#  Graduate Program 

 



 ![A collection of headshots in a grid](/sites/g/files/omnuum7776/files/chemistry/files/graduate_students_2019_board.jpg)

 

Science in the 21st century is rich with opportunity and challenge. Our pillars for success in this complex world are all tied to interactions—between people and between disciplines. By building both strong interpersonal connections between our students and faculty, and effective bridges between disciplines, entering graduate students in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology can thrive at the frontiers of research in the chemical and life sciences.

Our graduate programs prioritize research and exploration. With many opportunities to interact with departments, research centers, and institutions across the Boston area, our students benefit from an interdisciplinary environment that encourages curiosity and innovation. Students can choose from one of our following two graduate degree programs:

## **Chemistry & Chemical Biology**

[**Our program in Chemistry**](https://gsas.harvard.edu/programs-of-study/all/chemistry-and-chemical-biology) offers research and training opportunities in many subdisciplines of chemistry, including chemical biology, inorganic, organic, physical, and theoretical.

## **Chemical Physics**

[**Our interdepartmental Chemical Physics program**](https://gsas.harvard.edu/programs-of-study/all/chemical-physics) is designed for students who wish to prepare themselves for the study of chemical problems by the methods and theories of modern physics.



 

##  Prospective students 

[**Prospective Students**](/prospective-students "Prospective Students")

[**Admissions FAQ**](/pages/admissions-faq "Admissions FAQ")



 

##  Current Graduate Students 

[**Orientation**](/orientation "Orientation")

[**Graduate Student Guide**](/pages/information-current-students "Graduate Student Guide")

[**Resources for Students**](/resources-for-students "Resources for Students & Postdocs")



 

##  News about our graduate students 

 



  [### Profile: First rule of a disease fighter: Be curious

 ](/news/2026/05/profile-first-rule-disease-fighter-be-curious) May 29, 2026 

 It was DNA replication that first captured Isaac Witte’s scientific imagination as a high school student in Overland Park, Kansas. “It’s this orchestration of so many different proteins and molecules that come together to do this core element of life,” he... 

 

 

   ![Isaac Witte](/sites/g/files/omnuum7776/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-05/Witte-David%20Liu-Broad.png?itok=_ht0FUpd) 

 



 

 

   [### New research: Unlocking hidden pocket on a billion‑dollar drug target

 ](/news/2026/04/new-research-unlocking-hidden-pocket-billion-dollar-drug-target) April 17, 2026 

 For years, a protein inside our cells has quietly powered billions of dollars’ worth of cancer drugs. Now a team of researchers have discovered that this workhorse protein, called cereblon, in addition to its known functions, can also fine‑tune which... 

 

 

   ![Christina Woo](/sites/g/files/omnuum7776/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-04/Woo-Dippon_0.png?itok=-xq9hn_S) 

 



 

 

   [### New research: How a COVID-era trick may transform drug, chemical discovery

 ](/news/2026/01/new-research-how-covid-era-trick-may-transform-drug-chemical-discovery) January 21, 2026 

 Laboratories turned to a smart workaround when COVID‑19 testing kits became scarce in 2020. They mixed samples from several patients and ran a single test. If the test came back negative, everyone in it was cleared at once. If it was positive, follow-up... 

 

 

   ![Eric Jacobsen and Marcus Sak](/sites/g/files/omnuum7776/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-01/Jacobsen-Marcus-Gazette.jpg?itok=7DqS5qm9) 

 



 

 

  

 

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