Undergraduate Programs

The UCSC Chemistry and Biochemistry Department offers both B.S. and B.A. degree programs. The B.S. degree should be the choice if a student is interested in getting a job in industry immediately after receiving his or her college degree. The B.S. program also provides a good background for graduate work in chemistry. The B.A. program has fewer requirements and should be considered by students who wish to take more science courses outside of chemistry to enter an interdisciplinary area. Examples might be chemical oceanography, geochemistry, chemical physics, environmental chemistry, and health sciences. The B.A. might also be a good choice for students who wish to become high school teachers. However, for either degree, the courses stress the fundamentals of chemistry and allow students to pursue independent research.

Students who declare the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB) major earn a bachelor of science (B.S.) degree. The BMB major constitutes an integrated curriculum of basic instruction in biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics, followed by the opportunity to pursue advanced study in specialized areas of interest.

A minor in chemistry is also offered for those who wish to have a strong complementary program in chemistry while majoring in another course of study.

Course plan 2023-24
Course syllabi
Program Learning Outcomes

Degree Programs

Impacts of interfacial charge transfer on nanoparticle electrocatalytic activity towards oxygen reduction, Shaowei Chen, credit Royal Society of Chemistry
  • Ph.D.
  • M.S.
  • B.A.
  • B.S.
  • Min.