About Chemistry And Biochemistry in University of California San Diego

The following is a quick overview of our five majors and Chemistry minor. For specific information on requirements and suggested four-year plans for each major, please use the navigation bar to the left.

Chemistry Majors

• The Chemistry B.S. provides a broad introduction to the chemical sciences.
• The Biochemistry B.S. focuses on the chemical processes in living organisms, including the structure and function of proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and carbohydrates.
• The Environmental Chemistry B.S. combines a strong foundation in chemistry with studies in other environmentally-related disciplines, including economics, biology, political science, and earth science.
• The Pharmacological Chemistry B.S. has a curriculum that includes the requirements of most California pharmacy schools, but which also allows students to prepare for graduate school, health careers, or chemistry work.
• The Molecular Synthesis B.S. provides thorough training in all aspects of molecular substances with a fundamental understanding of structure and reactivity.

Chemistry Minor

• A minor in chemistry requires completion of three lower-division and four upper-division chemistry courses. One of the upper-division courses must be a lab. All minor classes must be courses within the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. See details here. 

DISCONTINUED MAJORS

• The Bioinformatics B.S. in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry provides an interdisciplinary program focusing on the quantitative study of biological systems from a chemical sciences perspective.
• The Chemical Education B.S. combines training in chemistry, physics, earth science, biology and teaching to prepare students for a career in science teaching.
• The Chemical Physics B.S. applies concepts from physics to the description of atoms and molecules to analyze matter as a statistical assembly of molecules.

*The majors listed above (Bioinformatics-CH37, Chemical Eduation-CH33, Chemical Physics-CH32) have been officially discontinued by the Academic Senate. No new students will be admitted to these majors.  However, students who are currently declared will still be able to continue on and earn their degree in these major codes.  Please contact an academic advisor in the Chemistry and Biochemistry department if you have any questions.

GPA (Grade-Point Average) Requirement

To be eligible for admission to UC San Diego, you must earn the following minimum GPAs:

• California residents must earn a GPA of 3.0 (or better) with no grade lower than "C."
• Non-California residents & International applicants must earn a GPA of 3.4 (or better) with no grade lower than "C."

Your GPA is based on the above college preparatory (A-G) courses taken during 10th and 11th grades. Students admitted to UC San Diego have GPAs that exceed these minimums.

 UC San Diego will not consider SAT or ACT test scores as a factor in admissions decisions through Fall 2024. If you choose to submit test scores as part of your application, they may be used as an alternative method of fulfilling minimum requirements for eligibility or for course placement after you enroll.

International Students

If your native language is not English and your secondary/high school education was in a country where English is not the language of instruction, you must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination (academic modules) and have your scores reported to the UC San Diego Office of Admissions. A minimum score of 83 is required for the TOEFL, or a minimum score of 7 is required for the IELTS. Learn more on the International Students page.

University of California Cost of Attendance

An expected budget for overseas students wishing to study in the United States is as follows for potential university aspirants enrolling in the forthcoming sessional term:

The cost of attendance for graduate programs varies by program. However, the estimated cost is presented below: