American Chemical Society Certification | Department of Chemistry

Majoring in an American Chemical Society-certified degree can be a smart step for students wishing to pursue graduate study in chemistry or careers that require certification. The cross-disciplinary professional chemists at the ACS carefully evaluate a chemistry department’s program with respect to its breadth and depth, qualifications of the chemistry faculty, adequacy of the facilities, condition of instrumentation, access to current chemical literature and opportunities for a meaningful research experience.

An academic institution whose chemistry department meets the guidelines for ACS approval is placed on a nationally recognized list of approved chemistry programs.

ACS-Certified GW Degrees

Three of our chemistry degree options — the BA Option 2 and the BS Options 2 and 4 — offer ACS certification. Students in these three programs take additional chemistry laboratory and research credits and develop a broad base of scientific professional skills required by the ACS:

Written and oral communication

Operation of modern instruments

Evaluation of the chemical literature

Information management

Problem-solving

Teamwork and ethics

Students are required to complete one course in undergraduate research (CHEM 4195 or 4195W) during the junior or senior year. Students are advised to take the three-credit course for at least three credits over two semesters, with one credit completed in the fall and two in the spring.