The Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry offers students multiple degree options to match their career aspirations in any area of chemistry they choose. The department maintains small lecture class sizes in all courses to ensure that students receive the personal attention that will help them to succeed while encouraging them to get to know their faculty. Being a laboratory science, laboratory courses accompany nearly all chemistry courses and offer students the opportunity to see for themselves the concepts and relationships in action that are discussed in the classroom.
Bachelor's departmental degree options include:
This degree option is often considered to be the “traditional” chemistry major. This option gives the most in-depth and complete chemistry experience the department can offer with extensive coursework in each of the five areas of chemistry: analytical, biochemical, inorganic, organic, and physical. Students majoring in this option often are employed by the chemical industry or go on to graduate programs in chemistry or biochemistry.
This degree option is the major of choice for students considering careers in biochemistry or in any professional health-related field such as pharmacy, medicine, dentistry, etc. Students graduating with this degree are successful in professional programs and are also well-trained for work in the chemical industry. This major also prepares students for employment in the chemical industry.
This degree option is a solid choice for any student interested in working in local or state crime labs or any laboratory that works with any materials that are considered to any kind of forensic evidence. In addition to an extensive chemistry background, students will also have coursework in criminal justice. This major also prepares students for employment in the chemical industry.
This degree option growing quickly in popularity and it is ideal for any student interested in working in laboratories located in hospitals or clinics. Every healthcare facility that has a laboratory needs Medical Laboratory Science professionals to run tests of all kinds to help diagnose patients and to work with doctors to develop treatment strategies that will most benefit those patients. In this degree option, students complete three years of coursework at SAU before applying for entrance positions in clinical training programs. Once those 12-18 month programs are completed successfully, a Bachelor’s degree in chemistry can be awarded from SAU. This major also prepares students for employment in the chemical industry.
This degree option is for students majoring in any of the previous degree options who decide to apply for entrance into a professional program such as pharmacy or medicine and are accepted one or more of those programs before completing their SAU degree. Those students can complete two years of their approved professional program successfully and then contact the department to apply for graduation with their Bachelor’s degree in chemistry. Students are assigned this major only after completion of their required time in their professional program.
This degree option prepares students for entry level positions in chemical industry and includes coursework primarily in general chemistry, analytical chemistry, organic chemistry, and elective options for additional chemistry hours.
Interested in teaching Chemistry?
What kind of jobs are available with a degree in chemistry?
A degree in chemistry leads to a greater variety of careers than you might expect. The list below illustrates quite a number of possible career options and all have excellent starting salaries.
- Analytical chemist
- Biochemist
- Organic chemist
- Inorganic chemist
- Physical chemist
- University instructor or professor
- K-12 chemistry instructor
- Laboratory safety officer
- Chemical stockroom manager
- Pharmacist
- Doctor (medicine, pediatrics, osteopathy, dentistry, dermatology, etc.)
- Physician’s assistant
- Medical laboratory scientist
- Nuclear medical technician
- Clinical chemist
- Anesthesiologist
- Pharmaceuticals and pharmacology
- Forensic chemist
- Crime lab analyst
- Lawyer
- Research and development chemist
- Chemical analyst
- Quality control technician
- Chemical laboratory manager
- Field environmental chemist
- Environmental scientist
- Rubber or natural products chemist
- Water Resources Specialist
- Cement/concrete chemist
- Field service technician for instrumentation manufacturers
- Chemical engineer
