MS Chemistry

2 Years On Campus Masters Program

University of Hawaii Manoa

Program Overview

The MS in Chemistry at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is a research-focused graduate program designed for students who want to develop advanced expertise and conduct independent research in areas such as organic, inorganic, bioinorganic, physical, analytical, geochemistry and marine-related chemistry. Students build advanced chemical knowledge through graduate coursework, independent study and research, while developing the ability to analyze results, communicate scientific findings and complete an original thesis.

Curriculum structure

Year 1: Students begin developing advanced knowledge in their chosen chemistry subdiscipline through graduate-level courses such as CHEM 601 – Chemical Bonding, which applies quantum mechanics and symmetry principles to chemical bonding, and CHEM 602 – Spectroscopy, which covers magnetic resonance, infrared, UV and visible spectroscopy. Students can also undertake CHEM 699 – Directed Research, beginning the independent research component that forms an important part of the MS program.

Year 2: The second year places greater emphasis on independent research, analysis and scientific communication, culminating in CHEM 700 – Thesis Research and an acceptable master's thesis based on original research. Depending on the student's specialization and approved study plan, graduate coursework can include subjects such as CHEM 641 – Structure Determination, which develops the interpretation of chemical and physical data for identifying organic compounds, alongside additional advanced chemistry courses selected with the thesis adviser and graduate chair.

Focus areas: Organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, bioinorganic chemistry, physical chemistry, analytical chemistry, geochemistry and marine-related chemistry.

Learning outcomes: Demonstrate foundational knowledge in a chemistry subdiscipline; understand current research methods; perform independent research and analyze results with moderate supervision; responsibly manage and disseminate research data; communicate research findings orally; and prepare manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals while completing an approved thesis.

Professional alignment (accreditation): The official UH Mānoa Chemistry sources identify the degree as a graduate research program leading to the MS in Chemistry, but do not state a separate professional accreditation for the MS Chemistry degree.

Reputation (employability rankings): A program-specific employability ranking for the MS in Chemistry is not stated on the official University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Chemistry or Graduate Division pages; therefore, no external ranking is presented as a program outcome.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students in the MS in Chemistry at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa develop practical research skills through a thesis-based program designed around independent laboratory research, advanced coursework and close work with a research advisor. The department supports research across organic, inorganic, bioinorganic, physical and analytical chemistry, while its specialized instrumentation and core facilities give graduate students access to sophisticated methods for spectroscopy, structural analysis, mass spectrometry and other areas of chemical research. The program specifically expects students to perform independent research, analyze and responsibly manage data, communicate findings and prepare research results for peer-reviewed publication.

Students can build this hands-on experience through:

