Chemistry
We offer an interdisciplinary learning environment bridging rigorous theory and practical problem solving under close mentorship by faculty performing cutting-edge research in catalysis, pharmaceuticals, therapeutics, materials, and sustainable energy.
More in Chemistry
The chemistry program at Illinois Tech provides a rigorous education in the fundamental areas of chemical theory and chemical experimentation. It roots you in the discipline and provides a firm foundation, along with the knowledge, skills, and experiences to pursue many career paths. Its flexible curriculum offers specializations beyond the traditional fields of chemistry.
Career Pathways
As our chemistry alumnus and textbook author Theodore L. Brown (B.S. 1950) has written, chemistry is the central science. Chemistry connects the physical sciences with life sciences and applied sciences. By studying chemistry at Illinois Tech, you will gain scientific knowledge and develop skills that open doors to a wide range of careers with growing employment, including (but not limited to):Chemists design new flavors and ensure that food is safe. Illinois Tech is part of the Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH), a one-of-a-kind applied food science research consortium comprising Illinois Tech, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the food industry. This uniquely positions us to offer a dual degree in Chemistry (B.S.) and Food Safety and Technology (M.S.), which can be earned in a total of five years.
A combination of degrees in chemistry and law can lead to career opportunities in environmental law, patent law, intellectual property management, or as in-house counsel for the chemical industry. Illinois Tech is one of the few tech-focused universities with a law school. Through our Honors Law program, you can earn a B.S. from Illinois Tech and a J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law in six instead of seven years.
Chemists design new materials to maintain and improve our standard of living in a sustainable way. New materials can capture carbon dioxide, extract lithium for batteries, separate radioactive isotopes, create phosphors for night vision goggles, make light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and catalyze industrial reactions more reliably and with less energy. Moreover, our M.A.S. in Materials Chemistry can prepare you for a career in this area.
Breakthrough Startup Biagon Awarded Federal Funding
When Illinois Institute of Technology recently received federal funding to help researchers move their projects from the lab to the marketplace, they wanted undergraduates to get involved in a big way. But they didn’t expect an undergraduate to co-develop patent-pending technology that could safely speed up drug research, co-found and serve as CEO of a company to sell it, and start pitching dozens of clients across the country.
Learn MoreCombined Degree Programs
Learn about the ways a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Illinois Tech can be combined with accelerated graduate or professional degrees for unique career preparation.Earn an undergraduate degree in chemistry and a graduate degree in food safety in as few as five years with Illinois Tech’s Bachelor of Science in Chemistry/Master of Food Safety and Technology Accelerated Master’s Program.
Illinois Tech is one of the few tech-focused universities with a law school. A combination of degrees in chemistry and law can lead to careers opportunities in environmental law, patent law, intellectual property management, or as in-house counsel for the chemical industry. Learn more about Illinois Tech’s Honors Law program.
Chemistry undergraduates interested in career options within the field of chemical engineering may wish to pursue Illinois Tech’s accelerated Chemistry (B.S.)/Chemical Engineering (M.A.S.), offered in partnership with Armour College of Engineering.
Featured Faculty
The faculty of the Department of Chemistry are dedicated to wide-ranging research in fields including biochemistry, computational chemistry, environmental chemistry, forensic chemistry, materials chemistry, medicinal chemistry, and more.
Yuanbing Mao
Katherine Leight
David Minh
News
Federal Award Funds Breakthrough Startup
When Illinois Institute of Technology recently received federal funding to help researchers move their projects from the lab to the marketplace, they wanted undergraduates to get involved in a big way...
Goodbye Gasoline, Hello Water
Running a vehicle on water—not gas—sounds like an idea pulled straight from fiction. A breakthrough discovery by a team of scientists from Illinois Institute of Technology and Massachusetts Institute...
An ExLENT Opportunity: New Program to Provide Training for Sensor Science and Technology Careers
Sensor technology is among the fastest-growing modern technologies that impacts every industrial sector. The United States is making a concerted effort—as shown with the recently passed CHIPS and...
In the face of the ongoing climate crisis, Megan Harmon aims to lead the way for a chemistry-based solution.
Megan Harmon (B.S. ENCH 4th Year)
Contact Chemistry
Department Type
AcademicOffice Location
Department of Chemistry
Robert A. Pritzker Science Center
3101 South Dearborn Street, Room 136
Chicago, IL 60616