UC Berkeley offers two bachelors' degrees in Chemistry: a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) through the College of Chemistry and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) through the College of Letters and Science. For specific information regarding degree requirements for each, please refer to the information below, and the appropriate Major Requirements and College Requirements tabs on this page.
B.S. in Chemistry, College of Chemistry
The B.S. in Chemistry degree provides a strong foundation in experimental processes, instrumentation, and quantitative analysis. Students will also acquire a strong foundation in math and physics, having taken the higher level sequences of these courses.
The B.S. in Chemistry is intended for students who are primarily interested in careers as professional chemists (e.g. in environmental, pharmaceutical, materials, and industrial chemistry), or wish to have a thorough grounding in chemistry in preparation for professional or graduate school in chemistry, a scientific career in government or industry, a teaching career, or related career tracks. Students in the B.S. program may also choose to pursue the Computational Chemistry or Materials Chemistry concentrations.
B.A. in Chemistry, College of Letters & Science
The B.A. in Chemistry includes a greater number of humanities and social science courses than the Bachelor of Science degree and is intended for those interested in careers in teaching, medicine, or other sciences in which a basic understanding of chemical processes is necessary.
Students who want to pursue the B.A. should apply for admission to the College of Letters & Science.
Minor Program
The College of Chemistry offers a minor in Chemistry. Chemical biology majors are not eligible to pursue this minor. Students must submit a notification of completion of the minor to the College of Chemistry Undergraduate Student Services Office.
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The Chemistry major provides training for students planning careers in the chemical sciences and also for those whose interests lie in biology, medicine, earth sciences, secondary education, business, and law. More than half of the total Berkeley undergraduate population will, at some stage of their degree program, take a course from the Department of Chemistry. The curriculum of the department is designed to satisfy the diverse needs of all these students.
Each Chemistry graduate will have completed an integrated, rigorous program which includes foundational course work in chemistry and in-depth course work in chemistry or chemistry-related fields. The ACS-certified degree further emphasizes laboratory experience and the development of professional skills. Advanced coursework and educational activities outside the traditional classroom, such as independent research, provide students the opportunity to conduct individual research projects or participate as a member of a research team. Many undergraduate students also benefit from taking our graduate courses in synthetic and physical chemistry.
At graduation, Chemistry majors will have a set of fundamental competencies that are knowledge-based, performance/skills-based, and effective.
Learning Goals of the Major
Graduates will be able to:
- Master a broad set of chemical knowledge concerning the fundamentals in the basic areas of the discipline (organic, inorganic, analytical, physical, and biological chemistry).
- Solve problems competently by identifying the essential parts of a problem and formulating a strategy for solving the problem. They will be able to rationally estimate the solution to a problem, apply appropriate techniques to arrive at a solution, test the correctness of the solution, and interpret their results.
- Use computers in data acquisition and processing and use available software as a tool in data analysis.
- Employ modern library search tools to locate and retrieve scientific information about a topic, chemical, chemical technique, or an issue relating to chemistry.
Skills
Graduates will demonstrate the ability to:
- Understand the objective of their chemical experiments, properly carry out the experiments, and appropriately record and analyze the results.
- Use standard laboratory equipment, modern instrumentation, and classical techniques to carry out experiments.
- Know and follow the proper procedures and regulations for safe handling and use of chemicals.
- Communicate the concepts and results of their laboratory experiments through effective writing and oral communication skills.
Effective
Graduates will be able to:
- Successfully pursue their career objectives in advanced education in professional and/or graduate schools, in a scientific career in government or industry, in a teaching career in the school systems, or in a related career following graduation.
The relationship between the major's core curriculum and student learning outcomes can be seen in the Appendix in Table I.
