Think like a scientist.

Chemistry is an experimental science. A thorough understanding of its concepts and techniques comes only through their application in the laboratory. At Hollins, the laboratory is a natural extension of the classroom, where theory is reinforced by observation and analysis. Directed by the same professors who teach you in the classroom, laboratories are more than drill; they are the places where students begin to think like scientists.

Like classes, the laboratories have a low student/teacher ratio. For upper-level labs, the ratio is typically 3 or 4 to 1; in other classes, the ratio is approximately 15 to 1.

To facilitate learning, laboratories are located adjacent to faculty offices and seminar rooms, just down the hall from classrooms.

Latest equipment and techniques

• Gas and high-performance liquid chromatographs
• Infrared spectrophotometers
• Atomic absorption spectrometer
• Nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer
• Microscale techniques, which use smaller reaction vessels in order to minimize the quantity of reagents used, reducing reaction times and waste
  

Areas of study

• Analytical chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Inorganic chemistry
• Organic chemistry
• Physical chemistry

Program options

• Chemistry
• Chemistry with a biochemistry concentration
• Chemistry with a business concentration

Depending on the program you complete, you will be qualified for graduate study in the following areas: chemistry, biochemistry, environmental chemistry, chemical engineering, medicine, veterinary medicine, and pharmacy.

In addition, any of the three programs will prepare students for careers in teaching at the high school level or for work in the chemical industry.

Internships and research

• ITT
• Environmental Testing Services
• National Science Foundation (at UCLA, University of Chicago, James Madison University, Colgate University, and Connecticut College)
• Paid research with Hollins Professor Dan Derringer through a grant provided by the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation