Chemistry (BS), 4-Year

Discover the building blocks for a rewarding career in science with a BS in Chemistry from D’Youville.

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.

As a chemistry major at D’Youville, 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 BS 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

What You'll Learn

As a chemistry major you will learn how the material world around you works. The chemistry degree program prepares students in the traditional areas of chemistry: inorganic, analytical, physical, organic and biochemistry, and it also leaves considerable freedom for students to explore other areas or career interests.

Because a bachelor's degree in chemistry can lead to almost limitless career possibilities, D'Youville's program offers flexibility so that you can explore related areas and find your career interest.

Our degree program gives you 21 credits of free electives to explore these options. If you wanted to be a patent lawyer you could minor in pre-law. If you were thinking of becoming a doctor or a medical researcher, you could minor in biology and take the courses needed to enter medical school. Or you could simply explore some area of chemistry that interests you through directed scholarship and research with a faculty member.

Why Choose D'Youville?

Flexible major requirements. That means we help you customize a curriculum to highlight your specific interests — it’s YOUR education.
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 BS in chemistry have gone on to earn their master’s or doctorates at some of the best schools in the country.
Gain experience with modern instrumentation in spacious labs in newly built School of Arts, Sciences and Education building.
Benefit from direct entry into one of D'Youville's combined professional degree programs in health-related fields or education. You'll graduate in less time and save money, because you'll pay undergraduate tuition for your graduate studies.
Get individualized attention in small classes, usually around 20 students, and not more than 40. Science labs range from 12 to 15 students per class.
Innovative faculty — each with a PhD in their field — are constantly refining and expanding their course offerings, with students needs in mind. All classes at D'Youville are taught by faculty, not teaching assistants like at other schools.
Starting in your sophomore year you’ll have opportunities to conduct supervised research.
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.

Check out the chart below to see if you qualify:

Scholarships	SAT (M & EBRW) or ACT* / GPA	Scholarship Amount
President's	88/1170 or 24	$13,000 + $3,000 Room and Board Waiver
Founder's	83/1080 or 21	$10,000 + $2,000 Room and Board Waiver
Dean's	80/980 or 18 Anyone with a 90 GPA can receive this award without test score consideration.	$9,000
Transfer	3.5+	$5,500
Transfer	3.25 - 3.49	$5,000
Transfer	3.0 - 3.24	$4,500
Transfer	2.75 - 2.99	$4,000

*D'Youville only requires that you submit the results from one test.

Find more information and additional scholarships on our scholarships page.

View All Scholarships

Admission Requirements

First Time Freshmen

D'Youville selects 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.

Students entering D'Youville as a freshman must meet the following minimum entrance criteria:

High School Average	SAT + (or)	ACT
85	1080	21

+ Score is based on the new SAT score format which went into effect in March 2016.

Our admitted freshman class profile:

High school average: 85% attained a B or better

Class rank: 87% of students in the top 50 percent of their class or higher

Test Scores	25th Percentile	75th Percentile	Median
SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing*	460	590	530
SAT Math*	510	590	550
SAT Composite*	1010	1180	1090
ACT Composite*	21	25	23

*These scores reflect the new SAT score format, which went into effect in March 2016.

Transfer students

Students entering D'Youville as a transfer student must meet the following entrance criteria:

Criteria for Admission: Transfer students with a 2.5 cumulative GPA or higher will be considered for admission.

Average Cumulative GPA: 3.26

Review the steps to apply for admission to D'Youville as a transfer student.

Curriculum

Chemistry
Degree: B.S.

Course Requirements for the Major:

In the specific areas of concentration:

Course Number	Course Name	Credits
CHE 101	General Chemistry I This introduction to fundamental chemical principles includes topics such as atomic structure, bonding and properties of gases, liquids, solids and solutions. The course consists of three lectures and three hours of laboratory a week. Prerequisites: High school chemistry and CPC-022 or 3 years of high school mathematics or MAT-117 or MAT-122, CHE-101L	3.0
CHE 101L	General Chemistry Laboratory Three hours of laboratory. Prerequisites: CHE-101	1.0
CHE 102	General Chemistry II This course is a continuation of Chemistry 101. Topics include chemical equilibria, kinetics and oxidation reduction systems. Prerequisites: CHE-101, CHE-102L	3.0
CHE 102L	General Chemistry Laboratory II Three hours of laboratory. Prerequisites: CHE-101L, CHE-102	1.0
CHE 219	Organic Chemistry This course is a survey of the functional groups germane to organic chemistry. In particular, emphasis is placed on the physical properties, nomenclature, conformation, synthesis and reactions of alkanes, alkenes, alkynes. Additionally, the recognition of isomers from constitutional stereoisomers such as enantiomers and diastereomers is also stressed. Prerequisites: CHE-101, CHE-101L, CHE-102, CHE-102L, CHE-219L	3.0
CHE 219L	Organic Chemistry Lab This lab emphasizes purification techniques central to organic chemistry such as recrystallization, distillation (simple and fractional), extraction, chromatography (column and thin layer), and chemical modification. Also, several syntheses are chosen to illustrate lecture material such as, but not limited to reactions such as substitution and bond cleavage. It consists of three hours of lab a week. Prerequisites: CHE-209 or CHE-219	1.0
CHE 220	Organic Chemistry II This course is a continuation of CHE 219. The physical properties, nomenclature, synthesis and reactions of aromatic rings, alcohols, aldehydes and ketones. Amines, carboxylic acids and its derivatives, ethers, epoxides, sulfides, conjugated systems, aromaticity and enols are studied. The theory and application of a variety of spectroscopic (infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spec) methods are also covered. Prerequisites: CHE-219, CHE-220L	3.0
CHE 220L	Organic Chemistry II Lab This lab emphasizes the reactions that are covered in lecture such as, but not limited to, ester synthesis, electrophilic substitution of an aromatic ring, Grignard reagents and reduction of carbonyl compounds. This lab also places an importance on mastering spectroscopic methods such as IR and NMR utilizing in-house instrumentation. It consists of three hours of lab a week. Prerequisites: CHE-219L, CHE-220	1.0
CHE 303	Biochemistry This one-semester course emphasizes structure/function relationships among the components responsible for the biochemical functions of life. Topics include proteins, enzymes, carbohydrates, bioenergetics, metabolism (catabolism and anabolism), lipids, membranes, nucleic acids, biotechnology, biochemical methods, vitamins and nutrition. Prerequisites: (CHE-219 CHE-219L BIO-101 BIO-101L BIO-102 BIO-102L) or (CHE-219 CHE-219L BIO-107 BIO-107L BIO-108 BIO-108L) or (CHE-219 CHE-219L CHE-220 CHE-220L), CHE-303L	3.0
CHE 303L	Biochemistry Laboratory This laboratory supports the CHE 303 lecture course. Students required to take CHE 303 are also required to take CHE 303L (except for physician assistant students). Prerequisites: CHE-303	1.0
CHE 311	Physical Chemistry I This is the first semester of the introductory course in Physical chemistry. Areas of study include statistical thermodynamics:Maxwell Boltzmann distribution partition function,thermodynamics functions,ideal gases,Einstein solid;spectroscopy:interaction of light with matter,Einstein coefficients,selection rules,atomic and molecular spectra,lasers;kinetics,rates,microscopic reversibility,steady state,collision theory. Offered in: Fall Only Prerequisites: CHE-101 CHE-102 MAT-125	3.0
CHE 311L	Physical Chemistry I Lab This is a laboratory course which will complement the first semester of physical chemistry (CHE 311). Students will perform experiments illustrating the major areas of physical chemistry covered in physical chemistry I. Offered in: Fall Only Prerequisites: CHE-101 CHE-102 MAT-125, CHE-311	1.0
CHE 312	Physical Chemistry II This is the second semester of the introductory course in physical chemistry. Areas of study include quantum mechanics: history, Bohr atom, Schrodinger Equation, particle in a box, rigid rotor, simple harmonic Oscillator, hydrogen atom, MO theory; classical thermodynamics: Gibbs chemical potential, phase equilibria electrochemistry, irreversible processes. This is the second semester of the introductory course in physical chemistry. Areas of study include chemical kinetics, enzyme kinetics, electrochemistry, quantum mechanics, atomic structure, spectroscopy, molecular modeling and the chemical bond. Offered in: Spring Only Prerequisites: CHE-312L, CHE-101, 102 MAT-125	3.0
CHE 312L	Physical Chemistry II Lab This is a laboratory course which will complement the second semester of physical chemistry (CHE 321). Students will perform experiments illustrating the major areas of physical chemistry covered in physical chemistry II. Prerequisites: CHE-101 CHE-102 MAT-125, CHE-312	1.0
CHE 331	Analytical Chemistry This is a first course in analytical chemistry emphasizing the basic 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. Offered in: Fall Only Prerequisites: CHE-102 CHE-102L	4.0
CHE 332	Instrumental Analysis This course will examine the basic tenets and applications of modern analytical instrumentation and their use in determining a wide variety of pertinent analytical data. Topics such as UV/Vis spectrometric methods, atomic absorption and emission spectrometry, gas chromatography, mass spectroscopy, luminescence and fluorescence spectrometry, HPLC, capillary electrophoresis, surface analysis and electrochemistry will be covered. Offered in: Spring Only Prerequisites: CHE-102 CHE-102L	4.0
CHE 401	Inorganic Chemistry This is an intermediate course in inorganic chemistry suitable for the junior or senior level student. The course contains a detailed review of atomic structure and bonding, as well as a discussion of group and molecular orbital theories. This course also provides a brief synopsis of organometallic chemistry and catalysis. Offered in: Spring Only Prerequisites: CHE-220 CHE-220L	3.0
CHE	One Elective from CHE 351, CHE 412, or CHE 421 Choose one elective from CHE 351, CHE 412, or CHE 421	3
Total		42

In other academic areas required for the major:

Course Number	Course Name	Credits
PHY 101	General Physics I This calculus-based course is an introduction to the principles of kinematics and dynamics as they apply to both translational and rotational motion. Topics include Newton's laws, forces, friction, gravity, Kepler's laws, dot products and cross products, potential and kinetic energy, and momentum. Considerable attention is paid to the intellectual history that accompanied the emergence of the Newtonian world view. Prerequisites: MAT-125, PHY-101L	3.0
PHY 101L	Gen Physics Lab I Prerequisites: None	1.0
PHY 102	General Physics This course is a continuation of PHY 101. The course covers statics, fluids, oscillations, sound and waves, temperature and heat, electricity and magnetism, and geometric optics. Prerequisites: PHY-101, MAT-126, PHY-102L	3.0
PHY 102L	Gen Physics Lab II This course is a physics laboratory to accompany PHY 103. The course includes experiments in mechanics and oscillatory motion. Prerequisites: None	1.0
MAT 125	Calculus I Basic theory of functions, limits, continuity, derivatives and integrals are taught. Some emphasis is placed on the structure of the real number system. Prerequisites: MAT-122 or have an SAT Math Sub-score 600+ or ACT 26+.	4.0
MAT 126	Calculus II The course explores the basic techniques for integration as well as elementary transcendental functions and the applications of differential and integral calculus. Prerequisites: MAT-125	4.0
MAT 202	Calculus III The subject matter includes multivariate calculus, infinite series, differential equations and matrix algebra. Offered in: Fall Only Prerequisites: MAT-126	4.0
CSC	One Elective from CSC 110, CSC 120, CSC 151, or CSC 389-90 Choose one elective from CSC 110, CSC 120, CSC 151, or CSC 389-90	3
Total		23

Core Humanities and social science: 36
Chemistry courses: 42
Additional mathematics and natural science courses: 23
Total free electives (includes nine from the core): 21
Total: 122

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

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

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.

Admissions Events

View all Events

Learn more

Department of Chemistry

Related Programs

Chemistry Minor