Chemistry Program Overview

The Chemistry program at Cornell University offers students the opportunity to develop logical thinking and creative problem-solving skills. The program allows students to either follow a traditional curriculum or pursue a flexible program that may be ideal for those with alternative career goals.

Program Requirements

To earn a degree in Chemistry, students must complete 60 credits of required courses, including:

• Core courses that cover:
  • Introductory Chemistry (combined lecture and laboratory)
  • Organic Chemistry (lecture and one core laboratory course)
  • Inorganic Chemistry (lecture course)
  • Physical Chemistry (lecture and one core laboratory course)
  • Calculus (lecture)
  • Physics (combined lecture and laboratory)
• Upper-level laboratory courses
• Upper-level electives in chemistry, chemical biology, and related areas

Sample Classes

Some sample classes offered in the Chemistry program include:

• Entrepreneurship in Chemical Enterprise
• Introduction to Quantum Chemistry
• Information Literacy for the Physical Scientist
• Chemistry of Natural Products: Combinatorial Chemistry

Program Outcomes

Based on the 2022 First-Destination Post-Graduate Survey, Chemistry and Chemical Biology majors have gone on to pursue various paths, including:

Graduate School

• 46% of majors embarked on graduate school journeys
• 64% focused on their PhD
• 20% worked towards an MD
• 6% dedicated to an MS
• Graduate field interest ranges from chemistry/chemical biology to medicine and biochemistry, molecular & cell biology

Employment

• 43% of graduates secured employment
• Majority entered sectors in human healthcare services, education, and manufacturing
• Top 2022 employers included Meta and Google

Where 2022 Chemistry & Chemical Biology Graduates Work

Some notable employers of Chemistry and Chemical Biology graduates include:

• Agency for Science Technology and Research
• Beyond Meat
• BioMagnetic Solutions
• California Institute of Technology
• Columbia University
• Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
• Ecolectro
• Hycor Biomedical
• Massachusetts General Hospital
• Montefiore Medical Center
• Mount Sinai Medical Center
• National Institute of Health
• Tradebe
• Underwriters Laboratories LLC
• Weill Cornell Medicine

Research Areas

The department's research areas include:

• Inorganic chemistry
• Materials chemistry
• Organic chemistry
• Analytical chemistry
• Physical chemistry
• Chemical biology

Associated Interests

Associated interests with the Chemistry program include:

• Entrepreneurship
• Exploring the natural world
• Life sciences
• Physical sciences

Related Disciplines

Related disciplines to the Chemistry program include:

• Sciences and Mathematics