In preparation for both the industrial and academic worlds, the undergraduate chemistry major of today must gain proficiency with state-of-the-art reaction equipment, synthetic techniques, and analytical instrumentation. Microwave heating can offer a rapid and efficient alternative to conventional oil-bath, sand-bath, or steam-bath technology. Over the past three years we have incorporated microwave-assisted organic reactions into the laboratory curriculum at Merrimack College. Currently 50% of the reactions carried out by our students use microwave heating. The students have the opportunity to try a wide range of reaction conditions using the microwave apparatus, which shortens the reflux time from hours or days to minutes, increasing opportunities for the typical 3-4 hour laboratory period. Students can now run Suzuki, Diels Alder, aldol, hydrolysis, addition and elimination reactions as well as nucleophilic aromatic substitutions. The microwave protocol leaves ample time for product isolation, purification and identification. In addition, the shortened laboratory reaction times provide an opportunity for students to easily repeat a reaction that has not produced the desired product or modify reaction procedures. We will describe the assessment of the program changes and the impact on student learning.