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Wonder. Explore. Discover. Repeat.

Two chemistry students with safety googles on, holding chemistry instruments, next to a vent hood.

Chemistry is at the heart of real-world solutions, from medical breakthroughs to climate innovations. At Fort Lewis College, our Chemistry program is recognized as a Program of Excellence by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education and ranks in the top 20% nationally for graduates who go on to earn Ph.D.s in chemistry (NSF Mountain Region).

You’ll work side by side with expert faculty, dive into collaborative research, and use over $1 million in advanced scientific instrumentation. Follow the ACS-certified track to graduate with credentials that set you apart—whether you’re heading to graduate school or launching your career in science.

Real-world impact

By collaborating with organizations like the Powerhouse Science Center to teach children about the principles of chemistry, you’ll also learn how to translate complex scientific concepts into everyday language—a vital skill in any science career.

Change the world with science

FLC Chemistry majors and faculty teaching science to children in a chemical demonstration in partnership with the Powerhouse Science Center

At FLC, you’ll learn how to do great science and communicate that with the general public so your research can impact the world.

Our Chemistry department began collaborating with a local organization that teaches kids about science through hands-on activities. 

Chemistry majors are now teaching children about the principles of chemistry and learning about communicating complex scientific concepts to an audience with no prior training in the field.

Chemistry major Jasmine Keyes

Jasmine Keyes, Chemistry Major

Researching to find a new cure for Leishmaniasis.

 

Nat Prugh, Chemistry Alumni

"Students in the FLC chem department are supported by a network of amazing professors. The department has small class sizes, which ensures students get to develop relationships with professors. Students get research opportunities very early on, giving them experiences that inform them on what a career in chemistry might look like."

Nick Gearhart
Chemistry

Our investment in your education

From grant funding and project design to hands-on laboratory experience and conference presentations, our department is committed to supporting you in becoming a scientist of the highest caliber.

100% faculty-taught

You will take zero courses taught by teaching assistants (TAs) or graduate students. While TAs might help out with a class, all of your classes will be taught by chemists with M.A.s or Ph.D.s, who regularly perform chemical demonstrations and keep courses interactive and based in real-world problem solving.

Tools for the job

You have access to cutting edge instrumentation. In 2020 alone, through grants and donations, the FLC Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry gained $831,000 worth of new chemical analysis instrumentation that you will regularly use for your research.

A jump on the competition

You’ll be doing graduate-level, student-led research with faculty mentorship while chem students at larger schools are sitting in lecture halls. Our faculty are funded by nationally competitive grants and awards that pay you to conduct research in our labs. What’s more, you’ll have the chance to present your research at national conferences like the American Chemical Society Conference.

Student research

Some recent student-led research projects include:

  • Research on environmental contaminants in soil, sediment, and plant samples
  • Forensic chemistry research
  • Honeybee research (Colony Collapse Disorder)
  • Chemistry education and outreach research
  • Cancer therapeutics research
  • Natural products synthesis research
  • Food quality analysis research (cider fermentation research)

FLC chemistry majors working in the lab

The road ahead

Jars of liquid with hoses coming out the top, labeled with chemical notation--a common site when working on your chemistry degree

You’ll graduate ready to lead in science and research, with the technical expertise and problem-solving skills to make real-world impact. Whether you’re aiming for industry, grad school, or healthcare, your Chemistry degree opens doors.

Imagine yourself as a:

  • Cancer researcher
  • Process or medicinal chemist
  • Toxicologist
  • Water & air quality analyst
  • Forensic scientist
  • Doctor
  • Laboratory instrument technician

FLC alumni work at places like Los Alamos National Lab, Agilent, Intel, and the CDC—and many earn fully funded graduate placements at top universities nationwide.