How to apply to Clarkson University for chemistry: the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department in the Coulter School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, a Chemistry BS with 68 of 120 credits in the major and a required professional experience, with admission routes and prerequisites for U.S., international (including Chinese) and transfer students

At Clarkson University (main campus in Potsdam, New York), undergraduate chemistry is offered by the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department in the Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Below is what the official pages say for U.S. students, international students and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. The BS in Biochemistry belongs to the same department; its curriculum is on the Biochemistry program page and is only mentioned here. Medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary and other health professional programs, and chemical engineering, are outside this guide; see the university site.

1. Degrees and options

• BS in Chemistry: the department page lists the Chemistry BS (and a chemistry minor) and the Biochemistry BS, plus MS and PhD programs in chemistry. The pages we read do not list a chemistry BA, chemical physics, medicinal chemistry or a separate materials chemistry degree, and do not mention American Chemical Society (ACS) approval; materials and environmental chemistry appear as research areas and minors (below).
• Credit structure: the chemistry program is 68 of the 120 credits needed to graduate: 45 credits in chemistry, 17 in math and physics, 3 in biology and 3 in statistics. The remaining 52 credits are for electives and the Clarkson Common Experience (about 15 credits of Knowledge Area/University electives and about 32 credits of free electives).
• Core courses: Structure and Bonding, Chemical Equilibrium and Dynamics with Chemistry Laboratories I and II, Freshman Seminar, Spectroscopy and Spectroscopy Laboratory, Organic Chemistry I and II with Organic Chemistry Laboratory I, Instrumental Laboratory, Survey of Inorganic Chemistry, Separations and Electrochemistry, Advanced Laboratory, Physical Chemistry I and II; Calculus I and II, Elementary Differential Equations, Physics I and II; plus one biology elective and one statistics elective. See the course catalog for numbers and credits.
• Example courses: the page names Better Materials Through Chemistry, Carbon Capture and Sequestration, Electrochemistry and Separation, Food Chemistry, Forensic Chemistry, Intro to Biomaterials and Nanostructured Materials.
• Professional experience (required): every chemistry student completes one, which can be directed research with department faculty (physical, organic, inorganic, electrochemistry, analytical, biochemistry, materials and colloid chemistry) or an internship or co-op. Students who choose the research thesis option are paired with an advisor in senior year and take CM491 and CM492 (6 credits each) and submit a thesis.
• Minors and combinations: the chemistry minor is about 23–25 credits. The page also lists minors in environmental health science, medicine and healthcare, pre-teaching and materials engineering; a biochemistry minor or second major; a business double major; a 4+1 BS in Chemistry plus MBA; and advising tracks for occupational therapy, physician assistant studies, physical therapy, pre-dental, pre-medical, pre-optometry, pre-pharmacy, pre-public health and pre-veterinary. Those health professional programs themselves are outside this guide.
• BS in Biochemistry: same department, 84 credits; see the program page for the curriculum.

2. How admission works: you apply to Clarkson; no chemistry-specific line is published

• What you apply to: the Clarkson first-year application or the Common App. The Chemistry and Biochemistry Department sits under the Coulter School; whether you pick chemistry when you apply and whether there is a separate school- or major-level admission line are not stated on the application or FAQ pages we read. Not published; ask admissions (admissions@clarkson.edu, 315-268-6480).
• GPA or course thresholds, space limits: not published. The application page only says programs may have specific prerequisites; the chemistry page lists none.
• When you declare, and conditions for changing into chemistry: not stated on the pages we read. Not published; ask admissions or the department (chembms@clarkson.edu, 315-268-2389).
• Research: the page says undergraduates have opportunities to take part in research from day one alongside faculty and graduate students, with a five-week pre-first-year summer program and 10-week summer programs after the first, second or third year.

3. Prerequisites

• High school courses: the application, international, FAQ and chemistry pages we read do not list required units or grades in high school chemistry, mathematics or physics. Not published; ask your admissions counselor.
• Placement tests: not mentioned on the pages we read.
• AP / IB credit: the FAQ says Clarkson accepts AP scores of 4 and 5 within its current awarding parameters and will consider A-levels for admission and transfer credit; IB equivalencies were not on the pages we read. Which chemistry or math courses AP Chemistry or AP Calculus replace is not published; ask admissions.
• First-year courses: the core list begins with Structure and Bonding, Chemical Equilibrium and Dynamics, their laboratories and a freshman seminar. The page says the Clarkson Common Experience courses FY100 and UNIV190 are typically taken in the first fall semester. The minor page gives the first-year chemistry sequence as CM103/104/105/106 or CM131 and CM132 General Chemistry I and II.
• Instruments and research areas: students use NMR, GC-MS and HPLC, plus electron microscopes, mass spectrometers, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometers. Faculty interests include analytical chemistry/electrochemistry/sensors, biochemistry and biotechnology, inorganic and solid-state chemistry, nanotechnology and nanomaterials, organic/polymers/soft materials, and physical and computational chemistry.
• Honors Program: separate application; accepted students are eligible for awards up to $2,000 (below). The Honors page says it is open to first-year, transfer and current students.
• Competitions: the pages we read do not say how chemistry olympiads are viewed in admission.

