Bachelor of Science in Chemistry

Vancouver Island University

Chemistry is the science of all matter - an area of study that is vast, fascinating, and related to everything in our material world. Chemistry touches on every aspect of our lives, and is essential for meeting our world’s basic needs of food, health, energy, shelter, clothing, and clean air, water and soil. The Chemistry Major in VIU’s Bachelor of Science (BSc) program focuses on experiential learning in small classes and labs. Chemistry students, studying in the Major or Minor, have the opportunity to pursue undergraduate research with instructors who care about their success. Chemistry students can expand their learning with VIU’s state of the art Applied Environmental Research Laboratories (AERL), where they can work on collaborative research projects with private sector and community partnerships. B.Sc., Major in Chemistry: The goals of the program are to provide students the opportunity to pursue employment and post-graduate opportunities in Chemistry. The curriculum provides a molecular-level understanding of biological, chemical and physical processes and builds a strong appreciation for the underlying principles that govern structure reactivity, and bonding. The program builds foundational knowledge in the traditional sub-disciplines of chemistry, with a particular emphasis on the theory and practice of analytical and green chemistry. In the upper years, students can choose to specialize their Major in Chemistry by selecting electives in fields of Environmental Chemistry or Biological Chemistry. Students will gain an appreciation for the role of chemistry in many aspects of modern scientific enquiry, and all students will gain hands-on experience with modern chemical instrumentation and techniques.

Faculty of Science and Technology