Graduate students are the core of the department, making essential and valuable contributions in both research and teaching. The department and university are dedicated to supporting graduate students and their welfare. The following resources are available to you to help address issues you encounter as you navigate your degree. These services are available to student employees (Teaching Assistants and Graduate Research Assistants) as well as students supported on fellowship.
Learn about resources available to graduate students through the College of Natural Sciences “Office of Graduate Education”. These resources include information about CNS leadership, career development and PhD career outcomes, specialized elective courses, CNS policies, outreach opportunities, the CNS Graduate Council, and CNS events calendars.
Are your own stress levels or those of a roommate, classmate, or coworker worrying you? Is a student in your course behaving uncharacteristically, for example by no longer attending class, turning in assignments, or responding to emails? Consider contacting BCAL. Staff members are trained to assess these and similar situations. You may report your concerns by calling 512-232-5050 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) or by submitting an online form.
Depending on the situation, individuals may be referred to resources including but not limited to the Office of the Dean of Students/Student Emergency Services, Counseling & Mental Health Center, and the Employee Assistance Program. Confidentiality will be maintained as much as possible; however, the University may be required to release some information to appropriate parties.
Cases that present an immediate threat to self, others, or property represent urgent situations that should be reported directly to the University of Texas Police Department (UTPD) by calling 911.
Title IX is concerned with incidents of sex discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual misconduct, interpersonal (dating/domestic/family) violence, or stalking that involve UT Austin students, faculty or staff. The University is committed to maintaining a safe and non-discriminatory environment. So graduate students appointed in academic positions as Teaching Assistants or Graduate Research Assistants are deemed “responsible employees” under UT policies.
Every responsible employee is required to promptly report Title IX incidents that they experience or hear about if these incidents involve UT students, faculty or staff. As “responsible employees”, graduate students may not offer or maintain confidentiality after learning of such incidents. Responsible employees have the duty to report these privately to the Title IX Coordinator or a Deputy Title IX Coordinator using the contact information at http://titleix.utexas.edu/
Counseling is a process that can help you identify more effective strategies to cope with difficult situations, to enhance your well-being, and to better achieve your academic and life goals. To investigate whether talking to a trained counselor might benefit you, you can, depending on the situation, either call the CMHC Crisis Line at 512-471-2255 or schedule a brief assessment.
If one of your students is experiencing non-academic problems (e.g. illness or death in the family, physical or emotional health issues, etc.) you may wish to refer that person to a CARE counselor at CMHC. Visit the CMHC website for details about their services.
CARE counselors provide a dedicated individual to each academic unit at UT. Learn more about our CARE counselor for the College of Natural Sciences here.
UHS offers high quality, broad scope medical care located right on campus. All enrolled UT students are automatically eligible to use UHS. Insurance is not required, but UHS accepts most health insurance plans, including the student plan (AHP) and the staff plan used by TAs/GRAs (Blue Cross/Blue Shield). Log in to My UHS to schedule an appointment online, or call 512-471-4955 8:00am-5:00pm, Monday-Friday.
SSD determines eligibility and approves reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities at UT. Visit the SSD website for information on how to register with SSD, guidelines for documentation, and information about accommodations and services.
Legal Services for Students provides free consultations on some (though not all) legal issues that may affect current UT graduate and undergraduate students. Advice is available for many landlord/tenant and rental issues, criminal charges, traffic tickets, consumer issues, car wrecks, and employment law questions not involving disputes against UT. Consultations are by appointment only—review their services and schedule an appointment online.
Have you had a conflict with your professor or advisor? Frustrated about a University policy that is impacting you? Consider visiting your Student Ombuds to talk over your situation and see what options are available to you. Read their FAQ and schedule an appointment by calling 512-471-3825.
SES helps students and their families during difficult or emergency situations. Assistance includes outreach, advocacy, intervention, support, and referrals to relevant campus and community resources. Please note, SES does not provide counseling services (see CMHC for counseling resources). SES staff is available by phone or walk-in appointment. Visit their website for more details.
FERPA prohibits the University from disclosing educational records or personally identifiable information from a student’s University records to any third party, including parents, without that student’s prior consent. Know your rights and those of students that you teach. UT staff and faculty (including Teaching Assistants) are required to take regular FERPA training.
The College of Natural Sciences offers various types of accommodations for full-time graduate students with growing families, designed for the different roles graduate students may fill during their academic career (academic, TA, GRA, and parental leave). The Chemistry Department contact for students seeking parental accommodations is Dr. Jenny Brodbelt. For details, please visit the CNS website.
It’s never too early to explore the resources at CNS Career Services in Painter (PAI) 5.03. Contact Dr. Po-Tsan Ku, grad student and postdoctoral career development specialist, for an appointment. Services include individual coaching appointments, mock interviews, career fairs, grant application workshops and monthly career seminars.
Student Veteran Services helps all students using federal and state veterans education benefits. Their advisers walk current and prospective students through the benefits application and certification process, provide veteran-centered academic support, career services, health care and wellness resources and support the ongoing success of veterans on campus.
The University Writing Center offers free services designed specifically for graduate students, such as one-on-one consultations, group meetings and retreats. They offer support and resources at any stage of the writing process, and for multiple types of scientific writing, including grant proposals. Visit their website to learn more!
