The study of chemistry teaches students how to approach and think through problems, developing a disciplined mind and an ordered intellect. Chemistry explains how researchers design new medications, how and why those medications work, and seeks to answer what causes medication side effects or drug interactions and how and why various biological and physiological processes occur.

Students studying chemistry at Southern Virginia have the added advantage of small class sizes and personal attention of their professors to equip themselves with the knowledge base, skills, habits of mind, and values to function effectively and productively in the world. In a rich variety of chemistry classes that include general chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, and medicinal chemistry, students understand how systems function and malfunction and the fundamental underlying principles of how chemicals interact with each other. Students who pursue the Health Pre-Professional Track often minor in chemistry.