Skip to main content

Bachelor of Science in Chemistry

This is one of Michigan's high-demand, top careers

About

Enter a world of discovery as a chemistry major at Saginaw Valley State University. Chemistry bridges physical, life, applied, and environmental sciences, and a comprehensive understanding of the field unlocks a multitude of career paths—from research, manufacturing, and pharmaceuticals to pursuing medical school.

When you’re passionate about science and how life and the world as we know it have come to be, chemistry provides the answers and the skills for tackling new questions and overcoming obstacles. A program for motivated, curious individuals with a strong investigative side, the Bachelor of Science in Chemistry degree challenges you from the classroom out into the field. Explore its limitless realm while broadening your knowledge of physical, analytical, organic, and inorganic disciplines. Hands-on experience is paramount: Laboratory work in modern, state-of-the-art facilities complements classroom discussions, allowing you to observe and test theoretical concepts. In receiving the support needed to cultivate your passion, you’ll further have the chance to participate in faculty research, including involving the nearby Kawkawlin River, as well as conduct your own experiments—a rare and rewarding opportunity for undergraduate students.

Guidance doesn’t end there. As you thrive in an engaging environment encouraging exploration, you’ll outline your future on your terms. Prepare for dental, medical, optometry, or another professional school through the assistance of SVSU’s Pre-Health program, which exposes you to a hospital setting before you finish your bachelor’s degree. Envision yourself energizing others over your love of science and chemistry, and strive to specialize your knowledge by entering a graduate program. Or, as chemistry is integral to many industries, gain the research, laboratory, and problem-solving skills needed to contribute to their respective advancements.

Wherever you see yourself, the Department of Chemistry at SVSU brings together a rigorous course of study with creativity and an attitude of perseverance to provide you with a versatile foundation and get you where you want to be.

For more information, contact Department Chair Jennifer Chaytor at jchaytor@svsu.edu.

Cardinal Points

  • Tami Sivy, professor of chemistry, recently received the Michigan Distinguished Professor of the Year award from the Michigan Association of State Universities. The award recognizes the outstanding contributions and dedication exhibited by the faculty from Michigan’s 15 public universities. Read More »

     

  • SVSU's instructional facilities feature modern and well-equipped laboratories that have major equipment available for separation and analysis, spectroscopy, surface analysis and more.  

  • The Department of Chemistry is certified by the American Chemical Society, a scientific group with nearly 200,000 members that provides educational guidance and technical support. 

Approved by the American Chemical Society (ACS), the curriculum for the Bachelor’s in Chemistry degree focuses on the properties, composition, and reactions of disparate substances across organic, inorganic, analytical, and physical areas. Within this general framework, applied instruction gives context to what you’ve just learned in the classroom.

All students begin their journey with Basic Skills and General Education requirements. As a student striving to earn a BS in Chemistry, you’re advised to allot a potion of these credits toward courses in mathematics, physics, and introductory chemistry.

From here, you’ll complete 43 credits as part of your major. In committing to this path, you’ll start to expand your mindset and prepare for more advanced coursework with an understanding of general chemical properties, principles, and relevant applications. This baseline leads you toward organic chemistry, including covalent bonds, reactions, mechanisms, and the stereochemistry of organic compounds.

Continuing through chemistry’s key disciplines, you’ll explore topics in analytical chemistry, such as theories and applications of titrimetric, gravimetric, potentiometric, spectrophotometric, and chromatographic methods and the design and application of instrumental methods used for chemical analysis. Courses in physical chemistry offer greater insight into classical and statistical thermodynamics, the properties of gases and solutions, quantum mechanics, and chemical equilibrium. Electives then lead you to learn more about inorganic and biochemistry.

To refine your knowledge, you have the option of selecting an environmental emphasis for your degree. These courses introduce air, water, and soil collection, touch on the transport phenomenon, and cover sample collection, preparation, and analysis and reporting methods.

In total, you’ll earn a minimum of 124 credits. All students opting to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry degree are further required to complete a second major or minor.

Highlighted Courses

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Key Electives

Click here to see a listing of programs

Programs

Majors

Other

Your Plan for a Successful College Experience

The Cardinal Plan is a unique outline created by faculty for your program at SVSU and serves as a guide for student success.

Download Your Cardinal Success Plan

Complementary Minors/Majors

Our Students After Graduation...

Employers

Dow Chemical Company
Dow DuPont
Cul-Mac Industries
Michigan Health Information Alliance
Chelsea Milling Company
Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories
BASF
Nexteer Automotive
Michigan State Police
Spicer Group

Graduate Programs

Michigan State University
University of Missouri
University of Michigan
University of Wisconsin
University of North Carolina
Wayne State University
Baylor University

Career Opportunities

Environmental Scientist
Medicinal Chemist
Patent Lawyer/Reviewer
Forensic Scientist
Polymer Chemist
Material Scientist
Quality Manager
Chemist
Reactor Technologist
Product Manager

How do you see yourself innovating in the world? Those who’ve earned a Bachelor’s in Chemistry degree from SVSU go on to some of the country’s leading medical schools to become doctors, or they continue their studies in a respected graduate program.

If you seek to make a difference in the workforce, your bachelor’s degree equips you for entry-level research and analysis roles in government organizations, power plants and the energy industry, pharmaceuticals, health care, agriculture and food, cosmetics, manufacturing and production, forensics, biotechnology, defense, and automotive, among other private and public entities. 

  • 5% projected growth for employment of chemists and materials scientists with a bachelor’s degree through 2029. (U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics)
  • $80,680 is the median yearly pay for a chemist in the U.S. (U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics)
  • The Department of Chemistry maintains a 95% job placement rate across all majors and degrees. 

Cardinal Successes

These stories offer insight into how SVSU students have turned their education into successful opportunities yielding real-world success.

April Lukowski

Read more…

Mackenzie Allen

Read more…

Fully integrated into social networks, SVSU Connect is a valuable networking space dedicated to the community of SVSU students, faculty and alumni which cultivates a culture of helping and giving back. In addition to connecting with each other, students at all points along their journey can reach out to alumni mentors for guidance and insight into making the most of their SVSU experience and successfully transitioning into life after graduation.