B.A./B.S in Chemistry

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Northwestern University

Program Overview

The B.A./B.S.-level Chemistry provides rigorous preparation in chemistry for students interested in professional chemistry, medicine, teaching, graduate research, or chemistry-related careers, combining mathematics and physics with core study in organic, inorganic, physical, and analytical chemistry. Students progressively develop laboratory, quantitative, analytical, and research skills before selecting a concentration that allows them to deepen their expertise in an area such as biochemistry, environmental chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, or materials and nanotechnology.

Curriculum Structure

First Year: Students establish their chemistry and mathematical foundations through one of Northwestern's placement-based general chemistry sequences, such as CHEM 171/181 – Advanced General Chemistry and Laboratory or CHEM 151/161 – General Chemistry and Laboratory, alongside MATH 220-1/220-2 – Single-Variable Differential and Integral Calculus. Depending on placement, students may also begin CHEM 220 – Instrumental Analysis, while the laboratory components provide early practical experience.

Second Year: The curriculum moves into advanced organic chemistry through CHEM 217-1, 217-2 and 217-3 – Organic Chemistry, with associated laboratory courses CHEM 237-1, 237-2 and 235-3. Students also complete MATH 230-1/230-2 – Multivariable Differential and Integral Calculus and PHYS 135-1, 135-2 and 135-3, developing the mathematical and physical-science foundations needed for advanced chemistry.

Third Year: Students build the core chemistry knowledge required across the discipline through CHEM 333 – Inorganic Chemistry, CHEM 342-1 – Thermodynamics, CHEM 342-2 – Quantum Mechanics, and CHEM 342-3 – Kinetics and Statistical Thermodynamics. The program also includes BIOL_SCI 301 – Principles of Biochemistry, connecting chemical principles with biological systems and preparing students for advanced interdisciplinary study.

Fourth Year: Students complete the advanced laboratory sequence CHEM 350-1, 350-2 and 350-3 while selecting courses within one of Northwestern's concentration areas. Depending on their interests, students can pursue advanced subjects such as CHEM 432 – Advanced Biochemistry, CHEM 445 – Advanced Physical & Analytical Chemistry, or CHEM 308 – Design, Synthesis, and Applications of Nanomaterials; students may also create a self-designed concentration with departmental approval.

Focus Areas

Biochemistry, Environmental Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Materials/Nanotechnology, Self-Designed Concentration.

Learning Outcomes

Comprehensive knowledge of chemistry, quantitative problem-solving, data analysis, critical evaluation of chemistry literature, complex experimental design, safe laboratory practice, interpretation of experimental results, scientific writing, oral presentation, poster communication, creative scientific thinking.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

American Chemical Society (ACS) certified/accredited chemistry program; Northwestern's official accreditation listing records Chemistry – American Chemical Society – Accredited, with the latest review in 2024 and the next review scheduled for 2031.

Reputation (Employability Rankings)

Northwestern University ranked #45 globally, with a 99.5 employment-outcomes score and 91.8 employer-reputation score in QS's indicators. These are university-level measures rather than rankings specifically for the Chemistry bachelor's program.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Northwestern University’s B.A./B.S.-level Chemistry major is strongly laboratory-focused, with students gaining early exposure to research-grade chemical instrumentation alongside their core chemistry courses. The curriculum progresses from general and organic chemistry laboratories to advanced laboratory courses, while undergraduate students can also join faculty research groups and work with Northwestern’s advanced research facilities and instrumentation.

Students can build practical and research experience through:

