Chemistry Major

The Department of Chemistry offers a Bachelor’s of Science (B.S.) in Chemistry with a major in Chemistry. This page provides details on the major requirements.  At the bottom of the page, additional requirements for the ACS certified Chemistry Degree can be found.

Sample Plans for Degree Progress Towards the B.S.in Chemistry

Sample First Year Plans for starting the BS in Chemistry

2-year completion plans (primarily for transfer students) for the Chemistry Degree or ACS-Certified Degree

Required Entrance Level Courses and Prerequisite Courses

Course Credits Notes
General Chemistry I with Lab (CHEM 111) 4

offered fall and summer terms, a trailer for students completing CHEM 101 in the fall is offered in spring semester

prerequisite for CHEM 112 with C- or better grade

students must complete the chemistry placement test before registering for CHEM 111

Fulfills the Natural Sciences Gen Ed

General Chemistry II with Lab (CHEM 112) 4

offered spring and summer terms, a trailer for students completing CHEM 111 in the spring is offered in fall semester

prerequisite for all upper-level chemistry courses

Fulfills Natural Sciences Gen Ed

Calculus I (MATH 121) 4

offered fall and spring semesters

prerequisite for Calculus II

Fulfills Quantitative Reasoning Gen Ed

Calculus II (MATH 122) 4

offered fall and spring semesters

prerequisite for Physical Chemistry I (CHEM 383)

General Physics with Lab  (PHYS 101) or University Physics with Lab (PHYS 105) 4

offered fall semester and summer term (PHYS 101)

prerequisite for PHYS 102 or PHYS 106

PHYS 105 is Writing Intensive

General Physics II with Lab  (PHYS 102) or University Physics with Lab (PHYS 106) 4

offered spring semester and summer term (PHYS 102)

prerequisite for Physical Chemistry I (CHEM 383)

PHYS 106 is Writing Intensive

Major Requirements

Course Credits Notes
Organic Chemistry I with Lab (CHEM 211)  4

offered fall semesters

prerequisite: CHEM 112 with a C or better

Organic Chemistry II with Lab (CHEM 212) 4

offered spring semesters

prerequisite: CHEM 211 with a C or better

Chemical Analysis I with Lab (CHEM 253) 4

offered fall semesters

prerequisite: CHEM 112 with a C or better

Chemical Analysis II with Lab (CHEM 254) 4

offered spring semesters

prerequisite: CHEM 112 with a C or better

Physical Chemistry I Lecture (CHEM 383A) 3

offered fall semesters

prerequisites: MATH 122, PHYS 102 or PHYS 106, and a grade of C or better in CHEM 112

Physical Chemistry II Lecture (CHEM 384A)

offered spring semesters

prerequisites: MATH 122, PHYS 102 or PHYS 106, a grade of C or better in CHEM 112, and CHEM 383A

Physical Chemistry I Laboratory (CHEM 387A) 2

offered fall semesters

prerequisites: CHEM 253, CHEM 254

co-requisite: CHEM 383A

Writing Intensive

Physical Chemistry II Laboratory (CHEM 388A)

offered spring semesters

prerequisites: CHEM 253, CHEM 254, CHEM 387A

co-requisite: CHEM 384A

Speaking Intensive

Experimental Methods Chemistry with Lab (CHEM 423) 4

offered fall semesters

prerequisites: CHEM 212, CHEM 253 and CHEM 254

Writing Intensive

Senior Seminar (CHEM 453) 2

offered spring semesters

prerequisite: graduating majors with major GPA of 2.0 or higher or with permission of the department

Speaking Intensive

ACS-certified Degree in Chemistry

Students seeking to earn the ACS-certified degree in Chemistry need to complete the requirements above in addition to the following requirements.

Courses Credits Notes
Biochemistry I Lecture (CHEM 317) 3

offered fall semesters

prerequisite: CHEM 212 with a grade of C or above

Digital intensive

Biochemistry I Laboratory (CHEM 319) 1

offered fall semesters and occasionally spring semesters

co-requisite: CHEM 317

Writing intensive

Inorganic Chemistry Lecture (CHEM 343) 3

offered alternative spring semesters

prerequisite: CHEM 112 with grade of C or better

Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory (CHEM 345) 1

offered alternative spring semesters

prerequisite: CHEM 253, CHEM 254

co-requisite: CHEM 343

laboratory hours to reach the ACS requirement 1

could be fulfilled with CHEM 320, URES 197, or CHEM 491

URES 197 or CHEM 491 fulfill Beyond the Classroom General Education requirement