Most students will begin their study in the department in Chemistry 101 (Concepts of Chemistry), which may be taken in the fall or the spring semester. For students with little or no high school chemistry, we offer Chemistry 100 (Chemistry Matters) in the fall semester as preparation for Chemistry 101 in the spring semester. All students interested in taking Chemistry 100 or Chemistry 101 must complete a brief departmental survey to assist in determining the best first semester placement. After Chemistry 101, students will take Chemistry 200 (Advanced Concepts in Chemistry) and Chemistry 201 (Introduction to Organic Chemistry), in either order. After completing these courses, students can move into Chemistry 242 and upper-level electives.
Completion of a Chemistry major requires the equivalent of nine semester chemistry courses. Only one course designated as pass/fail may be counted towards the major. Beyond the four core introductory courses (101, 200, 201, and 242), four 300-level courses are required, including at least three having a laboratory component. Among these, the Department’s quantitative requirement must be met by completing one of the following: Chemistry 361, 363, 364, 366, or 367. The ninth and final major course requirement can be satisfied in ONE of three ways: 1) by taking Chemistry 100; 2) by taking an additional 300-level course; or 3) by taking two approved courses from adjacent sciences (those with significant chemical and/or quantitative content) from Biology, Computer Science, Environmental Studies, Geosciences, Mathematics, Physics, or Statistics. The specific courses selected, will depend on each student’s future plans and interests, and can be determined in consultation with the chair or major advisor. In addition, the department has a number of “Independent Research Courses” (including thesis research) which, while they do not count toward completion of the major, provide a unique opportunity to pursue an independent research project under the direction of a faculty member.
- 101 Concepts of Chemistry
- 200 Advanced Chemical Concepts
- 201 Organic Chemistry: Introductory Level
- 242 Organic Chemistry: Intermediate Level (required for the major)
