Undergraduate Program

Why study Chemistry at CU Boulder?

The Department of Chemistry at the University of Colorado Boulder is internationally recognized for its specialized research and education into the study of matter, energy, and the interaction between them.

As part of its commitment to excellence, the department provides cutting-edge opportunities across a wide range of chemistry branches, resulting in world-class innovation in topics like renewable energy, atmospheric pollution and advanced spectroscopy techniques.

Within chemistry there are a number of branches, all of which are researched at CU Boulder. These branches include analytical, inorganic, organic and physical chemistry. In addition, CU Boulder also has a strong research presence into materials and nanoscience, environmental chemistry and atmospheric chemistry (which is one of only a few analytical groups nationwide that offer the focus).

The Department of Chemistry at CU Boulder is also one of the best in the nation, with our graduate program ranking #27 in the United States according to the most recent US News and World Report rankings, with the Physical Chemistry specialization ranking #8. 

In addition, the department has a number of excellent and award-winning faculty, including, but not limited to, three Distinguished Professors, four members of both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and National Academy of Sciences, eight National Science Foundation CAREER winners, a recipient of the Governor's Award for Research Impact, five highly cited researchers as measured by ISI and Thomson Reuters, five Guggenheim fellowship recipients and numerous fellows for the American Geophysical Union, Alfred P. Sloan, American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. As well, the department's faculty are incredibly innovative, resulting in over 150 patents.

If you are a student who is waitlisted for a Chemistry class, please read ALL OF THE FOLLOWING:

Friday, January 16, 2026: Add deadline for classes.

After this date, you may no longer self–enroll for classes, and you will no longer roll off the waitlist automatically.

If you see that a spot has opened up on the waitlist, and you are next in line, please contact me at chemundergrad@colorado.edu to be added to the class.

Please put “Add Request” in the title of your email message to get the quickest response.

Friday, January 23, 2026: Drop deadline for classes.

IMPORTANT: If you are still on a waitlist, you probably will NOT get into the class. You should consult with your Academic Advisor and select alternate course/s for enrollment. This is extremely important if you will drop below full time status if we cannot enroll you in your selected Chemistry class.

Monday, January 26, 2026: Waitlists will be deleted.

If you remain on a waitlist until this date, you can request priority reservation for the same course in the following semester: https://www.colorado.edu/registrar/students/registration/register/reserve

After Friday, January 30, 2026, the Chemistry Department will no longer admit or enroll you in a Chemistry class for this semester.

Beyond this date, you have already missed too many assignments and associated labs to be successful in this course.