salary. A Chemistry MS-specific salary figure is not stated on the official Drexel sources reviewed.
Industry partnerships: Drexel's Steinbright Career Development Center maintains employer relationships across industries and facilitates recruiting through co-op placements, career fairs, information sessions, Handshake and on-campus interviews. Drexel's broader co-op network includes employers such as Merck, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Exelon, Lockheed Martin, Johnson & Johnson and the University of Pennsylvania; these are university/co-op employer examples and should not be interpreted as guaranteed Chemistry MS employers.
Accreditation value: Drexel lists Chemistry in its programmatic accreditation directory with American Chemical Society (ACS) accreditation and a status of Continued Accreditation; the university records the most recent accreditation visit as 2024–25 and the next visit as 2029–30. The official listing identifies the discipline as Chemistry rather than separately specifying the MS, so it should not be presented as MS-only accreditation.
Graduation outcomes: The program provides two completion routes: the thesis option, which involves original chemistry research and is particularly suited to students considering doctoral study, and the non-thesis option, which allows greater use of elective coursework. Drexel also states that its Chemistry graduates have progressed into academic, industrial and governmental research organizations.

Further Academic Progression: After the M.S. in Chemistry, students can progress to Drexel's Ph.D. in Chemistry, with doctoral study available across areas including analytical, biological, inorganic, organic, physical and polymer chemistry. The M.S. thesis option is particularly beneficial for students intending to pursue doctoral study, while the Chemistry Department also notes that graduates have continued into Ph.D. programs.