How to Apply to Chemistry at Kansas State University: In the College of Arts and Sciences, with an ACS-Approved Chemistry Programme and a Chemical Science Programme, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Kansas State University (K-State) is in Manhattan, Kansas. Undergraduate chemistry is offered by the Department of Chemistry, housed in the Chemistry-Biochemistry Building and the H. H. King Chemical Laboratory. Here is what you need to know, based on the University’s website, for US domestic applicants, international applicants (including those from Chinese high schools) and transfer students. Biochemistry, biology, physics, engineering, mathematics and other majors are not covered here beyond a passing mention where they overlap with chemistry.

1. Degrees and directions in chemistry

• College: the College of Arts and Sciences departments directory lists chemistry among its 20 departments. The department’s website says it offers B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees.
• What the website says about the undergraduate degrees: the undergraduate page lists a Bachelor of Science and a Minor in Chemistry, and the same page also says the department offers B.S. and B.A. degrees in chemistry, the only difference being the foreign language requirement (the B.A. requires level 4 in a sequence offered by the Department of Modern Languages). It says the B.S. consists of two programmes: B.S. in Chemistry and (labelled) B.A. in Chemical Sciences. These statements are not fully consistent, so confirm with the department which degree is awarded.
• Chemistry programme (40-42 hours): the website calls this the preferred programme for students preparing for graduate study in chemistry or employment as chemists, leading to the professional degree approved by the American Chemical Society. Courses: general chemistry (Honors CHM 220 and 250, 5 hours each, or CHM 210 and 230, 4 hours each), CHM 200 Frontiers in Chemistry (1), CHM 371 Chemical Analysis (4), organic chemistry CHM 531 and 550 with lab CHM 532, physical chemistry CHM 585 and 595, CHM 566 Instrumental Methods of Analysis, CHM 596 Physical Methods lab, CHM 657 Inorganic Techniques, inorganic chemistry CHM 611 and 612 and CHM 599 Senior Thesis Research (2). Also required: calculus MATH 220, 221 and 222; 3 hours of biochemistry (BIOCH 521 or 755); and PHYS 213 and 214 (Engineering Physics I and II, 5 hours each). The page notes that CHM 611 or 612 may be replaced with CHM 652, or CHM 711/712 with BIOCH 755, 756 and 765.
• Chemical Science programme (26-28 hours): the website says it serves students who want a strong background in chemistry without as much specialisation as the chemistry programme. Courses: the same general chemistry sequence, CHM 371, CHM 200, organic chemistry CHM 531, 550 and 532, physical chemistry (CHM 500 or 585), CHM 566 with CHM 596 or environmental chemistry CHM 315 with 316; biochemistry BIOCH 521 and 522 (5 hours in all); calculus MATH 220 and 221; and PHYS 113 and 114 (4 hours each).
• Minor (18-20 hours): a C or better in each course and at least 12 hours at K-State; CHM 350 (or 531), 351 (or 532), 500 (or 585/595), plus the general chemistry sequence (CHM 220 and 250, or CHM 210 and 230 with CHM 371). The page reminds students that the University’s DARS system is the authoritative source for requirements.
• Other: the department home page also links a Chemistry/MBA programme (details not published in the pages read). The undergraduate page says students planning to teach high school science may earn dual degrees in chemistry and education, and offers a K-State Chemistry Study Guide and recommended schedules as PDFs (see the website for details).

2. Admission route: apply to the University, or to the major

• The admissions “majors with different requirements” table (updated 4 March 2026) does not list chemistry, and no separate admission line or capacity is published for it; you apply to the University.
• When to declare chemistry, whether course grades or a GPA are needed, and whether places are limited are not stated in the pages read; ask the department. The department says it has five undergraduate advisers (one lead and four research-faculty advisers) who meet advisees each semester to help with schedules, research and internships.
• Conditions for moving into chemistry from another major are not stated in the pages read.

3. Prerequisites and credit

• High school coursework: the pages read state no high school prerequisites for chemistry and describe no chemistry or mathematics placement tests; this is not published there, so ask the department and admissions.
• Mathematics and physics after entry: the Chemistry programme requires three semesters of calculus (MATH 220-222) and PHYS 213 and 214; the Chemical Science programme requires MATH 220 and 221 and PHYS 113 and 114. Prerequisites for individual courses (for example for CHM 210) are not stated in the pages read.
• AP, IB and exam credit: the AP page says scores of 2 and 1 earn no credit, most courses require 3 or higher, credit is recorded as credit only and does not enter the K-State GPA, and minimum scores are set at state level. Which course AP or IB chemistry maps to is in the University’s test-credit lookup, whose table is not published in the pages read; check the website.
• Honors: general chemistry has an honors version (CHM 220 and 250); entry conditions are not stated in the pages read.
• Research and thesis: the Chemistry programme includes CHM 599 Senior Thesis Research (2 hours). The Chemical Science page states no thesis requirement.
• Competitions: the website does not say how chemistry competitions are viewed in admission.

