Which University for Majoring In Chemsitry?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Berkeley
1

<p>Ok so I was thinking about majoring in chemistry, specifically organic (minor in neuro/psycho-pharmacology). I was researching about which universities have chemistry programs available. So I came up with some in a nearby area. I don't really want to go too far. The one's I've come up with are: UC Berkeley, SF State, or UC Santa Cruz. Berkeley amongst those three is definitely the best chemistry school, but it will require a good amount of effort just to get in. On the other hand, how is SF state and UC Santa Cruz look in terms of chemistry/pharmacology? Anything other than those universities around the Bay Area (NorCal) with a good chemistry/pharmacology program (I don't plan on going to SoCal or the Central Valley)? One problem I have found is that no university actually offers majoring in organic chemistry (searched on their websites and on collegeboard.com), but in fact biochemistry. Is there a reason why they don't list it, or is it just for the fact that they don't have it.</p>

<p>Another question I had was how is the university of Amsterdam? I know it has a pretty good reputation but I was wondering how hard it is to actually get in. I've done a lot of googling and haven't found anything that really explains requirements other than saying you need a diploma (doesn't even say anything specific). Is it possible to come straight out of highschool, or will I need to go to community college for a couple of years? Also, how does the school system there work? For example here, to major in chemistry, you need to take chemistry 1a,1b,2a,2b blah blah, biology 1a,1b blah blah, physics, math and what not; totaling up to a huge amount of classes/credits. How does Europe's university system work in those terms?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

2

<p>I'm not sure about the other schools, but my 5 second answer is that Berkeley Chemistry is rated number 1. In the world.</p>

3

<p>Other universities have departments of chemistry, but Berkeley is the only university with its own college of chemistry. It is consistently ranked first or second in national rankings. I haven't heard of the programs at SF State or UCSC, but Stanford has a strong chemistry program too.</p>

<p>I don't know why there is no organic chemistry major, but I can postulate why. Chemistry is a rather diverse field and organic chemistry is only a small sub-category. As such, most undergrad programs try to instill a fundamental understanding of chemistry in a wide variety of topics. Grad schools allow for focus on specific concentrations like organic chemistry.</p>