Department of Chemistry offers broad-based and rigorous chemistry education that gives students the problem solving, teamwork and communication skills to become effective scientific professionals. We offer a program that incorporates technology, green chemistry practices, and perspectives that favor diversity and global awareness essential elements of a modern chemical education.
With a Chemistry degree, graduates can play an important role in how the world progresses forward.
The liberal arts experience offers an education that is both broad and diverse.
Students can select from any of the following chemistry degrees to prepare for a professional career, graduate study, or a professional program in medicine, pharmacy or dentistry. Our students have gone on to pursue graduate and professional degrees at universities such as Stanford, Vanderbilt, University of California at Davis, University of Texas Health Science Center–Houston and Texas A&M.
The BS in Chemistry is a rigorous course of study that incorporates more math and laboratory experience than the BA. Graduates may work as analytical chemists in food chemistry, pharmaceutical labs, or as research assistants or medical technologists.
The BA in Chemistry gives students more options to take non-science-related courses for a broader-based education. Typically graduates are interested in teaching at the secondary school level, but may also work in pharmaceutical sales, or as lab technicians or research assistants
Professional career options for graduates with a BS in Biochemistry include working as lab technicians or research assistants in pharmaceutical or agribusiness companies, biotech firms, hospital and forensic laboratories or even the Food and Drug Administration.
Professional career options for graduates with a BS in Forensic Chemistry include working with private labs, police departments, coroner’s offices or fire departments, examining evidence related to crimes. They may also work with bomb squads, in the military or at national agencies like the FBI or CIA. Some forensic chemists become specialists in certain kinds of identification, such as chemicals associated with explosives or toxic substances.
Professional career options for graduates with a BS in Environmental Chemistry include employment by private consulting firms, corporations or research labs to help clean up yesterday’s waste and prevent tomorrow’s pollution. They may help reduce the depletion of natural materials by creating synthetic substitutes or developing new recycling technologies. Environmental chemists may even work with governmental agencies to create and implement environmental policies.
The Department of Chemistry has an active, externally funded undergraduate research program. In addition to performing research over the academic year in one of the faculty-led research groups, students are encouraged to apply for participation in the full-time summer research program. The department's summer program is fully funded and successful applicants receive competitive student stipends. Students are encouraged to present their results at professional meetings, such as regional and national meetings of the American Chemical Society and the Texas Academy of Science.
The Chemistry faculty have been very successful in securing external funding in support of curricular innovation, modern laboratory instrumentation and undergraduate research. In addition to an ongoing departmental research grant from the Welch Foundation, the department has secured curricular and equipment grants from the National Science Foundation, the Keck Foundation and the Educational Advancement Foundation. We are funded through the U.S. Dept. of Education under the Title V provision and through a five-year, $2.75 million grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences as part of a consortium that includes St. Edward’s, Southwestern University and the University of Texas at Austin. We are proud to be considered one of the best-equipped and best-funded small college chemistry departments in the country.
A Chemistry minor is available for students interested in the field of chemistry, or for students who would benefit from adding courses in chemistry to their education for their future endeavors.
