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.
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.
My favorite thing about Heidelberg is collaborating with students. I feel like they teach me as much as I teach them.
Heidelberg chemistry majors have an outstanding record of success in both graduate school and employment.
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.
Heidelberg's Chemistry programs afforded me tremendously useful skills beyond just the curriculum and materials. I entered my Ph.D. program at an R1 university with the tools I needed to be prepared to take on dissertation research from coastal North Carolina with the National Science Foundation to being the youngest researcher in the Atlantic Ocean with a NASA project. The connections with my professors at Heidelberg and opportunities for independent research, conference travel, and teaching assistantships have been invaluable.
Our chemistry graduates pursue a wide range of career paths including graduate study in chemistry or advanced programs in health related fields (medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary science, etc.), as well as direct employment after graduation. A chemistry major can open the door to a wide variety of professional occupations including bench chemist, quality control chemist, environmental chemist, pharmaceutical sales rep, research scientist, chemical information specialist, pharmaceutical sales rep, quality control administrator, nurse, anesthesiologist, HES professional, and research scientist.
Faculty members honored for teaching, research, service
Alumni research scientists lead group sharing career experiences with students
