Master of Science in Chemistry - Physical Chemistry

University of Maine

Welcome to the Department of Chemistry at the University of Maine. We are proud to be the only university in the State of Maine to offer Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in chemistry. Our faculty and graduate students are actively engaged in research that spans a broad range of chemistry. The smaller size of research groups in our department allows for a high degree of student-faculty interaction. Many groups have interdisciplinary research projects that provide opportunities for collaboration with engineers, materials scientists, biological scientists or disciplinary based education researchers.The majority of our graduate students are enrolled in the Ph.D. program and all students are typically supported as teaching assistants in their first year. Research assistantships are also available, usually starting in the second year. All students in good standing are guaranteed financial support through the completion of their degrees.Physical ChemistryPhysical chemists aim to understand at the sub-atomic, atomic and molecular scale the structure and behavior of materials and the way chemical reactions occur. Computational physical chemists apply math and physics to develop theories and models that unravel mysteries from protein folding to nanoparticle properties. Experimental physical chemists use computers and large instruments, including lasers, mass spectrometers, and microscopes to measure structure and dynamics of chemical processes. Such knowledge is relevant to nearly every area of chemistry, from biological to nano-technology to environmental.