American Chemical Society Certification

 

 

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.

     

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    Chemistry Program Approved by the American Chemical Society, ACS: Chemistry for Life

     

     

     


    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.