Chemistry, BS

Department of Chemistry, College of Science and Engineering

105-119 credits

Why Consider a Chemistry BS Major?

The Chemistry, BS degree at Western Washington University is approved by the American Chemical Society.

The Bachelor of Science in Chemistry provides many benefits to students, and is designed to meet diverse career goals. There is close student-faculty contact and relatively small classes. The students have direct access to modern laboratory equipment and instrumentation, and there are numerous research opportunities under the direction of a faculty advisor.

How to Declare (Admission and Declaration Process):

Admission to the Bachelor of Science major in chemistry is based upon an application process that considers both the applicant’s academic performance in prerequisite courses and responses to prompts about their motivations, career goals, and past experiences. There is frequently more demand for the BS chemistry major than space and resources allow. Therefore, neither completion of the prerequisites nor attainment of any specific GPA guarantees admission to full-major (Phase II) status. The range of GPAs and the median GPA for recent rounds of Phase II admission to the BS chemistry major are available on the department webpage chemistry.wwu.edu.

A typical four-year program leading to a Bachelor of Science (ACS approved) is described on the department’s website.     

Pre-major Declaration

Students may apply for pre-major (Phase I) status any time after completion of CHEM 161 or CHEM 175 by meeting with the Chemistry Department program coordinator. The pre-major (Phase I) declaration process is completed by meeting with a faculty advisor assigned by the program coordinator.    

Major Application Process

Students are eligible to apply to Phase II of the BS chemistry major once they have accomplished the following:

• Completion of the pre-major (Phase I) declaration process.
• Completion (with a C- or above) of the following prerequisite (Phase I) courses: CHEM 161, CHEM 162, CHEM 163, (or CHEM 175, CHEM 176, and CHEM 225), CHEM 351, CHEM 352, MATH 124, MATH 125, and PHYS 161.

Priority will be given to applications from students who have:

• Completed MATH 224 (with a C- or above)
• Completed PHYS 162 (with a C- or above)

Applications for full-major (Phase II) status are reviewed twice per year and are due by either the end of the first day of spring quarter or by the end of the first week of fall quarter. The online application includes written responses to several prompts and reporting grades in the prerequisite (Phase I) coursework listed above. The application and further information about the process can be found on the Chemistry Department website chemistry.wwu.edu.

Grade Requirements

A grade of C- or better is required for a student’s major or minor courses, and supporting courses for majors and minors.