Welcome to the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Swarthmore College. The aim of the Department is to provide sound training in the fundamental principles and basic techniques of the science and to provide interested students with the opportunity for advanced work in the main subdisciplines of modern chemistry and biochemistry.
There is an active research program at Swarthmore and students are encouraged to include research as part of their undergraduate education. In addition to close collaboration in research labs, many of the upper level courses are taught as seminars providing for intense co-operation between students and faculty. Most of our graduates go on to either graduate school in chemistry or biochemistry or to medical school. Swarthmore's chemistry major and biochemistry major are both certified by the American Chemical Society.