4. How to apply, dates and testing

• How to apply: the University’s online application or the Common App (the Common App opens on 1 August for students entering their senior year). Submitting the application automatically triggers a review for general university scholarships.
• Priority dates (scholarship priority-dates page, no year shown, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry): domestic freshmen, 1 December for both fall and spring; domestic transfer students, 1 May for fall and 1 December for spring; international freshmen and transfer students, 1 May for fall and 1 December for spring. To be considered for scholarships you must apply for admission by the date; later applicants may still receive awards, but not guaranteed, until funds are exhausted.
• Application fee: $80 for international applicants, non-refundable (credit card, money order or bank draft, or Flywire in local currency). The fee for US applicants is not stated in the pages read; see the apply page.
• Essays and recommendations: the pages read do not mention an additional essay or recommendation for chemistry; this is not published there, so confirm with admissions.
• Testing and high school requirements: the pages read do not say whether test scores are required, or give a minimum GPA or high school course requirement for freshmen; this is not published there, so check the admissions pages and ask admissions. The scholarships page says a recent GPA is needed for scholarship review (submitted with the application or as an official transcript), and recommends providing ACT/SAT scores so you can be evaluated for maximum scholarships.
• Majors with different requirements: the admissions table (updated 4 March 2026) lists architecture and design programmes, the College of Engineering (selective for domestic freshmen and transfers), music (audition), the College of Business Administration (transfer GPA 2.5), psychology (transfer GPA 2.5) and the professional pilot programme. Chemistry is not in the table, and no separate admission line for it is published.

5. US domestic applicants: scholarships and costs

• University scholarships: the scholarships page says applying for admission means you are automatically considered, with no extra forms or essays; apply by the priority date and provide your most recent GPA; you can self-report GPA and test scores for a provisional offer, but official scores must arrive by 1 April. US high school seniors who want an upgrade must send an updated transcript and official ACT/SAT by 1 April; information received after 1 April is not used for freshman awards. The final high school transcript is due by 1 July.
• Competitive scholarships: incoming domestic freshmen can also apply for competitive scholarships; supplemental applications are due 15 December. On the K-State Scholarship Network (KSN), incoming domestic freshmen apply by 1 February; transfer students and all international students by 15 March.
• Kansas residents: the admissions page says resident tuition classification is determined by Kansas statutes and Board of Regents regulations; the pages read do not give home-state priority or guaranteed admission terms, and this is not published there.
• Costs: tuition, housing and fees (including the resident and non-resident rates) are not in the pages read; this is not published there, so check the Office of Student Financial Assistance cost pages for the 2027-28 figures.

6. International applicants

• Who counts as international: everyone who is not a US citizen or permanent resident. The website says the University has more than 2,000 international students, scholars and faculty from more than 100 countries, and that you can start as a freshman or transfer student.
• Steps (international step-by-step guide): apply online (about 30 minutes); pay the $80 fee; submit transcripts for all previous academic coursework (high school and any university, college, vocational, community college or technical study), with an English translation plus a copy in the original language if not in English, and failure to submit all transcripts can result in denial of admission or dismissal; send a passport copy; to get an I-20, submit the Affidavit of Financial Support and bank statement showing the ability to pay for one academic year; send PDFs to international@k-state.edu; evaluation takes about two weeks.
• Grade requirements for international freshmen: the pages read publish no GPA threshold; this is not published there, so ask admissions.
• English (English proficiency page): English proficiency is not required for admission, but you must meet the standards before you enrol in courses. To waive English classes, submit scores no more than two years old: IELTS 6.5; TOEFL 79 (tests before 21 January 2026) or 4.5 (tests on or after that date); Duolingo 110; PTE 53; SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing 460; ACT English 21; Cambridge B2 First grade A or C1 Advanced grades A-C; AS/A Level English Language C; O Level/IGCSE English Language A; IB Group 1 English A 4 or higher or English B HL 6 or higher; or four years of English at a US high school with grades of C or higher. Otherwise you join the English Language Program (ELP), placed into basic, intermediate or advanced English by the WildCAT test or the on-arrival EPT; depending on your major, English classes may count toward your degree, and whether Chemistry qualifies is not published.
• Scholarships: international students are also automatically considered for university scholarships (international freshman fall priority date 1 May); KSN profile by 15 March. The competitive scholarships page is for incoming domestic freshmen only.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the pages read do not say how the Gaokao is used, and give no China-specific instructions, interview or accreditation requirements; this is not published there, so contact admissions.
• Transcripts: submit transcripts for all coursework as in section 6, with English translations of non-English documents. Whether school-leaving examination (huikao) materials are needed is not published.
• Exam credit: the AP page says scores of 2 and 1 earn no credit, most courses require a 3 or higher, credit is recorded as credit only and does not enter the K-State GPA, and minimum scores are set at state level. IB and Cambridge A/AS Level credit have their own pages; whether Gaokao results can earn credit is not published.
• English: applicants from China can use any option in section 6 to waive English classes, or be placed by testing after arrival.

