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BS in Chemistry

Besides training for a career or graduate study in chemistry, bachelor's students are prepared for medical or dental school, engineering programs, and other careers where technical expertise is needed. The department provides a personal, congenial environment where both male and female students can develop and pursue a flexible program of study designed to fulfill individual interests and needs.  

Full-time faculty teach the majority of courses at all levels and work one on one with students doing research.

Students are encouraged to participate in research projects at all levels. The Schwartz fellowship supports two or three undergraduates who wish to do research in the department during the summer.

Career Outlook

The DC area is the highest paying region in America for chemists, with a regional average salary of $120,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2018).

Top employers for undergraduates from AU's Department of Chemistry

  • Brigham and Women's Hospital
  • Institute for Science and International Security
  • National Institutes of Health
  • New York Medical College
  • The GW Medical Faculty Associates


See more about Chemistry alumni career outcomes.

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Spotlight: Kelsey Kirsch

Kelsey Kirsch.Kelsey Kirsch (Senior-Biochemistry '25), recently published as a first author in the journal Dalton Transactions. Her work was titled "Direct O2 mediated oxidation of a Ni(II)-N3O structural model for the active site of nickel acireductone dioxygenase (Ni-ARD): Characterization, biomimetic reactivity, and enzymatic implications. Kelsey is a student in the lab of Dr. Santiago Toledo, where research investigates the involvement of metalloenzymes in disease. Kelsey's work focuses on studying the reactivity and mechanism of a known "moonlighting" function of the metalloenzyme acireductone dioxygenase (ARD).