Chemistry, BA

Learning Outcomes

The Department of Chemistry is committed to maintaining excellence in teaching and mentoring, and to providing the maximum educational benefit to each chemistry graduate. The desired outcomes will prepare students for success in graduate or professional school, industry or government employment, and a wide variety of career choices.

The graduate with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry will be able to use the knowledge and skills obtained in the program to demonstrate the following.

Knowledge and Understanding of Chemistry

Graduates will be able to demonstrate:

  • mastery of major concepts, theoretical principles, and experimental findings in chemistry;
  • an understanding of the relationship between molecular structure and physical/chemical properties;
  • an understanding of the relationship between the microscopic, macroscopic, and symbolic descriptions of matter and the changes it undergoes; and
  • an understanding of the conditions that affect stability and factors that control rates of change.

Laboratory Skills

Graduates will be able to:

  • assess chemical and procedural hazards involved in laboratory work;
  • use strategies to minimize the risks associated with laboratory work;
  • maintain a clearly organized laboratory notebook;
  • use a variety of synthetic techniques;
  • use instrumentation and laboratory techniques to separate, purify, identify, quantify, and characterize chemical species; and
  • use computers as tools for data acquisition, management, and analysis.

Scientific Thinking

Graduates will be able to:

  • pose scientific questions with a clear hypothesis;
  • plan and carry out scientific investigations;
  • analyze data in order to make inferences about chemical and physical behavior and properties, and construct scientific arguments to support conclusions;
  • use scientific theory and/or interpretations of experimental results to explain chemical phenomena;
  • use mathematics and computational thinking to understand and predict chemical behavior;
  • identify and quantify uncertainties in measurements and limitations in methods; and
  • use graphs, diagrams, and other models to communicate chemical information.

Chemical Information Skills

Graduates will be able to:

  • use modern library search tools to locate and retrieve chemical information;
  • read, analyze, and critically evaluate journal articles; and
  • reference and cite chemical literature appropriately using designated citation styles.

Professional Skills

Graduates will be able to:

  • report scientific findings in oral presentations in a clear and organized fashion using appropriate visual tools;
  • report on experimental work and scientific findings in written reports;
  • communicate results of scientific work to nontechnical audiences;
  • work collaboratively with peers to plan and conduct experiments, interpret chemical information, and solve problems; and
  • engage in responsible and ethical scientific conduct.