Elon University has been approved to award American Chemical Society (ACS) certified bachelor's degrees in chemistry. Details...
The accreditation culminates a process which officially began almost four years ago, but in actuality started years earlier, according to Gene Grimley, chemistry department chair. “We reinstituted the bachelor of science degree and split the chemistry department from the physics department back in the late 1980s,” Grimley said. “Although we weren’t in the official application process with ACS back then, those events were important first steps in our effort to receive this accreditation.”
Elon also completed a self-study report, cooperated with site visits by ACS representatives and provided documentation of student research and faculty grants. Grimley said the ACS requires a minimum of six full-time faculty members, all of whom must have doctoral degrees, for a university to be considered for accreditation.
Elon, Duke University, Wake Forest University and Davidson College are the only private colleges in North Carolina to offer ACS certified chemistry degrees. About 600 institutions nationwide hold ACS accreditation.
Grimley says ACS accreditation is important for Elon chemistry students. “In a sense, it’s a card that gets you into the business,” Grimley said, noting that many companies will not interview prospective chemists unless they hold ACS certified degrees. “It’s an entry into higher-caliber industry and into graduate school.”