How to Apply to Chemistry at Furman University: No Major Needed at Application, Declaring by the Second Semester of Sophomore Year or Start of Junior Year, with an ACS-Approved Chemistry B.S. in Standard, Biochemistry and Environmental Chemistry Tracks, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Furman University is a private liberal arts and sciences university in Greenville, South Carolina. Undergraduate chemistry is offered by the Department of Chemistry, and students apply to the University through the Office of Admissions. Here is what you need to know, based on Furman’s website, organised for US domestic applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Biology is a separate degree and is not covered here.

1. Degrees and tracks

• Degree: the department’s undergraduate degree is the Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, with three tracks: standard, biochemistry and environmental chemistry. The website also lists a Chemistry M.S., which is a graduate programme and outside this guide.
• Accreditation: the course-sequence page says the chemistry programme is accredited by the American Chemical Society (ACS).
• Core curriculum: the programme overview says the core consists of strong foundation courses complemented by electives ranging from environmental chemistry to the chemistry of energy.
• Research and thesis: the course-sequence page says majors must complete summer research or CHM 502 “Undergraduate Research” in addition to coursework, and the fourth year includes CHM 510 and 511 “Undergraduate Thesis I/II”. The research page says each chemistry major has an opportunity to join a faculty member’s research laboratory.
• Full requirements for each track: the three track pages show only “Loading catalog...”, because the requirements come from the University’s course catalog and are not in the pages read; see the track pages or the course catalog on the website.

2. How admission to the major works: apply to the University, declare after entry

• At application: the application FAQ says you do not have to declare a major when applying; undecided students are encouraged to explore a variety of disciplines. The pages read do not describe a separate admission line or cap for chemistry.
• Declaring the major: the website says students declare a major by the second semester of the sophomore year or the beginning of the junior year, working with an academic advisor meanwhile. Any grade requirement or extra department condition for declaring is not stated in the pages read.
• Moving into chemistry from another major: no specific conditions are stated in the pages read; please ask the department or the Registrar. The course-sequence page notes that each course in the programme provides a foundation for those that follow, and asks majors to follow the department’s proposed sequence.

3. Prerequisites and courses

• University course expectations: the FAQ says a strong college preparatory programme should include at minimum four years of English, Algebra I and II, geometry, three years of social studies, at least three years of natural sciences, and at least two years of the same foreign language. High school chemistry, physics and calculus are not singled out in that minimum.
• First year (sample sequence with no AP credit): fall CHM 110 “Foundations of Chemistry” and MTH 150 “Analytic Geometry and Calculus I”; spring CHM 115 “Kinetics, Thermodynamics and the Environment” and MTH 151 “Analytic Geometry and Calculus II”.
• AP credit: the same page gives a second sample sequence for students with AP credit for CHM 110, which starts the first year with CHM 115 and CHM 120 “Organic Chemistry”. Which AP scores earn CHM 110 credit, and any IB or A-Level credit for chemistry courses, are not described in the pages read; please ask the department and the Registrar.
• Second to fourth year (sample): the second year lists CHM 120, CHM 220 “Bio-Organic Chemistry”, CHM 230 “Inorganic Chemistry”, CHM 240 “Experimental Techniques” and PHY 111 and 112 “General Physics I/II”; the third year CHM 310 “Physical Chemistry I” and CHM 330 “Analytical Chemistry”; the fourth year CHM 075 “Seminar in Chemistry”, the thesis courses, and either CHM 340 “Physical Chemistry II” (required for the standard and environmental chemistry tracks) or CHM 460 “Biological Chemistry” (required for the biochemistry track). The page notes that PHY 111 must be taken before CHM 310 and that CHM 120 can be taken concurrently with CHM 115.
• Upper-level requirements by track: the standard track completes two of CHM 410, 420, 430, 440, 445, 450 and 465; the biochemistry track completes CHM 465 and at least one more of them, plus a genetics course (BIO 210, 211 or 212), and MTH 160 may be replaced with MTH 120 “Introduction to Statistics”; the environmental chemistry track completes CHM 440 plus two additional courses in biology, EES or sustainability approved by the chemistry department.
• Laboratory work: the department home page says the programme guarantees hands-on experience in its labs; laboratory credit hours are not stated in the pages read.
• Pre-health students: the course-sequence page recommends CHM 110 and 115 in the first year and CHM 120 and 220 in the second.
• Chemistry competitions: how they are viewed in admission is not stated in the pages read.

4. Deadlines and application materials (first-year)

• Plans and deadlines: Early Decision I (binding) is due 1 November, with notification by 15 November and enrolment by 5 January; Early Action is due 1 November, notification by 20 December, reply by 1 May; Early Decision II (binding) is due 15 January, notification by 1 February, reply by 1 March; Regular Decision is due 15 January, notification by 15 February, reply by 1 May. The step table is labelled “2026–2027”; check that the dates apply to fall 2027 entry.
• How to apply and fee: the Common Application or the Coalition/SCOIR application; there is no application fee.
• Required materials: an official high school transcript and the School Report. Recommendation and essay requirements are not listed in the pages read; check the Common Application and Furman’s application page. Home-schooled students and early graduates must complete a Zoom interview.
• Testing: SAT or ACT scores are optional; with multiple results the committee uses the scores most advantageous to you. Scores can be self-reported and enrolling students must send official scores. School codes: SAT and TOEFL 5222, ACT 3858.
• Review: the website describes a holistic review of grades, rigor of curriculum, test scores (optional), activities and potential contribution to the community.

