Welcome
Welcome to the Graduate Student Recruiting Homepage of the Department of Chemistry at Kansas State University!
To begin with, I would like to thank you for showing an interest in pursuing your advanced education here at Kansas State. I am certain you are currently looking at several different schools, and I want to draw your attention to a few things that could be very important to you as a prospective graduate student.
First, the Department is not too big, and as a result, our students enjoy and benefit from close interactions with faculty and staff in relaxed and positive ways. You will get the attention and support required to be successful in your future career from your research advisor. Our students have pursued many different exciting career paths and have found employment in both academic and industrial settings after graduation. You can find our students' experiences at "Meet the Students".
Second, the Department is big enough to be able to perform world-class, cutting-edge research across a range of disciplines, as described on our Research webpages. The research enterprise in the department incorporates modern interdisciplinary themes that facilitate collaboration, and also promote and foster creative and impactful ideas at the interface of fundamental and applied chemistry. Research projects within the department span a broad range of research themes in areas such as energy and sustainability, chemical synthesis and catalysis, functional materials, biomolecular processes, and theory and computation. Our research projects aim not only to pursue new findings and fundamental understanding, but also to ultimately solve important societal problems that will improve quality of life and enhance sustainable economic development.
Third, our professors show remarkable enthusiasm for their research. We have excellent facilities to support our research. Our research projects are supported by various funding agencies such as the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense. Our results and discoveries lead to publications in high-quality scientific journals, patents, and presentations at professional societies.
Fourth, as a graduate student, you will have the opportunity to join several student organizations with different important missions that will also help you in your professional development. Some student organizations include the American Chemical Society (ACS) KSU Local Section, Phi Lambda Upsilon honor society (PLU) KSU Chapter, the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical engineers (NOBCChE) KSU Section, the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) KSU Chapter, and others.
Of special interest to you may be the financial support for our graduate students. Our graduate students are supported as either graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) or graduate research assistants (GRAs). Typically, most students are expected to work as GTAs during the first year. You will enjoy our competitive stipends and relatively low living costs in Manhattan.
Applications to our Ph.D. program are submitted via the website. The application deadlines and other details are given in the FAQ. Before starting the application process, I encourage you to contact one professor with whom you are interested in working. Please send your CV, research interests, and other relevant information so that the professor can give you some suggestions. In addition, please take special note of the following points:
- Though you are encouraged to contact a professor before applying, this does not constitute a commitment for you to work with that professor; it also does not guarantee that you will get a position in that research group. You will have a chance to meet and discuss with several professors in the first semester and will officially start working with your designated major professor in late November.
- The GRE exam is not required , but submitting your GRE scores may make your application stronger.
- International students: please make sure that you satisfy the English proficiency requirements of the Graduate School. I strongly encourage you to retake the TOEFL or IELTS if your reading, writing and/or listening score(s) are within or below the score ranges for the Graduate Pathway Program. (For TOEFL, we consider MyBest.)
- The Department and Graduate School will make a decision based on your personal statement, TOEFL or IELTS scores (if you are an international applicant), recommendation letters, and academic record.
We are very proud of the relaxed and respectful interactions that we have between faculty and students at Kansas State University, and I have no doubt that you would prosper both as a scientist and as a person in this environment. If you need any further information, do not hesitate to get in touch with me (preferably via e-mail: ito@ksu.edu).
Best regards,
Professor,
Chair, Graduate Student Recruiting and Admissions Committee