School of Chemistry and Materials Science was established in 1996, while the development of chemistry and materials science can be traced back to the foundation of the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in 1958. The founders of the subjects include Dagang Liu, Yonghuai Guo, Xuesen Qian, Chengzong Yang, Baoren Wang, Renyuan Qian, and so on, who are outstanding and well-known scientists in China.

Now, the school embraces four departments and one Center, which are Department of Chemistry, Department of Chemical Physics, Department of Materials Sciences and Engineering, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering and Chemical Experimental Teaching Center.