Chemistry

College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

Program Description

Chemistry is the area of science in which the composition, structure, properties, and reactions of substances are studied. The Chemistry Department at Sacramento State offers a BS in Chemistry, a BS in Biochemistry, a BA in Chemistry (including concentrations in Biochemistry or Forensic Chemistry), and the MS degree in Chemistry (including a concentration in Biochemistry).

The BS degrees are recommended for students intending to pursue graduate work in Chemistry or Biochemistry or those desiring a strong technical background for work in the chemical or biotechnology industry or other highly technical areas. The BS Chemistry degree is approved by the American Chemical Society.

The BA degree is more flexible in terms of upper division electives and is recommended for students interested in professional health degrees, forensic chemistry, or other programs with a major component of chemistry. Students planning to teach Chemistry at the secondary school level are advised to obtain a BA in Chemistry.

The graduate program in Chemistry leads to a Master of Science (MS) degree. It provides students an opportunity to receive advanced training in chemistry, biochemistry, and chemical education and to pursue independent research. The MS program enhances a student's overall knowledge in chemistry and experimental skills and prepares students for careers in industry and teaching and for entry into PhD and professional programs.

Degree Programs

BA in Chemistry (Biochemistry)

BA in Chemistry (Forensic Chemistry)

BA in Chemistry (General)

BS in Biochemistry

BS in Chemistry

Chemistry Honors Program

Minor in Chemistry

Subject Matter Program (Pre-Credential Preparation)

MS in Chemistry

MS in Chemistry (Biochemistry)

Accreditation

In addition to California State University, Sacramento's full accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science in Chemistry are also individually accredited by the American Chemical Society.

Notice to Students RE: Professional Licensure and Certification

California State University programs for professions that require licensure or certification are intended to prepare the student for California licensure and certification requirements. Admission into programs for professions that require licensure and certification does not guarantee that students will obtain a license or certificate. Licensure and certification requirements are set by agencies that are not controlled by or affiliated with the California State University and licensure and certification requirements can change at any time.

The California State University has not determined whether its programs meet other states’ educational or professional requirements for licensure and certification. Students planning to pursue licensure or certification in other states are responsible for determining whether, if they complete a California State University program, they will meet their state’s requirements for licensure or certification. This disclosure is made pursuant to 34 CFR §668.43(a)(5)(v)(C).

Special Features

  • The Department of Chemistry is accredited by the American Chemical Society, and students graduating with the BS Chemistry degree will receive a certificate from the Society.
  • Extensive available instrumentation includes two Agilent 7890 GC-Mass spectrometers; an Agilent 1260/6460 LC-Mass spectrometer (triple quadrupole); a Bruker Avance-500 NMR; a Bruker Avance-300 NMR; a Bruker MSL 300MHz wide bore NMR; a Nicolet IS-50 FTIR; a Shimadzu UV-2401 PC spectrometer; two Shimadzu spectrofluorometers (RF 6000 and RF5301PC); numerous uv-vis diode array spectrophotometers; a Beckman L2-50 ultracentrifuge; numerous Agilent/HPLC systems; a Perkin-Elmer atomic absorption spectrometer; a thermoanalyzer; a QuantumCube computational system; Spartan and Gaussian computational chemistry software; numerous gas chromatographs.
  • Several science computing labs are available to students.
  • The Chemistry faculty strongly believe that students majoring in Chemistry should have an opportunity to participate in basic or applied research and to work closely with faculty in developing their chemical skills and knowledge. Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts majors are strongly encouraged to complete an independent research project. All graduate students must enroll in a graduate research course.
  • All faculty serve as advisors to students and have a strong commitment to helping students find jobs or gain admission to graduate programs or professional schools.
  • Our department environment is very similar to a small college liberal arts experience.

Career Possibilities

Students in our program learn both fundamental theory and practical application in all areas of chemistry (inorganic, analytical, organic, physical, biochemical) and they gain substantial experience operating highly sophisticated instrumentation. This prepares students for a wide variety of careers. Examples include: environmental chemistry, toxicology, materials science, government and industry laboratories, biotechnology, agricultural technology, high school science teaching, medicine, dentistry, optometry and other related health sciences, pharmacy and pharmacology, patent law, computational chemistry, forensic analysis, sales representative for instrument, chemical and pharmaceutical companies, art restoration and more.

Contact Information

Susan Crawford, Department Chair
Kater Shea, Administrative Support Coordinator
Sequoia Hall 506
(916) 278-6684
Department of Chemistry Website

Faculty

BAUER, JOHANNES

CRAWFORD, SUSAN M.

DIXON, ROY W.

GHERMAN, BENJAMIN

HOUSTON, JACQUELINE

KELLEN-YUEN, CYNTHIA

LIU, YUJUAN

LUCERO, CLAUDIA

MA, YINFA

MACK, JEFF

McCARTHY HINTZ, MARY

McREYNOLDS, KATHERINE

MILLER-SCHULZE, JUSTIN

MIRANDA, JAMES

PAULA, STEFAN

PEEBLES, REBECCA

ROBERTS, LINDA M.

SAVAGE, TOM

SPENCE, JOHN