Catalog Navigator : Major Requirements

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)
chemical physics option (F)
and forensic chemistry option (G)

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, students should 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 160 (Chemistry) curriculum as a prerequisite, including physical chemistry, in most cases. All 400-level courses offered by the department are considered advanced courses.

Career Options: 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 Courses for All Major Options

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� Honors Organic Chemistry (4,4)

01:160:309-310� Organic Chemistry Laboratory (2.5,2.5)*� **

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)

01:160:351� Inorganic Chemistry 1 (3)

01:160:352� Inorganic Chemistry 2 (1.5) or 01:160:353 Inorganic Chemistry 3 (1.5)

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: Chemistry 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 chemistry 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.

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)

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)

01:160:451� Analytical Spectroscopy (3)

01:460:304� Introduction to Geochemistry (4)

01:460:417� Environmental Geochemistry (3)

11:375:422� Air Sampling and Analysis (3)

11:375:444� Water Chemistry (3)

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 (3,3) and 01:750:205-206 General Physics Laboratory (1,1) normally should take 01:750:323 Advanced General Physics (3) before enrolling in either 01:750:381 Mechanics (3) or 01:750:385 Electromagnetism (3). 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.

Forensic Chemistry Option (G). The forensic chemistry option is intended for undergraduate students with a strong career interest in forensic science.

Required substitutions in the core curriculum:

For 01:160:327-328 Physical Chemistry (4,4) or 341-342 Physical Chemistry Biological Systems (3,3), substitute 01:119:115 General Biology (4) and either 01:694:407 Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (3) or 11:115:403 General Biochemistry (3)�

For 01:640:251 Multivariable Calculus (4), 01:640:250 Linear Algebra (3), and 01:640:252 Elementary Differential Equations (3), substitute 01:960:379 Statistics (3).

For 01:160:329 Experimental Physical Chemistry (2.5), substitute 01:160:348 Instrumental Analysis (3).

Required additions to the core curriculum: The following courses in the criminal justice program: 01:202:201 Criminal Justice (3); 01:202:202 Police (3); 01:202:205 Criminal Procedure (3); 01:202:351,352 Forensic Science (3,3).

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.

*This course requires a substitute course in option E.
**This course requires a substitute course in option F.
***This course is recommended in option C.