Chemistry

Conduct research, publish papers, prepare speeches, and give presentations while at the same time developing personal relationships with your professors who will help you reach your goals. This is how you have a graduate school experience at the undergraduate level.

Whether you want to be in the lab or the field, you can get started right away. Our program combines strong academic rigor with hands-on research opportunism in the lab.

Opportunities

Chem Club

Heidelberg’s Chem Club is part of the American Chemical Society Student Affiliate. The club sponsors events that provide chemistry and biochemistry students with professional experience. Every year, the club takes trips to laboratories, graduates schools, and the National American Chemical Society Conference. Heidelberg's Chem Club has won the Outstanding Award from ACS for the past three years - the only private college in Ohio to do so. 

Netherlands Trip

Through an interdisciplinary course - The Science of Art - you have the opportunity to study the chemical techniques used to produce, restore, and conserve art. In the Netherlands, you'll explore a variety of museums, and historical sites to apply this knowledge. The trip combines science, art, history, and culture of the area. 

Labs and Equipment

At Heidelberg we value a hands-on approach, which is why we let students actually run all of our instruments. When our graduates look for careers, they are able to list experience with a number of instruments on their resume which is not common at undergraduate institutions. The Chemistry and Biochemistry Department has several discipline-specific labs that contain specialized equipment to facilitate learning and research. All labs are equipped with standard safety features including safety showers, eyewash stations, fire extinguishers, first-aid kits, and hoods. These labs employ upper-class student workers as teaching assistants and chemistry student assistants. 

Meet the Faculty

Our students say the best part of Heidelberg is working with their professors. Meet the faculty of this department. 

Careers

Our chemistry graduates pursue a wide range of career paths including graduate study in chemistry or professional schools in the health sciences, as well as direct employment after graduation. A chemistry major can open the door to a wide variety of professional occupations including chemical information specialist, pharmaceutical sales rep, quality control administrator, nurse, anesthesiologist, HES professional, and research scientist.  

Outcomes

Heidelberg chemistry majors have an outstanding record of success with a 100% placement rate within six months of graduation last year. This included both employment and graduate school.

Rick Mahon, ‘05

After Heidelberg, Rick graduated from Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2010 and then started a four-year residency in anesthesiology at a regional hospital of the Cleveland Clinic. He is currently a pediatric anesthesiologist at Fisher-Titus Medical Center in Norwalk, OH.

It was a long road through medical school, but I’m glad I stuck with it. There were times when I doubted myself because it’s different from undergraduate work and daunting simply because of the amount of material, but Heidelberg helped me feel prepared.