Stanford University

The mission of the undergraduate program in Chemistry is to provide students with foundational knowledge in the subdisciplines of chemistry as well as depth in one or more advanced areas, including cutting-edge research. Introductory course work allows students to gain hands-on experience with chemical phenomena, gather data, and propose models and explanations for their observations, thus participating in the scientific process from the start. In advanced labs and lectures, students build an in-depth knowledge of the molecular principles of chemistry empowering them to become molecular engineers comfortable with the methodologies necessary to solve complex problems and effectively articulate their ideas to the scientific community.  Ultimately the analytical thinking and problem solving skills developed within the chemistry major make students successful candidates for a wide range of careers in chemistry and beyond, including engineering, teaching, consulting, medicine, law, science writing, and science policy. 

The department expects undergraduate majors in the program to be able to demonstrate the following learning outcomes. These learning outcomes are used in evaluating students and the department's undergraduate program. Students are expected to:

1. demonstrate the knowledge and skills required to solve problems in the synthesis, measurement, and modeling of chemical systems.

2. apply this set of chemical knowledge and skills to analyze scientific data, evaluate and interpret its significance, and articulate conclusions supportable by the data.

3. be able to construct a scientific hypothesis and devise appropriate experiments to test and evaluate this hypothesis.

4. communicate scientific research effectively in written and spoken form.