Laboratory-intensive curriculum: Students complete laboratory courses alongside the chemistry sequence, including CHEM 181/182 or CHEM 161/162 in general chemistry, CHEM 237-1/237-2/235-3 or CHEM 235-1/2/3 in organic chemistry, and the advanced CHEM 350-1, 350-2 and 350-3 laboratory sequence.
Research-grade instrumentation: Northwestern introduces students to research-grade chemical instrumentation from an early stage, allowing practical experience with equipment and analytical methods used in active chemistry research.
IMSERC: The Integrated Molecular Structure Education and Research Center (IMSERC) is a major analytical research facility supporting molecular structure characterization. Its capabilities support research in chemistry, drug discovery, chemical biology, materials science, catalysis, nanotechnology, and energy storage and conversion.
Spectroscopy and analytical software: CHEM 411 – Organic Spectroscopy provides practical experience with NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, 2D NMR, GC-MS, LC-MS, and instrument operation. Its laboratory component includes software tools available through IMSERC and asks students to tailor analytical approaches to individual research projects.
Undergraduate research projects: Several dozen undergraduate students work in Northwestern Chemistry research groups each year, contributing data and ideas that can support scientific publications. Students can participate through independent study, research assistantships, and presentations at academic conferences.
Research mini-projects: Northwestern's advanced instrumentation coursework has included two mini-research projects, with students designing experiments and applying instrumentation and protocols in research cores and university centers. Project areas have included mass spectrometry, proteomics, molecular imaging, small-molecule synthesis and purification, high-throughput screening, X-ray crystallography, and bioelement analysis.
Specialized research facilities: Chemistry students can engage with facilities and centers including IMSERC, the Center for Advanced Molecular Imaging (CAMI), Center for Catalysis and Surface Science (CCSS), Center for Synthetic Biology, Chemistry for Life Processes Institute, International Institute for Nanotechnology, Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC), Northwestern Proteomics, and the Keck Biophysics Facility.
Hands-on funded research: The CLP Lambert Fellows Program provides multi-year funding for hands-on laboratory research for rising second- and third-year Chemistry majors under the mentorship of faculty in the Chemistry for Life Processes Institute.
Advanced instrumentation access: Undergraduate students have access to cutting-edge analytical equipment in Northwestern research core facilities, including facilities staffed by research professors and scientific staff.
Collaborative research environment: Northwestern Chemistry research is explicitly collaborative and interdisciplinary, with undergraduates working alongside faculty, postdoctoral researchers and graduate students across areas such as biological chemistry, environmental and energy chemistry, materials and nanoscience, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, and physical/analytical chemistry.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Northwestern’s B.A./B.S.-level Chemistry supports pathways into research, medicine, dentistry, chemical industry, government laboratories, teaching, consulting and patent law. The Chemistry Department reports that approximately 40% of chemistry majors continue to graduate school, another 40% enter medical or dental school, and about 20% enter chemistry-related employment or other professions using their chemistry background.

Typical career roles: Chemist, Research Scientist, Laboratory Scientist, Chemical/Pharmaceutical Industry Professional. Northwestern Career Advancement also identifies chemistry-related opportunities in product development, process development, analysis, testing, biotechnology, consulting and quality assurance/quality control.

Career development and professional opportunities include:

Northwestern Career Advancement (NCA): Students receive access to career advising, employer events, career fairs, internship and job resources, networking support, interviewing guidance, resume support and on-campus recruiting. Chemistry students can also use NCA's dedicated career-path information for industries such as chemical, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, food, environmental and petroleum.
Employment and graduation outcomes: Northwestern's 2025 Post-Graduation Survey collected outcomes for 1,748 graduates, representing 76% of the Class of 2025; university-wide, 72% were employed six months after graduation and 24% were in graduate/professional school or a fellowship. Northwestern also reports that 73% participated in an internship and 66% participated in research.
Chemistry-specific progression: The Chemistry Department reports approximately 40% graduate-school progression, 40% medical/dental-school progression and 20% direct employment or other professional pathways among recent chemistry majors. These are department-reported chemistry outcomes rather than university-wide figures.
Salary figures: Northwestern's official undergraduate outcomes system provides outcome data that can be filtered by major, industry and other categories, but the publicly accessible Chemistry information does not state a current Chemistry-specific bachelor's salary figure. Therefore, no unsupported salary estimate is included.
Research-to-industry connections: Northwestern Chemistry maintains strong links with industry through its Industrial Associates Program, while Northwestern Corporate Engagement highlights partnerships with companies including Dow, PPG, 3M, UL, Adobe and Moderna. The Dow partnership, for example, has supported research in specialty chemicals, advanced materials, AgroSciences and plastics.
Chemistry industry exposure: Northwestern's Chemistry Department's Industrial Associates activities include roundtable discussions, panels, research poster sessions and informal networking, providing opportunities to connect scientific research with industry careers.
Professional accreditation: The Chemistry Department states that its undergraduate chemistry major is ACS-certified, giving students a curriculum aligned with the professional standards of the American Chemical Society.
Research infrastructure and long-term value: Students can build research credentials through Northwestern's chemistry research environment, including the Integrated Molecular Structure Education and Research Center (IMSERC), which supports molecular characterization across chemistry, drug discovery, chemical biology, materials science, catalysis and energy research.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can progress into chemistry Ph.D. programs, other graduate programs, medical school, dental school, veterinary science, law or professional programs, depending on their career objectives. Northwestern specifically reports that many chemistry graduates continue into doctoral chemistry programs, while others progress to medical or dental school; students interested in research can also pursue independent research and thesis work during the undergraduate degree.