When you earn a chemistry degree at Pacific, you will build skills to give you confidence and a competitive edge as you enter the workplace or pursue graduate degrees. Unlike many other universities, Pacific offers undergraduates the opportunity to conduct hands-on research. You can work alongside faculty whose labs are contributing to treatments for diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's.
When you earn a chemistry degree at Pacific, you can expect to receive training in all practical laboratory skills. These skills give you confidence and a competitive edge as you enter the workplace or pursue graduate degrees. Senior students (BS) compete very well nationally for admission to the best professional schools and are very competitive in the employment market after graduation. Our graduate students (MS/PhD) have secured leading positions in industry and academia nationally and internationally.
Unlike large universities, Pacific offers a student-centered learning experience. This holds true for the Department of Chemistry as well. If you major in chemistry or biochemistry, you will receive not only opportunities to develop a deep understanding of the subject, but you will be mentored by the faculty much more closely than at other universities.
You have the option to earn your bachelor's degree in three years. Do your part to stay on track, and you could shave a year off your undergraduate work. That means significant savings on tuition and you get a jumpstart on your career.
Alec Follmer graduated from Pacific in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. He is now a postdoctoral fellow at California Institute of Technology where he studies biochemical physics, specifically bio-inorganic chemistry.
Biochemistry is the study of the molecules, reactions and processes that produce life at the molecular level. Understanding biochemistry allows researchers to identify better drugs and develop more effective treatments to improve the human condition. Our biochemistry program offers you, as an undergraduate, opportunities to participate in research projects that focus on drug discovery and combating disease so you can make a real difference.
The department offers a variety of exciting and future-oriented research topics, stretching from organic synthesis, biochemistry, theoretical chemistry, to physical chemistry and spectroscopy. Graduate students are required to engage in research, but we also encourage undergraduates to get involved. Our faculty has authored/co-authored over 106 research papers in high-quality peer-reviewed journals, often co-authored with undergraduate and/or graduate student researchers. Faculty and students attend numerous national and international conferences and present their papers. Our students also have the opportunity to engage in paid summer research with faculty members.
Current grants (close to $1,000,000) support this research and have funded
Tuesday Seminar Series: The Tuesday seminars are intended to bring internationally recognized colleagues to the department to keep faculty, as well as undergraduate and graduate students, informed about the latest developments in the field, establish a network of contacts, and develop collaborations.
Graduate students admitted to the Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chemistry Program earn salary as teaching assistants in undergraduate laboratories. They are required to carry out research, and they receive up to 9 units tuition remission per semester.
Despite its small size, the Department of Chemistry mentors 24 Graduate students and several post-doctoral fellows.
Undergraduate students have the opportunity to join research groups in the department to fulfill the requirements of chemistry/biochemistry electives, but also in form of summer internships. In the research groups, they will work alongside Graduate students and the faculty supervisor on current projects. They either receive units for their work or (upon availability of funds and qualification) salary as research associates.
1) Synthesis and Drug Discovery/Design: The track puts emphasis on the discovery and development of new compounds (synthetic and natural product sources) as potential drugs as well as new methods of chemical synthesis and structure elucidation.
2) Bioanalytical/Physical Chemistry/Biochemistry: The track puts emphasis on the investigation of chemical, biochemical, and biomedical questions with a broad range of experimental and computational tools. This includes state-of-the-art synthetic methodologies, instrumentation, and molecular techniques.
Gabby started college with the goal of becoming a research scientist at a national lab. In fact, she decided to study chemistry at Pacific because of the university’s research opportunities. As a recipient of Pacific’s Stauffer Charitable Trust Challenge Grant, she was able to work on synthesizing molecular switches which have a potential use in cancer drug delivery systems.
Six chemistry students each summer received stipends to pay for their research thanks to the John Stauffer Charitable Trust as well as donations from university alumni, friends and students who belong to the professional chemistry organization Alpha Chi Sigma. The trust matched donations, dollar for dollar, for a total of $1 million.
If you wish to qualify to teach chemistry at the secondary level, you should complete the Single Subject Credential. Ask you adviser or the department chair for information on specific course requirements. For other credential requirements, you should consult faculty in Benerd College.
The PacNoyce Scholars Program provides scholarships and other support for STEM majors at Pacific who become teachers in high-needs school districts, such as Stockton.
You could be eligible for the Robert Noyce Teachers Scholarship worth up to $13,750 a year, for juniors and seniors or $20,000 for the final MA/teaching credential year.