4. How and when to apply (first-years)

• Application: the Clarkson first-year application or the Common App. First-year applicants using either pay no application fee.
• Materials: an official high school transcript; a letter of recommendation from a counselor, principal or headmaster, plus a second from a core subject teacher; a personal statement (250–650 words). You may add a résumé, portfolio, project links or extra letters. The site does not mention an extra essay for chemistry or a science teacher requirement.
• Testing: SAT/ACT optional; if sent, scores are considered, and self-reported scores are accepted (SAT code 2084, ACT code 2698).
• Deadlines (pages do not state the year, so confirm for fall 2027): Early Decision 1 December; Regular Decision 15 January. FAFSA deadline 1 February. Deposit deadline 1 May.
• Other: the FAQ says pass/fail grading will not count against you; the team reads holistically across course load, course type, recommendations and all four years of high school.

5. U.S. students: costs and scholarships

• Cost: Clarkson is private and lists one rate, with no resident and non-resident distinction and no extra chemistry fee on the page. 2026-2027: tuition $61,694, fees $1,370, average housing $10,840 and food $8,528, for the page’s direct-cost total of $82,432; books $1,560, personal $900, transportation $1,596 and loan fees $68, for a stated total cost of $86,556. These are 2026-2027 figures; costs for the 2027-28 year were not yet posted.
• Automatic awards: Clarkson scholarships are considered automatically from your application. To be eligible for merit scholarships and grants, the application and any scholarship materials must arrive by 15 January (1 December for Early Decision). The site also lists Clarkson Leadership and Achievement Awards of $30,000 a year for up to four years, nominated by high school counselors during junior year and approved by Clarkson.
• Awards that need an application: the Presidential Fellowship (five students, full tuition for four years, apply by 1 February); Honors Program scholarships (separate application; the scholarships page gives a priority deadline of 18 January and the international page 1 February; the Honors page says up to $2,000); the Solinsky Engineers Program ($5,000 a year for up to four years; the page ties it to students planning to major in one of the school’s eight engineering bachelor’s programs, and whether chemistry majors can apply is not stated there, so ask admissions). Others include the Early Decision Incentive Scholarship ($8,000 over four years), the Visit Scholarship ($1,000 a year, renewable for four years) and alumni connection awards.
• Need-based aid: file the FAFSA; New York residents are connected to the state TAP program through the FAFSA. The site says Clarkson provides some form of aid to about 90% of students.
• Department scholarships: none are listed on the department pages we read. Not published; ask the department or the financial aid office (finaidletters@clarkson.edu, 315-268-6413).

6. International students

• Application: the Clarkson first-year application or the Common App; an official secondary transcript, mark sheets or national exam scores (graduation exam reports if already taken); two letters of recommendation; SAT/ACT optional but “strongly recommended” for international applicants (unofficial scores are accepted at first, official ones on enrollment; Clarkson may withdraw an offer if self-reported and official scores differ).
• English (scores listed on the site): TOEFL 4.5 (as the page prints it), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 115, PTE 56, Manchester Exam 360. English testing is waived with an SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score of at least 550, or with IB or A-level results.
• Country-based exemptions: the listed countries include Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Nigeria and the Philippines; students from countries not on the list must submit scores. Waivers may also be considered with SAT Reading 550 or ACT English + Reading 43, a strong English grade on an international exam such as GCE, IGCSE or IB, or two or more years at a U.S. high school; email intladm@clarkson.edu.
• Proof of funds and visa: to get an I-20, return the Certification of Finances form (signed by sponsors or parents and a bank official), or give a certified letter from your sponsor plus a bank official’s letter.
• Cost: the international costs page is titled “2024-2025” and shows a total of $82,432 ($63,064 tuition and fees, $19,368 living expenses). The 2026-2027 undergraduate page also shows direct costs of $82,432, so the international page’s year label may be out of date; check Clarkson for the latest.
• Scholarships: all accepted international students are considered automatically for partial scholarships, with no extra application. The amount depends on secondary GPA, course rigor, SAT and English scores, and recommendations; the site says $5,000 to $40,000 a year, not increased after the first year. The Honors Program (separate application, with an interview) gives $2,000 a year; the Presidential Fellowship is also open. The site says Clarkson does not offer need-based aid to international undergraduates. F-1 students can work up to 20 hours a week on campus, though on-campus jobs are limited and not guaranteed.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the site does not say whether or how gaokao results are used. Not published; ask international admissions at intladm@clarkson.edu. The international page asks for school transcripts and “national exam scores”; it has no separate list of documents for Chinese applicants.
• English: China is not on the exemption list, so submit TOEFL 4.5 (as printed), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 115 or PTE 56; the site does not say gaokao English can substitute.
• International curricula: IB or A-level results waive the English test; AP scores of 4 and 5 can earn credit.
• Interview, credential evaluators, country page: no China-specific page, no first-year interview requirement and no named credential evaluator appear on the pages we read (Honors Program international applicants are interviewed).
• Science preparation: see section 3; no specific prerequisites are published.

