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
Sustainable Recycling
In Prof. Rebecca DiPucchio’s lab, Zosia Amberger ’25 has explored post-polymerization functionalization of commodity polymers in pursuit of sustainable recycling methods—research she’s using for her senior thesis.
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.
Under the mentorship of Professor O’Leary and Professor Ball in organic chemistry, I found how supportive and collaborative the Chemistry Department was. They were always available for office hours, and made it clear that my curiosity was welcome, happily answering my million questions.