Academic Program in Chemistry and Biochemistry
Hands-on research is an essential component of the chemistry and biochemistry program.
Program Requirements
Students work alongside faculty as junior colleagues on research projects and as coauthors on research publications. You will develop critical and analytical thinking skills as you apply the knowledge and skills from your formal coursework to cutting-edge research problems.
Our faculty members receive numerous grants to support their research and to acquire modern instrumentation. Most majors participate in undergraduate research, which is characterized by one-on-one instruction and strong mentoring. Summer internships and research projects on and off campus, and winter-term projects enhance the academic experience.
While chemistry and biochemistry are well established disciplines, in recent years, the program has become more interdisciplinary, offering courses in environmental chemistry, chemical biology, materials chemistry, structural biology, and bioanalytical chemistry. Some introductory courses are specially designed for non-major students. We encourage majors to take additional science and mathematics courses, particularly if graduate school is in your future.
Our graduates are well prepared to enter medical or graduate study or to directly pursue careers in education and in the chemical or pharmaceutical industry. Graduates work in such professions as medicine, education, patent law, business, environmental science, pharmacology, toxicology, and geochemistry, among others.
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