Our Facilities Get a Big Reaction
Lasers, spectrometers and a superconducting NMR, oh my!
Our Chemistry Major
What can a chemistry degree do for you?
You + Our Chemistry Faculty = Promising Future.
Whether you want to specialize in medicine, research or law enforcement, a degree in chemistry from Susquehanna will prepare you for a fulfilling career by giving you a broad range of skills and knowledge.
Here, science isn't a spectator sport. Our motto is: Learn by doing.
You may have the chance to be involved in research directly with chemistry faculty beginning your first semester, and you'll graduate having had opportunities to co-author research papers or travel to national conferences.
Our focus is on helping you become well-rounded academically and helping you pursue what interests you.
Chemistry is about bonds.
At Susquehanna, our chemistry students and faculty thrive on developing close, professional interactions with each other and exploring the connections between compounds and molecules.
Both in the classroom and out, we'll help you examine science from a variety of perspectives. Interested in research? We can put you in a chemistry lab in your first semester in the major. Want to focus on crime-scene forensics? We can help you secure internships with police agencies.
Classes in history, literature, music and philosophy will help you build your critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. Chemistry majors benefit from small class sizes, team-intensive courses and an emphasis on collaboration that give you experience working closely with others, a skill employers value.
A degree in chemistry can lead to careers in:
- Pharmaceuticals
- Alternative energy
- Biotech fields
- Medical, dental or veterinary medicine
Did we mention our state-of-the-art facilities? We're invested in giving you the best facilities to work in—that includes access to more than $1 million in instrumentation.
Lasers, spectrometers and superconducting NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) are just some of the equipment we work with every day—and you won't have to compete with grad students for lab time.
We also work with athletes to balance labs with practice so you won't have to compromise between your two passions.
Requirements for the Majors in Chemistry, Biochemistry and Chemical Physics. Susquehanna offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry and Bachelor of Science degrees in chemistry, biochemistry and chemical physics.
The Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry requires the following courses, with grades of C- or better:
| Semester Hours | View Full Course Catalog >> |
|---|---|
4 General Chemistry I - choose from: CHEM-101, CHEM-103 or CHEM-111 4 General Chemistry II - choose from: CHEM-102, CHEM-104 or CHEM-112 |
|
| 4 CHEM-221 Organic Chemistry I | |
| 4 CHEM-222 Organic Chemistry II | |
| 4 CHEM-231 Quantitative Analysis | |
| 4 CHEM-341 Physical Chemistry I | |
| 4 CHEM-342 Physical Chemistry II | |
| 4 CHEM-450 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry | |
4 PHYS-204 Introductory Physics I (Calculus-based) 4 PHYS-205 Introductory Physics II (Calculus-based) 4 Four semester equivalents of CHEM-505 Seminar 0-8 Mathematics through MATH-112 Calculus II Other chemistry courses selected to fulfill career goals. |
|
A student may qualify to graduate as an American Chemical Society certified professional chemist by completing CHEM-430 Instrumental Analysis and CHEM-422 The Biochemistry of Nucleic Acids or CHEM-426 The Biochemistry of Proteins and Enzymes, and one advanced senior course beyond the Bachelor of Arts courses in chemistry. |
Requirements for the Majors in Chemistry and Biochemistry. Susquehanna offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry and Bachelor of Science degrees in both chemistry and biochemistry.
The Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry requires a minimum of 41 semester hours in chemistry, including all courses required for the Bachelor of Arts degree, plus CHEM-430 Instrumental Analysis, one elective in chemistry or biochemistry, and an additional four-semester-hour mathematics or computer science course other than MATH-101 or MATH-105. All required courses must be completed with a grade of C- or higher.
The Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry requires the following courses, with grades of C- or better:
| Semester Hours | View Full Course Catalog >> |
|---|---|
4 CHEM-101 General Chemistry I, or CHEM-103 General Chemistry I Teams or CHEM-111 General Chemistry I Teams WS |
|
| 4 CHEM-221 Organic Chemistry I | |
| 4 CHEM-222 Organic Chemistry II | |
| 4 CHEM-231 Quantitative Analysis | |
| 4 CHEM-341 Physical Chemistry I | |
| 4 CHEM-342 Physical Chemistry II | |
| 4 CHEM-450 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry | |
4 PHYS-204 Introductory Physics I (Calculus-based) 4 PHYS-205 Introductory Physics II (Calculus-based) 4 Four semester equivalents of CHEM-505 Seminar 0-8 Mathematics through MATH-112 Calculus II Other chemistry courses selected to fulfill career goals. |
|
A student may qualify to graduate as an American Chemical Society certified professional chemist by completing CHEM-430 Instrumental Analysis and CHEM-422 The Biochemistry of Nucleic Acids or CHEM-426 The Biochemistry of Proteins and Enzymes, and one advanced senior course beyond the Bachelor of Arts courses in chemistry. |
Minors. Students minoring in chemistry complete five courses: General Chemistry I (CHEM-101, CHEM-103 or CHEM-111) and General Chemistry II (CHEM-102, CHEM-104 or CHEM-112), CHEM-221 Organic Chemistry I, either CHEM-231 Quantitative Analysis or CHEM-311 Analytic Chemistry, and one course chosen from CHEM-222 Organic Chemistry II, CHEM-341 Physical Chemistry I, CHEM-422 The Biochemistry of Nucleic Acids, CHEM-424 The Biochemistry of Metabolism, and CHEM-426 The Biochemistry of Proteins and Enzymes.
Secondary Teaching Certification. The Chemistry Department offers secondary teaching certification for both chemistry and biochemistry majors.
Coursework required by the state of Pennsylvania for admission to the teacher certification program includes successful completion of ENGL-100 Writing and Thinking or equivalent course, at least 3 semester hours in British or American literature, at least 6 semester hours of mathematics coursework (or other courses which satisfy the Central Curriculum Analytic Thought requirement), and at least one 40-hour externship. Education course requirements for secondary education are EDUC-101 Introduction to Education and Society, EDUC-102 Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Education, EDUC-250 Educational Psychology, EDUC-260 Introduction to Special Education, EDUC-270 Instruction of Exceptional Students, EDUC-330 Technology in Education, EDUC-350 English Language Learners: Theory and Instruction, EDUC-380 Instructional Design, EDUC-424 Methods of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment in Teaching Science, EDUC-479 Principles of Learning and Teaching in Secondary Education, EDUC-483 Differentiated Instruction and Classroom Management in Secondary Education, and the EDUC-500 Student Teaching Package (EDUC-501, EDUC-502, EDUC-503, and EDUC-600).
In addition, secondary education chemistry students complete all of the usual requirements for the chemistry or biochemistry major.
Wade Johnson, Ph.D.
Department: Chemistry
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Department Chair, Chemistry
johnsonw@susqu.edu
570-372-4224
Swarna Basu, Ph.D.
Department: Dean of Arts and Sciences
Associate Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences
Professor of Chemistry
basu@susqu.edu
570-372-4223
Geneive Elizabeth Henry, Ph.D.
Department: Chemistry
Professor of Chemistry
henry@susqu.edu
570-372-4222
Lou Ann Tom, Ph.D.
Department: Chemistry
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Go Program: Hawaii
toml@susqu.edu
570-372-4540
William G. Dougherty, Jr, Ph.D.
Department: Chemistry
Assistant Professor of Chemistry
doughertyw@susqu.edu
570-372-4255
Courtney L. Thomas, Ph.D.
Department: Chemistry
Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry
thomasc@susqu.edu
570-372-4259
Elizabeth M. Valentin
Department: Chemistry
Assistant Professor of Chemistry
valentin@susqu.edu
570-372-4249
Our students go on to graduate school at:
Albert Einstein School of Medicine
Brown University
Cornell University
Drexel University College of Medicine
Georgetown University
Johns Hopkins University
The Ohio State University
Pennsylvania College of Optometry
Pennsylvania State University
Thomas Jefferson Medical School
University of California, Berkeley
University of Connecticut
Western University of Health Sciences
Yale University
Recent graduates have worked at:
Amgen
Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory
Eli Lilly
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Merck & Co.
National Institutes of Health
Precision Dermatologics
Sanofi
Related Majors & Minors
$1
million worth of instrumentation
100%
of chemistry majors conduct research
0
classes taught by graduate assistants
A True College Experience
We know it takes a lot of hard work for chemistry majors to succeed in the classroom. But we want to help you become well-rounded and enjoy all that college has to offer. So get out of the lab and join a club, tune your trombone or hit the gym.
Not every school makes it this easy to pursue multiple interests, but we measure success by the flexibility you have to explore your options and have a life.
Contact Us
Phone & Email
Genieve Henry, department head
570-372-4222
henry@susqu.edu