The Department of Chemistry has the following requirements for admission into the graduate program:
The appropriate application forms can be obtained from the Chemistry Graduate Office or downloaded (accessed from the Office of Graduate Admissions page) and should be completed three (3) months prior to the desired term of enrollment if an assistantship is requested (if no assistantship is desired, then two (2) months prior to term of enrollment for American citizens but still six (6) months prior for international students). The Department of Chemistry is a direct receipt program; all applications should be sent directly to the Department of Chemistry.
Note: Deadlines for consideration for admission are generally later than deadlines for consideration for fellowships. See the fellowship section for more information.
A student's acceptance to graduate standing is granted for the semester and for the particular program specified in the official acceptance notification. In the event that a student wishes to change the date of entrance, they must notify the Office of Graduate Admissions of their intentions to do so. Failure to enroll during the specified semester without notifying the Office of Graduate Admissions will result in the cancellation of the admission and will necessitate reapplication by the student.
A graduate student enrolled for work in a program who wishes to change to another program must make formal application through the Office of the Registrar or reapply to the Office of Graduate Admissions, depending on the nature of the change.
If, on completion of one graduate degree, a student wishes to begin work on another advanced degree at USF, they must reapply at through Office of Graduate Admissions.
Each student will be assigned an advising committee upon arrival. Students should consult with the Chemistry Graduate Office for a list of their committee members.
Diagnostic exams will be administered to all incoming students in the areas of Analytical Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Biochemistry and Physical Chemistry.
The student’ advising committee will evaluate scores and use the test results to assist in determining the appropriate courses required.
After students meet with their committee to determine their coursework, the Chemistry Graduate Office will assist students with registration.
The agenda will be available on the Department of Chemistry web site. Checklists for new students (domestic and international) are located at the end of this document and on the departmental web site.
It is financially advantageous for a graduate student to be a Florida resident. To qualify as a Florida resident for tuition purposes, you must: be a U.S. citizen, resident alien, parolee, Cuban national, Vietnamese refugee or other refugee or asylee so designated by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, AND have established a legal residence in this State and maintained that legal residence for twelve (12) months immediately prior to the term in which you are seeking Florida resident classification.
To change your residency from out- of- state to Florida resident, you must complete the form entitled STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF FLORIDA REQUEST FOR CHANGE OF RESIDENCY STATUS (Sample 5.5 & 5.6). This form is available from the Registrar's office. The notarized form must be returned to the Registrar's office with appropriate supporting documentation, and it is possible that a second visit to that office might be necessary to clarify certain questions that could arise with respect to your request. All completed forms must be submitted prior to the last day of registration for the semester in which you wish to enroll as a Florida resident.
There is a variety of documentation that is needed to support your request, and this will be evaluated by the Registrar's office. Certain facts will support your request, and other facts will weigh against it. The information provided on the next page should help you to decide whether or not you will qualify as a Florida resident for tuition purposes.
There are seven kinds of documentation that you can utilize to demonstrate the length of time that you have lived in Florida. By themselves these do not provide adequate support for your claim of Florida residency for tuition purposes, but you must have at least one of them. Moreover, the date on the appropriate documentation must be at least one day more than 12 months prior to the first day of classes for the semester in which you wish to enroll as a Florida student. (The document must be dated at least one year prior to the first day of classes of the term for which resident status is sought.) The following documents will be considered in determining legal residence:
You should also be able to document that you have resided in the State of Florida during the preceding year (e.g., rent receipts, employment records) and show that you are self-supporting (the stipend of a chemistry TA is usually sufficient for this purpose). Another possibly important factor is the residency of your spouse if you are married.
There are several types of information that will automatically disqualify you from establishing Florida residency for tuition purposes.
In all cases these criteria indicate that you cannot show significant ties with another state (i.e., other than Florida) and be classified as a Florida resident for tuition purposes. Tax returns (yours, spouse's, parent's) may provide important evidence, and you should be prepared to provide them before any deadline that you wish to meet. If a parent's tax return is needed, only the portion showing dependents is needed; it is not necessary to show the portion of the return that details income and taxes paid, etc.