MA/MS in Chemistry and Biochemistry

3 Years On Campus Masters Program

University of Delaware

Program Overview

The MA/MS in Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Delaware offers two distinct graduate pathways: the MA emphasizes advanced coursework and theoretical knowledge, while the MS combines advanced coursework with original research and a required thesis. Students can develop expertise across analytical, biochemistry, inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry, with opportunities to pursue interdisciplinary coursework and research through other departments.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students establish their advanced chemistry foundation through graduate-level study aligned with their chosen concentration, with the department requiring at least 30 graduate credits for both the MA and MS and at least 18 credits at the 600 level or above. The curriculum can draw on areas such as CHEM 622: Electroanalytical Chemistry, CHEM 623: Chemometrics, and CHEM 624: Principles of Mass Spectrometry, depending on the student's research or academic focus.

Year 2: MS students increasingly integrate coursework with research, working with a faculty advisor on original research and developing the experimental, analytical and scientific skills required for the thesis; the MS requires 6–12 credits of thesis and/or research, with the thesis limited to a maximum of six credits. MA students continue their coursework-based pathway, completing the required 30 credits without a thesis.

Year 3: The University of Delaware does not publish a fixed three-year curriculum for the MA/MS; students normally complete the required graduate coursework and, for the MS, thesis/research requirements according to their individual academic plan. Where additional study is undertaken, students can use approved graduate-level coursework and interdisciplinary opportunities to deepen areas such as CHEM 680: Introduction to Polymer Science and other specialized chemistry subjects.

Focus areas

Analytical Chemistry, Biochemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry.

Learning outcomes

Advanced chemical knowledge, specialized disciplinary expertise, laboratory and research skills, scientific analysis, interdisciplinary problem-solving, and—on the MS pathway—the ability to conduct original research and produce a thesis.

Professional alignment (accreditation)

American Chemical Society (ACS): The University of Delaware's undergraduate chemistry B.S. is explicitly ACS-certified; the official MA/MS graduate page does not state that the MA or MS itself holds separate ACS professional accreditation.

Reputation (employability rankings)

Graduate outcomes: The University of Delaware states that its Chemistry and Biochemistry graduate program has awarded nearly 1,000 doctoral degrees over more than 70 years, with graduates progressing into industry, academia and government laboratories. The department also highlights approximately 30 research groups and faculty recognized as leaders in their respective fields.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The M.A./M.S. in Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Delaware gives students access to advanced research environments and specialized instrumentation across chemistry, biochemistry, and related disciplines. The M.S. is particularly research-focused, requiring original research and a thesis, while the M.A. emphasizes advanced coursework; students can work within research groups and use UD’s extensive analytical, computational, synthesis, and characterization infrastructure.

Students can develop practical expertise through research in analytical, inorganic, organic, physical chemistry, and biochemistry, supported by department facilities and interdisciplinary research partnerships across the University. The department also maintains specialized technical services, a chemistry reference library, and dedicated facilities for computational chemistry, high-throughput experimentation, mass spectrometry, NMR, X-ray crystallography, and surface analysis.

Key experiential learning opportunities and resources include:

