2021-2022 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
    Nov 27, 2024  
2021-2022 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Chemistry (ACS Certification), B.S.


Departmental Requirements

All students pursuing a major in Chemistry must complete a total of 120 credit hours of University courses as required by the major. This includes a minimum of 53 credit hours of Program Core courses, 15 credit hours of Supportive courses, 7 credit hours of Program Elective courses, 43 credit hours of General Education courses and 2 credit hours of Free Elective courses from the approved lists of requirements as outlined in the catalog.
To obtain an ACS-certified Chemistry degree, students are required to adhere to ACS guidelines in the submission of their CHEM 499 requirements.

Students in the Honors Program are advised to enroll in Honors designated courses.

Objectives

The objectives of the Chemistry Program are to:

  1. Train students through demonstration, mentoring and personal experience to gain knowledge and develop chemical skills necessary to conduct scientific research.
  2. Impart students with contemporary laboratory techniques and skills required to conduct scientific investigations.
  3. Provide students with the academic curricula necessary to develop a strong understanding and knowledge of chemical theory and practice.
  4. Prepare academically talented students for entry into graduate and professional schools (PhD, MD, PharmD, DOM, DDS, etc).

Career Opportunities

Students graduating with a Bachelor’s of Science in Chemistry will be qualified to apply for admission to professional or graduate programs in a variety of fields. They will also be highly qualified for admission to medical or other health profession programs. Students who choose to pursue employment after completing their B.S. degree will be qualified to work in a variety of fields including in industry as chemists for biotechnology, pharmaceutical, industrial or environmental management companies. Graduates can also work for government agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Websites which describe careers in chemistry include: The ACS website www.ACS.org; About Chemistry, http://chemistry.about.com/cs/5/f/blcareers.htm, and http://www.chemistryguide.org/jobs-in-chemistry.html. Students seeking employment are urged to secure summer internship positions and to explore these agencies and their web sites at least six months in advance of the time they intend to begin work.

ACS Certification - The Chemistry Program received approval from the American Chemical Society (ACS) to grant ACS certified degrees in 2003.

Required Courses


General Education Requirements


All chemistry majors complete a common body of academic course work The General Education Requirements are designed to promote the development of a comprehensive educational base that will effectively support a student’s choice of a major concentration.

Students in the Honors program should take honors courses designated by Honors. All students are encouraged to take a couple of courses On-line or during summer and winter sessions to develop skills that will support lifelong learning. Discuss the details with your advisor.

General Education Requirements are distributed as follows:

Curriculum Area I: Arts and Humanities: Credits 9


Select two courses from any of the courses within Disciplines A - D, and ENGL 203 from Discipline E:

Curriculum Area II - Social and Behavioral Sciences: Credits 6


Select two courses from any of the courses within Social and Behavioral Sciences:

Curriculum Area III - Biological and Physical Sciences: Credits 8


Curriculum Area IV - Mathematics: Credits 7


Curriculum Area V - English Composition: Credits 9


Curriculum Area VI - Emerging Issues: Credits 4


Total Required for General Education: Credits 43


1Students must pass ENGL 101  and ENGL 102  with grade of “C” or above before taking ENGL 203 .
2HIST 101 , HIST 102  and PHIL 201  cannot be used to satisfy both Curriculum Area I and II course requirements.

3Honors students should take honors courses.

Program Requirements


Core Requirements: Credits 53


To obtain an ACS-certified chemistry degree, students are required to adhere to ACS guidelines in the submission of their CHEM 499  requirements. The student’s research advisor will provide the ACS guidelines.

A grade of “C” or better is required in each course.

Supportive Requirements: Credits 15


CSDP 220  may be substituted for CSDP 121  or BUED 212  and 1 credit may be used as a Free Elective credit.

A grade point average of “C” or better is required.

Program Electives: Credits 7


Choose two courses from the following electives; one must have a laboratory component.
A grade of “C” or better is required in each course.

Free Electives: Credits 2


Total Required: Credits 120


Curriculum Guide for Chemistry - ACS Certification