The Chemical Physics Program at the University of Maryland provides graduate academic and research instruction leading to a Ph.D. in Chemical Physics. The Program is intended for students with undergraduate degrees in physics or chemistry as well as students with majors in mathematics or engineering with strong backgrounds in physics or chemistry. Faculty are drawn from science and engineering departments and institutes at the University of Maryland and students can carry out Ph.D. research in a broad range of pure and applied topics. A cooperative arrangement between the Chemical Physics Program and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) offers those students with preparation in the physical sciences and interests in biology, biophysics and molecular biology the opportunity of doing Ph.D. research at one of the leading biomedical research institutions in the world under the joint supervision of participating NIH scientists and faculty at the University of Maryland.
The Ph.D. program consists of an initial formal academic portion lasting from one to two years followed by Ph.D. research lasting from three to five years. The formal academic part of the program is sufficiently flexible to accommodate the backgrounds and interests of the students. Formal course requirements are limited to one advanced course outside the immediate research interests of the student, two semesters of seminars, and an advanced laboratory course. A satisfactory grade on a qualifying examination, a scholarly paper, and written dissertation complete the formal requirements. The qualifying examination is based on approximately six core graduate courses in chemistry and physics with students having latitude in their choice of courses. The courses cover the topics of chemical thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, quantum chemistry, spectroscopy, statistical mechanics, electrodynamics, classical mechanics and inorganic chemistry, and students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in at least four of the areas. Generally, the qualifying examination is taken at the end of the summer of the first year of graduate study, however adjustments can be made for students requiring additional preparation time. Those students in the cooperative program are expected to take advantage of courses in biology, biochemistry, biophysics and bioinformatics offered at NIH. The emphasis on formal academic training in the first year of graduate study provides students with a firm grounding in the basic scientific areas that are essential for work in the physical sciences.
Students admitted into the program are supported throughout their training by a combination of University of Maryland, College Park and the NIH Intramural Research Training Award for stipend, medical insurance, and tuition.
Students applying to this program must submit an application to the University of Maryland, College Park by the deadline and to the NIH-GPP program.
Students wishing to be considered for admission into this partnership need to submit the GPP application and the University application by the specified deadline.
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