Chemistry, BA

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Hawaii Manoa

Program Overview

The BA in Chemistry gives students a strong foundation in chemistry and experimental skills while keeping the degree broad enough for pathways into research, teaching, business, professional practice, and biomedical careers. Students study organic and physical chemistry alongside mathematics and physics, with laboratory components that develop practical skills in chemical preparation, analysis, purification, characterization, and interpretation of experimental results.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students establish their scientific foundation through introductory chemistry, mathematics, physics, and laboratory work. Key preparation includes CHEM 161 General Chemistry I, CHEM 161L General Chemistry I Laboratory, and CHEM 162 General Chemistry II, covering stoichiometry, atomic structure, bonding, thermodynamics, equilibrium, kinetics, electrochemistry, and fundamental laboratory techniques.

Year 2: Students progress into the core chemistry sequence with CHEM 272 Organic Chemistry I, CHEM 273 Organic Chemistry II, and their associated laboratory courses. These subjects develop understanding of molecular structure, stereochemistry, reaction mechanisms, organic synthesis, qualitative analysis, and applications of spectroscopy.

Year 3: The curriculum advances into physical chemistry and molecular-level analysis through CHEM 274, CHEM 351 Physical Chemistry I, and CHEM 352 Physical Chemistry II. Students develop stronger knowledge of physicochemical principles and procedures while also completing CHEM 352L Physical Chemistry II Laboratory, which introduces modern laboratory techniques.

Year 4: Students complete the advanced chemistry requirements with either CHEM 425/425L Synthesis and Analysis of Inorganic Compounds or CHEM 445/445L Synthesis and Analysis: Organic Compounds. These courses provide experience with advanced preparation and characterization of inorganic materials or multi-step organic synthesis, spectroscopy, NMR, mass spectrometry, chromatography, GC-MS, and LC-MS.

Focus Areas: Organic chemistry, physical chemistry, inorganic chemistry, analytical chemistry, chemical synthesis, spectroscopy, materials characterization, biomedical chemistry, experimental chemistry

Learning Outcomes: Understanding atomic and molecular properties, quantitative and qualitative analysis, measurement principles, mechanistic reasoning, prediction of chemical reactivity and stereochemistry, preparation and purification of materials, characterization techniques, experimental-data interpretation, scientific documentation, communication of results, modern literature search and retrieval.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation): Not stated on the official UH Mānoa Chemistry undergraduate program page as a separate professional accreditation for the BA in Chemistry. The department instead specifies the academic and experimental competencies students are expected to develop through the BA and BS Chemistry programs.

Reputation (Employability Rankings): University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa ranked #643 globally and #84 nationally in the United States. UH Mānoa states that QS evaluates factors including employer reputation, employment outcomes, academic reputation, research impact, and international engagement; this is a university-level ranking rather than a Chemistry-specific ranking.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The B.A. in Chemistry at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa gives students substantial hands-on experience through chemistry laboratory courses and opportunities to work in departmental research laboratories. Students can progress from foundational laboratory techniques to analytical chemistry, spectroscopy, chromatography, synthesis, and modern instrumental methods, while the department strongly encourages chemistry majors to undertake faculty-mentored research and apply classroom knowledge to real chemical problems.

Students can build practical and research experience through:

General Chemistry Laboratories: CHEM 161L General Chemistry I Laboratory introduces fundamental chemical techniques and principles through a dedicated three-hour weekly laboratory, providing an early foundation in experimental chemistry.
Analytical Chemistry Laboratory: CHEM 274L Principles of Analytical Chemistry Laboratory provides practical experience with phase separations, chromatography, titrimetry, and spectrophotometry, giving students direct exposure to analytical methods used in chemistry.
Physical Chemistry Laboratory: CHEM 352L Physicochemical Measurements introduces modern laboratory techniques and emphasizes scientific report writing, helping students develop both experimental and scientific communication skills.
Advanced synthesis and characterization: CHEM 445 Synthesis and Analysis: Organic Compounds covers multi-step synthesis and characterization using optical spectroscopy, NMR, mass spectrometry, GC, HPLC, GCMS, and LCMS.
Undergraduate research: Chemistry majors are strongly encouraged to conduct research in departmental research laboratories, where they work on real chemical problems and interact with faculty, graduate students, and other researchers. Up to 3 credits of CHEM 399 can count toward the degree requirements for chemistry B.S. students; research opportunities are also available to undergraduates throughout the year.
Advanced research instrumentation: Departmental facilities include NMR spectrometers, mass spectrometry systems, circular dichroism spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), X-ray diffraction, electronics and machine shops, supporting sophisticated chemical research beyond standard undergraduate laboratories.
X-ray diffraction facility: The department operates a Rigaku SCXM ini CCD diffractometer with an Oxford Cryosystems Cryostream 700, capable of cooling crystals to 100 K, providing access to advanced structural characterization technology.
Research stockrooms: Two departmental stockrooms supply chemicals, glassware, hardware, and laboratory materials for undergraduate instructional courses and research activities.
Research institutes and facilities: Students can engage with the wider UH Mānoa research environment, including facilities and research programs associated with areas such as materials research, marine science, biosciences, geosciences, and astrochemistry.
UROP and ForagerOne: The university's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) connects students with faculty-mentored research and creative work, while ForagerOne provides a searchable platform for finding faculty mentors, projects, internships, conferences, funding opportunities, and other research opportunities.
Summer research experience: The Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) is a free nine-week program offering research-oriented undergraduates a cohort experience, professional-development programming, and a final SURE Symposium for presenting their work.
Chemistry research library resources: Hamilton Library, located near Bilger Hall, provides access to major chemical and biochemical periodicals and computerized literature-searching resources including Chemical Abstracts, Science Citation Index, and Engineering Index.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The BA in Chemistry at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa develops a broad chemistry foundation that can support careers in laboratory science, environmental and health-related fields, education, and further professional study. The program can also prepare students for graduate education and professional pathways where a strong background in chemistry is valuable.

Typical career roles: Chemist, Laboratory Technician, Environmental Scientist, Chemistry Teacher

Career development and progression are supported through:

Career services: The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Career Center provides career counseling, job and internship resources, career fairs, employer events, résumé assistance, interview preparation, and access to employment opportunities through Handshake.
Research opportunities: Chemistry students can gain research experience by working with faculty on research projects, giving them opportunities to apply classroom chemistry to laboratory investigations and develop skills relevant to graduate study and scientific employment.
Internship and employment preparation: Students can use Mānoa's career-development resources to identify internships and employment opportunities, prepare application materials, and connect with employers through university career events.
Employment statistics and salary: The university does not state a current Chemistry BA-specific employment rate or salary figure on the official program information reviewed, so a program-specific figure is not stated rather than estimated.
University–industry and research connections: Chemistry students can benefit from Mānoa's wider research environment, including interdisciplinary research involving areas such as environmental science, marine science, health sciences, materials, and biotechnology.
Professional value: The BA provides a chemistry foundation that can support entry-level scientific employment and further study. The official program information reviewed does not state that the BA in Chemistry is ACS-certified, so no ACS accreditation claim is made here.
Graduation outcomes: The degree can lead directly toward chemistry-related employment or provide preparation for graduate school, professional programs, and other advanced study. The university does not publish a current BA Chemistry-specific graduate employment percentage on the official program page.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into master's and doctoral programs in chemistry or related sciences, as well as professional education in areas where chemistry is a prerequisite or valuable foundation, including medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, and other health-related fields. Students interested in research careers can also progress toward advanced chemistry or interdisciplinary science degrees.