Cosmetic Chemistry Enrollment Pathways

• Industry Professionals

  Current Industry Professionals

  Inspiration for the program

  Current members of the industry who wish to improve their knowledge base and lab skills are the true inspiration for the program.  Our goal is to provide the best lab-centered education in the West that focuses on the unique skills needed for those working in cosmetic & personal care science.

  The Certificate is tailored to help you become a better team member or to seek advancement by providing a deeper understanding of skin and hair biology, emulsions and surfactants, and formulation development.  You will also receive training with Coptis' formulation software, which offers a deep database of ingredient parameters to improve outcomes and streamline your formulating data.

  

  Our students come from different backgrounds and skill-levels, including:

  • Students with <1 year of working whose management supports their participation in the program as a "bootcamp" to help lower the learning curve at work.
  • Others with more bench experience, and who wish to improve their lab skills & knowledge base.
  • Those who work in regulatory or administrative areas whose employers would like to see transition to the lab or to have a better understanding of how products come together.  (The prerequisite 2 years of college-level lab classes may be  excused.)
  • New graduates from college looking to enter into the industry.   A highlight for us is seeing our students get their first jobs!
• UCR Students
  

  UCR Undergraduate & Graduate Students

  Gain training to excel in the industry

  Current UCR Undergraduate Students who have successfully completed two of the following series are welcome to apply: 

  • General Chemistry 1 A/B/C with Labs
  • General Biology 5 A/B/C with Labs
  • Organic Chemistry 8 A/B/C with Labs
    We suggest enrolling in the program your junior or senior  year to be prepared for the job market post-graduation.

  FOR WINTER 2026: Tuition for the first class "Intro to Cosmetic Science" will be sponsored by Chemistry.  You do not have to be a Chemistry major to enroll.  Any Jr/Sr Undergraduate student may enroll.  The 3 remaining classes in the program may be covered as well; we are working on it, but cannot guarantee the tuition will be covered at this time.

  Enroll in R'Web for CHEM 199U for Winter 2026.
  Email Dr. Hanson to ensure that you get officially enrolled: kerryh@ucr.edu.

  
  Current UCR Graduate Students
  If you are interested in using your advanced degree (MS or PhD) in the industry, we strongly encourage you to apply as well. We recommend enrollment after your advancement to candidacy or in the final year of your program, or with your PI's approval.

  Enroll in R'Web for CHEM 299U.
  Email Dr. Hanson to ensure that you get officially enrolled: kerryh@ucr.edu.

• Off-Campus Students
  

  UC, CSU, Community College & Out-of-State Students

  Convenient Hybrid Classes

  Students from all University of California, Cal State and Community College campuses are open to the program as well.  

  
  Out-of-state students from accredited 2- and 4-year colleges & universities are also encouraged to apply to the program.

  
  For all students, successful completion of two of the following undergraduate lab-based science series are required:

  • General Chemistry with Labs (3 quarters/2 semesters)
  • General Biology with Labs (3 quarters/2 semesters)
  • Organic Chemistry with Labs (3 quarters/2 semesters)

  Graduate students in STEM disciplines are directly eligible for the program if they have completed 2 years of undergraduate lab-based coursework. 

• Healthcare Professionals
  

  Healthcare Professionals

  Create Patient-Centered Products 

  Students from all University of California, Cal State and Community College campuses are open to the program as well.  

  
  Out-of-state students from accredited 2- and 4-year colleges & universities are also encouraged to apply to the program.

  
  For all students, successful completion of two of the following undergraduate lab-based science series are required:

  • General Chemistry with Labs (3 quarters/2 semesters)
  • General Biology with Labs (3 quarters/2 semesters)
  • Organic Chemistry with Labs (3 quarters/2 semesters)

  Graduate students in STEM disciplines are directly eligible for the program if they have completed 2 years of undergraduate lab-based coursework. 

Learning Topics

• Introduction to Cosmetic Science

  The Certificate in Cosmetic Chemistry begins in January with a 6 week online Introduction to Cosmetic Science course.  Cosmetic Chemistry is the science of creating safe and effective formulas for cosmetic products, and this course is the gateway into that realm. In this class, you will receive a broad overview of the cosmetic industry infrastructure and regulations, and cover the primary cosmetic categories, description of ingredient names and their origins, as well as basic raw material categories, functions, and how to link these ingredients to claims.

  There are no in-person labs for this class.  All lectures and discussion sessions are held conveniently online.

  This class establishes a frame-work for the second course in the series: Skin and Hair Biology.

