Chemistry, B.A.

The Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry provides a broad background in preparation for a chemistry-related career while leaving room for students to complete their teacher licensure, add a second major, or fulfill the entry requirements for professional programs. Chemistry’s strong links to other sciences provide pre-health students (including pre-pharmacy, pre-medical, pre-veterinary, and pre-dental) with strong preparation for health professional programs such as medical school, pharmacy school, veterinary school and dental school.

Faculty deliver award-winning classroom instruction with student-centered research to provide an ideal environment for training tomorrow's scientists, physicians and teachers.

A significant portion of the training takes place in our laboratories, both through labs associated with courses and through supervised research in pharmaceutical chemistry, marine and atmospheric science, biochemistry, organic and inorganic synthesis, analytical chemistry, computational and physical chemistry, and chemical education.

Much of this research results in publications in peer-reviewed journals or presentations at professional meetings, most of which have student co-authors.

All lectures and upper-level lab courses are taught by Ph.D. level faculty.

Upper-level courses enroll fewer than 40 students, allowing close interaction between faculty and students. Interactions are collegial, which provides the necessary atmosphere for the free exchange of new thoughts and ideas.

Graduates are well trained and highly sought, as is illustrated by our nearly 100% placement rate for students in chemistry-related positions and advanced-degree programs. 

Many chemistry majors participate in independent research during their degree. The department has state-of-the-art equipment facilities for student education and independent research.

Applied Learning Opportunities

Undergraduate students are provided with various immersing research experiences such as DIS and Honor thesis research.

Many of our graduates have secured internship positions with international and local chemical, environmental, pharmaceutical, biotechnology companies.