Bachelor in Chemistry

The Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology offers a broad and comprehensive program of study. A major in chemistry may be completed in several ways. Various options permit students to select an area of concentration that reflects their particular interests and career goals. Course requirements for each of the majors are available through the list of options that appears below.

A bachelor's degree in chemistry and chemical biology provides a strong basis for a wide range of careers. A firm education in a physical science makes a student especially well qualified for direct employment or for graduate and professional studies in many areas of the basic and applied sciences.

Program Highlights

• Capstone Courses: These courses are designed to make use of knowledge gained from the core curriculum in a way that fosters development of research and communication skills. They include Seminar in Chemistry, Internship in Chemistry, Senior Research Project and Honors Research in Chemistry.
• Honors in Chemistry: The Department offers a Departmental Honors Program for seniors. Upon successful completion of the program, a special notation is added to the diploma. Candidates are expected to complete at least 3 credits per term in an independent research project, to write a paper on their research, and to make a presentation at the end of their senior year.
• ACS Certification: The American Chemical Society, the major professional organization of chemists in the United States, certifies certain degree programs that meet its requirements. Three options for the Rutgers chemistry major (General ACS, Chemical Biology, and Environmental) lead to ACS certified degrees.
• Rutgers Chemistry Society: The society is organized and run by undergraduate chemistry students. It promotes and develops education and career opportunities.
• Undergraduate Research: Research provides realistic insights into the daily routines and working environment of a career chemist, and leads to close working relationships with faculty, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows. It provides the opportunity to obtain meaningful letters of recommendation that will carry significant weight with future employers or with graduate and professional schools.

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, stands among America’s highest-ranked, most diverse public research universities. The oldest, largest, and top-ranked public university in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area, you’ll find us at our main locations in three New Jersey cities, and our footprint can be seen around the region. We’re an academic, health, and research powerhouse and a university of opportunity.

University Mission

As one of the leading comprehensive public research universities in the nation, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, has the threefold mission of

providing for the instructional needs of New Jersey’s residents through its undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs;

conducting the innovative research that contributes to the medical, environmental, social, and cultural well-being of the state, as well as aiding the economy and the state’s businesses and industries; and

performing public service in support of the needs of the residents of the state and its local, county, and state governments.

Each component of the university’s mission reinforces and supports the other two.

As the University of New Jersey®, Rutgers is dedicated to teaching that meets the highest standards of excellence, to conducting research that breaks new ground, and to providing services, solutions, and clinical care that help individuals and the local, national, and global communities where they live.

So Many Options...

With hundreds of degree programs, locations across New Jersey, and 71,000-plus students, Rutgers delivers something for everyone. And because our campuses come in all sizes—small, medium, and large—you can choose the one that fits you best.