The Franklin College Department of Chemistry and Physics prepares students to pursue careers in industries, academia, health professions, science-related public services, law and more.

Students gain knowledge and professional skills through engaging courses, on-campus labs and research trainings, professional internships, and off-campus summer research opportunities — all of which prepare them to evaluate critically and become informed citizens.

The hands-on science skills learned at Franklin College prepare students for a wide variety of career options.

Career possibilities include:

• Professional programs (pharmacy, medicine, physician assistant program, veterinary science, dentistry, optometry, etc.)
• Industry jobs (especially pharmaceutical companies like Eli Lilly and others)
• Graduate school (doctorate and master’s programs)
• Forensic science-related jobs (such as at Indiana Drug Enforcement Section)
• Patent and environmental lawyer

Students work alongside faculty mentors on diverse and interdisciplinary research topics. Some of these research topics include organic synthesis, biofuel developments, applications of laser-induced fluorescence techniques, biomedical physics and ultrasounds, computational data processing/analysis and chemistry-related programming. Working on research projects helps prepare students for excellence whether they are planning to go directly into the workforce or pursue an advanced or professional degree after graduation.

Student Learning Outcomes

Through various courses (Analytical Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Instrumental Analysis etc.) offered in the chemistry & physics program, students learn:

• The fundamental chemistry knowledge
• The ability to communicate science with professionals and with the public
• The ability to analyze scientific data and extract significant conclusions
• The ability to utilize computer programs to solve problems
• The ability to synthesize chemicals and characterize them
• The ability to design experimental plans for chemical/physical research

Through courses related to health and medicine (Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Toxicology, Ultrasonography, Radiation and Health, and Biomedical Optics) students learn:

• The fundamental chemistry and physics knowledge related to health profession
• To understand the collaboration between the fields of science and medicine

Through science courses designed for non-science majors (Astronomy, Earth Science, General Chemistry and General Physics) students get introduced to:

• Scientific concepts
• The process of scientific thinking
• How science is a creative process of discovery
• How science is conducted

Chemistry and the Franklin College Family

We believe you learn science, by doing science. Engaging courses, practical research opportunities, relevant internships, and transformative travel experiences enable our students to learn scientific concepts as well as think critically to tackle real challenges.