Major
	Chemistry (BA, BS) from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Minor
	Chemistry
Four-year Graduation Plan
	Yes
Honors
	Yes
Teacher Licensure
	Yes
Links
	Web Site Courses General Catalog

Chemistry is often called the central science since it provides the knowledge, expertise, and scientific leadership required for meeting the world's challenges. Chemists work to solve problems that touch all aspects of our lives. Global climate change, increasing demands on limited energy resources, detection and treatment of human disease, concerns about environmental health, and the continuing need for new materials and synthetic strategies all demand innovative responses from chemists.

• Why Study Chemistry at Iowa?
• Facilities
• Course Work
• Environmental Sciences Major
• Student Activities
• Careers
• Scholarships

Why Study Chemistry at Iowa?
The Department of Chemistry has a strong program that has been recognized in national rankings, including one by the National Research Council. The department's faculty and staff are committed to educating undergraduate students, equipping them to have satisfying careers and to meet the profession's challenges.

The department has around 150 undergraduate majors and the same number of graduate students. Chemistry majors are among the University's best students. They have been highly successful at finding jobs in business and industry, and many have entered some of the nation's best graduate programs.

As a chemistry major, you'll acquire the knowledge and skills you'll need to study environmental chemical pathways, find pathways for remediation of environmental damage, produce efficient catalysts, fabricate and use nanoscale materials, create new sensor technologies, identify methods for early diagnosis of disease, develop new medicinal drugs, and make new materials with unique properties.

You'll be encouraged to participate in research with the department's faculty members, and you may coauthor a journal article with members of your research team or present your findings at a scientific meeting.

Department of Chemistry faculty members are well-known at the University and beyond. They win a substantial amount of funding for their research and hold many leadership positions. Chemistry faculty and graduate assistants have won numerous awards for outstanding teaching.

Facilities
The newly renovated Chemistry Building has state-of-the-art laboratories, classrooms, and lecture halls. You'll work in laboratories outfitted to accommodate data collection and experiments, and you'll use instrumentation and equipment that facilitates virtually all aspects of spectroscopy and measurement, such as laser spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, and scanning tunneling microscopy. You'll also have access to the department's computer labs, which have workstations that run computational and chemistry software and are maintained by professional staff.

In addition, you'll be able to use the Chemistry Building's undergraduate lounge and work spaces, which have outlets and wireless network access.

Course Work
Students majoring in chemistry earn a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree. Both degrees require a minimum of 120 semester hours (s.h.), including credit for the major: 53 s.h. for BA students and 68 s.h. for BS students.

The BA program is a good choice if you're interested in earning a degree in dentistry, medicine, law, or other professional fields after you graduate. It's also good preparation for secondary school teaching.

The BS program will prepare you for graduate study in chemistry or related fields and for careers in business and industry. The chemistry major for the BS degree is certified by the American Chemical Society.

Course requirements are similar for BA and BS students. They include five courses in chemistry that will provide a foundation for the rest of your chemistry course work.

All chemistry majors take these:

• Foundation courses: Chemistry I–II, Organic Chemistry I–II, Organic Chemistry Laboratory
• Advanced chemistry courses (BA students take seven, BS students take 10)
• Calculus I–II
• Physics I–II

If you're a BS student, you'll take at least two additional courses, which may include undergraduate research.

Undergraduate Research

Most BS students in chemistry and some BA students do undergraduate research. If you decide to do research, you'll have your own projects, and you'll work closely with a faculty member. You'll be expected to prepare a report on your work, and you'll have the opportunity to present your research at an undergraduate research poster session.

Teacher Education

Chemistry students who plan to teach in secondary schools must complete the College of Education's Teacher Education Program. If you're a BA student who's interested in graduate study in teaching, you might decide to enter a joint program in which you'll earn your BA and a Master of Arts in Teaching in five years.

For More Details

See Chemistry in the UI General Catalog to learn more about the major and for information about graduating with honors or earning a minor in chemistry.

Environmental Sciences Major
The Department of Chemistry collaborates with the Departments of Biology, Geography, and Geosciece to offer the University’s Environmental Sciences major, which has four tracks: biosciences, chemical sciences, geosciences, and hydrosciences. The chemical sciences track gives students a working knowledge of basic chemical concepts applied in the environment. It prepares students for entry-level positions that require a basic understanding of chemical principles. It also prepares them for graduate study.

Student Activities
Student organizations at Iowa that are of special interest to chemistry students include the Undergraduate Chemical Society, which is affiliated with the American Chemical Society; a chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma; and Women in Science and Engineering (WISE).

Careers
Chemistry majors find jobs in a wide range of fields, such as environmental chemistry, forensic science, pharmaceutics, polymer and plastics chemistry, technical sales and writing, and education. Some go on to advanced study in the sciences or in professions such as medicine, dentistry, and law. Learn more about careers in chemistry by visiting Careers on the American Chemical Society web site.

Scholarships
You may qualify for the Shoemaker-Strickler Memorial Scholarship, the George S. Schaeffer Scholarship, the Marge and Don Burton Scholarship, or other scholarships for chemistry students. Students also have won national awards, such as Goldwater Scholarships.

Consult multiple sources for scholarship information, including the Office of Admissions, the Office of Student Financial Aid, and departmental web sites.