8. Costs, scholarships and outcomes

• Department scholarships: the department says it awards more than $120,000 a year in scholarships to new and continuing undergraduates; students are automatically considered for every chemistry scholarship they are eligible for once they complete the K-State Scholarship Network (KSN) application, which must be updated each year; the page says over 90% of majors have departmental scholarships, and many students receive national, university and college awards. Amounts and conditions are on the department’s scholarship pages.
• Undergraduate research: the department says it has a long tradition of engaging undergraduates in hands-on research, from wet chemistry to computer simulation, and advises getting into a lab early with the help of an adviser. Funding sources listed: the Arts and Sciences undergraduate research awards, the Johnson Cancer Research Center ($1,500 for cancer-related research), and OURCI, McNair and DSP. The website gives two amounts for the Arts and Sciences awards: the chemistry page says students can apply for “up to $1,000”, the Arts and Sciences page says each awardee receives $1,500 (applied to the financial aid package and refunded if the project is not completed; at least about 100 hours of hands-on research; deadlines 1 November for spring, 1 March for summer and 1 May for fall projects, no year shown, so check).
• Outcomes: the undergraduate page says graduates are sought by chemical industries, government laboratories and educational institutions, and that “over half” of graduates attend medical school or graduate school, with others moving into pharmacology, agriculture, chemical engineering, journalism, law, forensic science and biochemistry; it prints no employment rate.

9. Transfer students

• Who counts: the transfer page says that once you have attempted college credit after high school graduation you are a transfer student (college courses taken during high school do not count); with 24 or more college credit hours you need not submit a high school transcript.
• University-level requirements: a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all transfer coursework; students with fewer than 24 transferable credit hours when they start also need a 3.25 high school GPA or a 21 ACT (1060 SAT). Whether chemistry asks transfer students for an additional GPA or prerequisite sequence is not in the admissions table, and the department’s requirements are not in the pages read.
• Credit: the unit is the semester hour (1 quarter hour = 0.67 semester hour); a D transfers, but you may need to repeat a foundation or program course; English language courses from international schools are not accepted. No more than 65 hours can come from a community college; up to half of the hours for a bachelor’s degree can be taken at a two-year college; 120 credits to graduate, 45 of them upper-division, at least 30 at K-State and 20 of them in residence. The page also mentions Kansas Board of Regents guaranteed-transfer courses, Reverse Transfer and DirectLink for Kansas community college students.
• Dates and scholarships: transfer priority dates are 1 May for fall and 1 December for spring; KSN profile for transfer students by 15 March; final official college transcripts by 1 July.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• Apply by 1 December (scholarship priority date); update grades by 1 April; final transcript by 1 July; KSN profile by 1 February
• Ask the department which degree (BS or BA) is awarded, the required courses and the conditions for declaring the major

International applicants (including China):

• Fall priority date 1 May; $80 application fee; transcripts for all coursework (with English translations), passport copy, Affidavit of Financial Support and bank statement
• English: IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 79 (4.5 on the new scale), Duolingo 110 and others waive English classes; whether the Gaokao is considered is not published

After entry:

• Chemistry programme 40-42 hours, Chemical Science 26-28 hours, minor 18-20 hours; calculus and physics required

Transfer students:

• Transfer GPA of at least 2.0; with fewer than 24 credits, also a 3.25 high school GPA or ACT 21; at most 65 hours from a community college; fall priority date 1 May

Sources: Kansas State University, , Department of Chemistry; Chemistry undergraduate program; Chemistry BS; Chemical Science; Chemistry minor; Chemistry: undergraduate advising; Chemistry: scholarships; Chemistry: undergraduate research; College of Arts and Sciences departments; Arts and Sciences undergraduate research awards; Undergraduate apply; Incoming freshmen; International undergraduate admissions; International step-by-step guide; Transcripts; English proficiency; Majors with different requirements; Advanced Placement credit; Transfer requirements; Future transfer students; Future student scholarships; Scholarship priority dates. The priority-date and research-award pages show no year, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry; see K-State’s website for the latest.