The undergraduate program in chemistry and biochemistry at IU is one of the largest and most successful in the United States, as evidenced by its recent placement in the top 4 percent of U.S. undergraduate chemistry programs by a national report. Our facilities for teaching and research are exceptional. In addition, our undergraduates can take advantage of the Chemistry Resources Center and an adjoining computer classroom, where computer terminals are available for class assignments and independent lessons and where faculty and graduate students hold office hours for courses in general chemistry. Undergraduate research, the heart of the honors program, normally begins in a student s sophomore year, although it can start as early as the freshman year. Each student works in a faculty research group and is expected to be involved in all aspects of a research problem.
Students submit the results of the research as a written honors thesis before graduating.
For a number of majors, the Chemical Cooperative Education Program provides a valuable option. In a five-year period, a student completes all requirements for a B.S. degree in chemistry or biochemistry while getting up to two years of practical experience as a chemist in industry. A few of our majors participate in overseas study programs, and we presently have special cooperative arrangements with the University of Kent in Canterbury, England, and with the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia.