BA degree, BS degree, minor, secondary education certification - general science

We Have All the Elements

Chemistry plays a central role in the most exciting and critical areas of modern scientific exploration. Wilkes' Chemistry majors receive a solid foundation in chemical theories and laboratory techniques, preparing them for a range of career opportunities in chemical or pharmaceutical industries, government laboratories, and academia.

Our Department of Chemistry has well-equipped laboratory facilities and exceptional chemical instrumentation. The use of chemical instrumentation is integrated into the curriculum beginning in the freshman year. The department possesses a wide range of modern spectroscopic and separations instruments, thermal analysis facilities, and routine equipment for synthesis and analysis.

Chemistry majors find ample opportunity to participate in research at Wilkes and majors are required to complete a capstone senior research project. However, students can begin their involvement in an original research project as early as the freshman year. Students can become involved as volunteers, paid technicians, interns, or through enrollment in independent studies. 

Independent Study allows students to collaborate in novel projects with many related disciplines, such as biology, pharmacy, computer science, and others. A wide range of research topics is currently being explored within the department. Ongoing and planned projects include organic synthesis, biochemical investigations (enzymology and pharmaceutical applications), materials science (amorphous alloy production and characterization), analytical chemistry, and computational chemistry.

In addition to the on-campus opportunities offered by the faculty, the Chemistry department also encourages student participation in a variety of off-campus activities such as summer research internships or a semester-abroad. Recently, students spent their summers at Aventis Pasteur and Los Alamos National Laboratory.  

The Chemistry Department maintains an outstanding record of placement in graduate and medical programs across the country. Recent graduates have been awarded fellowships and scholarships for doctoral work at Columbia, MIT, Vanderbilt, and others. Other majors have taken research positions in a variety of industrial and government laboratories. 

The Chemistry Program is accredited by the American Chemical Society (ACS) for the professional training of chemists. The BS Degree Program in Chemistry is certified by the ACS.