The Department of Chemistry at Illinois State University is one of the largest undergraduate chemistry programs in the nation. The department is consistently among the top producers nationally in number of Bachelor of Science graduates earning the professionally certified American Chemical Society degree. Chemistry is the study of the structure and composition of substances and the way they can be changed and transformed. There are almost 100,000 chemists in America and still the need for such individuals is on the rise. More than 75% of chemists are employed by the private sector and some chemists work as professors in colleges. Graduates with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry are skilled at critical thinking, synthesizing complex ideas, and analyzing technical data and information. The degree opens many doors and leads to exciting, varied, and even unconventional careers.