Chemistry is a launch point for exciting careers, from inventing new building materials to reporting environmental changes in rivers and soil. Through all four years in the Chemistry program at Gustavus you will work with state-of-the-art instrumentation and equipment and gain extensive lab experience. Through the support of strong faculty mentoring, you will become a confident chemist through applied learning and ample research opportunities.
The Gustavus Chemistry faculty designs courses to help you become a collaborative, adaptable problem solver with diverse experience. These are the skills employers are looking for, which is why Gustie Chemistry graduates get hired by top employers such as Medtronic, 3M, and the Mayo Clinic, and are admitted to the nation's top graduate programs.
By studying chemistry at Gustavus Adolphus you benefit from a combination of state-of-the-art facilities, award-winning faculty, in a beautiful location in Saint Peter, MN. The campus is a fun and supportive place to learn and build strong relationships with proximity to big-city activities and internships. You're just minutes away from Mankato and less than an hour from the Twin Cities. You can do research right on campus or go across the country or around the world.
The Chemistry Department offers three majors and one minor. The Department curriculum is lab focused, where you will work in beautiful new labs designed for collaboration. In every course, you will advance the qualitative and quantitative problem-solving methods chemists practice to explain the natural world. Your classes and labs will help you develop critical thinking skills and the fundamental problem-solving approaches of the discipline. You have one-on-one mentorship connections with faculty that guide your career exploration, while supporting your personal growth.
You will have hands-on experiences with state-of-the-art equipment starting in your first year through senior year in every lab course. This exposure will enhance your understanding of complex scientific principles and techniques and bridge theoretical concepts with practical applications. The Nobel Hall of Science provides state-of-the-art instrumentation and facilities in a collaborative setting for chemistry research and teaching. Working with advanced instrumentation that mirrors equipment used in professional research settings and industries helps you gain a competitive advantage in your scientific education.
You'll find Gustie Chemistry students leading science demonstrations for elementary students for Science on Saturdays, networking and asking questions in a Chemistry seminar, or designing their own research projects. Explore the opportunities to learn outside of the classroom to enrich your college experience, gain practical skills, develop a strong professional network, and build strong relationships with other students and faculty.
Explore Opportunities in Chemistry
Gustie Chemistry students are dedicated researchers and are also involved across campus outside the lab. Many students are musicians and athletes, double majors, and leaders of a wide variety of student organizations. Meet the students and faculty in Chemistry who characterize the strengths of the liberal arts.
“He’s got the students plugged in, too.” In the 1980s, Jeff Jeremiason was a big Metallica fan. Now he’s interested in a different kind of heavy metal. The Gustavus chemistry professor is a leading researcher on mercury and lead contamination in two northern Minnesota ecosystems: the Saint Louis River and its mouth on Lake Superior, […]
By joining the Chemistry program at Gustavus, you will have the opportunity to develop a solid foundation in chemistry and explore other areas of interest through a liberal arts education. Plus, you can be actively engaged across campus in student organizations, athletics, and fine arts. This well-rounded education will prepare you for success in your chosen career path or further academic pursuits in graduate programs.
Ashley Ley (’23) is starting graduate school at the University of Colorado – Boulder, planning to earn a Ph.D. in Chemistry in the Organic Chemistry division. Ashley reports that her time at Gustavus helped her feel comfortable in approaching new people and making friends, and her J-term research courses, REU experience at the University of […]
