University of St. Thomas

When asked what one word best describes the chemistry major at St. Thomas, a faculty member responded, “rigorous.”

A real student asks:

 

If I want to be a pharmacist should I major in chemistry?

A chemistry faculty member responds: A chemistry major is a great choice for a student planning to be a pharmacist. You should consult with your adviser early to help you fit in biology and other courses required for entering pharmacy school. The biochemistry major also may be a good choice for pre-pharmacy students.

What jobs are possible with a Chemistry major?

What are recent graduates doing now?

David Ebner ’02, graduate student, organic chemistry, Cal Tech
Mark Ulrich ’04, forensic scientist, Minneapolis Police Department
Nathan Coleman ’05, medical school, Johns Hopkins
Melissa Jones ’06, environmental activist and graduate student, analytical chemistry, University of Minnesota

What opportunities are there to bolster my resume while I'm in the program?

Internships. Performing undergraduate research is one of the best ways to put yourself one step ahead in this field. Students often have the opportunity to get involved in collaborative research with faculty in their freshman year if they so choose. There are ample opportunities for industrial internship opportunities; examples of current or recent experiences include 3M, Eli Lilly (pharmaceutical research) and DiaSorin (local biotech company).

Study abroad. There are many opportunities for chemistry majors who wish to study abroad. Austin Johnson ’06 studied in Beijing and Chongqing, China where he took graduate-level business and economics classes at the prestigious University of International Business and Economics. Maureen O’Connor ’07 spent a semester studying at the University of Ireland – Galway. Although she took the semester off of chemistry courses, she still graduated in four years with a B.S. in chemistry.

Faculty at work

We have a very active collaborative research program in chemistry. Currently we have more than 30 students working on research projects in our department. Visit our web site for a summary of current research opportunities and recent research presentations and publications.