# 2025-2026 General Catalog

**Source**: https://catalog.ucdavis.edu/departments-programs-degrees/chemistry/medicinal-chemistry-drug-design-bs/
**Parent**: https://catalog.ucdavis.edu/departments-programs-degrees/#programsanddegreestext

[Office & Contact Information](https://catalog.ucdavis.edu/departments-programs-degrees/chemistry/)

**Formerly Pharmaceutical Chemistry.**

Chemistry is the study of the composition of matter, its structure, and the means by which it is converted from one form to another.

## The Program

We offer several degree programs leading to the Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) and the Bachelor of Science (B.S.). To meet and discuss these programs with our staff advisors; see [Academic Advising](https://chemistry.ucdavis.edu/undergraduate/academic-advising).

The Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Bachelor of Science (B.S.) is strongly focused on basic science while providing students with a greater understanding of the experimental and computational processes and societal issues that surround the synthesis, discovery, and design of modern pharmaceuticals. Important relevant topics include potential drug targets, physical principles of drug action, drug synthesis & screening, computational drug design, drug delivery, and ethical concerns. The demand for pharmaceutical chemists is high and anticipated to grow, as modern chemistry allows a wide range of choices for drug synthesis and our growing knowledge of biological processes presents challenging targets for novel therapeutics.

### Career Alternatives

Graduates in Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design will be able to successfully pursue their career objectives in advanced education in professional and/or graduate schools and in a range of scientific careers in academia, government, or industry including the pharmaceutical, medicinal & biological sciences, medicine, pharmacy, pharmacology, and biotechnology.

### Major Advisor

To contact a major advisor in the Department of Chemistry; see [Academic Advising](https://chemistry.ucdavis.edu/undergraduate/academic-advising).

### Honors & Honors Program

The student must take courses [CHE 194HA](https://catalog.ucdavis.edu/search/?P=CHE%20194HA "CHE 194HA"), [CHE 194HB](https://catalog.ucdavis.edu/search/?P=CHE%20194HB "CHE 194HB"), and [CHE 194HC](https://catalog.ucdavis.edu/search/?P=CHE%20194HC "CHE 194HC"), and complete a capstone research project (typically a written honors thesis). For more information, see [Undergraduate Research](https://chemistry.ucdavis.edu/undergraduate/undergraduate-research) on the department's website.

## Graduate Study

The Department of Chemistry offers programs of study and research leading to M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Chemistry. Detailed information regarding graduate study may be obtained by contacting the Graduate Advisor, Department of Chemistry; see also [Graduate Studies](http://gradstudies.ucdavis.edu/).

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