CANTON — St. Lawrence University has added a new bachelor's degree program in pre-health chemistry, providing a dynamic curriculum that allows students to meet the requirements of health-specific post-baccalaureate programs and gain practical research experience to begin a career in the field right after graduation.

"We built the new major around the reality of the journey that students take at St. Lawrence," says Adam Hill, St. Lawrence associate professor of chemistry and a faculty lead on the proposal to add the new major to the curriculum. "The major is ideal for students who are drawn to the sciences and the breadth of the University's liberal arts education. We want students to be able to pursue the things they're interested in and be prepared for the next step-whether that's future careers as chemical researchers or health professionals."

While the robust pre-health chemistry major provides students with plenty of practical experience, the curriculum is designed to provide students with the flexibility to pursue other majors or minors, study abroad, and explore their interests outside of the classroom.

Key offerings of the new major include a capstone senior year experience (SYE) featuring hands-on clinical activities or research experience and required health and societal context courses that provide students with a holistic view of medicine.

The new major also leverages St. Lawrence's pre-health program that provides tailored academic advising, health career informational sessions, consultations, and career interviews.

"St. Lawrence has an excellent pre-health infrastructure that includes courses related to medicine and a highly experienced pre-health mentorship committee," says Samantha Glazier, St. Lawrence professor and chair of chemistry. "It's the support of faculty who are enthusiastic about supporting students' interests and preparing them for health careers that brought this new major to life."

Students can declare a pre-health chemistry major in fall 2022.

St. Lawrence's new pre-health chemistry, public health, biomedical sciences, data science, digital media and film, and finance majors are a result of the Experience St. Lawrence: The Task Force on Institutional Structure, Policy, and Planning, which was created in December 2019 with the charge of reimagining a liberal arts education in the 21st century and recommending a pathway to position St. Lawrence as a leader among its peers for decades to come. The process enlisted the expertise of numerous Laurentians across disciplines and divisions, and the new majors are part of several inspiring academic programming recommendations made by the Task Force.