About The Program

The Department of Chemistry offers two undergraduate degree programs, the bachelor of science (B.S.) and the bachelor of arts (B.A.).The Chemistry BS degree is certified by the American Chemical Society when a biochemistry course is included. An ACS-approved programs offer a broad-based and rigorous chemistry education that gives students the intellectual, experimental, and communication skills needed to become effective scientific professionals in chemical and other related fields. The program also provides all the prerequisites for graduate work in chemistry or biochemistry and in other biomedical areas with a molecular focus.

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Science with a major in chemistry requires a minimum of 120 s.h., including 69 s.h. of work for the major (20 s.h. in foundation chemistry courses, 27 s.h. in advanced chemistry, and 22 s.h. in supporting course work). B.S. students must earn at least 20 s.h. in advanced chemistry courses at The University of Iowa.

Foundation Courses (B.S., 20 s.h.)

• Principles of Chemistry ,8 s.h.
• Basic Measurements, 3 s.h.
• Organic I-II for Majors (preferred), or Organic I-II, 6 s.h.
• Organic Chemistry Lab for Majors (preferred), or Organic Chemistry Lab,  3 s.h.

Advanced Chemistry Courses (B.S., 27 s.h.)

• Analytical Chemistry , 6 s.h.
• Inorganic Chemistry,  3 s.h.
• Analytical Measurements, 3 s.h.
• Physical  Measurements, , 3 s.h.
• Inorganic Chemistry Lab,  3 s.h.
• Advanced Inorganic Chemistry, 3 s.h.
• Physical Chemistry I-II, , 3 s.h.

Supporting Courses (B.S., 22 s.h.)

• Mathematics, 8 s.h.
  • Calculus I-II (preferred),  or Engineer Math 
• Physics, 8 s.h.
  • Introductory Physics I-II (preferred),  or College Physics 
• Science Electives and Research, 6 s.h.
  • Undergraduate Research
  • Advanced Science Electives
  • Biochemistry (B.S. students who want an ACS certified degree must complete one of these optional courses)
    • Biochemistry, 3 s.h.
    • Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I,  3 s.h.

International Student Application Process

• Submit an application
  • Apply Now
• Pay the $80 application fee
  • Payable by credit card. Do not send cash. Application fees are not refundable.
• Upload your academic records
  • Within your Admissions Profile in MyUI, upload all required transcripts from every secondary school, college, university, technical/vocational institute, or professional institution you have attended.
• If you are requesting F1 or J1 visa status:
  • Complete a Financial Statement (PDF) showing evidence of adequate financial support to cover the costs of one full year of study at the University of Iowa. Upload your Financial Statement and Financial Verification via your Admissions Profile in MyUI.
  • The Estimated Cost of Attendance varies depending on your area of study.
• If your first language is not English:
  • Have the testing agency send us your TOEFL, IELTS or PTE score, if applicable, based on our English Proficiency Requirements.(Internet-based test (iBT): 80 with no subscore lower than 17 ;Paper-based test (PBT): 530)
  • An ACT English subscore of 21
  • An SAT Critical Reading score of 540
  • An IELTS (International English Language Testing System) total score of 6.5, with no subscore lower than 6.0
  • A Pearson Test of English (PTE) score of 53 with no sub-scores lower than 47
• Have your ACT or SAT score sent to us by the testing agency if:
  • You completed secondary school in the United States
  • You are applying for direct admission to the Tippie College of Business, the College of Engineering, or theUniversity of Iowa Honors Program
  • You plan to apply for scholarships (some awards require an ACT or SAT score)

Scholarships for International First-Year Students

Presidential Scholarship (International)

• For incoming first-year students
• Visit Honors at Iowa for additional details on the Presidential Scholarship and a list of the 2016 Presidential Scholarship recipients.
• Value:$40,000 ($10,000 a year up to four years)
• Minimum Requirements:30 ACT (or a combined SAT critical reading and math score of 1330) AND a 3.80 grade-point average (GPA) on a 4.00 scale
• Application:It is past the deadline to apply for the 2016 Presidential Scholarship application. Details for the 2017 Presidential Scholarship competition will be posted in September 2016.
• Deadline:The deadline to apply for the 2016 Presidential Scholarship has past.
• Renewal:Renewable for an additional three years or until you receive your bachelor’s degree (whichever comes first) provided you maintain continuous full-time enrollment each semester at the University of Iowa  and a 3.33 cumulative University of Iowa grade-point average.
• Contact: Honors Program

Old Gold Scholarship (International)

