Undergraduate

Undergraduate Programs

We offer five undergraduate major options. The list below will provide the requirements and standard timetable for obtaining these degrees.

Students who are interested in graduate work in biochemistry should follow the Standard Chemistry Major with a Biochemical Option.

Why Study Chemistry

As the study of elementary substances, a chemistry or biochemistry major forms the foundation of many different careers. In addition to the traditional chemistry laboratory, Chemistry and Biochemistry majors find job opportunities in:

  • Medical labs
  • Crime labs
  • Sales
  • Teaching
  • Manufacturing
  • Government

Many Chemistry and Biochemistry majors also enter into Health Fields including:

  • Medicine
  • Pharmacy
  • Dentistry

The median salary for a new graduate with a Bachelor’s in Chemistry or Biochemistry is 40,000 (ACS, 2015). Salaries increase with both experience and education:

Median Annual Salaries by Years of Experience

Data from 2014 and 2015 reports.

 
New Graduates (2014)
2-4 Years (2015→)

5-9 Years

10-14 Years

15-19 Years

B.S./B.A. 40.0 46.3 58.7 71.0 78.4
M.S. 52.0 60.0 60.3 72.0 84.8
PhD 62.9 70.0 78.0 89.3
 
20-24 Years
25-29 Years
30-34 Years
35-39 Years
40+ Years
B.S./B.A. 92.2 93.0 96.9 98.0 93.0
M.S. 86.5 97.0 98.0 96.0 105.0
PhD 100.0 110.0 125.0 132.7 127.2

Median annual salaries $ in thousands for full-time permanent staff, 2014 or 2015.

Note: A long dash within a cell indicates summary data are unavailable.
Source: Starting Salaries of Chemists and Chemical Engineers: 2014. ACS. 5 March 2015. (PDF) and 2015 ChemCensus. ACS. November 2015 (ACS Members Only).