The Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology offers a program of study that provides broad and comprehensive training in all areas of modern chemistry. A certain core of courses is required for completion of the major in chemistry. Included is coursework in the four major subdisciplines of chemistry--inorganic, organic, physical, and analytical--as well as work in mathematics and physics. A minimum grade-point average of 2.0 in all chemistry courses is required for graduation.
Within the program, the following six options permit students to select an area of concentration that reflects their particular interests and career goals: core option (A), general American Chemical Society option (B), chemical biology option (C), environmental option (D), business/law option (E), and chemical physics option (F). Normally, this selection is made in consultation with a chemistry adviser in the semester that the major is declared.
The required core courses for option A are listed below. Completion of these courses satisfies the requirements in chemistry for graduation. Additional advanced and research courses are required in options B, C, and D, each of which leads to a degree certified by the American Chemical Society (ACS). Degree options also are available for students interested in using chemistry as a basis for interdisciplinary training (options E, F). For options E and F, courses marked with an asterisk (*) or two (**) in the core are substituted by appropriate courses from other disciplines. The required additional courses or substitutions are described under the individual options.
Some options require upper-level courses in disciplines other than chemistry. These courses may have as prerequisites lower-level courses in those other disciplines. When planning the courses for an option, make sure to research the prerequisites well in advance to avoid being prevented from entering a particular course.
An advanced chemistry course is a course that is not part of the core and has a major portion of the curriculum as a prerequisite, including physical chemistry, in most cases. All 400-level courses offered by the department are considered advanced courses.
Overall, the curriculum is designed to permit the student a wide range of career choices, including, but not limited to, chemistry, medicine, law, business, chemical physics, environmental science, and secondary school teaching.
Required Core Courses
01:160:161-162 General Chemistry (4,4) or 01:160:163-164 Honors General Chemistry (4,4)
01:160:171 Introduction to Experimentation (1)
01:160:251 Analytical Chemistry (3)
01:160:307-308 Organic Chemistry (4,4) or 01:160:315-316 Principles of Organic Chemistry (4,4)
01:160:309-310 Organic Chemistry Laboratory (2.5,2.5) or 01:160:311,310 Organic Chemistry Laboratory (2,2.5)* **
01:160:327-328 Physical Chemistry (4,4) or 01:160:341-342 Physical Chemistry: Biochemical Systems (3,3)***
01:160:329 Experimental Physical Chemistry (2.5)
01:160:348 Instrumental Analysis (3)** or 01:160:344 Introduction to Molecular Biophysics Research (3)**
01:160:361 Chemical Bonding (1.5)
01:160:371 Inorganic Chemistry (3)
01:160:491-492 Seminar in Chemistry (1,1)
01:640:151-152 Calculus for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (4,4)
01:640:250 Introductory Linear Algebra (3)*
01:640:251 Multivariable Calculus (4)
01:750:203-204 General Physics (3,3)**
01:750:205-206 General Physics Laboratory (1,1)**
Core Option (A). For students who plan to seek immediate employment as chemists, and who do not seek certification by the American Chemical Society.
Required: Core courses
General ACS Option (B). For students who seek to find immediate employment as chemists, or who plan to attend graduate or medical school. Leads to a degree certified by the American Chemical Society.
Required: In addition to the core courses, 4 credits of senior-level research, one semester of biochemistry [01:694:407 Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (3) or 11:115:403 General Biochemistry (3)], and one advanced course in chemistry.
Chemical Biology Option (C). For students whose interests are in the application of chemistry to the solution of biological problems. Appropriate for students who plan to attend graduate school in chemistry or related biological sciences or medical school, or who plan to seek immediate employment. Leads to a degree certified by the American Chemical Society.