8. Outcomes

• The department page prints “96% University Placement Rate” (a university-wide figure), and in the same block says 16% of students continue their education and 2% take alternative positions such as the military, and that early-career salaries average over $74K for undergraduates (the page’s wording). The page gives no year or counting basis, so check the original text.
• The chemistry page lists recent internship sites (for example Beckman Laser Institute, Corning, Goodyear, Intel, Procter & Gamble, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Saint-Gobain and Trudeau Institute), alumni employers (for example Applied Materials, Biogen, Mylan, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and ThermoFisher Scientific) and graduate schools alumni attend (for example Boston University, Cornell University, SUNY Upstate Medical University and The Ohio State University).
• It also notes that a 2026 graduate in Chemistry and Biochemistry is headed to Yale University for a PhD in chemistry.

9. Transfer students

• Application: the transfer application or the Common App, reviewed on a rolling basis. The FAQ gives 1 December (spring) and 1 July (fall) and says rolling review, with extensions on request; the international requirements page says there are no deadlines for international transfers.
• Materials: official transcripts from every college attended (with course descriptions if outside New York State); the Dean of Students Recommendation Form (before enrollment); a personal statement (250–500 words); recommendations are optional but considered; a final high school transcript for all transfers. With fewer than 24 credits, also send the high school record; SAT/ACT optional.
• Chemistry-specific requirements: the pages we read give no GPA threshold and do not say which prior courses are needed to transfer into the major. Not published. Credit is evaluated by the transfer office (tradmission@clarkson.edu, 315-268-2125).
• International transfers, English scores: the sources differ. The transfer application page lists TOEFL 80, IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 115 and PTE 56. The international requirements page lists TOEFL 4.5, IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 115, PTE 56 and Manchester Exam 360. The transfer aid page lists TOEFL 550 (paper), 213 (computer) or 80 (internet) and IELTS 6.5, waived after two years at an English-speaking college. Proof of funds is also required.
• Transfer scholarships: Clarkson Merit Awards, Transfer Excellence Awards, Phi Theta Kappa and Alpha Beta Gamma scholarships; space for transfers in the Honors Program is limited. The transfer aid page says international transfer students are considered for merit awards only, $20,000 to $40,000 a year.

Checklist

U.S. students:

• Apply by 1 December (Early Decision) or 15 January (Regular Decision), confirming fall 2027 dates; FAFSA by 1 February
• Transcript, two recommendations, personal statement; SAT/ACT optional; ask admissions about chemistry-specific admission and prerequisites

International students (including applicants from China):

• Same deadlines; transcripts, two recommendations; TOEFL 4.5 (as printed), IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 115, etc.
• How gaokao is used and high school chemistry and math prerequisites are not published; ask intladm@clarkson.edu

Transfer students:

• Rolling; official transcripts, Dean of Students form, personal statement; ask the transfer office to evaluate credit

Sources: Clarkson University, Chemistry and Biochemistry Department; Chemistry major; Honors Program; How to apply; Apply and deadlines; Undergraduate admissions FAQs; International admission requirements; English proficiency exemptions; Transfer how to apply; Transfer scholarships; Undergraduate tuition and costs; Scholarships, grants and loans; International undergraduate costs; International scholarships. Deadline pages do not state a year, and cost years are noted in the text. Check Clarkson for the latest details.