• Skin and Hair Biology

  Building on the basics of the introductory section,  the Skin and Hair Biology course takes a deep dive into the Cosmetic Chemist’s processes for the development of skin and hair products, based on the biology of the respective structures. It will demonstrate how products are developed based on the specific claims or condition they are looking to address. You will also learn how these products are then tested to verify they are safe, effective, and support the claims they make.

  This class provides a foundation for the third class in the program: Emulsion and Surfactant Technology.

• Emulsion & Surfactant Technology

  This hands-on course, the third in the Cosmetic Chemistry series, covers the fundamentals of emulsion and surfactant technologies, and includes a lab component. It draws upon knowledge learned about skin and hair biology to begin translation into full product development. Strategies to ensure a scalable, stable, and marketable product will also be discussed.

  Students will be introduced to Coptis PLM Formulating Software.  Coptis Labs has generously provided UCR Chemistry access to their software at an educational discount, which translates to you learning how to manage and track your formulation from start to finish.  Read more about the advantages of this tool here.

  Lectures are held online.

  This course also has an in-person lab, typically held the first weekend in August.  Lab runs from 9 am to 5 pm on Saturday and Sunday.  

  Lab is the highlight of the Certificate.  Translating theory to practice in hands-on experiments has a profound impact on your ability to create successful formulations.  Multiple experiments will be performed throughout lab.  

  For those new to the field you will learn how to use a mixer, viscometer, specific gravity cups, and a homogenizer.  For those with some experience in the lab already, you will improve your critical thinking skills while you perfect your lab bench techniques.   All will come out of the two-day intensive lab confident and prepared for the 4th and final class: Product Development with an Independent Project.

  ****

  Each subsequent course builds on the previous material acting as a prerequisite for the following course.   If you are interested in just taking the lab classes, some accommodations can be made for those with some experience in the lab within the industry.  We encourage the full program to be taken so theory from the first two classes may be put to practice in the last two lab classes.

• Product Development with Independent Project

  The final project-based course in the Cosmetic Chemistry program allows you to showcase what you have learned, and provides you with a concept to guide you to develop your own unique product. Then, you will create technical proposals from the concepts before developing the testing requirements for marketing claims, and outline a path to full scale development. The course concludes with you creating an original prototype, and bringing your product to market.

  Lectures are held online.

  Four days of lab are held in person in Pierce Hall @ UCR over two weekends.

  Labs are  held Saturday and Sunday in November and/or early December, with the two weekends separated by 1-2 weeks.  This allows for products to undergo stability testing at room and elevated temperatures.

  You will gain more experience with lab equipment and work with your instructor to problem solve formulating issues.  By the end of the class, you will showcase your product.  

  Students have created hair oils, body butters, anti-aging creams, lipsticks and fragrances that have unique features for a particular demographic.  A variety of markets for individual projects have been presented including small boutique buyers and large big-box stores.  

Dates and Registration

• Plan Your Schedule

  Everyone is busy with careers, school and life.  We get it.  We've been there ourselves.  That is why we organized the Certificate to be convenient for both students and working professionals.

  Check out the Course Date graphic below to get an idea of when & how each class of the program is offered.   Specific dates may vary year-to-year, but the overall course plan will remain consistent to the outline you see here.

  Labs are held in Pierce Hall on UCR's main campus.  Typically, Emulsion & Surfactant Tech is held the first or second weekend in August and Product Development is held two weekends in November (not over Thanksgiving weekend).  Each lab class is 8 hours (9-5) on Saturday and Sunday.   Lab location & dates are announced in class.

  
• How To Register

  Prior to enrolling, please ensure that you meet the following minimum requirements:

  • At least two years of postsecondary chemistry or biology coursework.
  • A foundational understanding of chemistry.
  • A background in science, or at least two years of experience working in the cosmetics industry in a technical role.

  
  To enroll in the program, you will need to submit a program application with the following supporting documents:

  • Unofficial transcripts (indicating the educational requirements above)
  • Resume

  
  Registration may be found the UCR University Extension site.  

  
  For UC, Cal State & Community College students, please note that the courses are not offered in the main UCR catalog.  The Certificate builds on the core or major courses taken in college like General Chemistry, Biology and Physics.  Because the Certificate is tailored specifically for Professional Development for the Cosmetics field, UCR Chemistry partners with University Extension to offer the classes.

  
  ***

  UCR Extension has a proven track-record of improving their student's career trajectories.  

  
  UCR Chemistry is a proud partner with UCR Extension in providing scientists with access to lab-training in Cosmetic Chemistry on the West Coast.

Thank You To Our Partners!