Jeff Grimes
Graduate Program Administrator
Eric Anslyn, Ph.D.
Graduate Studies Committee Chair
Chemistry Graduate Program
WEL 3.212
105 East 24th Street STOP A5300
Austin, TX 78712-1224
Phone 512-471-4538
New graduate students are typically supported as teaching assistants (TA) during their first year, and then financial support is generally provided by TA positions, fellowships, or by graduate research assistant positions thereafter depending on the funding status of the permanent research group.
The University of Texas School of Graduate Studies offers multiple fellowships for new and continuing graduate students. Prospective and current students are automatically considered for these awards, and outstanding candidates are nominated by supervising professors. Please visit the Graduate School Fellowship website for more information.
The College of Natural Sciences has compiled an exhaustive list of major outside funding opportunities through their Strategic Research Initiatives program. Chemistry graduate students and Postdoctoral Fellows are encouraged to apply.
The major milestones and degree requirements for the chemistry Ph.D. can be found on the Graduate School website and are available in this pdf.
Choosing a research adviser will be the most significant activity of your graduate years.
You may join the group of any faculty member in the Department of Chemistry or any faculty member who has a joint appointment with this department, or any faculty member from another department who is a member of our Graduate Studies Committee.
There are no divisional boundaries in terms of what type of research you undertake or what group you join.
There are no formal deadlines, but popular groups fill up fast.
To help make your decision:
The Compact for Chemistry is a contract signed by the student and the supervising professor when the student joins the research group. It outlines commitments and responsibilities for both parties, and clarifies academic research goals and expectations for graduation. The compact specifically details the roles and responsibilities within the graduate student-faculty mentor relationship.
All graduate students undertake their qualifying exams, either an oral exam or series of written exams, or combination thereof, during the second year of the program.
After students pass their qualifying exams, complete all required graded courses, and satisfactorily perform their TA service, they are eligible for advancement into doctoral candidacy. Each grad student would normally expect to reach this point by the end of the third year. Doctoral Candidacy allows students to focus on research and register each semester for Dissertation coursework and is also a degree requirement of the chemistry Ph.D.
Advancement into candidacy requires an application and approval by the student’s supervising professor, the departmental Graduate Adviser, and the UT Graduate Dean.
The first step of the application process is completing the departmental candidacy application. This consists of selecting the dissertation committee and obtaining signatures of the proposed committee members. Application form: Candidacy-Application-Packet_DIGITAL.pdf Contact the Chemistry Graduate Coordinator for assistance with DocuSign signatures.
A doctoral committee is comprised of minimum four members: your supervising professor plus three others. At least three members (including supervisor) must belong to the Chemistry Graduate Studies Committee (GSC). One committee member must be outside the Chemistry Department and NOT a member of the Chemistry GSC. The GSC members can be found on the Chemistry Department webpage.
Up to one thesis committee member may be from outside the University of Texas at Austin. This member will be expected to have a terminal degree in their field and be active in research in an area relevant to the student's work. A student must submit to the Graduate Advisor the proposed member's CV and a brief justification of appropriateness for serving on the committee in place of a member of the UT faculty. The request must be approved by the Graduate Advisor and the Office of Graduate Studies on an ad hoc basis. If approved, this member can also serve as the outside department member
After completion of the departmental application and approval by the Graduate Office, then the online UT doctoral candidacy application is undertaken. The name and rank of each person serving on the doctoral committee and an abstract of the doctoral research are submitted. The doctoral abstract can be broad and is changeable as the student progresses in the program. Once the on-line portion is submitted, it must be approved by the student’s supervising professor, the Graduate Adviser, and the Graduate Dean.
PLEASE NOTE: The Graduate Adviser will not approve the on-line portion of the application unless the student completes the departmental application (PDF above). If you have questions about this process, please contact the Chemistry Graduate Office.
All qualified first-year students are offered a teaching assistantship. After the first year, graduate students who are making satisfactory progress are typically appointed as a teaching assistant (TA) or research assistant (GRA), at the discretion of their supervising professor, or may be supported by a fellowship. Neither TA nor GRA appointments are guaranteed; they depend on the progress of the student, the availability of funds, and the assessment of teaching performance. Teaching assistants receive tuition assistance that covers their tuition expenses, and many research assistant positions will also help pay tuition. A student must be registered full-time in order to maintain a TA or GRA appointment.
The University and the Department of Chemistry offer a wide array of fellowships awarded on the basis of teaching performance or academic excellence. A large number of these are full fellowships that allow for full-time research. Funding for travel to professional conferences is also available.
Research programs are supported by grants that are awarded to individual faculty members by the federal government, private foundations, and other outside sources.
Further information on financial assistance for graduate students is provided by the Office of Graduate studies.
Graduate students have the right to seek redress of any grievance related to academic or nonacademic matters. Every effort will be made to resolve grievances informally between the student and the faculty member involved or with the assistance of the graduate adviser, Graduate Studies Committee chair, or department chair. For further details about the College of Natural Sciences grievance policies, please read the Graduate Student Grievance Policies here.
Department of Chemistry
WEL 3.212
105 E 24TH ST.
Austin, TX 78712-1224
© Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences,
The University of Texas at Austin
Graduate Office: 512-471-4538
Undergraduate Office: 512-471-1567
Chair's Office: 512-471-3949
Login | IT Help Request | Webmail | Sitemap