program description

the department of chemistry and biochemistry offers an outstanding educational environment for undergraduate and graduate students. the department's mission is to educate, train, and produce versatile chemists and biochemists who understand both the theoretical basis and practical applications of their discipline. department faculty provide quality instruction across a wide range of sub-disciplines. degree programs are designed to prepare students for various professional positions (i.e., biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, chemical manufacturing, and other laboratory-based industries), health professions (i.e., medical, pharmacy, and dental school), graduate study, and teaching positions.

students receive significant hands-on experience with modern instrumentation in relatively small-sized lab classes, and the opportunity to participate in research projects under the direct supervision of faculty. the department houses a variety of state-of-the-art research instrumentation, laboratory facilities, and computational labs. these include a nuclear magnetic resonance (nmr) facility, a mass spectrometry (ms) facility, a scanning electron microscopy (sem) facility, and the computational chemistry and visualization (ccv) laboratory.

the bachelor of science in biochemistry is designed for students who wish to be particularly well-qualified at the interface between biology and chemistry. the degree includes extensive laboratory training, provides exceptional preparation for careers in biotechnology, and enjoys a favorable reputation among biotechnology companies in the bay area. this degree also provides a strong foundation for a graduate degree in biochemistry.