Chemistry Degrees

General Information

The diversity in academic background and experiences of the Chemistry faculty members and their commitment to high-quality education give the Southwestern Oklahoma State University chemistry major a competitive edge for success. Each area of specialization is taught by an instructor with a Ph.D. in that area such as organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, or physical chemistry. The small class and laboratory sizes allow extensive class discussions and one-on-one interactions with the instructor. Students have ample opportunities to ask their instructor questions.

Laboratory experience is essential for a well-prepared chemist. The Chemistry program at SWOSU emphasizes this side of chemical education through a variety of laboratory classes, each taught by a Ph.D. chemist. Junior and senior students working on either BS degree option select a research project under the direction of a chemistry professor. This allows one-on-one instruction on projects of current scientific interest. Students will gain experience not only in traditional chemistry techniques but will also have an opportunity to operate modern scientific instrumentation. Selected laboratory experiments are interfaced directly to computers for convenient data collection and manipulation.

Graduates of the Chemistry program currently hold positions at Amoco, Conoco, Dow, DuPont, Halliburton, Imation, Phillips Petroleum, 3M, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (forensics lab), and other companies. Past graduates have taken positions on the faculty at Xavier University, Oregon State University, University of Illinois, Texas A & M, Louisiana State University, and the University of Tulsa. Graduates from the Chemistry program are in demand at graduate schools across the nation where they are offered scholarships that finance their graduate education. Many graduates opt for this advanced degree opportunity. Chemistry graduates from SWOSU have also had a high acceptance rate at professional (medical, dental, and optometry) schools.