Chemistry

Chemistry Bachelor's of Arts Degree

Tailor Your Degree to Your Professional Path

Develop food additives, preservatives, and improve food processing techniques. Study pollution, create eco-friendly products, and contribute to environmental monitoring. Analyze evidence in criminal investigations. Our flexible degree offers all the options.

Michigan Tech’s bachelor of arts in chemistry is a traditional liberal arts degree that provides you with a foundation in the chemical sciences and basic lab skills.

Add a minor and enroll in courses that help you pursue other interests, such as law, education, business, or pre-health. Or you can go into criminology, science writing, entrepreneurship, education, and more. If you plan to continue on to pharmacy school, the BA program offers a concentration in pre-pharmacy. Our faculty and advisors will help you tailor your program to your goals. With a BA in Chemistry there are few limits to what you can do.

Learn in a supportive environment. First-year chemistry students enroll in the orientation course, Professional Development for Chemists I (PDC I). This allows new students to get connected to their peers and understand the expectations of being a successful chemistry student at Michigan Tech.

Graduate job-ready. Most chemistry majors participate in research or a co-op/internship experience. Our students have garnered internships with high-profile employers including Los Alamos National Laboratory. Additionally, you may have the opportunity to publish your research.

Choose your Career Path

The Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry gives you the chance to chart your own unique career path.

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  • 8-12
    average class size for major-specific courses
  • 100%
    of students use state-of-the-art instrumentation in teaching labs
  • 5
    qualified students guaranteed early admission to Ferris State University's College of Pharmacy
  • No. 15
    best salaries for graduates (Wall Street Journal, 2025)

Tomorrow Needs Knowledgeable Chemistry Professionals

Professionals in health care, government, law, and business are grappling with more complex challenges that require the critical thinking, pattern recognition and pattern deconstruction skills that a graduate with a bachelor's of arts degree in chemistry possesses.

Be Career Ready

Career Opportunities for Chemistry Majors

Your future career options are unlimited with a degree in chemistry. Career opportunities can be found in, but are not limited to:

  • Agricultural and Food Products
  • Biotechnology
  • Chemicals
  • Education
  • Government
  • Health Professions
  • Manufacturing
  • Patent law, intellectual property and science policy
  • Pharmaceuticals and Medicines
  • Plastics and Coatings
  • Public Health
  • Publishing
  • Scientific Research and Development

You can explore career options further.

Michigan Tech Chemistry Majors Can Get Hired As

Almost any company or government agency requires someone with an understanding of chemistry. Graduates go on to become:

  • Attorney (Patent Law/Intellectual Property/Industrial Law)
  • Chemical or Pharmaceutical Sales and Marketing Manager
  • Criminologist
  • Entrepreneur
  • High School Teacher
  • Patent Agent/Examiner
  • Pharmacist
  • Physical Therapist
  • Physician
  • Public Policy Specialist
  • Soil Scientist
  • Science/Technology Writer
  • Veterinarian
  • Water Resource Specialist

Ready to take the next step?

Learn more about studying chemistry at Michigan's flagship technological university.

Study Chemistry at a Technological University

At Michigan Tech, you’ll build research skills and foundational knowledge required to succeed in graduate school, research, or industry. You'll learn and experience first-hand how chemistry is central to solving real-world problems in sustainability, human health, environment, and manufacturing. With chemistry faculty that also serve as your research advisors and mentors, you'll experiment with chemistry in the lab and present results in classrooms, research symposia, and scientific journals.

  • Get personalized attention: 12.7:1 student-faculty ratio ensures your academic advisors and professors know you and understand your interests and needs. You receive guidance in a timely fashion. They can help pair you with research opportunities that meet your needs and provide valuable experience.
  • Customize your chemistry education: At Michigan Tech, our programs span pure chemistry (BS and BA options), biochemistry and molecular biology, computational chemistry and chemical informatics, and medicinal chemistry (includes pharmaceutical chemistry). Explore a variety of chemistry fields through our interdisciplinary approach and tailor your degree to fit your individual pathway.
  • Engage in chemistry research: Become involved in a research project under the direction of a faculty member. Whether you are planning to go to graduate school or enter the job market upon graduation, you’ll have an edge on the competition—hands-on experience with undergraduate research and  state-of-the-art research instrumentation.
  • Practice basic chemistry concepts: Work as a peer coach in the Chemistry Learning Center helping other students understand chemistry concepts while reinforcing your grasp of the basics.

College of Sciences and Arts

The College of Sciences and Arts is a community of faculty, staff, and students committed to excellence and driven by our passion for education, outreach, research, and creativity across the social and natural sciences, humanities, and the arts. Uniquely situated in the heart of Michigan's R1 flagship technological university, we specialize in human-centered potential and discovery-based learning designed to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. Knowing that every student at Michigan Tech will pass through our doors, our college strives to be at the forefront of interdisciplinary collaborations that lead to breakthrough solutions.

Our students gain a profound understanding of social and cultural contexts through experiential learning and innovative research. We welcome you to be part of our caring, expansive college community, with 32 undergraduate and 24 graduate degrees to choose from.

The opportunities in Michigan Tech's College of Sciences and Arts are limitless. Transform into a civic leader ready to contribute to a sustainable future. Lead and participate in action-based experiences that are critical to the start of a fulfilling career. Job-shadow at a local hospital or veterinary clinic while preparing for a career in health. Design sound and lighting for a regional production. Conduct community forums on the implications of artificial intelligence. Work to purify vaccines. Study the impact of social media on society. Research the mysteries of space and galaxies beyond our universe. Explore transforming abandoned iron and copper mines into giant batteries. Understand freshwater ecosystem health. Document the nature of changes in cognitive function and motor behavior in aging and dementia.

At Michigan Tech, your academic growth is supported by a variety of learning centers, along with our Humanities Digital Media Zone and Writing Center. Model climate in the only cloud chamber of its kind. Take part in interdisciplinary health research in our state-of-the-art H-STEM Complex. Create amazing sights and sounds in our visual art, sound, and theatre performance spaces. 

Tomorrow Needs You

Combine your creativity and curiosity to meet pressing societal challenges with innovative solutions. Graduate with the technical skills, critical thinking and tenacity to inspire, design and implement a sustainable future across social and natural sciences, humanities, and arts.

Undergraduate Majors in Chemistry

Not sure which major is the right fit? No problem. Browse the entire list of College of Sciences and Arts majors. Or, give yourself time and declare the General Sciences and Arts major, which lets you decide when you arrive on campus. To learn more, speak to an academic advisor.

Student Learning Goals

When you complete our bachelor's of arts chemistry degree, you can expect to achieve the following:

  • will have theoretical and experimental knowledge in basic, organic and physical chemistry, and in quantitative and instrumental analytical methods.
  • will know how to work safely in a laboratory to collect, analyze and evaluate experimental data.
  • be able to use scientific literature relevant to critical evaluation of a scientific question, to research, and to solve problems.
  • communicate scientific ideas to general and scientific audiences using both oral and written methods.
  • demonstrate proficiency in the societal and environmental implications of chemistry as a discipline, and professional responsibilities as an ethical chemist.
  • will be competitive in graduate study or professional work in chemistry, education, or other chosen professional fields such as health professions, law, business.
  • will be able to integrate knowledge of chemistry into your educational or career goals.
"I love how small the chemistry department is at Michigan Tech! I feel like I really got to know the people and professors in my classes and department, and I don't think I would have had this opportunity at a larger school."Maria Walczyk '23 pharmaceutical chemistry