Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry - Theoretical/Computational

Theoretical and computational chemistry plays a central role by connecting fundamental physical ideas to experimental observables. This is achieved using a combination of quantum mechanics, classical mechanics, statistical mechanics, and data science approaches, with the length-scales and timescales of interest determining the appropriate tool. The applications are wide-ranging, from understanding the interactions and behavior of molecules, designing new materials, providing a mechanistic understanding of complex systems including biomolecules, quantum computing, and many others.The theoretical chemistry institute (TCI) at UW-Madison’s chemistry department consists of labs with a broad range of research interest, including electronic structure, statistical mechanics, computer simulation, artificial intelligence, polymer physics, quantum dynamics, quantum computing, computational materials science, biophysics, and drug discovery. All the chemistry labs in the TCI are on the same floor of the chemistry building, which creates a collaborative environment among research groups.

A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or a comparable degree from an international institution is required. International applicants must have a degree comparable to a regionally accredited U.S. bachelor’s degree. You must have completed your undergraduate degree, or similar, before starting graduate school. A minimum undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 on the equivalent of the last 60 credit hours (approximately two years of work) or a master’s degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 is required. The Graduate School will take into consideration different grade scales from institutions that do not have 4.00 scales (e.g., institutions outside the United States of America).