How to Apply to Emory University for Undergraduate Chemistry: Apply to Emory College and Choose a Major Later, BA and BS Degrees in the Chemistry Unbound Curriculum with an ACS-Certified Option, for U.S., International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Emory University is in Atlanta, Georgia. The chemistry degree is offered by the Department of Chemistry in Emory College of Arts and Sciences. You apply to the university, not to the department. This article follows Emory’s own pages, with sections for U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, then transfer students. Biology and other majors are not covered here; medicine, nursing and public health are outside the scope of this article, so please see Emory’s website.

1. Degrees and pathways in chemistry

• Two degrees: the department offers a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and a Bachelor of Science (BS) in chemistry. They share one core sequence, and the BS requires more advanced coursework.
• The Chemistry Unbound curriculum: the department describes it as Emory’s innovative undergraduate chemistry curriculum, launched in 2018 (its advising guide says 2017, with Howard Hughes Medical Institute support — the two pages give different years), which replaces the conventional general-then-organic sequence with integrated concepts from the start and an emphasis on authentic scientific practice.
• Core courses (same for BA and BS, each with a lab): CHEM 150 Structure and Properties; CHEM 202 Principles of Reactivity; CHEM 203 Advanced Reactivity; CHEM 204 Macromolecules; CHEM 205 Light and Matter; plus CHEM 300L Analytical Tools and Techniques. Labs must be taken at the same time as, or after, the matching lecture. CHEM 150 is offered in fall only; CHEM 205 needs a semester of calculus and the department recommends at least a semester of physics first; CHEM 204 and its lab are not prerequisites for CHEM 205. The advising guide encourages BS majors to finish the core by the end of junior year because CHEM 300L is a prerequisite for most 300-level electives.
• BA requirements: beyond the core, two chemistry electives at the 300 level or above, which may be an advanced lab, a graduate-level course or a 400-level capstone (capstone priority goes to BS students); research for credit does not count toward these two.
• BS requirements: beyond the core, four non-lab electives at the 300 level or above, two upper-level lab electives (one writing-intensive) and a 400-level capstone in the final year. CHEM 499R (3 or more credits) can replace the non-writing lab elective and CHEM 495BW (honors thesis) the writing-intensive one; 500-level graduate courses may count as non-lab electives (unless used for honors); directed reading and Learning Assistant courses do not count.
• Non-chemistry requirements (BA and BS): Biology 141 (by AP/IB credit or BIOL 141 plus 141L at Emory); Physics 141 and 142 (or 151 and 152); and calculus — one semester for the BA, two for the BS (MATH 111, and 112 for the BS). Students who completed MATH 112 or higher need not take MATH 111.
• ACS-certified pathway: the department says this pathway is “recommended by the American Chemical Society” as preparation for graduate work in chemistry; BS students take inorganic chemistry, two 300-level lab electives and four credit hours of CHEM 499R research.
• Biomolecular Specialization: optional for BA and BS students, with biochemistry, biophysical chemistry and at least one more advanced biomolecular elective (the advising guide says typically one extra course for BA students and three for BS students). It is not recorded on the degree or transcript, but the department can provide a letter of completion, and students may not always be able to finish it because of class rotation or staffing.
• Z-track: an accelerated sequence for first-year intended majors entering with a strong chemistry background (the advising guide says AP or IB chemistry credit), beginning with CHEM 202Z/202ZL, which combines CHEM 150 and 202, then CHEM 203Z/203ZL; enrolment is limited.
• Other: applications for Learning Assistant and Teaching Assistant positions open each spring (credit or pay); a summer programme in Siena, Italy offers two Emory-taught chemistry electives that count toward the major and a writing requirement; non-majors preparing for the health professions are advised to complete the core through CHEM 204/204L.

2. How admission works: apply to the college, choose a major later

• At application: the first-year application page does not ask for a major or say that chemistry has its own admission standard or is admitted by major.
• When to choose a major: the biology department page says “you are required to choose a major by the end of your second year”, and may do so as early as the second semester of the first year; the chemistry page says students submit the Declaration of Major form in OPUS under Course Planning and Enrollment, receive a welcome email within a week and are added to the department’s Canvas site and listserv. Students may approach a faculty member as advisor, otherwise one is assigned. The chemistry pages give no GPA threshold or cap on places for declaring; not published.
• Internal transfer and double majors: internal transfer conditions are not published; the pages read have no special arrangements for double majors, and the BA requires only the core plus two electives (see section 1).

