Overview
Founded in 1878 by the Fathers and Brothers of the Congregation of the Holy Ghost, Duquesne University has provided the opportunity for an education to students from many backgrounds, without regard to sex, race, creed, color, or national or ethnic origins. In the past twenty-five years, the University has undergone a dramatic physical transformation, from a makeshift physical plant occupying approximately 12 acres to a modern, highly functional educational facility that is located on its own 40-acre hilltop overlooking downtown Pittsburgh.

Duquesne University has a total enrollment of more than 9,500 students in its ten schools. With 176 graduate students and 36 faculty members in the graduate programs in the Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, the University offers students a highly personalized learning and advisement environment.

The Location and Community
Duquesne University is located on a bluff overlooking the city of Pittsburgh. This location offers ready access to the many cultural, social, and entertainment attractions of the city. Within walking distance of the campus are Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts (home of the symphony, opera, ballet, theater, and other musical and cultural institutions), the Mellon Arena (center for indoor sporting events and various exhibitions, concerts, and conventions), Heinz Field and PNC Park (for outdoor sporting events), and Market Square (entertainment and nightlife center). The libraries, museums, art galleries, and music hall of the Carnegie Institute in the Oakland area are easily accessible by public transportation (routes pass immediately adjacent to the campus) or by private automobile. As the third-largest center for corporate headquarters and one of the twenty largest metropolitan areas in the United States, Pittsburgh also offers many professional career opportunities for its residents.

Programs of Study and Degree Requirements
The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry offers a program of graduate study in chemistry and biochemistry leading to the Ph.D. and M.S. degrees.

Graduate students begin laboratory research during their first semester in residence and participate in two semester-long research rotations in the laboratories of two different investigators during their first year. First-year students enroll in several short, intensive courses that emphasize applied research skills. Students typically do not enroll in any other courses during the first year, allowing complete focus upon research during this period. At the end of the first year, students are advanced to Ph.D. candidacy based upon successful completion and defense of their research rotation projects. Academic requirements during the second and subsequent years are determined by the student's dissertation committee and are designed on an individual basis. Candidates for the Ph.D. degree are required to submit and defend an original research proposal in an area unrelated to their dissertation research. The department sponsors a weekly research colloquium series that features speakers from academia, industry, and government.

For the M.S. degree, a minimum of 30 semester hours of combined course and research credits are required.

Facilities & Resources
The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is housed in the Richard King Mellon Hall of Science, an award-winning laboratory designed by Mies van der Rohe. Spectroscopic capability within the department includes multinuclear 500- and 300-MHz NMRs, GC/MS, LC/MS, laser Raman, FT-IR, UV/visible, fluorescence, and atomic absorption spectroscopies. Separations instrumentation includes ultra-high-speed and high-speed centrifuges, gas chromatographs, an ion chromatographic system, capillary electrophoresis, and HPLCs. An electrochemical instrumentation laboratory, a robotics and automation facility, a computer-controlled chemical microwave system, a clean laboratory facility, a single-crystal X-ray diffraction facility, and ICP-MS capabilities are available for research.

Expenses and Aid
Tuition and fees in 2004-05 are $711 per credit. Scholarships provide tuition remission for teaching and research assistants as described above.

Financial Aid:
A number of teaching and research assistantships are available for Ph.D students. Annual stipends are $19,500, plus tuition remission. Several prestigious fellowships for graduate studies are offered by the Luce Foundation and Bayer School.

Housing/Living Expenses:
Off-campus housing is available within easy walking or commuting distance of the University. Living costs for off-campus housing are very reasonable compared with those in other urban areas of the United States.

How to Apply
Applications for admission to graduate study with financial aid should be submitted no later than February 1 for the academic year beginning in the following September. Applications for admission without financial aid may be made up to one month prior to the beginning of the term in which the student desires to begin graduate work. All applications require official transcripts of previous undergraduate and graduate work and three letters of recommendation from faculty members who are familiar with the applicant's past academic progress. Application forms are available by writing to or calling the office of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

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