Welcome to the Department of Chemistry at Oregon State University. Located in the heart of the Willamette Valley, we have a vibrant department focused on cutting-edge research and science education. With over 100 Ph.D. students and approximately 200 undergraduate majors, chemistry is one of the largest programs on the OSU Campus. In fact, over 4,000 undergraduate students take a class in the chemistry department every academic year.
Our Department
Chemistry Department 2024
62
Faculty/Staff
278
Students
$5,317,336
Research Funding
80
Degrees Awarded Yearly
Who we are
Sometimes called "the central science," chemistry has an overarching impact on the biological and physical sciences and is uniquely positioned to solve many of the major challenges that face humanity. Our faculty understand that the solutions to the current problems with energy, disease, and climate rely on advances in our understanding and control over materials, molecules and their reactions.
View our strategic plan and vision
See the history of our department
Diversity and inclusion
Our department is committed to maintaining a welcoming and inclusive environment for our students, faculty and staff. We believe that diversity in people, ideas and perspectives promote excellence and actively seek out ways to achieve equal representation within our department.
Learn more about our values
Education, research, outreach
Our faculty have established a long track record for conducting transformative research that is supported by the full breadth of federal funding institutions. This spirit of innovation has helped inspire our top-ranked online and in-person teaching practices that have been recognized with many of the university's highest awards.
Outreach
Our department believes that access to quality chemistry education benefits the world as a whole. As part of that mission, we are always looking for new ways to inspire people from all backgrounds. We believe that widespread engagement and understanding of science can help us get a head start on addressing issues that arise in the future.
Learn more about chemistry outreach
Awards and honors
Our department values giving recognition to our students, faculty and staff for their achievements. We encourage you to apply for or nominate someone else for our department-, College- and university-level awards.
Explore our chemistry awards and honors
Make a gift
Gifts from our dedicated alumni, parents and friends make it possible for the department to extend scholarships to our students to enable them to have life-changing experiences, from accompanying faculty in their field research to working in a research lab on campus. Your gift can make all the difference in the lives of our students.
