Letter from the Coordinator

The Department of Chemistry provides a dynamic environment in which to pursue a research-focused Master of Science (MS) or Doctor of Philosophy degree in Chemistry (PhD). Students work directly with the faculty to pursue research topics in the traditional areas of Analytical, Biological, Inorganic, Organic, and Physical Chemistry. However, often research projects become highly interdisciplinary, where graduate students gain hands-on research experience developing new knowledge in a wide range of interdisciplinary areas. It’s these experiences that are key for professional growth as a scientist. The Department also offers a non-thesis Masters of Science (MSN) degree for STEM majors looking for an opportunity to sharpen their academic skills in chemistry.

The Department of Chemistry has invested heavily in modernizing its teaching and research instrumentation, providing our graduate students with an unparallel opportunity to gain hands-on experience using state-of-the-art instrumentation. The Department houses the Mississippi State University NMR Center which 4 NMR spectrometers including a Bruker AVANCE III 300 MHz, a Bruker AVANCE III HD 500 MHz, a Bruker AVANCE III 600 MHz, a Bruker Neo 800 MHz NMR spectrometer. The Department also houses a Bruker EMX-10 EPR Spectrometer and a Bruker D8 Venture platform for small and medium sized molecule analysis by X-ray diffraction. Graduate researchers also have access to a wide range of instruments including UV-vis, FT-IR, UV/Vis/near-IR spectrophotometers, powder XRD, mass spectrometers, including GC-MS and LC-MS instruments housed in the CURIE labs. The CURIE facility also houses a suit of instruments used for materials characterization (TGA, DCS). The Furthermore, faculty-led research labs maintain an array of instruments including: several microcalorimeters (ITC, DSC), CD spectropolarimeters, and numerous GC's and HPLC's.

All admitted MS and PhD students are supported by Departmental teaching assistantships, which provide a $23,500 stipend per year and a tuition waiver. This TA is renewable for up to 5 years of support for students making good progress toward degree. Note - MSN students are not supported by Departmental teaching assistantships.

Dr. Joe Emerson
Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator
Department of Chemistry
Mississippi State University