Courses
Students majoring in chemistry are required to complete six prerequisite courses, a core curriculum of five prescribed courses and six elective courses.
Courses of the core curriculum deal with fundamental topics of organic chemistry, analytical chemistry and physical chemistry.
Elective courses provide students with the opportunity to study at an advanced level subjects such as instrumental analysis, biochemistry, inorganic chemistry, and research. These elective, upper-level courses enable students to increase their confidence and proficiency in the application of methods of science as they study subfields of chemistry in greater depth. One track is designed to prepare the student for graduate work in chemistry while the other is designed with students interested in a health-related career in mind.
123-124. General Chemistry
A prerequisite course to the chemistry "core" sequence, normally taken the fall of the freshman year. Required of all chemistry majors, and strongly recommended for students planning careers in health care fields. A thorough treatment of the fundamentals of chemistry from a strictly modern point of view. (3/3/4) each course. STAFF
203-204. Organic Chemistry The first course in the chemistry "core" sequence, normally taken the fall and spring of the sophomore year. Required of all chemistry majors.A study of the major classes of organic compounds, with emphasis on structure and mechanisms. Prerequisite: Chemistry 123-124. Corequisite: 203L / 204L (3/0/3) each course. BASS
203L-204L. Organic Chemistry Lab
A study of the techniques of organic chemistry built around examples provided in the lecture courses (203-204). Emphasis will be on laboratory set-ups, distillation, extraction, recrystallization, chromatographic separations, and spectroscopic analysis (particular attention will be paid to simple IR and NMR analysis).
Prerequisite: Chemistry 123-124. Corequisite: 203 / 204 (0/3/1) each course. BASS
214. Introductory Analytical Chemistry
The second course in the chemistry "core" sequence, normally taken the spring of the sophomore year. Required of all chemistry majors.
Fundamental theories and techniques of quantitative chemical analysis. Prerequisite: Chemistry 123-124. Corequisite 214L (3/0/3). CASTILLO
214L. Introductory Analytical Chemistry Laboratory
The second course in the chemistry "core" sequence, normally taken the spring of the sophomore year. Required of all chemistry majors. Application of classical procedures for specific determinations. Includes volumetric, gravimetric, and instrumental methods of analysis. Prerequisite: Chemistry 123-124. Corequisite 214 (0/3/1) CASTILLO
250+. Introduction to Research
Elementary investigations in chemistry for students who wish to begin research early in their undergraduate studies. A student may earn a maximum of 4 semester hours in Chemistry 250+. Prerequisite: Chemistry 123-124 or permission of the department faculty. (0/3/1) STAFF
280+. Selected topics in Chemistry
Group or individual study of selected topics in chemistry at an intermediate level. Intended for non-chemists as well as students majoring in Chemistry. Specific topics vary with student interest and are announced one semester in advance. (1-3/0-3/1-4) STAFF
308. Biotechnology
An elective course, normally taken the spring of the junior or senior year. This course is designed to provide knowledge and skills of biochemical processes and their application to industrial chemistry and microbiology. Prerequisite: Chemistry 204. (3/0/3) RADFAR
308L. Biotechnology Laboratory
The lab exercises in this course have been selected to provide practical experience in biochemical processes and their application to industrial chemistry, microbiology, and use of microorganisms for biological synthesis. Corequisite 308 (0/3/1) RADFAR
309. Biochemistry
An elective course , normally taken the fall of the junior or senior year. A rigorous introduction to modern biochemistry with an emphasis on the molecular basis of cellular structure and biological function. A thorough treatment of physico-chemical properties of informational macromolecules is employed to provide a sound basis for the study of bioenergetics and metabolic organization. Prerequisite: Chemistry 204. Corequisite 309L (3/0/3) RADFAR
309L. Biochemistry Laboratory
The lab exercises in this course have been selected to provide practical experience in protein chemistry, chromatographic and electrophoretic spearation, and to emphasize the basic principles of Biochemistry. Prerequisite: Chemistry 204. Corequisite 309 (0/3/1) RADFAR
313. Physical Chemistry I
The third course in the chemistry "core" sequence, normally taken the fall of the junior year. Required of all chemistry majors.A study of the laws and theories of thermodynamics applied to chemical systems presented from a modern perspective. Theories describe the behavior of energy, heat, and work; entropy; reaction spontaneity and equilibrium; equations of state; and phase diagrams. Prerequisites: Chemistry 214, Physics 141-142, and Math 181, 182. Corequisite: Chemistry 313L (3/0/3) C. ARRINGTON
