Students choose to earn an MSc for a variety of reasons. An MSc in Chemistry or Biochemistry is a great option for students who:

• Want to pursue leadership roles in industry,
• Desire to strengthen critical thinking and writing skills before applying to professional programs in medical, dental, or pharmacy school,
• Are interested in pursuing a PhD one day but are not ready to make the commitment to a 4+ year-long doctoral program, but know the value of graduate education,
• Serve as secondary-education teachers and desire to strengthen the depth and breadth of their training in chemistry or biochemistry, or
• Are interested in teaching at the college-level.

"The extraordinary support and mentorship I received as an undergraduate researcher made it feel like a community of scientists helping each other grow. I knew then that UCCS was the place to help cultivate my love science into a career, so I chose UCCS to pursue a Master of Sciences in Biochemistry."

"I wanted to invest in my future, whatever it may hold, and getting my MSc at UCCS seemed like a great way to do just that. I appreciate the opportunity to hone my critical thinking skills while also gaining very valuable research experience."

"I decided to earn my MSc in Chemistry at UCCS because I love chemistry and hands-on scientific research. During my time as a UCCS graduate student I’ve had the opportunity of working on and learning about a range of exciting problems in chemistry, each of which has strengthened the foundation of knowledge I acquired from coursework as an undergraduate."

At a glance, tuition cost for a Colorado resident attending as a full-time student will cost about $19,000 for our 30-credit program. See the table below for estimated costs based on Spring 2021 tuition rates, though you are encouraged to use the bill estimator tool for improved estimation of tuition and fees:

*Our Accelerated Master’s Program allows for high achieving undergraduate students to dual-count up to nine credits (three courses) for the Bachelors and MSc degrees.

Many of our students opt to fund their MSc degrees by serving as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) in the Department. GTAs teach four laboratory sections per year (two per semester) to offset tuition costs and receive a stipend amount. Our page on Financial Support will provide additional information, including application deadlines.

Admission to the MSc program requires that the student meet the following requirements:

• Has attained a Bachelors degree in chemistry, biochemistry, or related major* (students in related majors must complete core requirements of UCCS BA degrees in chemistry or biochemistry) from an accredited college or university, and
• Has an undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher for regular admission or GPA of 2.75-3.00 for provisional admission.
• If a student desires the research track, a research faculty mentor must agree to mentor the applicant prior to admission.

International students: The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry welcomes you! We will accept either path for demonstrating English proficiency for non-native English speakers seeking admission to the program:

• Bachelors or post-secondary degree from a US-accredited institution or program where English is the language of instruction, or
• Demonstrated proficiency in English with earned scores of 100 on the TOEFL, 7 on the iELTS, or 120 on Duolingo.

Students apply through the Graduate School website and pay the $60 application fee. The following application materials must be uploaded through the application portal by the following deadlines:

*Contact the Graduate Program Director if you are unsure of which application type you should submit.

All MSc programs in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry require 30 credits and are generally completed in 1.5 to 3 years. The program must be completed in six years. The courses in these tracks include:

• Research track: 15 credits of CHEM 5000- and 6000-level courses; 9 credits of research (CHEM 5904); 6 credits of Master's Thesis (CHEM 7000)
• Course track: 21-27 credits of CHEM 5000- and 6000-level courses (up to six credits may be taken in other departments at the graduate level); three credits of Master's Project (CHEM 7050)
• Please note that example plans of study are provided for the Research track, Course track, and AMP track on their respective pages

1. For UCCS alumni applicants with a GPA > 3.0, the general GRE is not required. UCCS alumni applying to our program with a GPA 2.75 – 3.0 do not have to take the GRE but will be admitted on provisional status and are required take two CHEM 5000-level courses, earning a grade of B (3.0) or better in both courses. Upon earning a B or better in both courses, provisional applicants will be considered ‘regular’ admission students, making them eligible for Financial Support mechanisms.
2. If an applicant is from an outside domestic (US) university, the general GRE is waived for students with a GPA > 3.3. Students below this GPA (3.0 – 3.3) will be required to take the GRE. Provisional applicants (UG GPA 2.75 – 3.0) from domestic institutions will be required to take the GRE and meet the provisional admission requirements set forth previously.
3. Students who are applying after receiving an undergraduate degree from an international university will be required to take the general GRE exam. Additionally, students who earned a degree in which English was not the official language of instruction will be required to demonstrate proficiency in English: score of 100 on the TOEFL, 7 on the iELTS, or 120 on the Duolingo exam.

