BS in Chemistry

The B.S. in Chemistry at the University of Chicago combines rigorous classroom study with substantial opportunities for experimental work and faculty-mentored research. Chemistry students can begin research as early as their first year, work within faculty research groups, and use specialized facilities for areas such as spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, X-ray analysis, nanofabrication, microscopy, and biophysics.

Students can build practical experience through:

• Advanced laboratory coursework: Students can take CHEM 26700 Experimental Physical Chemistry, CHEM 22700 Advanced Organic/Inorganic Laboratory, and courses involving experimental methods and chemical characterization, giving students direct experience with modern experimental chemistry.
• Undergraduate research: Students are encouraged to join a Chemistry faculty research group, typically beginning research on a volunteer basis during their second or third year, with opportunities to become paid research assistants during the summer.
• Norris Undergraduate Summer Research Grant: First-year Chemistry or Biological Chemistry students can undertake a 10-week, full-time on-campus research project with a Chemistry faculty member, developing a dedicated project that may be suitable for peer-reviewed publication.
• Beckman Scholars Program: Second- and third-year students working with a Beckman Scholar faculty mentor can participate in the Beckman Scholars Program in Molecular Sciences, which is designed to develop research skills, independence, and leadership.
• Research funding and summer opportunities: The Chemistry Department provides routes to funded research through NSF REU programs, faculty research grants, the Norris Grant, Beckman Scholars, Mellon Mays, and College Summer Research Fellows.
• Specialized research instrumentation: Students can work in or benefit from facilities including the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Facility, Mass Spectrometry Facility, X-ray Facilities, Searle Cleanroom and Nanofabrication Facility, Pritzker Nanofabrication Facility, Soft Matter Characterization Facility, Advanced Electron Microscopy Facility, BioPhysics Core Facility, Advanced Photon Source, and Integrated Light Microscopy Core Facility.
• Computational and digital methods: The Chemistry curriculum includes advanced computational subjects such as Simulation, Modeling, and Computation in Biophysics, Machine Learning in Chemistry, and Quantum Molecular and Materials Modeling, giving students exposure to computational approaches used in modern chemical research.
• Team-based research opportunities: UChicago's Metcalf Sprints provide project-based experiences in which undergraduate teams work together on a deliverable for an employer partner; the university also lists chemistry research competitions in which teams of up to three students develop research proposals.
• Internships: UChicago Career Advancement offers 5,000+ paid, substantive internships annually, including the Jeff Metcalf Internship Program and project-based opportunities, with Handshake used to find available positions.
• Research discovery and academic resources: The College Center for Research and Fellowships (CCRF) provides an undergraduate research database searchable by research opportunities, funding, mentors, laboratories, institutes, centers, discipline, and academic major, alongside research information sessions and an annual undergraduate research symposium. 

The BS in Chemistry at the University of Chicago combines rigorous chemistry training with opportunities for undergraduate research, preparing students for careers across scientific research, technology, healthcare, and related fields, as well as advanced study. UChicago’s Chemistry Department awards approximately 50–70 bachelor’s degrees in Chemistry each year, while the University’s Class of 2025 reported post-college pathways spanning employment and graduate education.

Typical career roles: Chemist, Research Scientist, Food Chemist, Data Scientist.

Career development and progression are supported through:

• Career Advancement: UChicago’s undergraduate Career Advancement office provides industry-specific advising, internship and job resources, application support, interview preparation, and one-to-one advising through Handshake.
• Paid internships: The Jeff Metcalf Internship Program provides more than 4,500 paid substantive internships each year. Physical-science students have accessed opportunities with organizations including 3M, Gilead, Google, IBM, Microsoft Research, NASA, Pixar, and SpaceX.
• Research opportunities: Chemistry students can begin research during their second or third year and may obtain paid summer research positions. Funding routes include faculty research grants, NSF REU programs, the Beckman Scholars Program, Mellon Mays Fellowship, and the James R. Norris, Jr. Grant.
• Industry and research connections: UChicago’s physical-sciences career programs connect students with national laboratories, government agencies, research organizations, and technical firms. The University is also closely affiliated with Argonne National Laboratory and Fermilab National Accelerator Laboratory, which provide research and summer internship opportunities.
• Employment outcomes: For the Class of 2025, 98% of UChicago students received an offer for employment, graduate school, or another post-college opportunity; among students reporting employment offers, 13% were in Science & Technology, 6% in Healthcare, and 12% in Education. These figures are for the UChicago College overall rather than Chemistry graduates specifically.
• Salary figures: UChicago’s official post-college outcomes information does not publish a current Chemistry-specific undergraduate salary figure. The University directs students to salary-research resources such as PayScale and provides career advisers to help students evaluate and negotiate compensation.
• Accreditation value: The ACS-Accredited BS in Chemistry is identified in UChicago’s 2026–27 Academic Catalog as the most comprehensive chemistry degree, incorporating extensive coursework in inorganic, organic, chemical biology, quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, and experimental physical chemistry.
• Graduation and advanced-study pathways: UChicago students have progressed to graduate programs at institutions including Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Princeton, Oxford, Cambridge, and UChicago itself. For the Class of 2026, UChicago also reports 91% medical-school acceptance and 95% MBA-program acceptance for applicants in those respective application cycles.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the BS in Chemistry, students can pursue a PhD in Chemistry, including UChicago’s own flexible doctoral program, or continue into graduate and professional programs in areas such as chemical biology, materials science, molecular engineering, medicine, and related scientific disciplines. UChicago’s Chemistry PhD offers interdisciplinary research opportunities and allows students to take courses across departments, while the Department specifically encourages undergraduates considering graduate study to gain research experience before graduation.