Chemistry (BS)

A Bachelor's degree program for the true chemist

Our Chemistry Bachelor of Science program is designed for students interested in a rigorous curriculum where science is most broadly studied with chemistry at the core, preparing you to enter the workforce directly into a chemistry-based occupation or research. Students in the Bachelor's program are also well-equipped to enter graduate school to pursue Master's or Doctoral levels of education in the sciences.

School/Division

Campus Locations

Main Campus - Alfred, NY

Major

Chemistry (BS)

Minor

Chemistry

The ACS-approved degree requires the core major plus six additional credit hours. Students completing the additional credits will be certified to ACS upon graduation and are immediately eligible to join ACS. Students who intend to pursue graduate studies in chemistry or who desire a nationally certified degree should consider the additional course work.

Courses for the ACS-approved Major:

  • CHEM 105/106 General Chemistry I and II
  • CHEM 105L/106L General Chemistry Lab
  • CHEM 315/316 Organic Chemistry I and II
  • CHEM 315L/316 L Organic Chemistry Lab
  • CHEM 321 Introduction to Analytical Chemistry
  • CHEM 340/342 Physical Chemistry Quant. Mech./Thermodynamics (or CEMS 214/235/344)
  • CHEM 341 Physical Chemistry Laboratory
  • CHEM 372 Inorganic Chemistry
  • CHEM 374 Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory
  • CHEM 423 Instrumental Analysis
  • CHEM 461 Advanced Chemistry Laboratory
  • CHEM 490 Chemistry Seminar

Other Courses for Major:

The Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Chemistry at Alfred University is an interdisciplinary degree utilizing course offerings available across our campus. Students that complete the BS degree need to take 10 credit hours from upper-level courses in science, engineering or mathematics beyond our Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree program in Chemistry.  

Related Courses for the Major:

  • MATH 151/152 Calculus I and II
  • PHYS 111 and PHYS 112
  • or PHYS 125 Physics I and PHYS 126

A chemistry minor enables students to tailor their studies to complement a major in other fields. For example, a biology major might emphasize organic chemistry whereas a student in ceramic science might focus on inorganic chemistry.

Courses for the Chemistry Minor:

  • CHEM 105/106 General Chemistry
  • Plus at least 12 additional credits from the following: CHEM 310 (may not be credited if passing grade in CHEM 315), CHEM 313, CHEM 315, CHEM 316, CHEM 321, CHEM 343, CHEM 345, CHEM 346, CHEM 370, CHEM 372, CHEM 374, CHEM 423, CHEM/BIOL 420, and CHEM/BIOL 422

View general education requirements.

The core major provides a firm background for entry into the chemistry job market, for advanced study in the discipline, for advanced study in a related discipline, or a foundation for various professional schools such as medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, law or library science.

In addition to fulfilling the requirements of the major in Chemistry, as well as the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences general education requirements, you'll be required to complete the College's First Year Experience Program or Transfer Student Program.

Most chemists are employed in industry, academia, and the government. Chemists are needed for consulting businesses, research, health care and hospital settings, laboratories, biotechnology, and in all kinds of high-tech areas. Nationally, about half of all bachelor’s degree chemistry majors go on to some type of graduate school in the sciences, medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, law, or education. Others enter the workplace as:

  • Laboratory technician
  • Health administrator
  • Quality control specialist
  • Nutritionist
  • Flavor analyst
  • Environmental consultant
  • Pharmacologist
  • Patent attorney
  • Research chemist
  • Instrumentation specialist
  • Safety engineer
  • Chemical plant supervisor
  • Soil and water analyst
  • Chemical technologist
  • Industrial health engineer
  • Fiber analyst
  • Geochemist
  • Biomedical engineer
  • Biochemist
  • Technical writer
  • Chemical engineer
  • Medical illustrator
  • Magnetochemist
  • Pollution control chemist
  • Pharmaceutical sales representative
  • Chemistry teacher

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