Graduate Programs

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at SF State offers an outstanding educational experience for M.S. graduate students. Our mission is to educate and train the next generation of chemists and biochemists. The department offers both an M.S. Chemistry degree and M.S. Chemistry Concentration in Biochemistry degree. Graduates from our M.S. program are highly successful. Our M.S. graduates attend highly selective Ph.D. programs, are admitted to medical, pharmacy and other health professional schools, and are employed as research scientists in both the private and government sectors. SF State also offers a certificate in Data Science that can be obtained concurrently with the master's degree.

Questions? Contact gradchem@sfsu.edu.

Curriculum

Graduate Certificate in Data Science

Data science students work together on a laptop

Earn a 12-unit Graduate Certificate in Data Science for Biology and Chemistry. The certificate in Data Science can be obtained concurrently with the master's degree. Find more information on the Graduate Opportunities to Learn Data Science (GOLD) website.

Faculty

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry's faculty are dedicated to engaging our students in both the teaching and research environment. Department faculty are active in a variety of research fields including biochemistry and biophysical chemistry, bioorganic chemistry and drug discovery, environmental chemistry, materials chemistry, molecular modeling and computational chemistry. A variety of state-of-the-art and modern research equipment is available for student projects housed in the NMR, mass spectrometry, X-ray and microscopy facilities.

Chemistry student working in the lab

Prospective Students

SF State graduate student on campus

Applicants to the M.S. Chemistry and M.S. Chemistry (Concentration Biochemistry) degree programs should possess a bachelor's degree (B.S. or B.A.) in chemistry, biochemistry or a related field such as molecular biology, chemical engineering, materials science or physics.

In addition to appropriate academic preparation, applicants should show an ability to carry out independent research in chemistry or biochemistry. This should be demonstrated in your application by materials such as:

  1. Strong letters of recommendation from research supervisors in an academic, industry, government or work-related setting
  2. A strong record of professional activity and training in a scientific research or industry setting
  3. Reports of research results, professional publications, or participation in professional meetings or conferences

Applications to the M.S. Chemistry and M.S. Chemistry (Concentration Biochemistry) degree programs are accepted through Cal State Apply.

Once you've created an application account, some of your application materials will include:

  1. Academic transcripts
  2. Title and email contacts for three letter of recommendation writers
  3. Personal statement
  4. Additional documents that exemplify your professional preparation (e.g., CV, publications)

Please note that the GRE test is not required for your application.

Resources