Required: In addition to the core courses, 4 credits of senior-level research, one semester of biochemistry [01:694:407 Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (3) or 11:115:403 General Biochemistry (3)], and one course from the following:
01:160:418 Bioorganic Mechanisms (3) or 11:115:412 Protein and Enzyme Chemistry (3)
01:160:437 Physical Chemistry of Biological Systems (3) or 11:115:410 Physical Biochemistry (3)
01:160:476 Bioinorganic Chemistry (3)
01:694:408 Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (3) or 11:115:404 General Biochemistry (3)
30:715:409 Medicinal Chemistry (3)
Environmental Option (D). For students whose interests are in the application of chemistry to environmental problems, who plan to seek employment in environmentally related areas, or who plan to attend graduate school. Leads to a degree certified by the American Chemical Society if one additional course in biochemistry is taken [01:694: 407 Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (3) or 11:115:403 General Biochemistry (3)].
Required: In addition to the core courses, 4 credits of senior-level research and two courses from the following:
01:160:415 Theory and Interpretation of Organic Spectra (3)
01:160:439 Physical Chemistry of the Environment (3)
01:160:451 Analytical Spectroscopy (3)
01:460:401 Introduction to Geochemistry (4)
01:460:417 Environmental Geochemistry (3)
11:375:416 Chemical Reactions in the Environment (3)
11:375:422 Air Sampling and Analysis (3)
11:375:425 Radioactivity and the Environment (3)
11:375:444 Water Chemistry (3)
11:375:451 Soil Chemistry (4)
11:628:472 Chemical Oceanography (4)
Business/Law Option (E). For students who seek business or law careers that require a scientific background. Appropriate for those seeking nonlaboratory employment in industry as well as those planning to attend graduate school in business or law.
Required substitutions in the core curriculum: For the following two courses from the list of core courses, 01:160:310 Organic Chemistry Laboratory (2.5) and 01:640:250 Introductory Linear Algebra (3), substitute three business or business-related courses. One of the three courses must be chosen from the following:
01:355:302 Scientific and Technical Writing (3)
01:830:373 Organizational and Personnel Psychology (3)
33:010:272 Introduction to Financial Accounting (3)
The remaining courses must be at the 200 level or above and offered in accounting, communication, economics, finance, management, or marketing. Students electing this option should consult with the vice chair of the undergraduate program in chemistry as early as possible for assistance in selecting the courses for the option and in meeting professional or graduate school requirements.
Chemical Physics Option (F). For students whose interests are in chemical physics and who plan to attend graduate school.
Required substitutions in the core curriculum: For 01:750:203-204 General Physics (3,3), substitute either 01:750:123-124 Analytical Physics (2,2) and 01:750:227-228 Analytical Physics IIA, IIB (3,3) or 01:750:271-272-273 Honors Physics (3,3,3). For 01:750:205-206 General Physics Laboratory (1,1), substitute either 01:750:229-230 Analytical Physics II Laboratory (1,1) or 01:750:275-276 Classical Physics Laboratory (1,1). For 01:160:310 Organic Chemistry Laboratory (2.5) and 01:160:348 Instrumental Analysis (3), substitute 01:640:252 Elementary Differential Equations (3) and 01:750:381 Mechanics (3) and 01:750:385 Electromagnetism (3).
Students who choose the chemical physics option only after having taken 01:750:203-204 General Physics and 01:750:205-206 General Physics Laboratory normally should take 01:750:323 Advanced General Physics before enrolling in either 01:750:381 Mechanics or 01:750:385 Electromagnetism. A physics adviser should be consulted if there is uncertainty about the proper preparation for any physics course in this option.
Required advanced courses: Two courses chosen from the following:
01:160:421 Atomic and Molecular Structure (3) or 01:750:361 Quantum Mechanics and Atomic Physics (3)
01:160:425 Thermodynamics I (3)
01:160:434 Kinetics (3)
01:750:406 Introductory Solid State Physics (3)
01:750:417 Intermediate Quantum Mechanics (3)
Two semesters of senior-level research of at least 3 credits each may be used as a substitute for one advanced course.
The major in chemistry provides an excellent basis for those students who wish to teach in secondary school. Additional requirements for students interested in certification as teachers are set by the Graduate School of Education, which should be consulted for details.
Those students whose needs are not met by any of these options may plan an individual program through consultation with a departmental adviser. Individual programs require written approval of the department chair.
