Overview

The Chemistry Department follows the core values of St. Stephen’s College: learning, fellowship, excellence and service, making it one of the premier departments in the country for education in chemical sciences at the undergraduate level in India. The Department strives to provide a vibrant and inclusive environment to students imparting knowledge, skills and leadership qualities while cultivating a scientific temperament and problem-solving attitude required to succeed in diverse fields like research, academics, industry, civil services and management. The Department promotes critical thinking, an important requirement for responsible citizens of the country. The grooming and progress of students during their tenure at the Department makes them confident individuals ready to contribute significantly to society. The Chemistry Department has a dedicated teaching faculty, an excellent infrastructure of well-equipped laboratories and very active and connected alumni who are high achievers. The environment in the department is welcoming, positive, and nurturing.

Teaching and Learning

The Chemistry Department follows the Delhi University curriculum (UGCF2022). It lays strong emphasis on strengthening fundamentals of both theory and practical components. The laboratories in the Department are well equipped with modern equipment and instruments, facilitating independent work. The course content is updated regularly and the faculty incorporates all recent developments in the field in the lectures so that the students are well prepared to choose their future area of interest. Emerging areas of importance, both discipline specific and interdisciplinary, like Advanced Synthesis and Catalysis, Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Biochemistry and Bioinorganic Chemistry; Cosmetics and Pharmaceuticals; Analytical Chemistry; Green and Sustainable Technologies; Materials Sciences; Nanotechnology; Environmental Sciences; Materials of Energy storage and conversion are part of the syllabi. 

A strong mentoring program is followed to guide and help students during their course of study in college. Webinars, conferences, regular guest lectures series through a very active Chemistry Society enables students to learn from peers, work in a team, and hone their skills. The Department prepares the students for problem solving through lectures, discussions, and laboratory exercises. During their course of study, the junior members are encouraged to participate in various seminars and informal discussions, in and outside the classrooms.

Course Structure

Under the UGCF-2022 framework, the course provides flexibility to students so they can experience and learn other disciplines along with the core discipline and decide on future programmes of study and careers, as per their interest. Students have an option to choose allied courses of their selected discipline(s) (DSEs), study skill enhancement courses (SECs), opt for internships/apprenticeship/projects/ research/community outreach at appropriate stages. Fourth year also provides an option for an academic project/writing a dissertation/ entrepreneurship. Students have to opt for Generic elective (GEs) courses, from a pool of courses offered by various disciplines of study (excluding the parent discipline). Along with majoring in the core discipline of chemistry, students may also obtain a minor in a particular discipline, by studying generic electives of that discipline. SECs are skill-based courses that provide hands-on training to enhance competencies, proficiency, and skills in the chosen topic. The Department offers various SEC courses such as: Chemistry Lab Operations and Safety Measures; Basic Analytical Techniques; Chemistry of Cosmetics and Hygiene Products; Basic Forensic Science; Forensic Chemistry; Green Methods in Chemistry; Chemistry of Food Flavors and Colourants; Basics of Food Science and Nutrition; Sustainably Reporting; Environmental Auditing; Prospecting E-Waste for Sustainability; Environmental impact and Risk Assessment; Developing Sustainability Plans for a Business. 

The Chemistry Department offers a variety of DSE courses to students to choose from based on their interest. Inorganic Materials of Industrial Importance; Green Chemistry in Organic Synthesis; Solutions, Colligative properties, Phase Equilibria and adsorption; Nuclear and Environment Chemistry; Reactions, Reagents and Chemical Process; Polymers, Colloids, Surfaces and Interfaces; Novel Inorganic Solids; Applied Organic Chemistry; Applications of Computers in Chemistry; Analytical Methods in Chemistry; Basic Principles of Food Chemistry; Computational Methods & Molecular Modelling. Research Methodology for Chemists is a mandatory DSE for students who want to continue with the fourth year of study. The 

Department also offers Value added courses, (VACs) viz. Science and Society, and Ayurveda and Nutrition. These courses are open to students of any discipline.

Career progression/Scope

The course equips the students to pursue higher studies in prestigious institutions and Universities in India and abroad. Former students have received scholarships to study at Oxford, Cambridge, and other Universities of repute. Some of our graduate students continue their post-graduation and integrated Ph.D. courses in various International Universities in the UK, Europe, USA, Australia, Japan, and other Asian countries. Some notable ones are the University of Chicago, Cornell, Ohio, Stony Brook, SUNY Buffalo, Maryland, Osaka, Stanford, Yale, Cambridge, Oxford, Manchester, Institute of Max Planck, Trinity College (Dublin), Leiden, Tübingen, University of Regensburg, Erlangen-Nürnberg (Germany), Poitiers, Pisa, Warsaw University of Technology, Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau (France), Barcelona, etc.

Every year a large number of undergraduate students of the Chemistry Department is selected for Summer internships offered by institutions like the IISC Bangalore; IITs; Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore; the POCE programme in JNCASR, Bangalore; IISERs; BARC; NCL, Pune; TIFR (Mumbai); ICARs, etc. Many later continue with integrated M. Sc - Ph. D. courses in the same institutions. 

Junior members are placed in various private and public sector undertakings in India and abroad. Finally, it is heartening to mention that many of our alumni are faculty in many institutions of repute in India and abroad and occupy prominent positions in public and private sector enterprises.