Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Interested in studying Chemistry or Biochemistry at the College of Charleston? Please complete a short prospective student survey and we will be in touch with more information about our program. Let us know when you are on campus and we are happy to schedule a tour of our facilities!  843-953-5587 or email forconim@cofc.edu.

See what a typical week is like for one of our biochemistry majors, Hussain Bhagat ('22)!

Check out these additional student testimonials about why a major in our department could be right for you!


The mission of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is to provide a supportive yet challenging learning environment where students benefit from a talented, accomplished faculty and staff, state-of-the-art facilities, hands-on use of modern instrumentation and a culture that emphasizes experiential learning and development through participation in faculty mentored research. In all of our actions we strive to improve our students’ critical thinking skills, content based knowledge, and an appreciation for the scientific method and ethical expectations of scientists. Mentorship of our students is essential to their success, which is evident in our students' success in competing for prestigious national awards.

  • Michael Hollarbach ('17, pursuing a PhD at Emory), Sondrica Goines ('18, pursuing a PhD at UNC), and Abigail Reeves ('20, purusing PhD at Scripps) are recent recipients of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship in support of their graduate studies. 
  • In the last ten years, ten CofC Chemistry & Biochemstry students have been awarded highly competitive Goldwater Scholarships for students interested in pursuing research as a career. These most recent Goldwater Scholars are pictured below (left-right): Nathan Adamson (‘15) Brenna Norton-Baker (‘15) Alex Schwartz (‘18), Alyssa Johnson (‘18), John Cobb (‘19) Dashiell Jay (‘20), Mason Huebsch (‘20), Phia Gierszal (‘22), Brison Shira ('23) and Abanob Hanna ('23). This track record distinguishes the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at the College of Charleston as the academic department with the most Golwater Scholars in the state of South Carolina over the past decade.

Goldwater winners 2013-22 


Our department offers the following undergraduate degrees: BA in chemistry, BS in chemistry, and BS in biochemistry. The BS degrees are certified by the American Chemical Society. In addition to traditional courses in organic, inorganic, physical, analytical and biochemistry, we also offer unique elective courses that include the Science of Wine, environmental chemistry and industrial chemistry.

Quant Lab Fall 2014


Of all the experiences our department offers, undergraduate research is the most valued by our students. Students who participate in research in our department have the opportunity to work one-on-one with a faculty mentor on a research project. During the academic year, students can earn up to ten credit hours conducting research and stipends are usually available for students interested in doing summer research. Each year we typically have 40 – 50 students who spend their summer immersed in a research project with their faculty mentor. Our undergraduate students frequently present their work at regional and national meetings and co-author papers in reputable peer-reviewed journal. Pictured below are students attending the 2018 South Eastern Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Augusta, GA to present their research.


SERMACS 2018


Most students who graduate from our department go on to top graduate or professional schools, or obtain employment in the sciences. Check out our alumni page for a sampling of their accomplishments. And if you are a graduate of our program, please let us know what you are doing now!


college1908