Program Overview

Program Details

Chemistry is a fundamental science that helps us understand the building blocks of matter and life. Chemists work to discover new materials and processes that can improve our lives.

As a student interested in chemistry, you can enroll in programs and courses in all the main areas of chemistry, including analytical, inorganic, organic, physical, theoretical, and environmental chemistry.

State-of-the-Art Facilities

As a student in our first-year Chemistry courses, you will be able to conduct your lab work in Carleton's state-of-the-art Superlab. Extensive lab experience is offered, helping you to round out your studies with practical experience.

Award-Winning Faculty

Award-winning teachers deliver courses that offer a combination of interactive lectures, laboratory work, field-based experiential learning opportunities.

Concentrations

Concentrations in Nanotechnology and Chemical Toxicology are available.

Work Experience

A Co-op option is available. Co-op is the opportunity to get a head start on a career. Co-op work terms allow for the development of key employability skills, exploration of career options, and graduation with tangible, workplace experience.

Career Outcomes

Explore your passions, refine new skills, and discover the career that's right for you.

Chemistry graduates have gone on to apply their knowledge through careers in government agencies, the high-tech and biotech sectors, research laboratories, and medical and chemical industries.

Sample Careers

• Academia
• Biomedicine
• Chemist
• Dentistry
• Education
• Environmental Sustainability
• Food Science
• Government
• Law
• Medicine
• Nanotechnology
• Pharmaceutical Industry
• Policy
• Pollution Control
• Research
• Teaching

Sample Courses

CHEM 1011 - Enriched General Chemistry I

This is a maths-intensive specialist course intended for chemistry majors or students planning to pursue courses in chemistry at the 3000-level and above. Topics include atomic structure, periodic trends, structure and bonding, gas laws, intermolecular forces, equilibrium, acids and bases, and buffers.

CHEM 4401 - Physical Aspects of Biochemistry

Chemistry, structure, and function of nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. Thermodynamics of biological systems, chemical mechanisms, and organic transformations. Intended for Chemistry Majors.

Featured Stories

Read exciting stories from the Faculty of Science

"I chose the Chemistry program at Carleton because of its renowned faculty, comprehensive curriculum, and laboratory experience which all integrate both theoretical knowledge and practical skills. I'm able to use high-tech chromatography and spectroscopy instruments in the laboratory setting. One project involved the analysis of water samples collected from the Rideau River, which were analyzed in multiple ways with the intent of finding trace components of potentially hazardous chemicals. Both inside and outside the laboratory, I have been developing transferable skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and data analysis. My journey at Carleton has been enriching and transformative, equipping me with the knowledge and skills to make a meaningful impact in the field of chemistry and beyond.

Camryn

Chemistry student