SCHOOL OF STEAM
Chemistry, Bachelor of Science
Introduction
Earn an ACS Accredited Chemistry Degree from Saint Francis University
Chemistry majors at Saint Francis University become problem-solving scientists through hands-on experience at the undergraduate level — developing skills to set them up for successful careers in government, industry, education, medicine, and private institutions. Students will benefit from lab experience, research opportunities, and internships as they work to achieve their goals.
Offered: On-Campus
access to state-of-the-art facilities and instrumentation
opportunities for one-on-one instruction and collaborative research projects
American Chemical Society award-winning program
The SFU LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Chemistry the Saint Francis Way
Collaboration is the heart of our chemistry program. Our teaching philosophy is to foster a colleague relationship between you and our faculty. For example, classroom lectures are active learning environments where you work directly with faculty on problem-solving skills. You will also partner with faculty on undergraduate research opportunities, lab teaching assistantships, and service projects.
Work and play can be the key to chemistry success!
Your interests will determine your path to becoming a research chemist, pharmacist, high school teacher, forensic scientist, or any array of professions—it’s all up to you.
Research: In our program, students are encouraged to start doing undergraduate research as early as freshman year, gaining you valuable hands on experience on techniques and instrumentation used in industry, research labs, or chemical facilities.
Outreach: R.O.C.K. (Rural Outreach Chemistry for Kids) In the R.O.C.K. program you can work with local K-12 students to show that science (especially chemistry) is important in everyone's life and can be exciting. R.O.C.K. volunteers perform hands-on chemistry experiments and activities using mainly household products. We focus on classroom visits (not stage presentations) in the 5 county area around SFU (Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Clearfield, and Somerset). R.O.C.K. also looks at the role that chemistry will have in the future as well as how it will benefit our society
Engagement: Become that someone through enriched learning opportunities and community-engagement courses, and actively affect change in the world.
Instrumentation: Access to state-of-the-art facilities and instrumentation — beginning as a freshman — will set you up for success as a graduate student or chemistry professional.
Club Involvement:
- Chemistry Club: The American Chemical Society Student Chapter is an organization dedicated to showing the university and the general community how fun science can be. We host and participate in a wide variety of campus events, including National Chemistry Week and the Solar 5K. We also partner closely with R.O.C.K. (Rural Outreach Chemistry for Kids) to offer our members many community service opportunities throughout the school year.
Honor Society:
- Gamma Sigma Epsilon Chemistry honor Society is a national chemistry honor society founded in 1919 at Davidson College. The fraternity was created to promote academic excellence and undergraduate research scholarship in chemistry. An invitation to membership in Gamma Sigma Epsilon is a coveted honor among students in chemistry.
The best way to explore what the student experience really looks like is to
We would love to meet you and discuss your career goals!
CURRICULUM & COURSES
What You’ll Learn in the Undergraduate Chemistry Program
Have you ever experimented with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy? How about gas chromatography? As a chemistry undergraduate student at Saint Francis, you will gain invaluable lab and research experience that will catapult you into your future. The comprehensive curriculum is designed to position students to become successful no matter where you decide to go — whether it be graduate school or the workforce. With the option of either a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry, you will not only build a solid foundation, but will also have the opportunity to combine your chemistry degree with other fields of study such as biology, business, or criminal justice. Concentrations in environmental chemistry, forensic chemistry, nanotechnology, pre-medicine, pre-pharmacy, and education leave you free to tailor your studies to your interests, and ultimately set you on the path to achieving your goals.