Your approximate 500-word personal statement should describe your motivation for seeking a graduate degree and what previous research, educational, or work experiences prepared you for study in a graduate program. If you are applying to the research track, please highlight which faculty member(s) you desire to work with and what research questions interest you.

If you are a UCCS student applying to the MSc program in chemistry or biochemistry, your unofficial UCCS transcripts are sufficient. For non-UCCS applicants, please provide official transcripts from all institutions attended. For applicants who attended an international institution, you will need to have your application evaluated by a NACES.org member. Transcripts evaluated by ECE or WES are considered to be official.

The Accelerated Master’s Program (AMP) offers highly qualified UCCS chemistry and biochemistry majors (and biology majors who have completed the core requirements for a BA in Biochemistry) the opportunity to pursue the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science (BA or BS) in Chemistry or Biochemistry and the Master of Sciences (MSc) in Chemistry or Biochemistry concurrently. The main benefit of the program is that it allows students to take up to three courses (nine credit hours) that will count towards the credit requirements of both the Bachelor’s and Master’s programs. The program is designed to be a five year or five year+ (less than six) program for currently enrolled UCCS chemistry or biochemistry majors.

A letter of recommendation should address how your recommender knows you, the student applicant, and for how long. We also want information about how you have performed in undergraduate coursework. If you have a recommender writing a letter of support for you who is NOT a former instructor, please have this person write a letter about their supervision of you in a professional setting.

Students completing their MSc degree requirements part-time are encouraged to apply! Please note that for full-time students, the typical period for completion of the degree is 1.5 to 3 years. For part-time students, you’ll need to double that time frame (3 – 5 years). Please note that the MSc degree must be completed in under six years.

Yes! We most typically help our students financially through the Graduate Teaching Assistantship program. To become a GTA, you must apply by April 15th for support in the following year. This program is competitive. GTAs teach four laboratory sections per year, and are paid for their work in the Department while also receiving funds to offset tuition. Other funding opportunities are also available. For excellent out-of-state students, we offer one yearly out-of-state student scholarship (application due by April 15th).

The core requirements of a BA in Biochemistry include the following: General Chemistry I & II with associated laboratories, Organic Chemistry I & II with associated laboratories, one semester of Analytical Chemistry with laboratory, two semesters of Biochemistry, one semester of Biochemistry laboratory, and Biophysical Chemistry. You can still be admitted to our program if you don’t have one or more of these courses, but please know that you will be expected to take these courses at the undergraduate level, and this will lengthen your time in the program.

We don’t admit students to our research (thesis) track unless we have a research advisor for that applicant. If you are interested in working with a particular faculty member, please email that faculty member directly to see if they have room in their research group. If we don’t have space in the research track, you will be admitted as a course-based (non-thesis) MSc student.

Good question! We have examples of our program plans available for each track, including our Accelerated Masters Program. Please click on the links above to find the track that best suits your desired MSc program (research or course).

Absolutely. If you start out as a research student, up to three credits of CHEM 5904 (research) will be counted towards the 30 credits required in the course track. Three credits of CHEM 7000 (thesis) will be substituted for the required CHEM 7050 of the course track. If you are on the course track and decide to switch to the research track, keep in mind that only twelve credits of coursework (CHEM 5000-level) are required in the research track. Any courses taken beyond the required four will not count towards your graduation requirement.

Sure. We will evaluate your undergraduate transcript AND your selected graduate-level courses to review for deficiencies. For example, if you haven’t taken Physical Chemistry before, you will be required to take that course sequence, including lab, before you can switch to the Chemistry track.

Yes, but we don’t recommend it. Once you start on a research project with an advisor, it is best to finish your research for timely graduation. Switching advisors will lengthen your time in the program.

A thesis committee is constituted for students on the research (thesis) track and includes your research advisor as your chair and two or three additional faculty members. Of these additional faculty members, one must come from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Students apply through the Graduate School website for the MSc program. For AMP applicants, start by filling out your AMP Intent Application and Department AMP Application.

Dr. Janel Owens
Graduate Program Director
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Phone: 719-255-3207
Email: jowens2@uccs.edu