About the department
Chemistry education in the liberal arts tradition.
Valpo’s chemistry students go on to excel in careers from pharmacy to environmental science to synthetic chemistry.
To acknowledge these diverse interests, the chemistry department offers six degree programs, each one leading to a specialized major, as well as a chemistry minor. The chemistry department also collaborates with other science faculty to offer a pre-medical arts program and an environmental science major.
A Depth of Expertise
Alongside expert faculty, chemistry students explore the fundamental nature of matter, investigate changes in energy, and identify properties accompanying compositional changes in matter. The department’s faculty continue their learning through research projects and faculty-student collaborations.
Grounded in Research
No matter which career students aim toward, they graduate with critical thinking skills and a deep understanding of the scientific process. The department emphasizes laboratory experience and student research, which engage students’ curiosity and allow them to see themselves as scientists. After all, science isn’t a set of facts — it is a method for discovery.
Nationally Recognized
Valpo’s chemistry department is approved by the American Chemical Society to offer certified degrees in chemistry and biochemistry. Valpo hosts the Beta Sigma Chapter of the Phi Lambda Upsilon Chemistry Honorary Society.
Future-Oriented
Valpo graduates successfully pursue careers after graduation or continue their education in graduate school. Recent graduates have entered industries specializing in pharmaceuticals, personal care products, petroleum, and analytical services as well as government agencies like NASA. The list of graduate schools accepting Valpo majors is extensive. Many students attend medical school or pharmacy school at some of the most prestigious institutions in the country.
In graduate school, I’ll need to be able to learn new material, comprehend it quickly, and utilize and apply it. My experience at Valpo has taught me how to do that effectively.
– Samantha Cassell ’14