About Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of the materials that make up our physical world, including areas like as pharmaceuticals, advanced materials, biochemistry, and theoretical chemistry. It's a creative and imaginative science that gives you the opportunity to make new discoveries, develop new molecules and materials, and increase your understanding of important processes. At UBC, the program prioritizes undergraduate research, and is housed in the Chemistry Building, an important heritage site on campus that has been updated with modern labs and facilities. The late UBC professor Michael Smith won the 1993 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering how to make targeted genetic mutations in DNA.
Program Details
The program is a good fit if you want to gain a broad background in science with a chemistry concentration. It's an excellent choice if you're interested in becoming an elementary or secondary school teacher, or working in industrial or government labs. The honours requires maintenance of a high academic standing and involve the preparation of a graduating thesis. A combined honours lets you specialize in a different discipline in addition to chemistry.
Skills
- Analytical method development or validation
- Focused observation
- Laboratory report writing and presentation of data to scientific and non-scientific audiences
- Advanced qualitative and quantitative analysis
- Application of logical, systematic thought processes to understand cause and effect
- Identification of chemical hazards and facilitation of proper chemical waste disposal
- Techniques in isolation, purification, analysis, synthesis, and usage of specialized laboratory instruments
Specializations offered
- Major or Honours, Chemistry
- Combined Honours, Chemistry and Mathematics
- Combined Honours, Chemical Biology
- Combined Honours, Chemical Physics (See Physics)
- Combined Honours, Chemistry and another science subject
- Co-op