3. Prerequisites and course selection

• ECCP (preparation for CHEM 150): the department says students planning to take CHEM 150 in the fall must complete the Emory College Chemistry Preparation (ECCP) over the summer: four online assignments on the Aktiv platform (scientific notation and SI units, unit conversions and dimensional analysis, atoms, molecules and ionic compounds, stoichiometry), worth 3% of the CHEM 150 grade, with multiple attempts allowed. The completion date printed on the page is September 4, 2026, so please check the 2027 date. Students taking CHEM 202Z do not need it; students starting at Oxford College take the Oxford College placement module instead.
• High school courses: see the application section above; no specific high school chemistry, physics or calculus requirement for chemistry is listed; not published.
• AP and IB credit (Emory College AP/IB chart): AP Chemistry 4 or 5 earns CHEM 150 plus 150L; IB Chemistry (Higher Level only) 5, 6 or 7 earns CHEM 150 plus 150L; AP Biology 4 or 5 earns BIOL 141 (lecture only); AP Calculus AB 4 or 5 earns MATH 111 and BC 4 or 5 earns MATH 111 and MATH 112Z (six credits on the transcript); IB Mathematics HL (and Analysis & Approaches HL, Applications & Interpretation HL) 5, 6 or 7 earns MATH 111; AP Physics 1 earns PHYS 141, Physics 2 PHYS 142, Physics C Mechanics PHYS 151 and Physics C E&M PHYS 152 (all at 4 or 5); IB Physics 5, 6 or 7 earns PHYS 141. Only one of AP and IB is posted for the same course.
• Credit caps: the admissions office says AP and IB credit is capped at 12 credit hours, A-Level and other international exams at 12, and the combined total for entering first-year students, with college course credit, at 18; AP/IB credit may be used for general credit, prerequisites, the first-year writing requirement, one intercultural communication course and the major (subject to departmental rules), but not for other general education requirements; the chart adds that students with more than four acceptable scores may receive a non-credit course waiver for each additional test. Credit is evaluated after the deposit. Beyond the equivalences above, how the department treats AP/IB credit for the major is not published, and A-Level chemistry is not listed in the chart read.
• Undergraduate research: only chemistry majors can enrol in chemistry research credit; students first secure a place in an approved lab and write a research plan with their advisor; newcomers begin with CHEM 399R and can progress to CHEM 499R or the Honors Program (CHEM 495A/495BW); research is a semester-long commitment and cannot be switched mid-term. Students also do research through SIRE (for rising sophomores and juniors), SURE (a full-time funded summer experience), paid lab positions (including Federal Work Study) or as volunteers, and the department points to national REU programmes.
• Competitions: the pages read do not say how chemistry olympiads are viewed in admission; not published.

4. Rounds and materials

• Which college: Emory has Emory College of Arts and Sciences in Atlanta and Oxford College in Oxford, Georgia, and one Common App can go to either or both. The chemistry and biology majors are run by departments in Emory College; for Oxford students continuing to Emory College, see the “Oxford continuees” guidance on the biology advising page. Oxford College does not accept transfer applicants.
• Rounds (no year printed; please check that they apply to fall 2027 entry): Early Decision I due November 1 (aid December 2; notification by December 15); Early Decision II January 1 (aid January 6; by February 15); Regular Decision January 1 (aid February 10; by April 1); the Emory University Scholar Programs deadline is November 15, with notification by March 1. Both ED plans are binding: if Emory makes the education affordable, the student must pay the deposit and enrol.
• Materials: the Common App; a $75 fee, with waivers for eligible applicants; the personal essay and two short-answer questions specific to Emory; the school report and transcripts, submitted only by a school official such as a counsellor (not by the applicant), plus a mid-year report; and two teacher evaluations from core academic subjects (English, maths, science, social studies, world languages, visual and performing arts). Emory says it reviews the transcript, essays, short answers and activities first and turns to test scores only afterwards, and that they usually confirm impressions from the rest of the application; it adjusts its review to each high school’s standards, and high scores cannot make up for poor grades.
• Testing: optional for 2026–2027; Emory says it is test optional for first-year students who would start in fall 2027. Scores may be self-reported and official scores are required only on enrolment (verified in June/July; a negative discrepancy may lead to withdrawal of the offer). Emory superscores both the SAT and ACT and accepts the ACT with or without Science. It encourages applicants to self-report AP scores of 3 or higher.
• High school courses: no specific subject-year requirement for this major is listed; Emory says it values strong grades in challenging courses; not published beyond that.
• Interviews: international applicants may submit an optional InitialView virtual interview (see below); other interview arrangements are not mentioned on the pages read.

