Chemistry Major, B.A.

If you want to teach high school students about climate change, the onset of epidemics like the Zika virus or any of today’s complex problems from the perspective of Chemistry ? or you want to add a second science major – MSU Denver’s bachelor of arts degree in Chemistry is a great option.

MSU Denver’s B.A. in Chemistry program is designed for students like you who want to ignite scientific curiosity in others. Our professors work hard to foster a sense of community and a support network for MSU Denver students; and the program is one of the most affordable in Colorado.

The Chemistry B.A. will help you acquire the intellectual, experimentation and communication skills necessary to succeed as a Chemistry teacher or science professional, or to enter medical school. The B.A. in Chemistry program can pair with the science education licensure program from the College of Education to meet Colorado Teacher Licensure Standards. You’ll be prepared to pass the corresponding licensure content exam and to teach to the Colorado Model Content Standards. If you are planning to seek teacher licensure, you should consult with an advisor in Chemistry as well as in Teacher Education.

For a postsecondary chemistry teacher, the annual median salary is $72,420 with a 13 percent growth rate between 2014 and 2024. (Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook).

With a B.S. in Chemistry degree from MSU Denver you’ll have numerous career opportunities in research and development, quality control/regulatory, manufacturing, law and policy, forensics and academia. As a chemist, you can anticipate a median salary of $72,610; as a forensic science technician, you can expect to earn $56,320 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).

Megan Filbin-Wong

Associate Professor Megan Filbin-Wong believes that anyone can read a textbook and understand facts, but that scientists assimilate information to identify gaps in knowledge, develop methods to test hypotheses and make sense of experimental results. Therefore, her mission as an educator is to guide students to become scientists.

Megan Lazorski

Assistant Professor Megan Lazorski focuses her research on light/matter interactions and manipulation thereof for solar energy conversion and clean alternative fuel production. She primarily focuses on the design and characterization of donor-acceptor complexes. She is also working on creating simple, versatile, and affordable open-source systems for characterizing the light-harvesting materials she designs. She firmly believe s that increasing instrumentation accessibility for solar energy conversion material analysis is a viable way to accelerate the rate of advancement in this field.

MSU Denver Chemistry alumni have been hired by these organizations:

• Aurora Police Department
• Douglas County Sheriff’s Office
• Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office
• Boulder Police Department
• Colorado Bureau of Investigation
• CoorsTek
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

MSU Denver Chemistry alumni have been accepted for post-graduate study at:

• Colorado State University
• Washington State University
• University of Colorado Boulder
• University of Maryland Baltimore County
• University of Wyoming
• University of Utah
• Purdue University
• Colorado School of Mines

The MSU Denver Chemistry and Biochemistry curriculum is approved by the American Chemical Society and follows the guidelines of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.