Chemistry

Get your UBC degree in Chemistry, and learn how to control matter. Chemistry can be used to make smart materials that can monitor your life signs, to analyze parts per trillion of environmental contaminants, and design nanostructured materials that can efficiently convert water into fuel. Chemistry can turn enzymes into microscopic industrial machines to produce life-saving pharmaceuticals or to eat up pollutants.

Your chemistry degree can open doors to medical, dental, osteopathic, or veterinary school and many other careers in health-related professions. You can complete a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Chemistry, a BSc honours in Chemistry, or a minor in Chemistry. You also have the opportunity to become an undergraduate research scholar with support through prestigious research awards.|The chemistry program’s summer employment opportunities give you real-world experience and the opportunity for a behind-the-scenes look at what UBC’s chemists do, like discovering physiologically active compounds in wine.

Directed Studies in Chemistry allow you to undertake independent research on a specific topic agreed upon by you and your faculty advisor. Or, you can pursue one of the many Undergraduate Research Awards available through the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science.

The Chemistry Course Union on UBC’s Okanagan campus strives to bridge the gap between chemistry undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty, and will help develop your chemistry skills and build a network in the science community.|Research facilities at the campus include the Fipke Lab for Trace Element Research, which houses several specialist analytical instruments.

The Department of Chemistry provides undergraduates access to a large variety of top-of-the-line analytical instruments that include mass spectrometry, gas and liquid chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopic techniques, optical microscopy, and high performance computational resources.