Research groups: M.S. students conduct original research under faculty supervision, gaining experience in literature review, experimental design, data collection, analysis, and scientific research methods. The department has approximately 30 research groups spanning multiple chemistry and biochemistry areas.
NMR Center: Students conducting relevant research can work with the UD NMR Center's nine NMR spectrometers, ranging from 400–850 MHz, supporting solution, solid-state, and HR-MAS NMR, along with an EPR spectrometer. The center supports more than 400 users across 58 research groups and multiple departments.
Mass spectrometry: The Mass Spectrometry Facility provides access to GC-MS, LC-MS, LC-MS/MS, HRMS, and MALDI capabilities, including instruments such as Waters Q-TOF, Thermo Q-Exactive/Eclipse Orbitrap, and Agilent GC-MS systems.
X-ray crystallography: The X-ray Crystallography Laboratory provides single-crystal X-ray diffraction characterization for organic and inorganic compounds, supporting research within the department and collaborations with academic and industry partners.
Chemistry Computational Facility: Students involved in computational research can benefit from a facility containing more than 3,600 CPU cores, 43,000 GPU cores, 8.1 TB of RAM, and 1 PB of storage across multiple computing clusters.
High Throughput Experimentation: The HTE Facility enables researchers to perform micromole-scale reactions in 96-well plates and automate analysis using GC, reverse-phase LC/MS, or SFC/MS, providing practical exposure to modern reaction-screening workflows.
Surface analysis: The Surface Analysis Facility provides access to scanning probe microscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, XPS, and TOF-SIMS for materials and surface characterization.
Synthetic Chemistry Core Facility: Students working on applicable research can benefit from expert support for small-molecule synthesis, purification, characterization, fluorescent probes, bioorthogonal compounds, stable-isotope-labelled compounds, and other specialized chemical products.
Chemistry Library: The department maintains a specialized Chemistry Library serving chemistry, biochemistry, and related disciplines, with books, journals, reference materials, e-journals, e-books, and databases through the University of Delaware Library.
Interdisciplinary facilities: Chemistry and biochemistry research is complemented by university-wide facilities and partnerships, including the Delaware Biotechnology Institute, microscopy resources, materials research facilities, and other interdisciplinary research centers.
Technical workshops: Dedicated glass, machine, and instrument shops support research and instructional laboratories through scientific apparatus fabrication, machining, instrument calibration, troubleshooting, modification, and repair.
Industry and professional exposure: The department's research environment includes collaborations and professional connections with academic and industry partners; its graduate materials also identify opportunities for students to interact with chemistry and biochemistry professionals through regional professional groups and scientific meetings.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The M.A./M.S. in Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Delaware combines advanced interdisciplinary coursework with research experience, preparing graduates for careers across industry, government laboratories, academia, and related scientific fields. The department reports that its graduates have progressed into roles spanning research science, education, industry, government, entrepreneurship, and other professional areas.

Typical career roles: Research Scientist, Analytical Chemist, Laboratory Scientist, Biochemist

Career services: The UD Career Center provides graduate students with one-to-one career advising, support for job and internship searches, professional-development workshops, networking opportunities, career fairs, and access to Handshake for jobs and internships.
Employment outcomes: The Chemistry and Biochemistry department currently reports 100% of M.S. in Chemistry and Biochemistry graduates employed or pursuing further education. UD's career-outcomes system reports results within six months of graduation and provides employment, continuing-education, employer, job-title and salary information where sufficient data are available.
Salary figures: UD does not currently publish a program-specific salary figure for the M.A./M.S. in Chemistry and Biochemistry on the department page. Salary data are reported through UD's career-outcomes system when there are at least eight salary respondents, so a chemistry-specific figure should not be inferred from another program.
Industry partnerships: The department highlights connections with the Mid-Atlantic region's pharmaceutical, chemical-synthesis and biotechnology industries, with students able to pursue research internships and co-ops involving industrial and national-laboratory partners. UD also identifies nearby companies including DuPont, Ashland and AstraZeneca as employers connected with chemistry and biochemistry student opportunities.
Research-to-industry exposure: The department's approximately 30 research groups and interdisciplinary research environment allow students to work across chemistry and biochemistry while exploring collaborations with other departments. UD specifically describes professional-development opportunities including internships, industry partnerships, interdisciplinary research teams, conference presentations and academic publications.
Long-term accreditation value: The University of Delaware's B.S. in Chemistry is ACS-certified, while the department's graduate offerings include the M.A., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. The ACS certification cited by UD applies to the undergraduate B.S. rather than establishing a separate ACS accreditation for the M.A./M.S.; therefore, no separate professional accreditation for this master's program is stated on the official program page.
Graduation outcomes: Department alumni have progressed into industry, academia and government laboratories, while the department also identifies research scientists, educators, entrepreneurs, lawyers and policymakers among its broader alumni career destinations.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into a Ph.D. in Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Delaware or pursue doctoral study in related interdisciplinary areas. The department's M.S. pathway can include a thesis and research experience, while UD's Chemistry-Biology Interface ecosystem provides an example of interdisciplinary doctoral training connecting chemistry, biology, engineering and therapeutic-development research.