Chemistry, B.A. at University of Wisconsin Madison

University of Wisconsin Madison

United States of America, Madison

University Rank:#110

University of Wisconsin Madison offers the Bachelor of Chemistry, B.A. as a full-time degree delivered on campus at its main campus in Madison , United States of America. Taught in English and completed over 4 years, the program equips students with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills required for chemistry, b.a. and related professional fields. The next available intake begins on September 7, 2027.

About Chemistry, B.A.

The mission of the Department of Chemistry is to conduct world-class, groundbreaking research in the chemical sciences while offering the highest quality of education to undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral associates. The department's leadership in research includes the traditional areas of physical, analytical, inorganic, and organic chemistry, and has rapidly evolved to encompass environmental chemistry, chemical biology, biophysical chemistry, soft and hard materials chemistry, and nanotechnology. The Department of Chemistry prides itself on its highly interactive, diverse, and collegial scientific environment. Our emphasis on collaboration connects us to colleagues across campus, around the country, and throughout the world.

The undergraduate chemistry major leads to a bachelor of science or a bachelor of arts degree awarded by the College of Letters & Science. The curriculum provides excellent preparation in chemistry, along with a wide breadth of liberal arts coursework.At the same time, the program provides significant opportunities for students to participate in scientific inquiry, within both laboratory courses and research laboratories. Students from other colleges within the university may pursue the chemistry major as an additional major. When pursuing a chemistry major, the undergraduate student must meet university general education requirements and breadth requirements of their own college, along with the specific requirements for the chemistry major.

The chemistry major provides students with the critical thinking and problem-solving skills necessary to be successful in a wide variety of careers in the chemical industries (e.g., consumer and agricultural products, materials, energy, petroleum, paper, food, etc.), as well as environmental, pharmaceutical, and other health-related sciences. Students are also well-prepared for graduate-level work in chemistry, chemical physics, biochemistry, biophysics, materials chemistry, and other related fields. Students who excel in undergraduate chemistry coursework are often able to obtain funding for their graduate work through teaching or research assistantships and fellowships. Combined with a master's program in secondary education, the major qualifies the student to teach chemistry in secondary schools. Chemistry majors have also been successful in a variety of professional programs where they have studied medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, business, or law.

Identify, formulate and solve integrative problems using appropriate information and approaches.
Demonstrate an understanding of basic chemical transformations, including the ability to predict chemical reactivity and properties.
Recognize the relationship between structure, bonding and the properties of molecules and materials.
Model chemical systems and experimental data using relevant quantitative, mathematical and computational methods.
Design, conduct and analyze experiments safely and successfully.
Locate, evaluate and use information in the chemical literature.
Communicate chemical knowledge effectively through written reports, oral presentations and visual aids.
Work collaboratively with others, both chemists and those from other disciplines, to solve problems and create new knowledge.
Recognize how chemistry relates to contemporary issues in our society.
Understand professional and ethical responsibility.

Requirements and Admission Criteria for Chemistry, B.A. at University of Wisconsin Madison

Entry Requirements

All undergraduate students at UW–Madison must complete the university-wide General Education Requirements, which are designed to convey the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. These requirements provide for breadth across the humanities and arts, social studies, and natural sciences; competence in communication, critical thinking, and analytical skills necessary for success in college and beyond; and investigation of the issues raised by living in a culturally diverse society. This core is intended to provide students with intellectual and practical skills, basic knowledge of human cultures and the physical world, strategies for understanding these topics, and tools intended to contribute to their sense of personal and social responsibility. General Education complements the work students do in their majors and degrees. Together, these requirements help students learn what they need to know not just for making a living, but also for making a life.

Completing the General Education Requirements is an important part of achieving these competencies, and to do so, students choose from many courses in communication, ethnic studies, quantitative reasoning, and breadth of study across disciplines in the natural sciences, humanities, literature, and arts, and social and behavioral sciences.

