General Info - About the Department

Chungbuk National University (CBNU) is one of the ten premier national universities in South Korea. CBNU is located in Cheongju, the capital city of Chungbuk province. Since its establishment in 1951, the chemistry department at CBNU has dominantly shown excellence in education and research activity.

As a field of the natural sciences, chemistry is the study of the nature of molecular systems and is applied to create new materials that benefit our modern day society. In the high-tech era of the 21st century, the role of chemistry will become more important in diverse fields from synthesizing and manufacturing pharmaceuticals, electronic, nano, and biomaterials, polymers, and ceramics to developing new technologies for disease diagnosis, energy conversion, and environmental protection. To meet the role, the chemistry department at CBNU offers a broad range of high quality courses introducing the basic principles of chemistry and their applications in the fields of organic, physical, inorganic, analytical, and biological chemistry through lectures and lab experiments. All the classrooms and lecture halls are equipped with modern electronic facilities. The department has three labs for undergraduate lab experiments, a seminar room, an instrument room, and fourteen research laboratories.

Graduates of the department will be well set for career tracks in chemistry-related national research institutes such as the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology,the Electronics and Telecommunication Research Institute, the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, the Korea Research Institute of Bio-science and Biotechnology, and also in industrial research centers. Some may advance to graduate schools to develop their professional career.

Undergraduate

The department offers an undergraduate degree in chemistry. Undergraduate students can choose a single-major program for their B.S. degree in chemistry or a dual-major program for their B.S. degrees in chemistry and in any other discipline. Several scholarships are available for undergraduate students and the recipients are mostly selected by their academic achievements as well as by their financial needs. Undergraduate students in their junior year are encouraged to join a research group of their own choice within the department to gain insightful research experience. If you are interested in participating in an undergraduate research program, you can contact a professor of your choice at any time, even during your freshmen year. Currently, fourteen faculty members are actively engaged in diverse research areas including:

Biophysical Chemistry (Theory and Experiment), Laser Chemistry, Vibration Spectroscopy, Molecular Dynamics, Theoretical Chemistry (Condensed Phase Dynamics), Theoretical Chemistry (Quantum Chemistry), Organic Synthesis, Bio-organic Chemistry, Polymer Chemistry, Organic Photochemistry, Organometallic Chemistry, Solid State Chemistry, Electrochemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Instrumentation
More information can be found on the research area page.

Graduate

Applications for admission to graduate school at CBNU can be submitted twice a year, during either the spring or fall semester. The deadlines vary from year to year. Please check out the deadlines in each year and instructions on applying on the CBNU website (http://www.chungbuk.ac.kr/eng). M.S. and Ph. D. programs are offered by the chemistry department. Both programs are designed to help students develop their own abilities to construct and perform creative scientific research. Before starting one of the programs, it is bly recommended that the student contact many faculty members to get an idea about current research topics. After discussing with faculty members, the student may choose a research advisor and join their research group. After their first semester in the program, the students should make a final decision on who will be their continuing research advisor. In addition to being involved in research, all graduate students seeking M.S. or Ph. D. degrees must be enrolled in two-year coursework. While they are enrolled, most students will be able to participate in teaching or research assistantships provided by the graduate school or research funds as long as they are in good status with the program. After finishing the coursework, the students do not need to be enrolled, but they can continue participating in their research groups until they obtain a degree. Even if they are not enrolled in graduate school, they can use various facilities of the university such as the library, the research laboratory, the instrumental facility, and etc. with permission from the graduate school. Normally, the students also receive research assistantships from their advisors’ research funds.

Whether a student expects to pursue an academic, industrial, or governmental career, a CBNU chemistry degree will be of great value. Graduates with a BS degree are employed in major companies manufacturing pharmaceuticals, polymers, cosmetics, etc. Many research positions are available for graduates with a MS or PhD degree in industrial research centers, national research institutes, or universities. Graduates may also find positions in government agencies dealing with chemistry-related matters or middle/high schools teaching chemistry.