Study the fundamental properties and principles of chemical systems and get hands-on experience with modern instrumentation and software in courses and research.
As a chemistry major or minor, you will learn how to explore and explain chemical phenomena in the context of the world around us.
To foster your creativity and critical thinking skills, you will have the opportunity to work on independent research projects guided by faculty mentors. The Department supports students who wish to study abroad.
You may opt for a pre-professional chemistry curriculum that is certified by the American Chemical Society. A chemical engineering track is also available.
What You’ll Study
- Fundamental processes of the chemical world.
- Foundational classes in analytical, biological, inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry.
- Elective courses in atmospheric, bio-inorganic, bio-organic, environmental, materials, and medicinal chemistry, in addition to chemical biology, NMR spectroscopy, and nanotechnology.
Researching at Pomona
Type 2 Diabetes: Medical Diagnosis & Public Health Implications
Zachary Wakefield ’23 compared different testing methods for type 2 diabetes and developed a statistical methods section for a study of breath VOCs that are associated with diabetes status.
Palladium-catalyzed Cross-coupling Reactions in the Pharmaceutical Industry
This summer, Phillip Kong ’24 conducted a literature review of recent advances in the application of Suzuki-Miyaura and Buchwald-Hartwig Couplings to the pharmaceutical industry with funding from the RAISE program.
These two years as a chemistry major have been awesome. I have felt inspired by my peers and professors alike, and most importantly feel supported in this quest for higher knowledge. There is one recent perk though, that has really felt like the cherry on top - an official lab coat with my name, no joke, embroidered on it.