Snapshot

Key Strengths

• Small classes in majors courses.
• Opportunities for undergraduates to participate with professors in ongoing research projects leading to publications and presentations at professional meetings.
• Over $26,000 in departmental scholarships awarded in annually.
• Over $40,000 available annually to departmental teaching and research assistants.
• 52% of all graduates have earned at least one advance degree beyond the bachelor's degree.
• Of all ACU Chemistry and Biochemistry graduates between 1960 - 95: 

  52% - entered graduate school 
  19% - entered medical school 
  5% - entered dental school or another health care professional school 
  24% - entered the work force 

• 105 graduates have earned the Ph.D. or other academic doctorates; 135 graduates have earned doctoral degrees in health and other professions.
• 50 percent of all graduates have earned at least one advanced degree beyond the bachelor’s degree.

Degrees Offered

• Bachelor of Science
• Bachelor of Arts

Majors Available

• Chemistry
• Biochemistry

Career Opportunities

• Careers in research, development or management with chemical or related industries/agencies
• Healthcare professions
• Pharmacy
• Teaching at university or pre-college level
• Technical sales or services
• Patent or corporate law

Student Opportunities
On-campus research opportunities

• Robert A. Welch Foundation Undergraduate Program (academic year)
• Welch Summer Research Institute (eight-week program)

Off-campus research opportunities
Our students participate in summer research programs at various universities including Texas Tech University, Texas A&M University, Rochester Institute of Technology, University of Virginia, University of Kansas, Oklahoma State University and University of Texas at Arlington.

Summer internships

• Dow Chemical Company
• Stepan Chemical Company
• Sandia National Laboratories
  

• Laboratory teaching assistantships
• Research scholarships
  

• Virginia Lee Scholarship
  
• Henry C. and Thelma Wise Lee Scholarship
  
• Richard Henry Scholarship
• Paul C. Witt Scholarship
• Tommy McCord Research Scholarship
• ACT/SAT Academic Scholarship

Faculty Achievements

• The B.S. degree in chemistry has been accredited by the Committee on Professional Training of the American
• Chemical Society since 1971.
• In 1981, the Dow Chemical Company established an endowed professorship in honor of Dr. Malcolm E. Pruitt, a graduate of the department and former vice president and research director for Dow USA.
• Departmental faculty members have received numerous college and university-wide teaching awards including Honors Program Outstanding Professor, the Trustees Outstanding Teacher Award, and the Sears-Roebuck Foundation for Teaching Excellence and Campus Leadership Award.
• Since 1960, the department has received about $3 million in grants from federal and state agencies and private foundations for the support of its teaching and research programs.
• Faculty members have published more than 80 research articles in national and international journals of chemistry since 1980.