5. U.S. applicants

• Costs (2026-27, Emory College, Oxford College and Goizueta; financial aid worksheet last updated July 1, 2026): tuition $70,300, fees $1,148, housing (average) $13,222, food $9,184; indirect costs: travel $1,100, personal $1,620, books $1,286, direct loan fees $88; the worksheet’s estimated total is $97,948 (not including the university health insurance). Emory is private, and the worksheet gives a single tuition figure with no in-state/out-of-state split; no extra fee for this major is listed; not published.
• Aid (the aid office’s wording): Emory “meets 100% of financial need for first-degree undergraduate students”; through Emory Advantage, students with demonstrated need are offered institutional grants in place of need-based loans; from fall 2026, Emory Advantage Plus lets students whose families earn $200,000 or less (with typical assets) attend tuition free. Aid is applied for with the CSS Profile and FAFSA, with deadlines by plan in the table above.
• Merit scholarships: the Emory University Scholar Programs offer partial to full merit scholarships; applicants choose whether to be considered, with a November 15 deadline.
• In-state preference: not mentioned on the pages read; not published.

6. International applicants

• How to apply: international students apply as first-year applicants with the same requirements, plus English proficiency and financial certification.
• English: applicants whose primary language is not English must show they can succeed in a rigorous English-speaking classroom. Any one of the following suffices: SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing 700+; ACT English 30+; or the most recent four years at a school where English is the language of instruction for all academic subjects (excluding world languages). Otherwise one of TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo is required. Emory gives expectations, not strict cutoffs: TOEFL iBT 100 on the old 0–120 scale; since January 21, 2026 the TOEFL iBT uses a 1–6 scale (in 0.5 steps) and Emory recommends 5.5 or higher; TOEFL ITP at CEFR C1; TOEFL ITP Plus (mainland China only) about 63–68 in each section; IELTS overall 7.5; and for Duolingo “Emory’s most competitive applicants typically score above 130 out of 160”. Duolingo fee waivers are given case by case after applying.
• Financial certification: a Documentation of Finances or a bank statement showing sufficient funds for all expenses; applicants seeking aid still submit it, but it need not show funds for the whole first year.
• Interview: international applicants may submit an optional InitialView virtual interview; it does not replace English testing.
• Aid: Emory offers need-based aid to a select group of international students each year. The international aid page says to apply under Regular Decision to be considered for need-based aid, to answer “yes” to the aid question, to submit the CSS Profile and tax documents (translated into English and converted to US dollars) before February 5, and that “only students who apply for and receive financial aid in their first year will be eligible for aid in the future”. International students may apply for merit scholarships through the Scholar programs, which the aid office calls highly competitive with limited funding, applying before December. The undergraduate aid page says Emory meets 100% of need for first-degree undergraduates while the international page says aid goes to a select number of international students; please check both on Emory’s site.
• After admission: visa and immigration steps and mandatory medical insurance (international students are automatically enrolled in the university plan unless they show equivalent coverage).

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the admissions office’s recommended-credentials document (its file name says Fall 2024) lists for China the “Chinese National High School Diploma (Senior 1-3) with preparation for the Chinese National Higher Education Entrance Examination (Gao Kao)”. How Gaokao results are used in review is not published on the pages read; please contact the admission representative for your region.
• Interview: for applicants from mainland China, Emory “strongly recommends” the InitialView interview and considers it the preferred option when available; it is not required and does not replace TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo.
• English: see the previous section; TOEFL ITP Plus is for mainland China only.
• Other: China-specific guidance on transcripts or school-leaving examinations beyond the above is not published.

