About the Department of Chemistry
The Chemistry department at University of Idaho offers B.S. and research M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Chemistry.
Undergraduate Degrees
For the student who wants to pursue a graduate degree or will work in a field related to chemistry, we offer the Professional B.S. in Chemistry, which is the degree accredited by the American Chemical Society.
For students interested in pursuing careers in medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy we offer a B.S.-Pre Med.
For teaching secondary school or for those adding chemistry as a second degree (such as Chemical Engineering, Physics or a biology related field) we offer the General B.S. degree.
For those students who want to enter the field of forensic chemistry at a state or federal crime laboratory we offer the B.S. Forensics degree.
Graduate Degrees
The Ph.D. in Chemistry is primarily a research degree in which students are expected to produce a dissertation that describes an original and significant research endeavor.
The thesis Master's degree proceeds along similar lines, but with a more restricted scope.
A non-thesis Masters in Chemistry is also offered for those who want to focus on course work only.
Renfrew Hall
The department is located in Renfrew Hall, named after Malcolm Renfrew, a former faculty member and chair of the department whose legacy continues as a generous benefactor of the program.
Faculty and Students
The building houses nearly 14 faculty with assistance from 8 permanent staff members. The number of graduate students pursuing advanced degrees is between 25-35, and we have approximately 10 postdoctoral scientists and visiting faculty and over 100 undergraduate majors at any time.
Research Opportunities
Research in the department is loosely organized around the traditional divisions of analytical, inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry, but opportunities to cross disciplines within the department and with other academic departments are plentiful.
Contact Us
Please look around and don't hesitate to contact us.