Shivaji University, Kolhapur is a pioneer academic government supported institution established in the year 1962 to provide basic need of education and research.  It has been committed to pursuing an excellence along with creativity and integrity. Department of Chemistry is one of the largest Departments on the Shivaji University campus started in June, 1964 with course M. Sc. in Organic Chemistry having student strength of 24. The specializations like Inorganic Chemistry and Physical Chemistry were introduced in 1970 and 1972 respectively with increase in student strength to 40. Initially, the M. Sc. classes and practical’s were conducted in Gopal Krishna Gokhale College, Kolhapur. But, in mean time after construction of new building in the university campus, all the activities of the department were shifted to an existing building of Department of Chemistry in the year 1966.

            Presently, the department offers programs such as M. Sc., with six specializations namely Organic, Inorganic, Physical, Analytical, Industrial and Applied Chemistry, M. Sc. (Theory and Dissertation), M. Phil. and Ph. D., with student’s strength of 400 for P. G. courses and 50 for research programmes in every academic year. The department has been recognized by pharmaceutical industries as a one of trained scientific man power provider. The alumni of the department are holding higher positions in National Laboratories, Institutions and Universities in the country and abroad. The department is recognized by Department of Science and Technology (DST) under FIST and by University Grant Commission (UGC) under SAP-DRS programs. The employment rate of the department is more than 90%. The research work carried by the department is of international status with total number of publications 1892. This has raised the position of the Shivaji University to 13^th in Research Ranking in India.