The Dept. of Chemistry was established in October 1980 as the Dept. of Chemistry within the School of Natural Sciences, the year after Incheon University opened as Incheon Institute of Technology in January 1979, and the first freshmen were admitted in March 1981.

Subsequently, the Dept. of Chemistry received approval to establish a graduate school in November 1984, created a master's program in 1985, and established a doctoral program in 1996. Despite its short history and numerous challenges, the Dept. of Chemistry has steadily developed. In particular, since becoming a municipal department in 1994 amidst significant interest from Incheon City and the surrounding community, it has achieved many accomplishments by greatly improving its overall educational and research environment.

Since producing its first graduating class in 1985, the Dept. of Chemistry has produced approximately 1,200 bachelor's degree graduates and 80 master's degree graduates to date, and these graduates are actively working in various chemistry-related fields and key sectors of society.

Chemistry is a field of basic science that investigates natural phenomena based on fundamental scientific principles and theories that have been discovered and established over a long period of time. As chemistry comprises various subfields such as physical chemistry, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, and analytical chemistry that are closely interconnected, it is a discipline that requires a broad understanding of these areas. Reflecting these characteristics, the Dept. of Chemistry conducts education and research across a wide range of chemistry majors.

Undergraduate students are building specialized knowledge in chemistry by taking lectures and experiments in traditional majors such as physical chemistry, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, and analytical chemistry, as well as new fields of chemistry such as biochemistry, polymer chemistry, and environmental chemistry. In addition, during their third and fourth years, many students are also striving to cultivate professional research capabilities by conducting research activities in their academic advisors' laboratories.

In the graduate program, students cultivate their capabilities as chemists equipped with the creative research skills required by the modern high-tech society through research activities in their academic advisors' laboratories. Furthermore, as part of efforts to improve the curriculum to foster professional personnel who will lead Korea's chemical industry, the university is strengthening field experience education, such as internships and industry visits, while also promoting the enhancement of international competitiveness through international exchanges with sister universities abroad. In addition, the Incheon Science Education Center for the Gifted, established in 1998 by three departments within the College of Natural Sciences, including the Dept. of Chemistry, is recognized as the nation's premier institution for science gifted education.

The Incheon Science Education Center for Gifted Students plays a significant role in education in the Incheon region, serving elementary and middle school students within the area, and contributes greatly to raising the status of Incheon National University in the local community.

As the only public university in Incheon, Incheon National University has been making ceaseless efforts to fulfill its role as a center of education and research in the Incheon region, contribute to the development of the local community through industry-academia cooperation with companies in surrounding industrial complexes, and grow into a prestigious university in Northeast Asia. To realize this, this department is also dedicating itself to substantial education and research activities, led by full-time professors.

In particular, the relocation to the new Songdo Campus in 2009 and Incheon National University's transformation into a national university are expected to serve as a springboard for the university's development. The Dept. of Chemistry is also making every effort to seize this opportunity for a new leap forward and to be reborn as an even more advanced and competitive educational and research institution. Responding to the demands of the times for building a knowledge-based society grounded in science and technology, as well as the fostering of international informatization and the knowledge information industry promoted by Incheon City centered on the Songdo Free Economic Zone, the Dept. of Chemistry will play a role in leading the development of the local community and contributing to the advancement of humanity by cultivating professional personnel with knowledge creation capabilities and international competitiveness suitable for a knowledge-based society.