Each school and college may choose to allow General Education courses to count toward other degree and/or major requirements. Students should always check with their advisors to discuss any additional degree requirements and determine if students are required to take specific General Education courses or to complete the requirements in a particular order. Students should review their Degree Audit (DARS) report to see how they are progressing toward fulfilling the General Education requirements. Please refer to.

English Requirements

IELTSMin 6.5
TOEFLMin 80

English Program Requirements

Freshman applicants educated in non-English speaking countries must submit an official TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test (DET) score, unless English was the primary language of instruction in all four years of secondary school.

All English proficiency exams should be sent electronically, directly from the testing service.

We do not superscore any English Proficiency exam and score reports cannot be older than two years from the time you apply.

How to Send Official Test Scores

Duolingo English Test (DET)

Minimum accepted score: 105+
When submitting your score(s): Search category should be “Undergraduate,” then select “University of Wisconsin–Madison”
Please do not send to offices listed under “Other,” as we are unable to retrieve those scores
The DET should be sent with sub-scores

IELTS

Minimum accepted score: 6.5+
When submitting your score(s): IELTS does not require a code, so please select our account name, “University of Wisconsin, Madison Undergraduate”
Please do not send paper copies of your IELTS scores
We do accept the IELTS Indicator

TOEFL iBT:

Minimum accepted score: 80+
When submitting your score(s): TOEFL test code is 1846
We do not accept “MyBest” score from TOEFL nor any English Proficiency exam
For each TOEFL you submit, we will require the full score report
We do not accept the TOEFL iTP Plus for China, but we will accept the iBT Special Home Edition

If you feel that you qualify for an English Proficiency Exam waiver based upon the requirements above, please submit all required transcripts to our office. Other test scores such as ACT, SAT, or AP (Advanced Placement) scores do not meet the requirements for a waiver. Once your transcripts are received in our office (are no longer displayed on your to-do list in your Student Center), we will determine your waiver eligibility. Waivers will not be processed prior to receipt of both the admissions application and transcripts.

Career Opportunities after Completing Chemistry, B.A.

The chemistry advisor provides advising for chemistry majors and prospective chemistry majors. Both appointments and drop-in hours are available. See Undergraduate Advising on the Department of Chemistry website for more details.

The Chemistry website also provides information about introductory chemistry courses and placement for continuing and new undergraduate students interested in taking a chemistry course. Students with enrollment and course access questions should visit the enrollment inquiries page. If further assistance is needed, students may visit the Undergraduate Chemistry Office (room 1328 Chemistry) during normal business hours, email, or call 608-263-2424.

Chemistry majors interested in getting involved in research should explore the undergraduate research pages on the chemistry website. Students needing additional information may contact the undergraduate research director by email.

COURSE SELECTION AND SEQUENCING

The Requirements page provides the minimum requirements necessary for completing the chemistry major. This section provides additional advisory information about course selection and sequencing.

In addition to MATH 222 Calculus and Analytic Geometry 2, it is highly recommended that majors also take MATH 234 Calculus--Functions of Several Variables and MATH 320 Linear Algebra and Differential Equations. The extra math is especially helpful to students when they take the required physical chemistry courses.
PHYSICS 207 / PHYSICS 208 is the preferred physics sequence for most chemistry majors, while PHYSICS 201 / PHYSICS 202 is recommended for engineering students. PHYSICS 247 / PHYSICS 248 is intended for students considering a major in physics, astronomy-physics, or AMEP (applied mathematics, engineering, and physics).
Chemistry majors are strongly encouraged to take either CHEM 329 or CHEM 116 (as opposed to CHEM 327) to satisfy their analytical chemistry requirement, because research is an integral part of these two courses. Both CHEM 329 and CHEM 116 come with honors credit, but students do not need to be part of an honors program to enroll.
Most chemistry majors take CHEM 561 or CHEM 565 for Physical Chemistry Part 1. Students also majoring in chemical and biological engineering take CBE 310 instead. M S & E 330 is recommended only for students also majoring in materials science and engineering.
It is recommended that CHEM 563 be taken after Physical Chemistry Part I and that CHEM 564 be taken after CHEM 562. Especially strong students needing to complete physical chemistry in two semesters may take CHEM 563 concurrently with CHEM 561 (or CHEM 565) and CHEM 564 concurrently with CHEM 562.
Students who are also majoring in biochemistry should not take BMOLCHEM 504 to satisfy Additional Laboratory Work credits for the chemistry major, because it overlaps significantly with required biochemistry coursework.

