Chemistry (BA)

Overview

Discover how the material world works around you as you prepare for careers in research, government, and education or go further with an advanced degree.

Whether your goal is to enter the workforce as a chemist or pursue graduate studies to become a university professor, researcher, or high school teacher, chemistry is an increasingly desirable background for a wide variety of careers.

Our chemistry program is offered as either Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science. You’ll add to your knowledge base with electives taught by professors with a passion for teaching and conducting research.

Why Choose D'Youville? 

Students choose our Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry at D'Youville because:

  • You’ll benefit from flexible major requirements that allow you to customize your learning around your interests and your goals.
  • Our small class sizes ensure you get the attention you deserve and every class is taught by expert faculty, never a teaching assistant.
  • You’ll discover opportunities for research in our state-of-the-art labs, guidance and mentorship from expert faculty, and experiences in the professional world like international meetings and conferences.
  • If you choose to apply to graduate school, you’ll benefit from the guidance and mentoring of a pre-professional advisory committee. Graduates of our program in chemistry have gone on to earn their master’s or doctorate at some of the best schools in the country.
  • With a wide offering of in-demand graduate programs, our chemistry students have ample opportunities to extend their learning in programs that offer direct entry — save time and money.
  • You’ll have opportunities to conduct supervised research, starting in your sophomore year.
  • Opportunities for direct mentorship from D'Youville professors. 

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What you'll learn:

  • Foundational chemistry including inorganic, analytical, physical, organic, and biochemistry
  • Research skills that will prepare you for your career
  • How to Acclimate to the professional world, with opportunities to attend — or even present at national and international meetings and conferences

Internship Experiences Integrated into Our Curriculum

Starting in your sophomore year, chemistry majors have the opportunity to conduct research under the supervision of D'Youville faculty. Subsequently opportunities exist for research internships alongside scientists at collaborating institutions near the D'Youville campus. Few undergraduate chemistry programs offer these types of exceptional research opportunities.

Research opportunities with our science faculty will give you an excellent introduction to the world of research, allowing you the opportunity to collect and interpret data. Many students present their projects at international conferences.

Explore Courses In Chemistry

  • Discover the structure and relationships of the components responsible for the biochemical functions of life, including proteins, enzymes, carbohydrates, bioenergetics, metabolism lipids, membranes, vitamins, nutrition and more.

  • Explore a wide swath of physical chemistry from thermodynamics to ideal gases to spectroscopy to the interaction of light and matter. Discover how chemistry works through Einstein coefficients, atomic and molecular spectra, lasers, steady states, collision theory and more.

  • Learn about the basics concepts and laboratory techniques underlying quantitative analysis, including analysis of quantitative measurements, simple and complex solution equilibria, volumetric and gravimetric techniques, electrochemistry, redox and potentiometric titrations, separations, and elementary photometric techniques.

Admission Requirements

At D'Youville, we are committed to selecting students who are academically well-rounded and committed to meeting the challenges of a high-quality education. If you have been successful in a traditional college preparatory program in high school, you should be well-prepared for the academic challenges at D'Youville.

First Time in College Student Requirements
  • Submitted application for admission
  • Official high school transcripts
    • An overall weighted GPA of 85% with successful completion of high school graduation requirements and three years of math, english, and science.
Transfer Admission Required Review Criteria
  • Submitted application for admission
    • Applications are free of charge and can be found on our apply webpage.
  • Official transcripts from ALL previously attended colleges/universities
  • Cumulative GPA of 2.5

Careers

With a Chemistry BS from D’Youville, you’ll go far. Your core understanding of how the world is made and how it works prepares you for the job market or for further study. Chemistry graduates may opt for graduate study in fields like engineering, medical, law or pharmaceutical sciences to name just a few, in addition to straight chemistry.

Enter The Workforce With A Bachelor's Degree

Entering the work force directly creates practically endless opportunities. You may want to teach, or to work for the government. And certainly industrial options are many. You could choose to specialize specifically in chemicals, or energy/environment, materials, or consumer or agricultural products. You’ll find chemists in many unexpected industries such as toys, food, make-up, breweries, and perfume again, to name just a few. Laboratory work is another great building block for those who have completed a chemistry undergraduate degree.

Careers For Chemists

Career opportunities for chemistry majors extend far beyond teaching at the high school or college level. Graduates are employed in a vast array of careers, including:

  • Research and development (R&D) in the pharmaceutical industry
  • Research and development (R&D) for manufacturing in fields such as food flavorings, cosmetics and perfumes. 
  • Research or clinical careers in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy or allied health.
  • Education (secondary and higher education)
  • Research in ecology and oceanography
  • Patent law, international law, environmental law, pharmaceutical sales and management
  • Law enforcement (forensic)
  • Business
Graduate and Doctoral Degrees

While many of our graduates go into industry, others enter advanced academic programs in order to pursue careers in research and teaching in both private and public organizations. These students typically pursue post-professional degrees such as doctor of science (DSc), doctor of education (EdD), or doctor of philosophy (PhD) degrees. If you choose to pursue this path you can rest assured that the rigorous academic, research, and clinical work you’ll complete in our chemistry undergraduate program will provide you with a solid foundation for advanced study and practice.

Alumni Successes

Chemistry majors can find employment in a variety of careers and industries. Many of our graduates continue their academic studies after they earn their bachelor's degree in chemistry. Some even conduct research as PhD candidates in doctoral programs around the country. 

See Where Some of Our Chemistry Alumni Have Landed
  • Derek Schall '15 has a Chemistry degree and is now working on a PhD at the University of Vermont. 
  • Robert Kubiak '15 has degrees in Biology and Chemistry and is now working on a PhD at Emory University.
  • Daniel Snyder II '15 has a Chemistry degree and is now working on a PhD at the University of Utah.
  • Sean Carney '09 is pursuing a PhD in Chemistry at Kent State.
  • Zack Wintrob '09 is pursuing a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences at University at Buffalo.
  • Kiante Hyman '08 was accepted into the doctoral program in Chemistry at the University at Buffalo.
  • Kwadwo Bediako '07 was accepted into Pharmacy school and admitted into the Master's program in Biochemistry at Johns Hopkins University.
  • Lamin Trawally '07 was accepted into the doctoral program in Biochemistry at the University at Buffalo.
  • Michael Gannon '04 achieved candidacy for a PhD in Organic Chemistry at SUNY Buffalo in 2007.
  • Matt Strom '02 currently at the Naval Research Lab.

Related Programs

Interested in more info about getting getting a job in chemistry?