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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 — see BS course descriptions and requirements below.  

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.

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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).

This alternative reactivity displayed by ARD has been linked to the development of cancer. Kelsey's work is the first functional and structural biomimetic model of ARD. Additionally, this work highlights the first example of a nickel coordination compound that is capable of activating O2 directly. This reactivity has broad implications on how other similar enzymes might display aberrant behavior in nature. Kelsey started working in the Toledo lab at the beginning of her sophomore year. Kelsey was the lead person in this project. She is also a supplemental instructor for General Chemistry I and is a member of the Department's recruitment and retention committee. Kelsey intends to enter into a PhD program in Chemistry in the Fall of 2025.

Career Outlook

The DC area is the highest paying region in America for chemists, with a regional average salary of $139,000 in 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Top employers for undergraduates from AU's Department of Chemistry

  • Brigham and Women's Hospital
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Deloitte
  • GW Medical Faculty Associates
  • Institute for Science and International Security
  • National Institutes of Health
  • New York Medical College
  • Peace Corp
  • Pfizer, Inc.
  • SIG Susquehanna
  • Tessera
  • US Environmental Protection Agency
  • Unity Health Care, Inc.
  • Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation


See more about Chemistry alumni career outcomes.