Degree: Bachelor of Science (BS)
Major: Chemistry
Program Overview
The BS program in chemistry is designed for students who seek professional careers in the chemical sciences and is certified by the American Chemical Society. The BS curriculum provides a rigorous background in chemistry, yet offers considerable flexibility in the senior year in the choice of electives, allowing BS majors to pursue areas of chemistry of particular interest to them in greater depth. At least three units of research (CHEM 397 / CHEM 398) are required, and up to nine units of research may be credited toward the degree.
Undergraduate Policies
For undergraduate policies and procedures, please review the Office of Undergraduate Studies section of the General Bulletin.
Accelerated Master's Programs
Undergraduate students may participate in accelerated programs toward graduate or professional degrees. For more information and details of the policies and procedures related to accelerated studies, please visit the Office of Undergraduate Studies section of the General Bulletin.
Program Requirements
Students seeking to complete this major and degree program must meet the general requirements for bachelor's degrees and the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences. Students completing this program as a secondary major while completing another undergraduate degree program do not need to satisfy the latter set of requirements.
Required Chemistry Courses
Course List Code | Title | Hours |
CHEM 105 | Principles of Chemistry I | 3 |
CHEM 113 | Principles of Chemistry Laboratory | 2 |
CHEM 106 | Principles of Chemistry II | 3 |
CHEM 304 | Quantitative Analysis Laboratory | 2 |
CHEM 310 | Foundations of Analytical Chemistry | 3 |
CHEM 323 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
CHEM 311 | Inorganic Chemistry I | 3 |
CHEM 322 | Laboratory Methods in Organic Chemistry | 3 |
CHEM 324 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
CHEM 331 | Laboratory Methods in Inorganic Chemistry | 3 |
CHEM 335 | Physical Chemistry I | 3 |
CHEM 332 | Laboratory Methods in Physical Chemistry | 3 |
CHEM 336 | Physical Chemistry II | 3 |
CHEM 397 | Undergraduate Research | 3 - 6 |
or CHEM 398 | Undergraduate Research/Senior Capstone Project |
| 3-4 |
| Introductory Biochemistry I | |
| Biochemistry II: Living Systems | |
| Introduction to Biochemistry: From Molecules To Medical Science | |
* | 6-8 |
** | 6-8 |
Total Hours | 55 |
Additional Required Courses
Course List Code | Title | Hours |
MATH 121 | Calculus for Science and Engineering I | 4 |
MATH 122 | Calculus for Science and Engineering II | 4 |
or MATH 124 | Calculus II |
MATH 223 | Calculus for Science and Engineering III | 3 |
or MATH 227 | Calculus III |
| 3 |
| Elementary Differential Equations | |
| Differential Equations | |
| Basic Statistics for Engineering and Science | |
PHYS 121 | General Physics I - Mechanics | 4 |
or PHYS 123 | Physics and Frontiers I - Mechanics |
PHYS 122 | General Physics II - Electricity and Magnetism | 4 |
or PHYS 124 | Physics and Frontiers II - Electricity and Magnetism |
PHYS 221 | Introduction to Modern Physics | 3 |
Total Hours | 25 |
The chemistry elective may be any chemistry department course at the 300 level or above which is not part of the "core set," or selected courses with a strong chemistry content at the 300 level or above from other science departments. Only three units of CHEM 397 may be applied to a chemistry elective.
The technical electives may be chosen more widely from any of the physical sciences, math, or engineering courses. An additional six units of CHEM 397 may be taken as technical electives. Further additional units of CHEM 397 may be taken as free electives. Students may wish to group their electives into "tracks" of specialization in order to tailor their degree to a particular area of chemistry.
Advanced Coursework
BS majors who plan to go on to graduate study may elect to take advanced courses in:
Course List Code | Title | Hours |
CHEM 412 | Advanced Inorganic Chemistry I | 3 |
CHEM 421 | Advanced Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
CHEM 435 | Synthetic Methods in Organic Chemistry | 3 |
CHEM 406 | Chemical Kinetics | 3 |
CHEM 446 | Quantum Mechanics I | 3 |
Students can also elect to take other graduate offerings. Interdisciplinary strengths can be achieved by selecting technical electives in biochemistry, biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, macromolecular science, and materials science as well as in biology; earth, environmental, and planetary sciences; mathematics, applied mathematics, and statistics; and physics.
Total Units Required for Graduation: 120