MS in Chemistry

2 Years On Campus Masters Program

Tufts University

Program Overview

The MS in Chemistry at Tufts University is a flexible, 30-credit graduate program designed for students seeking advanced knowledge in chemistry while tailoring their studies to individual academic and career goals. Students develop deeper expertise across the chemical sciences through graduate coursework, professional skills training, seminars, research and an optional master's thesis, making the program suitable for students targeting research, health, science-related business, entrepreneurship or project-management careers.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students begin building advanced graduate-level knowledge through chemistry coursework selected with the graduate committee, with six of the program's required courses taken in Chemistry and up to four courses permitted in related fields. Students can strengthen their research and professional capabilities through CHEM 0291/0292: Professional Skills in Chemical Research, covering scientific writing, public speaking, literature management, thesis preparation, research safety and careers in science, alongside CHEM 0191/0192: Seminar in Chemistry, which explores specialized problems and current chemical research.

Year 2: The second year allows students to deepen their chosen area through advanced graduate courses and research, with the option to complete CHEM 0295/0296: Graduate Research MS, involving guided research suitable for a master's thesis. Students choosing the thesis route prepare and defend their master's thesis before their research committee, while independent-study options may also be approved in place of some research coursework.

Focus areas: Chemical biology, biotechnology, analytical chemistry, surface science, extraplanetary science, catalysis, green energy, inorganic chemistry, organic synthesis, education research, quantum computing, materials science, therapeutics development.

Learning outcomes: Advanced knowledge of chemical sciences, professional skills in scientific research, scientific writing and communication, research experience, and the ability to develop expertise aligned with individual academic and career objectives.

Professional alignment (accreditation): Tufts' official accreditation listing identifies the B.S. in ACS Certified Chemistry as accredited by the American Chemical Society; it does not list the MS in Chemistry as separately accredited by ACS or another specialist professional agency. Tufts University itself is institutionally accredited through the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

Reputation (employability rankings): Tufts' official MS Chemistry page does not publish a QS, Guardian or other program-specific employability ranking. Instead, Tufts reports that MS Chemistry graduates have entered research, health careers, science-related business, entrepreneurship and project-management positions, and its Graduate School reports an average salary of $94K–$153K for the Chemistry master's program, based on January 2026 Lightcast Analyst data and the 2024 GSAS-SOE Graduate Exit Survey.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students in the MS in Chemistry at Tufts University gain practical research experience through the department’s interdisciplinary chemistry research environment, where graduate students engage with faculty-led work spanning chemical biology, biotechnology, analytical chemistry, catalysis, green energy, inorganic chemistry, organic synthesis, materials science, therapeutics development and other areas. The program provides opportunities for close faculty mentoring and exposure to advanced research methods, with laboratories working on areas such as mass spectrometry, microfluidics, molecular synthesis, computational chemistry, surface science and materials characterization. Tufts also supports research through funding for equipment, materials, research travel and conference participation.

Program-specific experiential opportunities include:

Faculty-led research: Students can engage with Tufts chemistry research groups working in chemical biology, analytical chemistry, biotechnology, organic synthesis, inorganic chemistry, materials chemistry, surface science, catalysis, therapeutics and green energy.
Analytical chemistry and mass spectrometry: The Clark Lab develops chromatographic separation and mass-spectrometry methods for studying RNA modifications in small-volume samples and single neurons, giving students exposure to advanced analytical research approaches.
Microfluidics and device prototyping: The Mace Lab combines analytical chemistry, materials science and engineering to develop diagnostic technologies, using assay development, device prototyping, microfluidics, instrument development and separations.
Organic synthesis and chemical biology: Research in the Bennett Lab focuses on asymmetric catalysis and complex carbohydrate synthesis, while the Kritzer Lab combines organic synthesis, biophysical chemistry, molecular biology and genetics to develop peptide-based approaches relevant to drug discovery.
Computational chemistry: The Yu-Shan Lin Group applies advanced computational methods to problems in biophysical chemistry, including cyclic peptide design, protein folding and post-translational modifications.
Materials and surface science: Tufts research includes scanning tunneling microscopy, surface-science instrumentation, thin-film photovoltaic materials, nanoscience and studies of catalytic surfaces, providing opportunities to work with sophisticated characterization techniques.
Specialized physical chemistry research: The Shultz Group develops instrumentation and studies hydrogen bonding, icy surfaces, clathrate formation and photocatalytic materials for water purification, while also maintaining specialized capabilities for growing and preparing single-crystal ice surfaces.
Research funding and equipment support: The Graduate Student Research Competition can fund research expenses such as equipment, materials and supplies, research-participant compensation and travel required to conduct research.
Conference and publication experience: Tufts provides a Graduate Student Conference Reimbursement Fund for attending or presenting at professional meetings and a Graduate Student Open Access Publishing Fund to support students who publish their work openly.
Interdisciplinary research: Chemistry graduate research at Tufts connects chemistry with biology, materials science, engineering, medicine, environmental science and other disciplines, allowing students to develop research skills across multiple scientific areas.
Industry-connected research: The Mace Lab reports clinical, academic and industry collaborators in the United States, Africa and South America, with technologies developed in the laboratory reaching clinical sites and supporting field-deployable diagnostic applications.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of the MS in Chemistry at Tufts University can prepare for careers in research, laboratory science, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, chemical analysis and related scientific fields. The program provides advanced chemistry training and research opportunities that can strengthen a graduate’s profile for scientific employment or further study in chemistry and related disciplines.

Career opportunities: Chemist, Research Scientist, Laboratory Scientist, Pharmaceutical Scientist.

Career support and progression:

Career development: Tufts Career Center provides graduate students with career advising, résumé and cover-letter support, interview preparation, job-search resources, networking opportunities and access to employer events.
Research experience: Chemistry graduate students can engage in faculty research across areas including analytical, biological, inorganic, organic and physical chemistry, allowing students to develop advanced laboratory and research skills.
Employment statistics and salary: Tufts does not publish a program-specific employment rate or graduate salary figure for the MS in Chemistry on its official program information. Therefore, no university-specific salary figure is stated here.
Industry connections: Tufts' chemistry research environment connects with interdisciplinary research across the university, including collaborations involving biomedical, engineering and biotechnology research. A specific industry-employment partnership exclusive to the MS in Chemistry is not stated on the official program page.
Professional value: The advanced chemistry training and research experience can support progression into laboratory, research and scientific roles. Tufts does not state a separate professional accreditation specifically for the MS in Chemistry, so no additional accreditation value is claimed here.
Graduation outcomes: The program can position graduates for employment in chemistry-related industries or continued academic and research training. Tufts' graduate chemistry environment supports research across multiple chemistry specializations, giving students flexibility to develop expertise aligned with their intended career direction.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into doctoral-level study in chemistry or closely related scientific fields, including PhD research in areas such as analytical, biological, inorganic, organic or physical chemistry. The MS can also provide advanced preparation for research-intensive careers or further interdisciplinary graduate education in areas connected to chemistry, materials, biotechnology and the biomedical sciences.