Program Requirements and Opportunities

Published annually, the Course Catalog sets out the requirements of the academic programs--the majors, minors, and concentrations. Each ��̳ student must declare a major before the end of the sophomore year. Students may also declare a minor or a concentration, but neither is required for the A.B. degree. Students must comply with the requirements published in the Course Catalog at the time when they declare the major, minor and/or concentration.

The Course Catalog also sets out the College requirements. Students must comply with the College requirements published at the time they enter ��̳.

For more information, visit the Catalog Homepage to view the current content. To view Catalogs from previous academic years, visit the Catalog Archives page.

Chemistry Program Requirements and Opportunities

The Chemistry major is offered with several different options:

American Chemical Society Certified A.B., recommended for graduate school
Chemistry major, A.B. Only
Chemistry minor
Chemistry major with concentration in biochemistry
Chemistry major with concentration in geochemistry

For all degree options, merit level work is expected in every chemistry, math, biology, geology, and physics course.

FAQ About The Chemistry Major.

ACS Certified A.B. Major Requirements

A student may qualify for a major in chemistry by completing a total of 15 units in chemistry with the distribution:

Chem 103, 104
Chem 211/216, 212/217
Chem 221, 222
Chem 231
Chem 242
Chem 251, 252
Chem 398, 399
two other Chem 3xx

Other required courses: Math 201(multivariable calculus) is a prerequisite for Chem 221 & Chem 222.

Students majoring in Chemistry fulfill the disciplinary writing requirement by satisfactorily completing Chem 251 and 252, which are writing attentive courses.

Major, A.B. only

A non-ACS certified major requires all of the above coursework except Chem 398, 399.

Timetables for Meeting Major Requirements

Students may follow various schedules to meet their major requirements. However, a fairly typical one is:

freshman year: Chem 103 and 104, Math 101 and 102
sophomore year: Chem 211/216, 212/217, Math 201
junior year: Chem 221, 222, 231, 242, 251, 252
senior year: two or more Chem 3xx

In particular note that

Math 201 must be completed before taking Chem 221 or Chem 222.
Chem 221/222 can be taken concurrently with Chem 211/212.

Students who wish to deviate from the usual schedule (including those who want to complete the major in 3 years) should consult with the major adviser as early as possible to devise an alternative plan.

Honors

The requirements for departmental honors are:

Complete one of the major plans
Maintain a chemistry GPA of 3.7 or better. A maximum of 2 credits of 403 will be factored into the chemistry GPA
Complete Chem 398 and 399 with a grade of 3.3 or better each semester.
Participate in research oral/poster presentations.
Write an acceptable thesis, and meet all department deadlines for submission of the thesis.
Complete an additional unit of Chem 3xx (for a total of three 300-level chemistry units). With department approval, one unit of 300-level work in certain fields may be substituted.

Minor

A student may qualify for a minor in chemistry by completing a total of 8 units in chemistry with the distribution:

Chem 103, 104
Chem 211/216, 212/217
Chem 221* or 222*
Chem 231 or 242**
Chem 251 or 252

*Pre-requisite: Math 201

**Biol 375 may be substituted for Chem 242

Major with Concentration in Biochemistry

Chem 103, 104
Chem 211/216, 212/217
Chem 242*
Chem 221**, 222**, or 231 (choose 2 of 3)
Chem 251, 252
Chem 345 or 377
Chem 3xx
Biol 201
Biol 376***

*Biol 375 may be substituted for Chem 242

**Pre-requisite: Math 201

***Chem 242 satisfies the pre-requisite for this course.

Major with Concentration in Geochemistry

Chem 103, 104
Chem 211/216, 212/217
Chem 221*, 222*, 231 or 242** (choose 3 of 4)
Chem 251, 252
Chem 332
Chem 3xx
Geol 101
Geol 202
Geol 302, 305, 350 (choose 2 of 3; Geol 350 requires Geology major adviser approval)

*Pre-requisite: Math 201

**Bio 375 may be substituted for Chem 242

The Chemistry major can also be combined with any of the minors offered in the College. In particular, the minors in Environmental Studies, Education and Computational Science offer attractive combinations with a Chemistry major for future career paths that require competency in those allied fields. Detailed information about these minors can be found in the appropriate section of the catalog. Students may double major in Chemistry and Biology, but are not permitted to double major in Biology and BCMB (Biochemistry & Molecular Biology) or Chemistry and BCMB.

A.B./M.A. Program

Chemistry major A.B. requirements
four units of 5xx*
two units of 7xx
M.A. thesis
written final exam

*two units may be 3xx

3-2 Program in Engineering and Applied Science

The 3-2 Program in Engineering and Applied Science is offered in cooperation with the California Institute of Technology and awards both an A.B. at ��̳ and a B.S. at Cal Tech. Chemistry students considering this program should contact Chemistry Senior Lecturer Lisa Watkins.

4+1 Program in Engineering at UPenn

The University of Pennsylvania 4+1 engineering program allows students to earn an A.B. at ��̳ and an M.S. in Engineering (M.S.E) at UPenn. Students apply between the beginning of the sophomore year and end of the junior year. Chemistry students considering this program should contact Chemistry Senior Lecturer Lisa Watkins. See also the description of the 4+1 Program in Engineering at UPenn.