D'Youville Ranks as Top Private University in the Region
For the second consecutive year, D'Youville is ranked as the top private university in Western New York in recognition of its academic excel...
Read moreDiscover how the material world works around you as you prepare for careers from research to education or go further with an advanced degree.
Overview & Distinctions
Overview
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. In both, you’ll study foundational chemistry including inorganic, analytical, physical, organic, and biochemistry. You’ll add to your knowledge base with electives taught by professors with a passion for teaching and conducting research. If you’re interested in expanding your expertise and experience by conducting research, you can work alongside D’Youville professors under their direct mentorship.
Our faculty’s guidance and experience, in combination with your passion can lead you to virtually unlimited career opportunities. A degree in chemistry from D’Youville combines practical hands-on experience with a high-quality education grounded in the liberal arts, a combination many employers look for when hiring new graduates
Why Choose D'Youville?
Students choose our Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry 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 and a 10-to-1 student-to-faculty rate ensures 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 doctorates 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 .
- Acclimate to the professional world, with opportunities to attend — or even present at national and international meetings and conferences.
Automatic Merit-Based Scholarship Consideration
When you apply for admission at D’Youville, we’ll automatically consider you for our merit scholarships. Undergraduate scholarships can cover as much as 50% of your tuition, and there is no need to fill out a separate application!
Transfer students can qualify for scholarships, as well. And unlike other schools, maintaining your scholarship is easier at D'Youville because we use a realistic 2.25 GPA requirement to determine your eligibility for merit-based scholarships each year.
Find more information and additional scholarships on our scholarships page.
Admission Requirements
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. While we don't require you to submit ACT or SAT test scores, if you have taken or intend to take a standardized test we encourage you to submit your scores if you'd like them to be evaluated as part of your application.
First Time in College Freshman Requirements:
- Submitted application for admission
- Applications are free of charge and can be found on our Apply: Freshmen webpage.
- Official high school transcripts
- An overall weighted GPA of 85 with successful completion of high school graduation requirements and three years of math, history, english, and science.
Not Required (utilized in a holistic review for admission if provided):
- Standardized SAT/ACT test scores
- Admissions essay
- Letters of recommendation
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
Not Required (utilized in a holistic review for admission if provided):
- Coursework relevant to major of interest
- Admissions essay
- Letters of recommendation
Courses (BA)
Bachelor of Arts Curriculum
Find detailed course information for the Bachelor of Science in Chemistry program, tools to plan your education, and complete academic policies and procedures in the D'Youville academic catalog.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | 30 | |
| Chemistry courses | 33-34 | |
| Additional mathematics and natural science courses | 16 | |
| Liberal Arts and Science Electives | 12 | |
| Free Electives (including remaining Liberal Arts and Sciences Requirements) | 30 | |
| Total Credits | 121-122 | |
In the Specific Areas of Concentration
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CHE-101 | General Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHE-101L | General Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| CHE-102 | General Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHE-102L | General Chemistry Laboratory II | 1 |
| CHE-219 | Organic Chemistry | 3 |
| CHE-219L | Organic Chemistry Lab | 1 |
| CHE-220 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHE-220L | Organic Chemistry II Lab | 1 |
| CHE-331 | Analytical Chemistry | 4 |
| CHE-321 | Physical Chemistry for the Life Sciences | 3 |
| or CHE-311 | Physical Chemistry I | |
| CHE-401 | Inorganic Chemistry | 3 |
| Select two of the following electives (one must be 4 credits): | 7 | |
|
CHE-303
& 303L |
Biochemistry and Biochemistry Laboratory | |
|
CHE-332
|
Instrumental Analysis | |
|
CHE-351
|
Medicinal Chemistry | |
|
CHE-412
|
Spectroscopy | |
|
CHE-421
|
Survey of Organometallic Chemistry | |
| Total Credits | 33 | |
In Other Academic Areas Required for the Major
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MAT-125 | Calculus I | 4 |
| MAT-126 | Calculus II | 4 |
| or MAT-123 | Introduction to Applied Statistics | |
| PHY-101 | General Physics I | 3 |
| or PHY-111 | Introduction to Physics | |
| PHY-101L | Gen Physics Lab I | 1 |
| or PHY-111L | Introduction to Physics Lab | |
| PHY-102 | General Physics II | 3 |
| or PHY-112 | Introduction to Physics | |
| PHY-102L | Gen Physics Lab II | 1 |
| or PHY-112L | Introduction to Physics Lab | |
| Total Credits | 16 | |
Courses (BS)
Bachelor of Science Curriculum
Find detailed course information for the Bachelor of Science in Chemistry program, tools to plan your education, and complete academic policies and procedures in the D'Youville academic catalog.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | 30 | |
| Chemistry courses | 42 | |
| Additional mathematics and natural science courses | 23 | |
| Liberal Arts and Science Electives | 27 | |
| Total Credits | 122 | |
In the Specific Areas of Concentration
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CHE-101 | General Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHE-101L | General Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| CHE-102 | General Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHE-102L | General Chemistry Laboratory II | 1 |
| CHE-219 | Organic Chemistry | 3 |
| CHE-219L | Organic Chemistry Lab | 1 |
| CHE-220 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHE-220L | Organic Chemistry II Lab | 1 |
| CHE-303 | Biochemistry | 3 |
| CHE-303L | Biochemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| CHE-311 | Physical Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHE-311L | Physical Chemistry I Lab | 1 |
| CHE-312 | Physical Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHE-312L | Physical Chemistry II Lab | 1 |
| CHE-331 | Analytical Chemistry | 4 |
| CHE-332 | Instrumental Analysis | 4 |
| CHE-401 | Inorganic Chemistry | 3 |
| Select one of the following electives: | 3 | |
|
CHE-351
|
Medicinal Chemistry | |
|
CHE-412
|
Spectroscopy | |
|
CHE-421
|
Survey of Organometallic Chemistry | |
| Total Credits | 42 | |
In Other Academic Areas Required for the Major
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHY-101 | General Physics I | 3 |
| PHY-101L | Gen Physics Lab I | 1 |
| PHY-102 | General Physics | 3 |
| PHY-102L | Gen Physics Lab II | 1 |
| MAT-125 | Calculus I | 4 |
| MAT-126 | Calculus II | 4 |
| MAT-202 | Calculus III | 4 |
| Select one elective from the following: | 3 | |
|
CSC-110
|
Computers and Computing | |
|
CSC-120
|
Computers & Electronic Health Records | |
|
CSC-151
|
Introduction to Programming I | |
|
CSC-389
|
Special Topics | |
| Total Credits | 23 | |
Careers
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.
Learn more about getting a job in chemistry on the American Chemistry Society's website.
Internships
Internships
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, including the Hauptman Woodward Research Institute. 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 receive National Science Foundation (NSF) stipends, and also present their projects at international conferences.
As a student you will have opportunities to conduct research alongside faculty in the department:
Alumni Successes
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.
Our graduates can be found all over the world, including:
- 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.
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