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Departmental Information
Access key information and review student learning goals.Goals for the Chemistry-Biochemistry major
In order to engage in and take responsibility for their own development to strive for excellence (IIe), each student majoring in chemistry will learn to:
Content-based
- Understand science is a systematic and inquiry-based human enterprise to better comprehend the natural world based on empirical evidence and is influenced by the cultures of its practitioners; chemistry, in particular, is the science of the composition, structures, properties, analyses, energetics, behaviors, reactions and syntheses of matter. (Ia, Ic, IVb)
- Understand and apply chemical models to describe and predict the composition, structures, properties, energetics, behaviors, mechanisms, and reactivities of matter at appropriate levels of sophistication. (Ia, Ic, IIa, IIb)
- Understand the physical basis for spectroscopic and analytical technologies as well as their appropriate uses. (Ia, IIa, IIb)
- Develop chemical models to understand nature based on empirical evidence. (Ic, IIa, IIb)
- Apply chemical knowledge and understanding to socially significant endeavors. (IIa, IIb, IIId)
Skill-based
- Use both qualitative and quantitative methods to solve chemical problems. (IIa, IIb)
- Design and conduct increasingly sophisticated chemical experiments. (Ic, IIa, IIe, IIId, IVc)
- Critically interpret, evaluate, and analyze scientific information including chemical literature and data. (Ic, IIa, IIb)
- Effectively communicate scientific information in oral, written, and visual formats to both professional and general audiences. (Ic, IIc, IVa)
- Collaborate in an inclusive manner to pursue common goals. (IId and IIIb)
- Employ responsible and ethical practices in interactions with others, experimental design, data collection and analysis, documentation, reporting, and attribution. (IIIa, IIIb, IVb)
- Assess safety concerns both in and out of the laboratory and employ best practices to address. (IIId, IVc)
Studying chemistry and biochemistry at Skidmore comes with built-in support. Whether you're working through a tough problem set or prepping for an exam, there are multiple ways to get help — from your professors and from trained peer leaders who’ve been in your shoes.
Peer-Led Team Learning
In our introductory chemistry courses (CH 115, CH 125, and CH 126), small groups of
students meet weekly to solve problems and build confidence together. Each team is
led by a peer who has already taken the course and can help guide the process.
Peer Academic Coaching (PAC)
Peer coaches are available on weeknights for many chemistry courses — no appointment
needed. Stop by with questions about lectures, labs, or assignments and get answers
in real time.
Individual Peer Tutoring
Looking for one-on-one help? The Learning Commons can match you with a peer tutor
for personalized support.
Internal Links for Employees
- Chemistry Requisition/Purchasing Form
- Chemical Instrument Online Scheduling (SAIL)
- Digital Measures (faculty annual reports)
- Skidmore College Safety Program Manual (Campus-Wide Safety Committee)
- Accident Report Form (Risk Management)
- Hazardous Waste Forms (Facilities)
Organizations including those listed below offer conferences, workshops, career development resources, and networking opportunities to a wide range of chemists and other scientists.
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
- American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)
- American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET)
- Association for Women in Science (AWiS)
- Biophysical Society (BPS)
- Council for Undergraduate Research (CUR)
- International Union of Crystallography (IUCr)
- International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC)
- Iota Sigma Pi (National Honor Society for Women in Chemistry)
- National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)
- New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS)
- Phi Lambda Upsilon (National Chemistry Honor Society)
To sign up or request a copy of our department newsletter, please email tracystanley@skidmore.edu.
Course and major information
Students can earn departmental honors upon graduation by earning a GPA of at least 3.0 overall and 3.5 in the major, in addition to completing two semesters of 300-level research or equivalent, submitting an honors thesis, and delivering an oral presentation of their research to the department.
For information and guidelines regarding honors requirements, please see the Course Catalog.
Learn more about life after Skidmore as a chemistry and biochemistry major, including information on applying to graduate school and job searching with support from Skidmore's Career Development Center.