Chemistry and Biochemistry

Chemistry is at the heart of modern science. It’s essential to developing new pharmaceuticals, understanding atmospheric processes, ensuring consumer products are safe, and more. At Skidmore, you won’t just learn about these things — you’ll do them.

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With an average 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio, students can access one-to-one mentoring and opportunities in state-of-the-art laboratories. Train in scientific inquiry, methodology and execution, interpretation, and communication.

What will you learn?

Students can major in chemistry alone or with a biochemistry concentration and earn an American Chemical Society-certified degree. Here, you can study the molecular foundations of life, energy, the environment, and new and emerging technologies.

Yes, you can expect to do research.

Over 95% of chemistry students choose to participate in credit-bearing independent study or research collaborations with faculty in chemistry and other biomolecular sciences.

Chemistry Professor Juan Navea works in a research lab.

Teacher-scholars

Our exceptional faculty lead compelling and productive research programs in their classrooms and labs — because engagement is central to the Skidmore learning experience.

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A Skidmore student presents their poster during the Chemistry Academic Festival in the Billie Tisch Center for Integrated Sciences

Summer exploration

Skidmore students can take part in the Faculty-Student Summer Research Program on campus or conduct research at one of our many partner research institutions.

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Two chemistry students work in a lab, wearing white lab coats, blue gloves, masks, and safety goggles.

Internships

Game-changing internships can be taken for credit and funded through external resources or through Skidmore programs such as the Summer Experience Fund and SEE-Beyond Awards.

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Study with leading researchers

From National Science Foundation-funded projects to international conferences, Skidmore chemistry faculty are actively advancing the field — and bringing students into the work. Explore recent accomplishments and imagine where your curiosity could take you with the right people in your corner.

Faculty publications	Faculty presentations	Faculty funding
Biophysical Journal Journal of Chemical Education ACS Omega Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics Langmuir Journal of Visualized Experiments	ASBMB Annual Meeting American Chemical Society National Meeting Biophysical Society Annual Meeting Biennial Conference on Chemical Education	National Science Foundation Howard Hughes Medical Institute Inclusive Excellence National Science Foundation – Major Research Instruments

Ready to dive deeper? Meet the faculty researchers you could work alongside. Explore faculty research

Where will you go?

Prepare for graduate school, health professions, law or government careers, or employment in chemistry-related fields. Our tight-knit alumni and faculty network is ready to support you.

Career paths	Recent employers	Graduate schools
Academic researcher Biotech/pharmaceutical technician Chemist in the food and beverage industry Clinical researcher Energy consultant Environmental chemist Physician Policymaker Science writer	Arena Bioworks Autumn Harp Cosmetics Be Biopharma Blueprint Medicines IDEXX BioAnalytics James B. Beam Institute for KY Spirits Mass General Hospital Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Relay Therapeutics Upstream Tech	Albert Einstein College of Medicine Harvard University Johns Hopkins University Stanford University Tufts University University of California San Diego University of California San Francisco University of Colorada Boulder University of North Carolina Chapel Hill University of Pennsylvania Yale University

A student conducts research using a scanning electron microscope in a campus laboratory, demonstrating hands-on learning and scientific exploration at Skidmore College.

Science in the liberal arts

Chemistry major Leo Parra ’24 conducted research with faculty in archaeology, biology, and chemistry. “I think interdisciplinary work is extremely important, not just for young researchers, but also for learning’s sake,” he says.

Read Leo's story

Strong outcomes

From leading research to influencing policy, our alumni are making a big impact.

Adriana Cuibus ’24 performing lab work at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Rediscovering medicine

Adriana Cuibus ’24 says the freedom to explore a range of subjects at Skidmore — from music to geosciences — rekindled her interest in medicine and helped her secure a job as a research technician at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC.

Read Adriana’s story

Matt Walsh ’13 poses on the second-level balcony of Skidmore's Billie Tisch Center for Integrated Sciences

Confronting global biothreats

Matt Walsh ’13, who majored in chemistry at Skidmore and was Student Government Association president, now works at the intersection of biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and global security policy — helping to shape the future of national security.

Read Matt’s story

A scientist wearing a white lab coat and a dark green face mask works in a chemistry laboratory, using lab equipment and instruments, surrounded by glassware and tubes.

Engagement that accelerates

Chemistry major Heather Ricker ’22 was awarded a Barry Goldwater Scholarship, the most prestigious in the US for undergraduates in STEM fields. “Winning this award at a small liberal arts college goes to show that Skidmore offers all the opportunities of a large research institution,” she says.

Read Heather’s story

Exterior of the Billie Tisch Center for Integrated Sciences with a blue sky in the background

Inspiring facilities

Chemistry is located on the third floor of the Billie Tisch Center for Integrated Sciences (BTCIS), Skidmore’s newest academic building. Here, STEM converges with the liberal arts — in our classrooms, teaching labs, microscopy center, biomolecular research suite, machine shop, makerspace, and more.

Take an interactive virtual tour of BTCIS

Frequently Asked Questions

Curious about majoring in chemistry or biochemistry at Skidmore? Here’s what future students often ask — about courses, research, labs, double majors, and what you can do after graduation.

Your American Chemical Society-certified chemistry degree means that Skidmore has prepared you for a wide variety of careers relying on chemistry knowledge and skills. You will have taken courses in all areas of chemistry, with breadth and depth. You will have used a variety of modern chemical instruments, had access to current chemistry journals, and spent significant quality learning time in chemical labs (350+ hours).

On your resume, you can specify that you earned an ACS-certified degree, and employers will know you have graduated from a chemistry department that meets high standards.

Learn more about ACS

Faculty

Award-winning. Creative. Thoughtful and supportive.

Meet your professors