UMaine’s chemistry program provides students with the foundational knowledge and practical skills to investigate and understand matter at the molecular level — from the basic structure of materials to techniques for synthesizing new drugs; from an understanding of chemical bonding to the control of properties of advanced materials for specific applications. The department is committed to providing students with instruction in the most modern practice of chemistry through ongoing curriculum development. The American Chemical Society-certified program provides opportunities for chemistry majors to engage in exciting research in state-of-the-art labs alongside faculty and graduate students. UMaine chemistry majors are prepared for careers in the chemical industry and high school education, as well as for medical and other professional schools, and for graduate work in chemistry.
The BA degree in chemistry prepares students for careers in which chemistry and physical science play a significant role. With appropriate electives, students can go on to jobs in a variety of fields including teaching of science in middle school or high school.
Objectives of the program:
Employment as a practicing chemist, or where chemical and technical knowledge and skills are beneficial
Entrance into a graduate program in chemistry or a related field, or
Entrance into a professional degree program (e.g., medicine, dentistry, law, or veterinary science).
Learning Outcomes of the program:
Mastery of basic and advanced chemical concepts
Mastery of fundamental laboratory techniques
Mastery of basic computer programs commonly used in scientific work
Proficiency in using instrumentation commonly found in modern chemistry laboratories and the ability to interpret the data obtained from these instruments
Proficiency in Problem Solving Skills
Defining problems to develop testable hypotheses
Designing and executing experiments so that appropriate statistical methods are used to analyze data
Understanding uncertainty and limitations in measurement and outcomes
Proficiency in Communication Skills
Ability to write in a style proper for reports in scientific journals and the ability to give scientific presentations of an appropriate quality
Writing clear proposed methods and techniques as well as results and data
Proficiency in Information Management Skills
Successfully searching and understanding chemical literature to design experiments and explain observed experimental phenomena
Keeping clear laboratory notebooks, properly archiving data, and labeling samples
Referencing appropriate literature and results
Searching technical databases (includes structure searching)
Assessing quality of information
Critical evaluation of articles
Proficiency in Teamwork Skills
Working and communicating with others to solve scientific problems
Properly assigning credit for others’ work and citing literature
Effectively distributing tasks among group members, meeting deadlines, and working as a group to develop and report results and conclusions
Understanding of Professional Ethics
Students should display high personal standards and integrity
Students should conduct themselves responsibly,
Students should be aware of contemporary issues related to chemistry.