Career Services

The chemistry major prepares graduates for a wide variety of careers in the chemical and related industries (e.g., consumer and agricultural products, materials, energy, petroleum, paper, and food), as well as environmental, pharmaceutical, and other health-related sciences. Combined with a master's program in secondary education, the major qualifies the student to teach chemistry in secondary schools. The major prepares students for graduate-level work in chemistry, chemical physics, biochemistry, biophysics, materials chemistry, and other related fields. Students who excel in undergraduate chemistry coursework are able to obtain funding for graduate studies in chemistry and related sciences through teaching or research assistantships and fellowships. Some chemistry major graduates go on to professional schools to study medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, business, or law.

Students are encouraged to begin their career planning early and to take advantage of the numerous resources offered by SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science (see below). Information about careers, internships, resumes, cover letters, job search strategies, interviewing, and graduate school preparation are all available through SuccessWorks. Students can also register for Handshake, an online resource for students to make connections with potential employers. Current career, research, and internship opportunities of specific interest to chemistry students can be found on the Career Services pages of the chemistry website.

L&S career resources

SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps students leverage the academic skills learned in their major, certificates, and liberal arts degree; explore and try out different career paths; participate in internships; prepare for the job search and/or graduate school applications; and network with professionals in the field (alumni and employers). In short, SuccessWorks helps students in the College of Letters & Science discover themselves, find opportunities, and develop the skills they need for success after graduation.

SuccessWorks can also assist students in career advising, résumé and cover letter writing, networking opportunities, and interview skills, as well as course offerings for undergraduates to begin their career exploration early in their undergraduate career.

Students should set up their profiles in Handshake to take care of everything they need to explore career events, manage their campus interviews, and apply to jobs and internships from 200,000+ employers around the country.

SuccessWorks
Set up a career advising appointment
INTER-LS 210 L&S Career Development: Taking Initiative (1 credit, targeted to first- and second-year students)—for more information, see Inter-LS 210: Career Development, Taking Initiative
INTER-LS 215 Communicating About Careers (3 credits, fulfills Com B General Education Requirement)
Handshake
Learn how we’re transforming career preparation: L&S Career Initiative

Tuition and Fee Information for Chemistry, B.A. at University of Wisconsin Madison

Application Fee 60

How to Apply for Chemistry, B.A. at University of Wisconsin Madison

Every year, we are fortunate to receive thousands of applications from a diverse range of students who are incredibly bright, engaged, and passionate. They have challenged themselves and those around them to make a difference in the world. They know that the University of Wisconsin–Madison is their next step toward something extraordinary—a place where they can lead, make discoveries, tackle key issues, gain knowledge, and establish lifelong friendships.

Starting on August 1 every year, you can begin applying to the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

The following deadlines pertain to both domestic and international applicants.

Applications and all required application materials must arrive in our office by 11:59 p.m. Pacific time on the noted deadline dates.

We cannot begin to review your application until all required materials are received.

We strongly recommend that you apply with an email that is not affiliated with your high school and that you check often. This will ensure that you have continued access to your email account after graduation from high school.

You can apply using either the Common Application or the UW System Application.

Chemistry, B.A. at University of Wisconsin Madison

University of Wisconsin Madison

United States of America, Madison