UG in Chemistry at Grand Valley State University
Chair: Carlson; Professors: Baum, Carlson, Gracki, Matchett, Miller, Nikkel, Richmond, Smart; Associate Professors: Bender, Henderleiter, Karpen, Leonard, McBane, Qi, Schaertel, Soman, Tanis, Witucki; Assistant Professors: Hart, Herrington, Kovacs, Lawrence, Ngassa, Powers, Wallar, Winchester, Yezierski.
For additional information about opportunities your college offers, please refer to your college’s section in this catalog.
Degrees offered: Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry: minor in chemistry. Teaching certification (secondary) in chemistry major and minor. Masters of Education (General Education, Middle and High School Emphasis, with a concentration in Chemistry) offered in cooperation with the College of Education.
Accreditation: The Chemistry Department is accredited by the Committee on Professional Training of the American Chemical Society.
Students who select a chemistry major must choose one of five emphases: the professional emphasis, the technical emphasis, the education emphasis, the biochemistry and biotechnology emphasis, or the environmental emphasis. The professional emphasis offers a well-rounded education in chemistry and provides a strong background for employment at the bachelor level or entry into graduate school. Completion of the professional emphasis leads to a degree certified by the American Chemical Society. The technical emphasis is designed for students who wish to work in industry and do not intend to enter graduate or professional school. Students interested in attending biochemistry graduate school or in obtaining employment in biochemical and biomedical laboratories may choose the biochemistry and biotechnology emphasis. This emphasis is also appropriate for students interested in attending professional health schools, such as medical school and pharmacy school. Students interested in teaching high school chemistry may choose the education emphasis. This emphasis includes courses in chemistry teaching methods and also requires a certified minor and completion of the Secondary Education Professional Program.
Students may select the environmental emphasis if they wish to seek employment in a position related to environmental chemistry or an advanced degree that may be related to environmental issues.
We recommend that students start in the professional emphasis, because it is easier to transfer from there to one of the other emphases than vice versa. For any degree program in chemistry it is important to start the proper sequence of chemistry courses as soon as possible. Students who wish to major in chemistry should see a member of the Chemistry Department to plan their program at the earliest opportunity.