Majors/Courses

    Undergraduate study in chemistry can provide a student with the background to pursue numerous career paths and interests. These possibilities include graduate school, employment in a wide variety of industrial research positions, chemical sales and management, professional programs such as medical school and law school, art conservation, science policy, journalism, and forensics. The overall goal of the chemistry curriculum at Saint Vincent is to provide students with a solid foundation in various areas of modern chemistry so that they can pursue a variety of career possibilities.

    The B.S. degree in Chemistry is approved by the American Chemical Society. In addition, the department offers students the possibility to earn a B.S. degree in either Biochemistry or Environmental Chemistry. Minors in all three of these areas are also offered. Specific requirements for each of these programs can be found with the links below.

Chemistry

Biochemistry

Environmental Chemistry

Descriptions of courses offered by the chemistry department may be found here:

No matter which degree program or minor a student chooses, he or she will find several features common to all of the programs offered by the department:

• all programs build on a common core of courses (general, organic, physical, and instrumental analysis)

• a continuous focus on writing as a tool for thinking and a critical skill for chemists to develop.

• a strong emphasis on laboratory experience that reflects chemistry as it is currently practiced. Several of the upper level laboratory courses are taught as "integrated labs", providing faculty and students the flexibility to explore the interdisciplinary nature of chemistry.

• courses that build towards the senior research project, which serves as a "capstone experience" for students. Senior research focuses on carrying out an original project under the guidance of a faculty member, providing the student with first hand experience of the nature of scientific investigation.