Loras College

Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Chemistry

Unique Features

At Loras, we offer an engaging experience coupled with the quality and depth of instruction usually found only at a larger institution.

• Loras offers a broad-based, rigorous chemistry program that provides students with intellectual, experimental, and communication skills to become effective scientific professionals.
• Dedicated chemistry faculty. To adequately cover the discipline, a college chemistry program should have expertise in the areas of organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry, analytical chemistry, and biochemistry. Loras has qualified chemistry faculty trained in each of these five major areas as well as in the important interdisciplinary area of polymer chemistry.
• The opportunity for students to make use of modern facilities including the Medical Associates Recombinant DNA laboratory, the NMR laboratory, and the Carver Foundation Molecular Biology laboratory. We have modern instrumentation that includes the recent acquisitions of several FT infrared spectrometers, a triple quad gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer, and an atomic absorption spectrometer. Loras has added major pieces of equipment worth over $350,000 during the last 5 years. The acquisition of a $250,000 Bruker 300MHz high field nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer gives students access to an instrument found in very few small colleges. Larger institutions with this type of instrumentation seldom allow student hands-on access. Every student in the program has access to all of the instrumentation throughout their time at Loras.
• Opportunities to apply what is learned in the classroom to real-life situations such as internships. Also, the Loras Chemistry Club has won national awards for student involvement and for tutoring and demonstration shows on campus and in local schools. Members of the club explore opportunities to attend a national meeting in places like San Francisco and New Orleans.
• A research project conducted by each Loras chemistry and biochemistry major during their junior and senior years or during summers. These research experiences are performed with Loras faculty during the academic year or at other institutions during the summer. The results of the research are presented at local, regional, and national seminars and conferences. This experience helps prepare students for careers after college.

Student Learning Outcomes – Chemistry

1. Students will master the fundamentals in Biochemical, Inorganic, Analytical, Organic, and Physical Chemistry.
2. Students will be able to plan and execute experiments and evaluate their results.
3. Students will be able to communicate scientific and experimental information to other scientists and the community at large.
4. Students will identify, comprehend, and evaluate relevant chemical literature.
5. Students will develop professional skills that support relevant vocations.

“What can you do with a Chemistry degree?”

The Chemistry program offers undeniable advantages over larger universities. A small school atmosphere coupled with the quality and depth of instruction usually found only at a larger institution, Loras classes emphasize lab work in direct coordination with professors rather than teaching assistants. Faculty are easily accessible to their students, and many work one-on-one with students on student-designed research projects.

Two local hospitals provide many opportunities for collaboration and extension of study beyond the classroom, and high-tech facilities on campus give students hands-on experience with cutting edge technology rarely seen at the undergraduate level. With the flexibility of student design and a wealth of opportunities, a degree in this division can be largely tailored to each student’s individual interests. After receiving your degree from Loras, you could move on to graduate school or a career in one of these fields:

• Pharmaceutical Research
• Chemical Quality Control
• Chemical Research
• Government
• Education
• Engineering
• Forensic Science or Law
• Academic Research
• Environmental Protection
• Environmental Safety
• Interdisciplinary Fields (such as Nursing, Medicine, Dentistry and other health professions)

Chemistry Career Opportunities – Outcomes

Recent Loras graduates have gone on to a variety of careers, professional schools, and graduate schools with:

• Approximately 25% in medical school
• Another 25% in a variety of health science programs including veterinary medicine, pharmacy, nursing, osteopathic medicine, and optometry
• 25% in graduate school or law school at institutions that include the University of Iowa, Drake, Duke, Kansas, Arkansas, Illinois at Chicago, Colorado, Wright State, and Northern Illinois
• 25% who are using their Loras training to teach in high school or to work in the industry as laboratory technicians