On-Campus:
| Degree Path | Description | Course Catalog | Plan of Study |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemistry, B.A. | in-person bachelor of arts degree | Course Catalog - 25/26 | Plan of Study |
Chemistry, B.S. | in-person bachelor of science degree | ||
Biochemistry, B.S. | focus within Chemistry, B.S. | Course Catalog - 25/26 | |
Chemistry, B.S., Duquesne 3 + 4 Pre-Pharmacy Concentration | focus within Chemistry, B.S. | Course Catalog - 25/26 | |
Chemistry, B.S., Environmental Chemistry Concentration | focus within Chemistry, B.S. | Course Catalog - 25/26 | |
Chemistry, B.S., Forensics Concentration | focus within Chemistry, B.S. | Course Catalog - 25/26 | |
| Chemistry, B.S., Nanotechnology Concentration | focus within Chemistry, B.S. | Course Catalog - 25/26 | |
Chemistry, B.S., Pre-Medicine Concentration | focus within Chemistry, B.S. | Course Catalog - 25/26 | |
Chemistry, B.S., LECOM Pre-Dental Concentration | focus within Chemistry, B.S. | Course Catalog - 25/26 | |
| Chemistry, B.S., LECOM 3+3 Pre-Pharmacy Concentration | focus within Chemistry, B.S. | Course Catalog - 25/26 | Plan of Study |
Chemistry, B.S., Salus Pre-Optometry Concentration | focus within Chemistry, B.S. | Course Catalog - 24/25 | Plan of Study |
| Chemistry, B.S., Secondary Education Concentration | focus within Chemistry, B.S. | Course Catalog - 25/26 | |
| Fermentation Chemistry Chemistry B.A. with a Minor in Business Administration | In-person bachelor of arts degree | Course Catalog - 25/26 | Plan of Study |
| Chemistry Minor | a strong foundation in basic concepts and principles of modern chemistry | Course Catalog - 25/26 |
Upon successful completion of the undergraduate Chemistry program, you will be able to:
- Ability to use and read chemical formulas, nomenclature and chemical reactions and to do calculations involving stoichiometry, mixtures, solutions, solubility, and chemical equilibrium
- Ability to describe and recognize bonding, structure and stereochemistry and to predict organic reactions, mechanisms and synthesis
- Ability to explain how cells and organisms sense and control their internal environment and respond to change, and how molecular structure dictates function
- Ability to apply the laws of thermodynamics to evaluate conditions of chemical equilibrium and direction and rates of chemical reactions
- Ability to describe the chemistry of metallic and nonmetallic elements and their industrial importance and to apply valence bond, molecular orbital theories and group theory in order to understand the properties and chemistry of inorganic complexes
- Ability to read primary sources (peer reviewed literature) and verbally communicate chemical concepts effectively
As a Chemistry major, you will have the opportunity to earn an ACS certified degree. The Saint Francis University Chemistry Program has been approved by the American Chemical Society to offer ACS certified degrees. An institution with an ACS-approved program in chemistry is committed to providing a broadly based and intellectually challenging experience in chemistry. The ACS Committee on Professional Training (CPT) carefully evaluates a chemistry department’s program with respect to its breadth and depth, the qualifications of the chemistry faculty, the adequacy of the facilities, condition of instrumentation, access to current chemical literature, and opportunities for a meaningful research experience. An academic institution whose chemistry department meets the guidelines for ACS approval is placed on a nationally recognized list of approved chemistry programs.
For more information, visit :
American Chemical Society
Dedicated Researchers; Passionate Teachers
Our chemistry teaching team, including seven Ph.D.-level members and two lab instructors, love to share their academic research and industry experience with each new class. This core group of educators allows us to offer students an outstanding education in the chemical sciences. And if you are lucky, they may even share some insight on the latest blockbuster movie science from Hollywood.
Program Chair: Dr. Michele Hargittai, mhargittai@francis.edu, 814.472.2775
Career Outlook in Chemistry
Thanks to the solid foundation of our curriculum and the versatility of our chemistry program, our graduates have gone on to become successful medical doctors, pharmacists, dentists, optometrists, teachers, researchers, forensic scientists, lawyers, and so much more.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions About Chemistry and Saint Francis University
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Chemistry provides so much opportunity for diverse career paths — from pre-medicine, to research, to biochemistry — that graduates can tailor their studies to their goals. You can attend graduate school or medical school, work in a lab, teach high school chemistry, become a public health professional, be an environmental engineer, and so much more!
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Rural Outreach Chemistry for Kids (R.O.C.K) is a volunteer organization founded in 1995 by Dr. Edward P. Zovinka and the American Chemical Society-Student Affiliates (Chemistry Club). Through hands-on experiments and activities (using mainly household products), it demonstrates the importance of chemistry to local K-12 schools and youth organizations free of charge.
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The chemistry faculty at SFU want you to get involved in research as a freshman. The more time you are able to spend on a project the more you can learn and the more comfortable you become with chemistry laboratory skills.
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We have small class sizes; fewer than 30 students for freshman year classes and fewer than 10 students for upper-level classes. The small class sizes give faculty time to work with students on an individual basis. The university also has free tutors available for all students.
Chemistry provides so much opportunity for diverse career paths — from pre-medicine, to research, to biochemistry — that graduates can tailor their studies to their goals. You can attend graduate school or medical school, work in a lab, teach high school chemistry, become a public health professional, be an environmental engineer, and so much more!
Rural Outreach Chemistry for Kids (R.O.C.K) is a volunteer organization founded in 1995 by Dr. Edward P. Zovinka and the American Chemical Society-Student Affiliates (Chemistry Club). Through hands-on experiments and activities (using mainly household products), it demonstrates the importance of chemistry to local K-12 schools and youth organizations free of charge.
The chemistry faculty at SFU want you to get involved in research as a freshman. The more time you are able to spend on a project the more you can learn and the more comfortable you become with chemistry laboratory skills.
We have small class sizes; fewer than 30 students for freshman year classes and fewer than 10 students for upper-level classes. The small class sizes give faculty time to work with students on an individual basis. The university also has free tutors available for all students.