Chemistry & Biochemistry Program

Chemistry & Biochemistry Program

About the Chemistry & Biochemistry Program

The College of Letters, Arts & Sciences welcomes you to the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

The Chemistry and Biochemistry department offers opportunities for research at the undergraduate and graduate levels, vibrant and transformative teaching, and the networking resources you need to succeed in your career endeavors.

Why Chemistry & Biochemistry?

Chemistry is the science of substances - their composition, structure, properties, and interactions. Chemistry helps explain the world and its workings; chemists have contributed a great deal to the technical advances of society and have made many important contributions to modern life. Everything is made from one or more chemical elements that occur in nature.

Chemists use different kinds of chemical processes to make the elements found in nature more useful, and they create countless products that make our lives healthier, easier, and more enjoyable. There are as many specializations as there are areas of application of chemical principles.

"Courage is like — it’s a habitus, a habit, a virtue: you get it by courageous acts. It’s like you learn to swim by swimming. You learn courage by couraging".   Dr. Marie Daly on the bravery required to push the frontiers of science and equality

Student Research

Interested in conducting original research while studying at the undergraduate level? There are many opportunities available to you!

The Undergraduate Research Academy encourages students to expand their education beyond the classroom through participation in research and creative projects mentored by UCCS faculty.

Through the opportunity, students gain valuable experience working in real lab settings as research assistants and attending monthly seminars. If selected, awards cover budget requests for student pay, project-related supplies, travel, and a faculty honorarium.

Graduate Research

Student Highlight

Madison Fox
Class of 2022

Since her experience working under faculty mentor Dr. Kovacs through the Undergraduate Research Academy, former biochemistry major Madison Fox has gone on to conduct virology research on HIV and COVID-19 under Dr. Anthony Fauci. Read more about her experience as a URA member here .

Where can my degree take me?

Curious about where you can find work with a degree from the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at UCCS?

Recent graduates from our department are now working at organizations such as US Airforce Academy, the University of Notre Dame, KND Labs, and more,

Meet Our Faculty

Our faculty is student-focused and devoted to student success and professional development. This means that as students navigate their education and career goals, they are receiving the support and mentorship they need to meet and go beyond these goals.

If you are interested in the Master of Science - Research Track, click here to find out more about our Research Faculty Advisors.

Check out  Our Current Faculty & Staff page! 

Undergraduate Degree Program Options

  • B.S. in Chemistry

    The ACS -accredited  B.S. in Chemistry is designed for students wishing to pursue careers as professional chemists or attend graduate schools in chemical science.

  • B.S. in Biochemistry

    The  B.S. in Biochemistry is designed for students to pursue careers as professional biochemists or attend graduate schools in biochemistry.

  • General Option

    The B.A. in Chemistry with the general option is designed for students who wish to major in chemistry but is limited to fewer credit hours in chemistry, physics, and mathematics than the B.S. in Chemistry. Students may be interested in a more general degree and will elect significant coursework from another department.

  • Pre-Health/ Interdisciplinary Science 

    The B.A. in Chemistry Pre-Health/Interdisciplinary Science Option is designed for students who are interested in a degree in chemistry and who have multiple interests and professional goals beyond being a professional chemist.

  • Secondary Education

    The B.A. in Chemistry secondary education option is designed for students wishing to be high school chemistry teachers.

  • General Option

    The B.A. in Biochemistry with the general option is designed for students who wish to major in biochemistry but is limited to fewer credit hours in chemistry than the B.S. in Biochemistry. Students may be interested in s more general degree and will elect significant coursework from another department.

  • Pre-Med

    The B.A. in Biochemistry pre-med option has been designed specifically and carefully for students who are interested in a career in medicine. This option satisfies the latest course requirements of most medical schools, provides the breadth of classes needed to prepare students for the MCAT, and allows candidates to develop strengths in critical thinking and communication that lead to success.

  • Secondary Education

    The B.A. in Chemistry secondary education option is designed for students wishing to be high school chemistry teachers.

  • B.I. in Chemistry

    The B.I. degree in Chemistry combines academic studies and professional training to prepare students for a variety of careers in chemical sciences. The degree is structured so that students gain a depth of understanding in chemistry and a breadth of humanities, other sciences, business, and entrepreneurship. The major is composed of a Chemistry core, Auxiliary requirements, Innovation core, Cross-discipline core, and LAS and Compass Curriculum courses.

  • Minor in Chemistry

    A student may complete a minor in chemistry by completing the following coursework with grades of "C" or higher.

  • Minor in Biochemistry

    A student may complete a minor in biochemistry by completing the following coursework with grades of "C" or higher.

Graduate Degree Options

We welcome your interest in the Master of Sciences programs in Chemistry and Biochemistry at UCCS! We offer the MSc–Chemistry option and MSc–Biochemistry option. For both options, a student can fulfill the requirements of the research track with completion of a thesis or complete the requirements of the course track (non-thesis).

The extraordinary support and mentorship I received as an undergraduate researcher made it feel like a community of scientists helping each other grow. I knew then that UCCS was the place to help cultivate my love for science into a career, so I chose UCCS to pursue a Master of Sciences in Biochemistry.  -Anonymous