MS in Chemistry

1 Year On Campus Masters Program

Syracuse University

Program Overview

The M.S. in Chemistry at Syracuse University offers both thesis and non-thesis pathways, combining advanced coursework with proficiency requirements and, for thesis students, original research culminating in a written thesis and oral defense. It suits students seeking deeper expertise in chemistry through areas including analytical, organic, inorganic, physical, biological, materials and computational chemistry, with opportunities to work with advanced chemical instrumentation.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: As a one-year program, students complete the required graduate coursework and chemistry proficiency requirements while developing expertise in their selected areas of chemistry. Depending on their interests, courses can include CHE 611: Inorganic Chemistry, which covers descriptive and structural inorganic chemistry, CHE 615: Main Group Chemistry, which examines s- and p-block chemistry and related coordination and solid-state concepts, and CHE 575: Organic Spectroscopy, which develops skills in mass spectrometry and infrared, UV-visible and NMR spectroscopy.

Program completion: Students pursuing the thesis option conduct research and must submit and orally defend a satisfactory thesis, while non-thesis students complete a culminating experience that can include a comprehensive examination, library study or public departmental seminar. Graduate students can also build specialized knowledge through subjects such as CHE 625: Crystallography, CHE 626: Organometallic Chemistry and CHE 627: Organic Chemistry of Biological Molecules.

Focus areas: Analytical chemistry, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry, biological chemistry, biochemistry, biophysical chemistry, bioorganic chemistry, materials science, computational chemistry, spectroscopy and nanomaterials.

Learning outcomes: Students develop advanced chemical knowledge, satisfy proficiency requirements across major chemistry fields, gain experience with state-of-the-art chemical instrumentation and, through the thesis pathway, develop the ability to conduct and defend original research.

Professional alignment (accreditation): Syracuse University’s official Chemistry sources do not state a separate professional accreditation or ACS certification for the M.S. in Chemistry. The university does state that its Chemistry Department provides graduate students with advanced research and instrumentation experience.

Reputation (employability rankings): Syracuse University describes itself as a research institution of national stature and reports numerous nationally ranked programs, but the official university sources reviewed do not publish a program-specific employability ranking for the M.S. in Chemistry.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The M.S. in Chemistry at Syracuse University gives students practical exposure through advanced laboratory coursework, independent research and access to specialized instrumentation. Students can develop hands-on skills in areas such as synthesis, spectroscopy, materials characterization and analytical chemistry, supported by the Department of Chemistry’s research laboratories and shared scientific facilities. The program’s one-year structure allows students to combine focused graduate coursework with practical chemical research experience:

Research laboratories: Graduate students can conduct research in faculty laboratories covering areas including analytical chemistry, biochemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry and materials chemistry.
Advanced instrumentation: The Department provides access to specialized analytical equipment, including NMR spectrometers, mass spectrometers, X-ray diffraction equipment and electron microscopy for chemical characterization and research.
NMR facility: Students can use departmental nuclear magnetic resonance instrumentation for structural and molecular analysis, gaining practical experience with an important tool used across organic, inorganic and materials chemistry.
Mass spectrometry: The department's mass spectrometry capabilities support molecular-weight determination and structural analysis of chemical compounds and biological molecules.
X-ray crystallography: Access to X-ray diffraction and crystallographic techniques gives students practical experience in determining molecular and solid-state structures.
Materials characterization: Research facilities support characterization of advanced materials, providing opportunities to work with techniques used in materials chemistry and nanoscience.
Faculty-led research: Students can work directly with chemistry faculty on research projects in specialized areas including chemical biology, catalysis, materials chemistry, spectroscopy, synthesis and theoretical chemistry.
Interdisciplinary facilities: Chemistry research connects with Syracuse University’s broader research infrastructure, allowing students to access instrumentation and expertise beyond the department when appropriate.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The M.S. in Chemistry at Syracuse University can prepare graduates for chemistry-focused careers in research, laboratory analysis, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, manufacturing and related scientific fields. The program also provides a strong foundation for doctoral study, with thesis and non-thesis pathways and research opportunities spanning analytical, organic, inorganic, physical, biological, materials and computational chemistry.

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

Career services: Syracuse University provides career advising and professional support, while the College of Arts and Sciences offers career exploration resources including employer-alumni connections, resume and LinkedIn development, internships, job-shadowing opportunities and on-campus interviews. Handshake provides access to jobs, internships and professional-development opportunities.
Employment statistics: Syracuse publishes university-wide career outcomes for its Classes of 2021–2025, but the official sources reviewed do not publish a separate employment rate specifically for M.S. Chemistry graduates. The university also publishes employment and salary data for selected graduate programs, but these figures should not be presented as Chemistry outcomes because they relate to other programs.
Salary figures: A Chemistry-specific salary figure is not stated in the official Syracuse University sources reviewed. Syracuse's published graduate employment data includes salary information for other programs, but those figures are not directly representative of M.S. Chemistry graduates.
Industry partnerships: Chemistry faculty have documented collaboration with industry, including a research partnership with Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation involving terahertz spectroscopy for pharmaceutical research and analysis of manufactured medicines. The department's biological chemistry researchers also collaborate with biotech industry scientists, while Syracuse University's proximity to SUNY Upstate Medical University and SUNY ESF supports interdisciplinary research collaborations.
Professional accreditation: Syracuse's B.S. in Chemistry is identified by the university as an American Chemical Society-approved degree, but the official sources reviewed do not state that the M.S. in Chemistry itself carries separate ACS approval or accreditation. Therefore, no additional accreditation value is claimed for the master's degree.
Graduation outcomes: Chemistry graduates can move into chemical, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, manufacturing, analytical/testing and government laboratory careers; the department also identifies doctoral and other advanced-study pathways. Graduate students can complete either a research thesis with an oral defense or a non-thesis culminating experience such as a comprehensive examination, library study or public seminar.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the M.S. in Chemistry, students can continue to the Ph.D. in Chemistry at Syracuse University or pursue doctoral study at another institution. Syracuse's Chemistry Department offers Ph.D. research across analytical, organic, inorganic, physical, biological, biochemical, bioorganic and biophysical chemistry, with opportunities involving spectroscopy, computer analysis and advanced structural and functional evaluation of biological materials.