化学是对分子，它们从原子形成以及向新分子转化的研究。化学试图理解和控制引起这些转变的反应。化学的广度是由分子的多样性决定的，分子的多样性从地球大气中的简单的两个至三个原子分子到极其复杂的生物分子和分子结构不等。喜欢发明并喜欢用定量和数学术语思考的学生可能会对化学感兴趣。同样，可以将复杂问题分解为一系列可以通过实验回答的较简单问题的学生，应考虑化学科学。化学和生物化学系提供化学学士学位和理学学士学位，以及生物化学理学士学位。BA的要求比BS的要求有所限制。对于对医学，牙科，法律或商学院感兴趣的学生，学士学位
The department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UCSB is dedicated to performing cutting edge chemical and biochemical research in an environmentally and ethically sound manner, in service to the county of Santa Barbara, the state of California, and the world. We are committed to addressing the grand challenges that humanity faces in the 21st century and believe that chemistry and biochemistry are at the forefront of this endeavor. In accord with this mission we strive towards excellence in undergraduate, graduate, and outreach education, and we will instill in our graduates the skills and drive necessary to meet these challenges.<br><br>We also feature a strong collaborative research environment, an ethos which is fostered by the creation of many interdisciplinary research units, including the Materials Research Laboratory (MRL), the California Nanosystems Institute (CNSI), the Center for Bioengineering, the Center for Polymers and Organic Solids (CPOS), Center for Energy Efficient Materials (CEEM), Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies (ICB) and the Institute for Energy Efficiency. In support of these activities, the department features a full complement of state-of-the-art research instrumentation, including a large fleet of NMR spectrometers, an X-ray crystallography facility, a mass spectrometer facility, and a materials characterization facility. The department also maintains a machine shop, a glass shop, and two stockrooms.