The Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology at Rensselaer provides extensive research programs in the traditional areas of inorganic, organic and physical chemistry. Additionally the interdisciplinary fields of polymer/materials chemistry and biochemistry/biophysics are vital components of the dep artment's research and teaching mission. Rensselaer's Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology is home to the editorial offices of the ACS journal, Chemistry of Materials, and the interdisciplinary journal, Origins of Life.

The department has a recognized tradition for innovation in graduate and undergraduate education. As a pioneer in the development of the interdisciplinary, integrated laboratory, Rensselaer's program served as a national model for laboratory instruction. Currently the department's faculty are at the forefront in developing an innovative chemistry curriculum that employs the techniques of collaborative learning and studio instruction. The department is comprised of eighteen faculty members, about 60 full-time graduate students, 20 postdoctoral fellows and 45 undergraduate majors.

Rensselaer's Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology is also home to two exciting centers: the New York Center for Studies on the Origins of Life, and the New York State Center for Polymer Synthesis.