This material was originally prepared as a brochure by former DUS Kurt Zilm to answer some of the most common questions students have about the Chemistry major and undergraduate studies in Chemistry. Unfortunately, since the style of the YCPS is rather legalistic, it tends to be soporific. Hopefully this material is more accessible. Besides explaining the basics of how and why to be a Chemistry major, we've collected some additional information we hope you'll find useful about department activities and contacts. An Appendix is included which has copies of several forms that you may need in the future for different Chemistry courses and programs.
Chemistry concerns what stuff is, how it behaves, and how it is made.
It is both practical and profoundly philosophical. Chemistry is the foundation of all the molecular sciences and it provides great training in logic. Students with degrees in chemistry find that they are prepared for an exceptionally wide variety of professional callings. In addition to graduate work in chemistry, biochemistry, geochemistry, chemical engineering or medicine, the department's graduates find their broad scientific training useful in other fields such as business management, law, environmental consulting and government. The key to preparing students for such a diverse set of future careers is the flexibility of the requirements for the Chemistry degree.