<p>I'm a High School Junior and I'm thinking about majoring in Chemistry. I've always wanted to go to Duke, and I've recently realized how much I enjoy Chemistry.</p>
<p>Can someone give me a run-down of the Chemistry program at Duke?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.chem.duke.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://www.chem.duke.edu/</a></p>
<p>Chemistry is definitely a difficult major, so it's a smaller program at Duke, but I personally think it's a fantastic one.</p>
<p>Basically, you're going to be taking Gen Chem, unless you qualify to go straight into Organic, P-Chem (which is completely killer), and then Analytical Chem. Of course there are other courses like Inorganic, Biophysical Chem, yada yada, but those four are the core, whole year courses. Plus on top of that you can choose a concentration (Environmental Chem, Pharmacology, or Biochem) which throws in more courses. AND if you choose to go for ACS certification that's definitely more. With that said, it's a little more of a restrictive schedule, and it's harder to go abroad because you have all your full year labs.</p>
<p>I believe ACS certification and whatnot, of course I could be mistaken, also requires 2 semesters of research, either in your concentration or just with chemistry in general. I hear it's pretty easy to get theses, and the department is pretty flexible, plus if you want to pursue post-graduate work then you should be working in research anyway. When choosing who to research with, everyone I've talked to was pretty happy with who's lab they ended up in, so you can usually find something you really enjoy, and professors are usually very helpful.</p>
<p>That's kind of the low-down on the basics. If you have any questions or ANYTHING just send me a PM. I'm going to be a sophomore Chem major, HOPEFULLY a concentration in Pharmacology. My hope is to go to graduate school for Chemistry. So, yes, shoot me a PM if you need anything!</p>
<p>I'm going to be a junior chem major next year. loveduke22 gave a nice rundown of the chem basics (one clarification: Analytical Chem and Inorganic Chem are both semester long classes that are I believe required for all chem majors).</p>
<p>The professors are very friendly, and most love to talk with undergraduates.</p>
<p>One thing that should be really attractive to people looking into chemistry at Duke is that the department is moving into a new, state of the art building halfway through next year (or at least that's the plan). Gross Chemistry (the current building) is kind of old and ugly and most students cringe when they have to make the trek to it (stupid stairs). The new French Science Center is going to be a great place all around. It's closer/connected to the other science buildings, and a lot of chem people at Duke are looking forward to it.</p>
<p>(ah whoops...my bad)</p>