Undergraduate Programs

Source: https://www.chemistry.harvard.edu/undergraduate-programs Parent: https://college.harvard.edu/academics/liberal-arts-sciences/concentrations

The Faculty of CCB share a commitment to undergraduate education. This commitment is shown by the diverse offering of undergraduate concentrations and courses as well as the opportunity for hands-on research in labs. In addition to these formal experiences, the CCB Faculty are dedicated to nurturing students during their scientific journeys.

CCB is the home for the undergraduate concentration of Chemistry. In addition to Chemistry,  CCB Faculty also teach and support student research in the undergradaute concentrations of Chemistry & Physics, and Chemical & Physical Biology. Read more about these concentrations in the Fields of Concentration.

Check out the attached Guide to Chemistry 2025-2026, a handy guidebook that includes information on advising, courses, and more, edited by current concentrators, Dr. Gregg Tucci, and Dr. Lu Wang in a way that makes the information more digestible.

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Chemistry is the science of the structure, properties, and reactions of matter. It is both a basic science, fundamental to an understanding of the world we live in, and a practical science with an enormous number and variety of important applications. Knowledge of chemistry is fundamental to an understanding of biology and biochemistry and of certain aspects of geology, astronomy, physics, and engineering. Read more about concentrating in chemistry in the Fields of Concentration.

Explore the concentration:

• Planing for First-Year Fall or Taking the First Chemistry Course at Harvard:
• Understanding Your Placement Scores in Chemistry and Biology. In this 10-min video, Dr. Gregg Tucci first went over the three fall courses in Chemistry and Biology (Life and Physical Sciences A, Life Sciences 1a, and CHEM 10) and classes in Organic Chemistry, and then discussed how to explore and find courses that are best for you.
• Understanding the Chemistry and Biology Gateway courses (handout).
• Planing for the First Two Years of College:
• 2-page Chemistry Courses Introduction Brochure on suggestions of chemistry courses to take during the first two years of college.
• Watch the Undergraduate Chemistry Information Session (recorded on Aug 2, 2023): link to the video, link to the slides, which talks about courses offered in the Chemistry department, research opportunities, and concurrent master's program in chemistry.

Highly recommend: Take a look at the document below which contains chemistry concentration requirements and a blank plan of study (click here to make a copy of your own; need to log into your email @college.harvard.edu). Use the sign-up link in the document to meet up with concentration advisors, Dr. Gregg Tucci and Dr. Lu wang, to help you make a draft four-year plan of study for chemistry. No commitment to join the concentration -- we are happy to meet up and discuss any questions you may have!

Declare concentrating in chemistry - follow a 3-step process:

1. Fill this document (click here to make a copy of your own; need to log into your email @college.harvard.edu).
2. Meet with Gregg and Lu to discuss your plan of study. Sign-up information is included in the document in Step 1.
3. If you decide to declare, then submit a declaration of concentration request on my.harvard. Directions on how to do that can be found here. Note that the declaration won’t be approved until you complete step #1-2.

Concentration Resources:

1. CHEM courses offered AY 25-26: the list of chemistry courses offered AY 2025-2026 and their recommended prep.
2. Information on the Research-for-Credit Courses in Chemistry (Chem 91r, 98r, 99r).
3. Information on the Advanced Laboratory Courses offered in Chemistry.
4. Starting in the Fall 2025 term, students can petition to fulfill the Advanced Laboratory requirement with two courses of CHEM 91R/98R/99R (i.e., Research-for-Credit courses) taken for two consecutive semesters doing chemical research. Students who select this option are required to submit a scientific technical report at the conclusion of each semester, which must receive a satisfactory evaluation from the Principal Investigator (PI). Click here forthe Guideline and Petition Form for more details.
5. Senior thesis: chemistry concentrators are not required to write a senior thesis, but if you decide to write one, please follow the template provided by the Office of Undergraduate Education (OUE) for the Title Page for Senior Thesis. We also recommend resources from https://chem.duke.edu/undergraduate/guidelines-thesis

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If you're interested in a Concurrent Master's Degree in Chemistry, we advise you to discuss your decision with your Resident Dean and , Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies. Before setting up a meeting, please readtherequirements and instructions for applying for the Concurrent Master's Degree in Chemistry here. It also includes sample course plans for the first five semesters of the college to meet the eligibility requirement for applying to the program.

The general information on concurrent master's degrees at Harvard is available at: Concurrent Master's Program. To confirm your application submission, contact .

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The Chemistry Club is a meeting place for Harvard undergraduate chemists and a venue for chemical education initiatives tailored for the pre-graduate students. Open to Chemistry Concentrators and all students interested in Chemistry, the Chemistry Club holds regular social gatherings, lectures by distinguished faculty and researchers from prominent universities and corporations, hosts dinners with invited guests at the Faculty Club, and promotes chemical education initiatives such as the Big Brother/Big Sister Program, student research colloquia, and graduate school admission forums. Follow the Chem Club on Instagram! To join the Chem Club Google Group, fill out this form and email hchemclub@gmail.com. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to hchemclub@gmail.com!

Subscribe to the weekly CCB Community Newsletter, which provides information about department news, academic and social events, job and funding opportunities, conferences and symposia, and more! Highly recommend! 

Sign up for theUndergraduate Science Research Newsletter, which is sent out by Kate Penner, Undergraduate Science Research Advisor in the Office of Science Education (FAS Division of Science). Sign up for 1-on-1 research advising meetings with Kate here.

The Academic Resources Centeroffers academic counseling, workshops and discussions, peer tutoring, and more.

The Office of Career Services offers guidance and programming to help you feel confident and prepared to take the first steps in your career. Learn to create strong resumes, CVs, and cover letters; find summer internships, fellowships and jobs.

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The Undergraduate Teaching Program (UTP) supports all undergraduate TFs and CAs across chemistry courses, ultimately improving the quality of teaching and learning in our department.

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Our safety trainings, policies, and procedures ensure the safety of our students and laboratory teaching staff. Teaching staff develop expertise in the particular hazards involved in each experiment. And, our labs undergo regular inspections and audits to confirm they meet our rigorous safety standards.

Undergraduate program contacts

to design a plan of study

to discuss secondary field or concurrent master

Undergraduate Staff for course-specific information

Subscribeto receive Undergraduate Chemistry Newsletters and keep in touch with the Office of Undergraduate Studies in Chemistry.

News about our undergrads

### News: Research Driven by the Heart

October 15, 2025

If anyone would want to do cardiac research at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH), it’s Shivani Srikanth. As a child, Srikanth had a heart condition that required a pacemaker to be surgically implanted, and the procedure was done at BCH. Now a fourth-year...

### Nobel Laureate Steven Chu Warns of ‘Titanic’ Climate Challenge

September 16, 2025

On Monday, Nobel laureate and former U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu delivered a wide-ranging and urgent lecture, warning that the world is on track for catastrophic levels of warming, calling for a new era of scientific innovation and policy action to...

### CCB Student Profile: A Scientist and a Survivor

September 04, 2025

Patryk Kozlowski was finishing his fall exams as a junior at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) when he learned he had leukemia. A young athlete and a burgeoning scientist, Kozlowski was stunned. Only weeks later, though, he faced even...