Programs

The chemistry department offers graduates a strong foundation in many fields of chemistry. Students who successfully complete our degree program will satisfy the course requirements recommended by the American Chemical Society (ACS), including:

Two semesters of Calculus
Two semesters of Physics with associated labs
Two semesters of General Chemistry with associated labs
Two semesters of Organic Chemistry with associated labs
One semester of Analytical Chemistry with associated lab
One semester of Instrumental Analysis with associated lab
Two semesters of Physical Chemistry with associated lab
One semester of Biochemistry with associated lab
One semester of Inorganic Chemistry with associated lab
One semester of Materials Chemistry

All students have the opportunity to perform undergraduate research on their way to completing an ACS-certified chemistry degree.

Majors

Our department also offers students the opportunity to specialize their education with several popular concentrations:

Chemistry (B.A.)

The B.A. degree in Chemistry at SRU provides a broad chemistry education with classes in organic, inorganic, analytical, physical, and biochemistry.

Chemistry (B.S.)

The B.S. degree in Chemistry offers a broad-based and rigorous chemistry education that gives students intellectual, experimental, and communication skills to become effective scientific professionals. With the addition of undergraduate research, this degree is ACS certified. providing a valuable personal credential that is recognized at national-level for successfully completing a rigorous academic chemistry curriculum. Potential employers and graduate schools alike value the extra rigor and additional requirements of the certified degree.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Concentration

The Biochemistry Concentration allows the student to focus on the techniques most useful in pharmacy and medical-related careers. If you want to join the revolution in understanding the forces that give us life and conspire to produce illness and death, then you should consider this program. Whether you prefer to work at the molecular level or on a larger scale, biochemistry will challenge you. Our course curriculum exposes you to several scientific disciplines to prepare you for a career in the molecular life sciences, be it medical, dental, pharmaceutical, academic, research, or technical. The laboratory gives you practical experience using state of the art equipment and exposure to real world research scenarios.

Chemistry: Computational Chemistry Concentration

The Computational Chemistry Concentration educates students about a branch of chemistry that employs chemical, mathematical, and computing skills to forecast molecular structures and properties of chemical compounds. It has become a crucial way to predict products and the mechanism of chemical reactions before running the actual experiments. Students who complete this track will obtain academic and industrial positions in medicinal chemistry, biochemistry, material science, and similar areas.

Chemistry: Education Concentration

The Chemistry Education Concentration will prepare you for graduate studies leading to a career teaching chemistry at the high school level. Through this curriculum, you'll be prepared to enter the job market directly as a chemist or to continue your education in a graduate education program.

Chemistry: Environmental Chemistry Concentration

The Environmental Chemistry Concentration is designed to introduce students to all aspects of the environmental field while also providing a strong background in chemistry. In addition to the standard advanced chemistry courses (Organic, Instrumental, and Analytical) students take a variety of upper level environmental courses such as Air and Water Quality Assessment and Geochemistry. Students who have completed this track have obtained positions in both the government and private sectors, have gone on to more advanced studies in graduate school or have completed the Masters of Education program at SRU to teach high school chemistry.

Chemistry: Forensic Chemistry Concentration

The Forensic Chemistry Concentration is designed to orient the student in a career in forensic chemistry. Courses in biology, such as genetics and molecular biology, provide the foundation for methods in forensic biology, such as DNA typing. The forensic track offers a complement of courses in criminology to give the student perspective in the role that forensics plays in the criminal justice system. The capstone chemistry sequence is forensic analysis and forensic analysis laboratory. The focus of the lecture course is in the chemical and instrumental analysis of evidence collected at a crime scene. The chemical structures and properties of controlled substances, and the strategies for their analysis are covered in detail. Gun-shot residue analysis, FTIR-microscopic analysis of paints and fibers, and DNA typing are some of the other topics covered. The forensics analysis laboratory course includes experiments in selective extraction of controlled substance analogs, and the infrared spectroscopic identification of these substances, antimony residue (simulating gunshot residue) analysis using atomic absorption spectroscopy, and gas-chromatography-mass spectrometric analysis of controlled substance analogs. Because the forensic concentration is still a chemistry degree, students graduating with this degree track can pursue chemistry-related careers or admission into graduate and professional schools. Students aspiring for a career in forensic science should seriously consider doing an internship in a municipal crime-lab or other forensics related facilities.

Chemistry: Health Sciences Concentration

The Chemistry: Health Sciences Concentration at SRU gives you a solid foundation in chemistry while preparing you for an advanced programs in the health sciences such as medical school or physician's assistant graduate programs. In addition to the strong complement of core chemistry courses, students who complete the health sciences concentration will complete courses such as anatomy and physiology, genetics, microbiology, psychology, and statistics. These courses provide a strong background necessary for the health sciences while satisfying many prerequisite requirements of graduate programs.

Accelerated Affiliation Programs

Our department also offers students the opportunity to participate in several accelerated affiliation programs:

Chemistry: Pre-Pharmacy (2+4 Duquesne)

The Chemistry: Pre-Pharmacy 2+4 (Duquesne) program requires students to take additional courses in chemistry and biology in order to learn the techniques most useful in biochemistry, pharmacy, and medical related fields. SRU has a 2+4 affiliation with the Duquesne University School of Pharmacy, leading to a Doctor of Pharmacy upon completion of two years at SRU plus four years at Duquesne.

Chemistry: Pre-Pharmacy (3+4 Duquesne)

The Chemistry: Pre-Pharmacy 3+4 (Duquesne) program requires students to take additional courses in chemistry and biology in order to learn the techniques most useful in biochemistry, pharmacy, and medical related fields. SRU has a 3+4 affiliation with the Duquesne University School of Pharmacy, leading to a BS in Chemistry after successful completion of three years at SRU plus one year at Duquesne, and a Doctor of Pharmacy upon completion of the program at Duquesne.

Chemistry: Pre-Pharmacy (3+3 LECOM)

The Chemistry: Pre-Pharmacy 3+3 (LECOM) program requires students to take additional courses in chemistry and biology in order to learn the techniques most useful in biochemistry, pharmacy, and medical related fields. SRU has a 3+3 affiliation with the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine's School of Pharmacy (LECOM), leading to a BS in Chemistry after successful completion of three years at SRU plus one year at LECOM, and a Doctor of Pharmacy upon completion of the program at LECOM.

Chemistry: Pre-Physician Assistant (3+2 SRU)

The Chemistry: Pre-Physician Assistant program at SRU gives you a solid foundation in chemistry while preparing you for a graduate degree in Physician Assistant studies.

Chemistry

Programs

Majors

Chemistry

Contact Information