313L. Physical Chemistry Laboratory
This course provides a laboratory study of chemical kinetics using both modern experimental techniques and computer-aided calculations and simulations. Along with understanding the measurements of chemical reaction rates from both a theoretical and experimental perspective, the course focuses on methods for the statistical treatment of experimental data. Prerequisites: Chemistry 214, Physics 141-142, and Math 181, 182. Corequisite: Chemistry 313 (0/3/1) C. ARRINGTON
314. Physical Chemistry II
An elective course, normally taken the spring of the junior or senior year. An introduction to quantum chemistry focusing on the postulates and models of quantum mechanics as they apply to atoms and molecules. Prerequisite: Chemistry 214, Physics 141-142, and Math 181, 182. (3/0/3) C. ARRINGTON
314L. Physical Chemistry II Laboratory
This laboratory engages in an experimental study of selected aspects of physical chemistry, with emphasis on experimentation relevant to the field of quantum chemistry. Topics in the course include laser operation, optical spectroscopy, and quantum computational methods. Prerequisites: Chemistry 214, Physics 121 and 122, or 141 and 142, or 173; Mathematics 181, and 182. Corequisite: Chemistry 314.
(0/3/1) C. ARRINGTON
323. Inorganic Chemistry
An elective course, normally taken the spring of the junior or senior year. A survey of inorganic chemistry with emphasis on the periodicity of the elements and development of the modern theories of the relationships of chemical behavior and structure. Prerequisite: Chemistry 311. (3/0/3) HILL
323L. Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory
Synthesis and characterization of organometallic, coordination, bioorganic, and solid state compounds. This laboratory component includes inert atmosphere techniques, vibrational spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy, and electrochemistry. Corequisite: Chemistry 323. (0/3/1) HILL
360. Chemical Information Retrieval
An introduction to the retrieval of information from commercial on-line databases in chemistry, including STN, Dialog, and the World Wide Web. Emphasis is placed on the content and scope of these databases and on the development of effective search strategies. The goal of the course is to provide students with the tools, including the computer skills, necessary to conduct independent literature searches for courses and research. Students also learn how to make effective computer-assisted presentations. Prerequisite: Chemistry 204.
(1/0/1) WHISNANT
411. Chemical Instrumentation
An elective course (either this course or Chemistry 421 is required of all chemistry majors), normally taken the fall of the junior or senior year. A study of the theories employed in analytical instrumentation with emphasis on the application of instruments for methods in absorption and emission spectroscopy, radioscopes, electrometric measurements, and separations. Prerequisite: Chemistry 313. (2/6/4) CASTILLO
411L. Chemical Instrumentation Laboratory
Application of modern instrumentation for materials analysis. Includes experiments in electrochemistry, spectroscopy, and separations science. Prerequisite: Chemistry 313. (0/3/1) CASTILLO
421. Advanced Organic Chemistry
An elective course (either this course or Chemistry 410 is required of all chemistry majors), normally taken the fall of the junior or senior year. A study of the structure, synthesis, and behavior of organic compounds based on electronic structure. Concepts learned in basic organic will be extrapolated to more modern approaches to organic chemistry. Prerequisite: Chemistry 204. (3/0/3) BASS
421L. Advanced Organic Chemistry Laboratory
This course is designed to provide the student with a thorough introduction to the experimental techniques utilized by practicing chemists in the synthesis, isolation, and characterization of organic compounds. Prerequisite: Chemistry 204
(0/3/1) BASS
450+. Introduction to Research
Guided original research in the field of a student's interest. Introduction to basic principles of library and laboratory research leading to a solution of the problem and a written report. A student may earn a maximum of 4 semester hours in Chemistry 450+. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor and the department chairman. (0/6/2) STAFF
480. Advanced Topics in Chemistry
Group or individual study of special topics in chemistry at an advanced level. Topics vary with student interest, but are selected from an advanced area of analytical, organic, inorganic, physical, or biochemistry and are announced one semester in advance. Prerequisite: Introductory course in area of study and permission of the instructor. (3/0-3/3-4) STAFF