The tradition of combining its primary teaching role with an ongoing and exciting research program has long been a hallmark of the department. The department is committed to the development of students as investigators who have been challenged to think critically and independently. This development takes place in a supportive atmosphere where teaching and research partnerships are formed and faculty and students work together in common pursuits. Learn more ?

All members of the department are actively engaged in research, and special opportunities for students exist in the areas of organic synthesis, marine environmental chemistry, molecular recognition, enzyme chemistry, photochemistry, low temperature spectroscopy, and high resolution mass spectrometry. The department has gained national prominence through its innovative program in microscale organic chemistry.

The department offers twenty-one courses and seminars during the academic year. Class size in introductory courses averages forty; advanced courses usually have fewer than ten students. More than twenty students a year participate in independent projects, and between twenty and forty chemistry and biochemistry majors graduate each year.