• For incoming first-year students
• Value:$20,000 ($5,000 a year up to four years)
• Minimum Requirements:30 ACT (or a combined SAT critical reading and math score of 1330) AND a 3.80 grade-point average (GPA) on a 4.00 scale
• Application:None. Scholarship is awarded automatically to eligible students upon admission.
• Renewal:Renewable for an additional three years or until you receive your bachelor’s degree (whichever comes first) provided you maintain continuous full-time enrollment each semester at the University of Iowa and a 3.00 cumulative University of Iowa grade-point average.
• Contact: Office of Admissions

University of Iowa International Scholars Award (ISA)

• For incoming international first-year students with outstanding high school records. The ISA will be awarded at the time of admission and will be based on a review of your high school record including high school courses, course rigor, and grades earned in those courses.
• Value: $8,000 ($2,000 a year for up to four years).
• Application:Eligible students are considered automatically upon admission.
• Renewal:Renewable for an additional three years or until you receive your bachelor’s degree (whichever comes first) provided you maintain continuous full-time enrollment each semester at the University of Iowa, a minimum 2.0 cumulative University of Iowa grade-point average, and continue to pay nonresident tuition.
• Contact: Office of Admissions

Iowa Sister State Scholarship (Iowa SSS)

• For incoming international first-year students with outstanding high school records who are residents of and currently reside in one of Iowa’s sister states in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan; Yucatan, Mexico; Hebei Province, China; Terengganu, Malaysia; Stavropol Krai, Russia; Taiwan; Cherkasy Oblast, Ukraine; Veneto Region, Italy; and Kosovo. The IowaSSS will be awarded after holistic review of the application and submission of the IowaSSS Application. A maximum of 10 scholarships will be made available each year to residents of each of Iowa’s sister states.
• Value:$16,000 ($4,000 a year for up to four years)
• Minimum Requirements:Recipients will be expected to serve a minimum of one semester as an ambassador for their state/province during their time at Iowa and connect with Iowa Sister States and their events.
• Application:Application will be available at our Iowa Scholarship Portal on October 1. 
• Deadline:March 1 for Fall Semester; December 1 for Spring Semester
• Renewal:Renewable for an additional three years or until you receive your bachelor’s degree (whichever comes first) provided you maintain continuous full-time enrollment each semester at the University of Iowa and a minimum 2.0 cumulative University of Iowa grade-point average.
• Contact: Office of Admissions

Summer Hawk Tuition Grant (International)

• Provides a summer-session scholarship to undergraduate students who first enrolled at Iowa in Summer or Fall 2013 or after Summer Hawk Tuition Grant FAQ
• Value:International students—up to $9,893, based on Summer 2015 tuition (difference between resident and international tuition for 12 credit hours)
• Students are responsible for any fees associated with enrollment
• Minimum Requirements:Students must have enrolled in at least 24 credit hours the previous academic year at the University of Iowa.
• Application:None. First-year, first-time students admitted for Summer or Fall 2013 are eligible to receive the grant during a single summer but must use it within four years of initial enrollment and before receiving an undergraduate degree.
• Renewal:One-time award for up to 12 credit hours during a single summer.
• Contact: Office of Admissions

India Scholars Award

• For incoming international first-year students with outstanding high school records whose country of citizenship is India. The India Scholars Award will be awarded at the time of admission and will be based on a review of your high school record including high school courses, course rigor, and grades earned in those courses.
• Value:$6,000 ($1,500 a year for up to four years)
• Application:Eligible students are considered automatically upon admission.
• Renewal:Renewable for an additional three years or until you receive your bachelor’s degree (whichever comes first) provided you maintain continuous full-time enrollment at the University of Iowa, a minimum 2.0 cumulative University of Iowa grade-point average, and continue to pay nonresident tuition.
• Contact: Office of Admissions

Iowa Heritage Award

• For incoming students who have a parent, stepparent, legal guardian, or grandparent who have conferred a University of Iowa degree (bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree)
• Value:$6,000 ($1,500 a year for up to four years)
• Application:Application now available at our Iowa Scholarship Portal.
• Deadline:
• May 31 for Summer Session and Fall Semester; December 31 for Spring Semester
• Renewal:
• Renewable for an additional three years or until you receive your bachelor’s degree (whichever comes first) provided you maintain continuous full-time enrollment each semester at the University of Iowa and a minimum 2.0 cumulative University of Iowa grade-point average.
• Contact: Office of Admissions

* Additional fees include a $140 international student fee, $120 international orientation fee, $237 student health & wellness fee, $72 student activity fee, $123 building fee, $77 student services fee, $120 student union fee, $25 arts and cultural events fee, and $269 recreation fee.