8. Departmental support and outcomes

• Departmental support: the chemistry pages read do not describe chemistry-specific scholarships; the SURE summer programme carries funding, with amounts not published on the pages read, so please check the department website.
• Outcomes: the chemistry pages read give no figures or lists of graduate destinations; not published.

9. Transfer students

• Eligibility: a high school graduate who has completed one year (or is in the second semester of the first full year) as a full-time student in a degree-seeking programme at a two- or four-year institution; at least 28 credit hours completed or in progress before applying (not counting AP, IB or dual-enrolment credit); a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in all college work (Emory says most admitted students have 3.5 or better); the ability to complete two years (four semesters) at Emory; and at most 62 semester hours of transfer credit.
• Deadline: fall enrolment only, March 15 (aid March 17, notification by early May; no year printed, so please check). Oxford College does not accept transfer applicants. Emory takes 100 to 120 transfer students a year.
• Materials: the Common App; a college official report; official transcripts from every college attended (including summer work); complete high school transcripts; one faculty recommendation or academic evaluation; a $75 fee or waiver; TOEFL/IELTS (recommended for non-native speakers); SAT/ACT optional.
• Required courses and credit: no courses are required to apply; Emory does not evaluate credit before admission, only afterwards.
• Aid: transfer applicants must apply for aid with their application; merit-based aid is not available to transfer students and need-based aid is not available to international transfer students.

Transferring into chemistry

• Where to start (the department’s transfer guidance): the department says the entry point into Chemistry Unbound varies. Chemistry majors transferring after one year of general chemistry may contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies about the limited-enrolment Z-track (CHEM 202Z/202ZL in fall, CHEM 203Z/203ZL in spring); non-majors and pre-health students typically begin with CHEM 202 in fall or spring, although 202L is not offered in fall so the lab lags the lecture. Students transferring after a year of organic chemistry can take CHEM 204 and/or CHEM 205, offered each semester with labs.
• Credit: the advising guide warns that two semesters of general chemistry elsewhere may not fully prepare students for CHEM 203; a second semester of general chemistry from another institution usually transfers as CHEM 142, which may count toward professional-school chemistry requirements but is not a prerequisite for later Emory chemistry courses; students starting at CHEM 202 receive self-study material on CHEM 150 topics.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Common App; ED I November 1, ED II and Regular Decision January 1 (check the year); $75 fee; testing optional; two teacher evaluations from core subjects
• Choose a major by the end of the second year; chemistry core CHEM 150, 202, 203, 204, 205 with labs plus 300L; AP/IB chemistry earns CHEM 150 and may lead to the Z-track

International applicants (including China):

• English evidence (TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo, or SAT reading and writing 700+, ACT English 30+, or four years of English-medium schooling); financial certification; InitialView interview strongly recommended for mainland China; ask the admission representative how Gaokao results are used
• Need-based aid goes to a select group of international students and is considered only under Regular Decision

Transfer students:

• March 15 (check the year), fall only; at least 28 credit hours and a 3.0 GPA; at most 62 semester hours transfer; choose the chemistry starting point with the department

Sources: Emory University, Chemistry: undergraduate overview; Chemistry: customize your chemistry; Chemistry: ECCP; Chemistry: undergraduate research; Chemistry: undergraduate advising guide (PDF); Plans and deadlines; Application requirements; Standardized exam and English policies; AP, IB and college credit; First-year applicants; International applicants; Recommended credentials by country (PDF); Transfer applicants; Registrar AP/IB credit chart (PDF); 2026-27 cost of attendance worksheet (PDF); Undergraduate financial aid; Aid for international students. Emory’s admissions pages state the 2026–2027 application cycle (the testing page also says first-year students who would start in fall 2027), and most dates carry no year, so please check that they apply to fall 2027 entry; costs are 2026-27 figures. Rely on Emory’s latest official pages.