Welcome to the webpage of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at North Carolina Central University. The department is certified by the American Chemical Society (ACS), the organization that sets the nation’s professional and educational standards for chemists. We are unique among Chemistry departments in the UNC system as the only HBCU Chemistry program that has been continuously accredited by the American Chemical Society (ACS) since 1974.
At the undergraduate level, our department offers four concentrations, the ACS-certified concentration, the biochemistry concentration, the pre-health professions concentration, and the forensic science concentration, in addition to the regular chemistry track. The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Chemistry (ACS certified) curriculum is certified by the American Chemical Society. The certified degree entitles students to receive strong consideration for admission into leading graduate school programs and additional professional opportunities. Flexible non-ACS-certified B.S. degrees in Chemistry (Biochemistry concentration) and Chemistry with a Pre-Health focus are for students interested in attending professional schools in medicine, dentistry, or pharmacy. The B.S. degree in Chemistry with a Forensic Science concentration prepares students for careers in the forensic science field.
We are committed to providing high-quality education by giving our students the opportunities to develop academic and research skills to join the global workforce or to gain admission into graduate/professional schools. All chemistry majors benefit from direct interaction with faculty in a small department environment with small class sizes. Undergraduate students are encouraged to conduct research under the direction of faculty starting within the first two years of their residency in our programs, to provide them with hands-on training on modern instrumentation and laboratory techniques. Also, we offer all our students opportunities to engage in paid internships off-campus in academic, industrial, and government laboratories during the summer. Financial assistance is available in the department through scholarships such as the Meldrum, Totton, and Myers Endowed Scholarships.
We also have a vibrant graduate program. Our department offers thesis and non-thesis-based M.S. degrees in chemistry, and a Ph.D. in Integrated Biosciences. Our faculty members have active research programs in materials science, polymers, sensors, environmental remediation nanoscience, natural products chemistry, protein engineering, and endocannabinoid system research, in addition to other leading areas of research in chemistry and biochemistry. Most of our graduate students are supported by teaching and research assistantships.
Please let us know if you need more information about our department, the programs we offer, and the faculty. You can reach us by email at [email protected].
–Abdul K. Mohammed, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair