The Departments of Chemistry and Physics offer an interdepartmental major in Chemical Physics, an interdisciplinary field of study at the intersection of chemistry and physics. The major incorporates the core elements of the Chemistry and Physics degrees that relate to the structure and properties of atoms, molecules, and materials. It offers a richer foundation in physics than the standard Chemistry major and significantly more experience in experimental and theoretical chemistry than the usual Physics major.

 

Chemical physics is an interdisciplinary field at the crossroads of chemistry and physics that applies the quantitative methods usually associated with physics to systems of chemical interest. While these systems range in size and complexity, from atomic nuclei to nano-materials and biological molecules, the unifying theme of chemical physics is the development of a quantitative understanding of a system’s structural and dynamical properties. Core elements of both chemistry and physics inform experimental, theoretical, and modeling work in the discipline. The interdisciplinary nature of Chemical Physics makes it appropriate that this major should not reside in just one department.