5. US domestic applicants

• Cost (2026-27): the cost page lists tuition $62,878, student fees $410, housing (weighted average) $10,440 and an unlimited meal plan $7,548, a total of $81,276 in direct costs; allowances of $1,250 for books, $1,100 for transportation and $1,300 for personal expenses bring the total estimated annual cost to $84,926. One tuition figure is listed with no in-state or out-of-state difference. The rates for fall 2027 entry are not stated in the pages read.
• Aid: the website says Furman meets 100% of demonstrated need for eligible students; merit awards (Presidential Scholarships, Academic Excellence Awards, Leadership Recognition Awards) are made automatically on academic achievement, leadership and potential with no separate application, and federal and South Carolina programmes are listed. First-year FAFSA priority dates: ED I 1 November, EA 15 November, ED II 15 January, RD 1 February. The page says 99% of students receive institutional aid and $70 million is invested annually.
• In-state priority or guaranteed admission: not stated in the pages read.

6. International applicants

• Dates and application: the same plans and deadlines as in section 4, through the Common Application or Coalition. The school transcript must be an official copy in English covering at least three full years of secondary study, and Furman may ask for a course-by-course NACES evaluation at the applicant’s expense.
• English proficiency (minimum scores): TOEFL iBT 100 (0–120 scale) or 5 (1–6 scale), IELTS 7.0, Cambridge English Advanced 180, Duolingo 120 (no Duolingo fee waivers). Other routes: the IB Diploma with a 5 or better in Higher Level English; two college-level English composition courses at a US college with C or better; SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 550; four full years of US secondary school with at least three years of English; or a letter from the school confirming English is the primary language of instruction. Citizens of the countries on the website’s list are exempt; China is not on the list.
• Financial documents: all international applicants complete the Furman Financial Information Form on the status page and submit the CSS Profile (no CSS Profile waivers).
• Interview: optional; Furman partners with Vericant and Initial View, whose recorded video interviews the admissions team reviews, and “highly recommends” them for non-native English speakers.
• International scholarship: the #YouAreWelcomeHere Scholarship recognises two international students with a vision for intercultural understanding, covering at least 50% of tuition and renewable; F-1 applicants apply through the status page by 1 February, are notified by 15 March and reply by 1 May.
• Need-based aid for international students: whether it is available is not stated in the pages read; please ask International Admissions.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: whether it is considered and how is not published on the pages read; please contact International Admissions.
• Transcripts and school-leaving materials: no China-specific requirements are published in the pages read; the general international requirements are in section 6 (official English transcript, three full years of secondary study, English test). China is not on the English-waiver country list, which should be checked for updates.
• International curricula: the IB Diploma with a 5 or better in Higher Level English counts as English proficiency; AP/IB credit for the major is covered in section 3, and anything else is not described in the pages read.

8. Costs, scholarships and outcomes

• Costs: see section 5.
• Department scholarships and research funding: the pages read do not mention chemistry-specific scholarships. The cost page says every student can apply for funding for internships, research and study away.
• Research results (the website’s own words): the research page says that in the past five years the department has sent more than 150 students to present at national research conferences, that since 2010 undergraduates have co-authored many peer-reviewed manuscripts, and that the research laboratories contain more than $5.6 million in assets.
• Outcomes (the website’s own words): the department home page prints “99% graduate school acceptance rate for last 10 years”, “84% medical school acceptance rate for last 10 years” and “12 NSF Graduate Research Fellowships and Goldwater Scholarship recipients in 10 years”; the page does not explain how these figures are counted, so check with the department. The career page says graduates are admitted to graduate and medical schools or take jobs in business, development, education, law, medicine and research, and that students who want to teach secondary-school chemistry can take the undergraduate teacher certification programme or the Master of Arts in Teaching. For the University as a whole the cost page says 98% of graduates are employed or in graduate school within six months.

9. Transfer students

• Deadlines: fall entry 15 July and spring entry 15 December, with rolling notification; the FAFSA priority date matches the application deadline; enrolment is due 31 July (fall) or 5 January (spring). The page shows no year, so check.
• Materials: the Common Application for transfer students, no application fee; the College Officials Report and all official college transcripts; a high school transcript (waived with 32 or more transferable semester hours or at age 21); SAT/ACT optional; FAFSA and CSS Profile are encouraged before the priority date.
• International transfer applicants: English results (the transfer page lists IELTS 7.0, CAE 180, Duolingo 120 and the other routes, with no TOEFL line, while the international first-year page lists TOEFL 100/5; the two differ, so ask International Admissions), the Financial Information Form and the CSS Profile.
• Chemistry transfer requirements and credit transfer: GPA or prerequisite-course requirements for entering Chemistry and the credit transfer rules are not stated in the pages read; please contact the transfer coordinator or the chemistry department.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• ED I and EA 1 November; ED II and RD 15 January; no application fee; official transcript and School Report; SAT/ACT optional
• FAFSA (priority 1 November for ED I)

International applicants (including China):

• TOEFL 100 or 5 on the new scale, IELTS 7.0, Duolingo 120 or another accepted route; English transcript; Financial Information Form and CSS Profile
• Optional Vericant/Initial View interview; #YouAreWelcomeHere Scholarship by 1 February

After entry:

• Work with your academic advisor and declare chemistry and a track by the second semester of sophomore year or the start of junior year; follow the department’s CHM, MTH and PHY sequence and plan summer research or CHM 502

Transfer students:

• Fall 15 July, spring 15 December; college transcripts and College Officials Report; confirm chemistry entry conditions with the department

Sources: Furman University, Chemistry department; Program overview; Course sequences; Research; Career opportunities; How to apply; International students; Transfer students; Tuition and fees. The first-year steps on the application page are labelled “2026–2027”; check that the dates apply to fall 2027 entry and see Furman’s website for the latest.