Thesis research: The MS is a Plan A thesis master's; students complete graduate coursework alongside research credits and produce an approved thesis based on their research. The department's learning outcomes emphasize independent research with moderate supervision, data analysis and preparation of research manuscripts.
Advanced spectroscopy: Graduate students can study and apply spectroscopy through courses such as CHEM 602 – Spectroscopy, covering magnetic resonance, infrared, UV and visible spectroscopy, while departmental facilities include NMR and circular dichroism instrumentation.
NMR laboratory: The department operates an NMR Lab with multiple spectrometers, including a Varian Mercury Plus 300 for routine solution NMR and an Agilent 600 MHz instrument for advanced multidimensional and multinuclear experiments. Departmental staff provide training for graduate and postdoctoral students.
Mass spectrometry: The Mass Spectrometry facility includes an Agilent 6545 LC/MSD Q-TOF, Agilent 1290 UPLC, Agilent 6400 triple-quadrupole MS and GC-MS equipment. The facility lists MassHunter software for LC-MS and Xcalibur 1.4 for GC-MS applications.
X-ray and EPR analysis: Departmental core facilities include X-ray instrumentation, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and circular dichroism spectroscopy, providing access to specialized analytical techniques used across chemistry research.
Computational chemistry: Research at UH Mānoa includes computational studies of interactions between surfaces and small molecules, while faculty research also covers computational chemistry and computational biophysics.
Research laboratories: Graduate research spans areas including natural products chemistry, anticancer-agent synthesis, catalysis, hydrogen-storage materials, NMR of proteins, reaction dynamics, astrochemistry, materials chemistry and computational chemistry, allowing students to align their thesis work with a specialized research group.
Interdisciplinary research: Chemistry faculty participate in collaborative programs including the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center's integrated drug discovery program, the Hawaiʻi Natural Energy Institute's hydrogen program, the Cell and Molecular Biology Program, the W. M. Keck Astrochemistry Laboratory, and the Shanghai-Hawaii-Hefei Advanced Research Center for Astrochemistry.
Chemical research resources: The department maintains two research stockrooms containing chemicals, glassware and hardware used for graduate research, with liquid nitrogen also available through the department's research support facilities.
Research library access: Hamilton Library, located near Bilger Hall, provides extensive chemistry resources and subscriptions to major chemical and biochemical periodicals, with computerized literature searching through databases including Chemical Abstracts, Science Citation Index and Engineering Index.
New reaction-dynamics facility: UH Mānoa is establishing a Tunable Photoionization Chemical Dynamics Facility, supported by nearly $1 million from the U.S. Department of Energy. The facility will combine tunable high-power lasers, molecular-beam experiments, isomer-selective photoionization, a chemical microreactor and machine-learning-accelerated simulations, with the university stating that graduate students will receive hands-on training in these areas.
Research communication: Students are expected to communicate research through oral presentations and written work, with the MS learning outcomes specifically including presentation of research results and preparation of one or more manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals.
Internships and group projects: The official MS program information emphasizes thesis research, laboratory research and faculty-led collaborative research rather than identifying a required internship or a specific group-project requirement; therefore, a mandatory internship or named group project is not stated by the department.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The MS in Chemistry at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is designed to develop scientists who can conduct independent research, analyze and responsibly manage data, and communicate findings through presentations and peer-reviewed research manuscripts. With research spanning organic, inorganic, bioinorganic, physical and analytical chemistry, graduates can pursue laboratory, research and scientific roles or continue toward doctoral-level study.

Career opportunities: Research Chemist, Laboratory Scientist, Analytical Chemist, Materials Scientist.

Career progression and opportunities:

Mānoa Career Center: Students and graduates can receive individual career counseling, support with internships, co-ops and full-time jobs, résumé and cover-letter development, interview preparation, and graduate or professional school planning.
Employer connections: The Career Center connects students with employers through Fall and Spring Career Fairs, information sessions, on-campus interviews and other recruitment activities.
Internships and co-ops: UH Mānoa supports paid, project-based internships and cooperative education opportunities that allow students to gain career-related experience alongside their academic preparation.
Employment statistics and salary: A program-specific employment rate and graduate salary figure for the MS in Chemistry are not published on the official UH Mānoa Chemistry graduate-program pages, so no university-specific salary figure is stated here.
Research and industry relevance: Chemistry graduate research is supported by federal agencies including the NIH, NSF, Department of Energy, NASA and Air Force Office of Scientific Research, as well as industrial sources and private foundations.
Specific research collaborations: Chemistry faculty participate in interdisciplinary work with the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center, the Hawaiʻi Natural Energy Institute, the W.M. Keck Astrochemistry Laboratory, the Cell and Molecular Biology Program and the Shanghai-Hawaii-Hefei Advanced Research Center for Astrochemistry.
Applied research exposure: Current UH Mānoa chemistry research includes work on methane conversion into valuable chemicals, involving collaboration with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, UCLA and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.
Advanced scientific facilities: The Chemistry Department maintains research instrumentation including NMR spectrometers, QQQ and QTOF mass spectrometers, and other advanced analytical equipment, with departmental staff providing training to graduate students.
Accreditation value: UH Mānoa's official program-review record lists ACS accreditation specifically for the BS in Chemistry, not the MS. The MS in Chemistry is therefore not presented here as an ACS-accredited degree.
Graduation outcomes: The MS learning outcomes emphasize independent research with moderate supervision, analysis and responsible dissemination of data, oral presentation of research and preparation of manuscripts for peer-reviewed publication alongside completion of an approved thesis.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the MS in Chemistry, students can progress to the PhD in Chemistry at UH Mānoa, which develops more advanced capabilities in designing research projects, preparing original research proposals, conducting independent research and producing peer-reviewed publications. The department offers PhD research across contemporary chemistry areas including organic, inorganic, bioinorganic, physical and analytical chemistry.