My 10th grade daughter loves both Chemistry and Computer Science and has been performing well in those subjects as well. She wants to do engineering that covers both subject areas. Any suggestions on what kind of courses are available in highly competitive colleges (other than Ivy’s) that offer such courses?
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Google for universities that offer degrees in computational chemistry.
That might be the ticket.
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Computational chemistry is pretty niche for an undergrad degree.
Some degree pathways that would have good job prospects after graduation would be chemical engineering (with plenty of CS classes sprinkled in), or computer science (could minor in chem). A chemistry degree with a minor in CS isn’t as immediately marketable as the engineering and CS degrees, but is obviously on-topic.
Some of this depends on what she wants to do. If she’s really wanting gritty molecular theory, the chem degree is likely best (with as much CS as she wants and can handle). Most computational chemists do a chem major and usually a PhD. Those jobs will be much more scarce than chemical engineering jobs. The undergrad chem degree by itself isn’t the most marketable. My spouse is a computational chemist (in part) and has a PhD. They went the chem route the whole way and picked up the computational skills over time – no dedicated classes. This is true in general of theoretical chemists and physicists and biologists. The coding is just one of the many tools they learn along the way.
Generally, admissions to chem and engineering majors are somewhat easier than to CS. But she can approach this from several angles. She has time – she can find out which main subject draws her in the most. If she likes engineering, you can’t go wrong with any engineering degree, really.
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what about data science applied to chemistry?
Lots of data science majors require a secondary field and chemistry sounds like it’d be very marketable.
@samkumar: your child should try to take the usual sequence of bio/chem/physics (perhaps AP physics 1) and add AP Chem (level 2 after Chem honors.) AP Chem is one of the hardest AP’s and will let her know whether Chem is for her.
Wrt math, see if she can take Discrete Math through Dual Enrollment, and once she’s completed calculus (AP Calc AB or BC) if she can take Calc-based statistics through DE.
Most large chemical engineering programs have tracks that will allow for taking computational chemistry and biology courses. FWIW, has your DD taken any engineering courses like PLTW?
My D is a senior chemical engineering student at Purdue and they have an optional Data Science concentration. I also believe students can minor in CS.
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Yes that’s a great option. I sort of lump that into CS mentally. Data science programs that can be applied to chem, bio, whatever are becoming more and more common.
Friends kid is in school of information at Michigan and loves it for data science.
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Some college that offer tracks within a major allow students to design their own. So you could graduate with a BSCS with a speciality in chemistry ( for instance), typically all of the big project courses would, in that case, be chemistry related.
Possibility.
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I concur that a data science major with chemistry as an applied domain would combine your daughter’s dual interests.
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I don’t have time to look into the specifics, but I’ll suggest looking into the University of Rochester since you asked for highly competitive colleges other than Ivies.
They’re focused on research and letting students stick with courses that interest them. Double majors are common. Triple majors aren’t unheard of. I suspect it would be easy to pair the two and they likely have terrific research opportunities to get involved with as an undergrad. If they’re affordable, they’re worth looking into IMO.
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UIUC has a CS+Chemistry undergraduate degree.
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Why only highly competitive ? It’s engineering. Top doesn’t matter but schools like Minnesota, Delaware, and Wisconsin stand amongst the ‘top’ in the ChemE world but I know you don’t mean schools like that. I’m sure looking at the curriculum of many, you can find your area when that time comes.
But what you want is ABET and affordable…not necessarily Ivy or similar but to each their own.
There’s so many nuances today and most schools will have a pathway for ultimately what your interests are no matter the program she attends.
Good luck.
Thanks. What I meant is schools that have a rigorous and recognized engineering course covering these two fields. Not just based on some famous ranking or just top private colleges.
CS first with some focus on Chem. In fact, Delaware is in our list. I have heard their Chem Engg is a great offering.
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Thank you. This is a great input. Do you have any colleges in mind that offer such a course combination and well recognized from career perspective? I will use that to research similar courses in our area (North East/Mid-Atlantic).
I think if you look at most large schools with CS you’ll find do offerings you like in Chem. Some schools have engineering minors but not all. And you’ll be able to find minors or dual majors in Chem. But I think your list of possible schools will be wider than you think.
But it’s a 10th grader so it’s a bit early. My kid went through 4 majors b4 applying - in the year b4 applying.
Good luck
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UMN and UIUC would be out of your preferred area but both internationally famous, UIUC for CS, UMN for chemistry, with the other field no slouch.
reach for all: UIUC CS+ Chem
This option makes it easy for a student to double major in CS and chemistry, because the “liberal arts electives” can be in chemistry or in CS (the BS requires more math classes)
https://cla.umn.edu/undergraduate-students/requirements-policies/about-majors-minors/shared-majors-and-minors/ba-computer-science
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https://cla.umn.edu/undergraduate-students/requirements-policies/about-majors-minors/shared-majors-and-minors/ba-chemistry
However the Data Science major can only be found through the College of Science&Engineering and I’m not sure students are allowed to take electives in chemistry (they list statistics, math, physics, industrial engineering).
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https://honors.umn.edu/
Looking at colleges that facilitate combinations:
What about
https://www.bowdoin.edu/chemistry/index.html
https://www.bowdoin.edu/digital-and-computational-studies/index.html
https://www.bowdoin.edu/computer-science/index.html
Off the beaten path and@tsbna44 can discuss it more:
https://datascience.cofc.edu/undergraduate/index.php
Northeastern U has the widest range of CS+X combined degrees that I’ve seen. They offer Data Science + Chem, but not CS+chem, which supports the observations others have made upthread that Data Science may dovetail better with a chem major. Data Science and Chemistry, BS < Northeastern University On the other hand, they do offer a ChemE+CS combined degree that might be of interest as well: Chemical Engineering and Computer Science, BSChE < Northeastern University Comparing and contrasting these programs and their requirements may help to give insight into what your student might prefer.
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