It is the central discipline and provides basic knowledge and techniques for other fields. Although these are the most commonly taken routes, our program has been designed to accommodate differing career objectives. A student may also combine chemistry with other disciplines by participating in interdepartmental programs. For instance, recent chemistry majors have earned certificates in the Woodrow Wilson School and the Program in Theater and Dance. Students interested in chemistry will find that abstract reasoning and an eye for detail are important, as are ingenuity and persistence.
Mathematical aptitude is also useful and is required in some areas.
Beyond the general chemistry of the freshman year, chemistry is divided into three principal areas that constitute the core of the science. In the physical area, the basic force laws applying to atoms are elucidated, and the orbits of the electrons in molecules are quantitatively described. For example, differences in these electron orbits are ultimately responsible for the differences between stones and people. In the organic area, we find the enormous diversity possible through variations on a theme. Organic chemistry studies the carbon atom and its complex ramifications.