Applicants should submit their applications and supporting materials via the secure, electronic application system maintained by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. All materials are processed through the Graduate School, and applicants should refer to the requirements set forth by the Graduate School on its website. Questions about the online application should be directed to the Graduate School (gradmail@georgetown.edu).
Fall 2025 Application Deadlines: December 15 (Priority) January 15 (Final)
Application Requirements
The Department’s Committee on Graduate Admissions will review applications only when they are complete. In order to be complete, the materials listed below must accompany your application. Application information and requirements listed below serve as a supplement to the requirements set forth by the Graduate School; application requirements of the Graduate School may be found on its website.
Personal Statement. Your statement—consisting of approximately 500 words—should outline your educational plans, should explain why you want to attend graduate school (particularly at Georgetown University), and should address what you would contribute and what you would hope to gain from graduate studies in the Department of Chemistry.
Official Letters of Recommendation. You must arrange to have three letters of recommendation sent to accompany your application. When completing the online application, you will be prompted to give the names and email addresses for those individuals who will provide a letter of recommendation on your behalf. If you are seeking to transfer from one graduate program to Georgetown’s graduate program, at least one letter should come from each graduate institution you have attended.
Transcripts. Applicants are required to upload to the application system unofficial transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended. Do not send electronic or paper copies of your transcripts before receiving an offer of admission. Review the unofficial transcript requirements for additional details and FAQs.
Graduate Record Exam (GRE). We do not require any GRE scores as part of a complete application. If you would like to provide scores, please arrange to have ETS report your GRE scores to Georgetown University (reporting code: 5244).
For International Applicants: English Proficiency Exams. All applicants who are not native English speakers are required to demonstrate a level of proficiency in the English language. Proficiency can be demonstrated by the receipt of a bachelor’s or advanced degree from an accredited institution of higher education in the United States or from a university where English is the primary language of instruction. All other non-native speakers must achieve a minimum score on either the TOEFL or the IELTS. TOEFL and IELTS results will not be accepted if they were not achieved within the last two years.
TOEFL. To be competitive, candidates taking the TOEFL should have a minimum score of 600 (paper-based test), 250 (computer-based test), or 100 (Internet-based test). Candidates with a score between 80 and 100 (Internet-based test) or a IELTS score above 7.0 are also eligible to apply to the program. Working knowledge of English will be evaluated during review of the application. An official copy of TOEFL scores from Educational Testing Services (ETS) should be sent to Georgetown (reporting code: 5244).
Application Fee. A non-refundable application fee should accompany the application. Applicants will not receive a Graduate School decision on their application if the application fee is not paid. The fee may be paid by credit card, check, or money order. For more details, please refer to the Graduate School.
Application fee waiver: A limited number of application fee waivers may be available upon demonstrated financial hardship. Applicants must possess, or be in the process of obtaining, at least an undergraduate degree with the necessary courses and grades to make them highly competitive candidates for our program. This typically entails having obtained an undergraduate degree in Chemistry or Biochemistry with strong performance in foundational courses across at least four of the following five (Bio)Chemistry subject areas: Inorganic, Organic, Analytical, Physical, and Biochemistry. Applicants should also demonstrate proficiency in English, either through having past formal academic instruction in English or by providing proof of English proficiency via TOEFL scores (>100) or IELTS scores (>=7.0). Moreover, applicants should showcase ongoing activity in the (bio)chemical field since obtaining their latest degree. Requests for fee waivers should be submitted via email to Ms. Tabi Lemlem (lemlemt@georgetown.edu ), copying Professor Kaveh Jorabchi (kj256@georgetown.edu). The email should include a brief summary of the qualifications mentioned above, a CV, an unofficial transcript, GPA (on a 4-point scale), TOEFL/IELTS score, and a concise (~200 words) personal statement outlining the extenuating circumstances necessitating the waiver request, as well as expressing your particular interest in the Georgetown Chemistry Ph.D. program.
