Chemistry
Approved by the American Chemical Society, the department encourages close student-faculty interaction, balancing excellent teaching with an evolving curriculum and innovative research. All major areas of chemistry are represented: general, organic, physical, inorganic, biochemical, and analytical. Chemistry courses stress the understanding of chemical principles, as well as the experimental basis of the science, and allow students to work with a wide range of modern, research-quality equipment, including a 400 MHz NMR, mass spectrometers (GC-MS and LC-MS), capillary gas-chromatographs, and spectroscopy equipment (UV, visible, fluorescence). Majors are encouraged to participate in the department’s summer research program or pursue off-campus research opportunities.
You can major in this subject.
For more information, see the Chemistry department site.
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Which Carleton classes have been your favorites? Why? Margaret Taylor '10 says:Organic Chemistry. It's like playing Tinkertoys, except that if you do it wrong, you could blow up the lab. I also liked my freshman seminar, Origins of Modern Science. It was all about how the philosophy of modern science, like empiricism, came about, taught via the story of how we figured out how to account for the movement of the planets. -
Keven Tell '09 says:Chemistry has group comps, so the topics are predetermined. I am hoping to get into the group focusing on food chemistry, as that is what I might possibly go to graduate school for. -
What’s been your hardest class? Avantika Jalan '10 says:Organic Chemistry I. Most of my classes have been difficult, but I have managed to handle them so far.