THE BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN CHEMISTRY
Total Course Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree: 128 units
See "Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree" in The University Catalog for complete details on general degree requirements. A minimum of 40 units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.
A suggested Major Academic Plan (MAP) has been prepared to help students meet all graduation requirements within four years. Please request a plan from your major adviser or view it and other current advising information on the CSU, Chico Web.
General Education Requirements: 48 units
See "General Education Requirements" in The University Catalog and The Class Schedule for the most current information on General Education Requirements and course offerings. The course requirements marked below with an asterisk (*) may also be applied toward General Education.
BIOL 151 may be used to fulfill General Education Breadth Area B2 for the Option in Biochemistry or the Option in Professional Chemistry.
Cultural Diversity Course Requirements: 6 units
See "Cultural Diversity" in The University Catalog. Most courses taken to satisfy these requirements may also apply to General Education.
American Institutions Requirement: 6 units
See the "American Institutions Requirement" under "Bachelor's Degree Requirements." This requirement is normally fulfilled by completing HIST 130 and POLS 155. Courses used to satisfy this requirement do not apply to General Education.
Literacy Requirement:
See "Mathematics and Writing Requirements" in The University Catalog. Writing proficiency in the major is a graduation requirement and may be demonstrated through satisfactory completion of a course in your major which has been designated as the Writing Proficiency (WP) course for the semester in which you take the course. Students who earn below a C- are required to repeat the course and earn a C- or better to receive WP credit. See The Class Schedule for the designated WP courses for each semester. You must pass ENGL 130 (or its equivalent) with a C- or better before you may register for a WP course.
Course Requirements for the Major: 70-78 units
The following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, are required of all candidates for this degree. Additional required courses, depending upon the selected option or advising pattern, are outlined following the degree core program requirements.
The Option in Professional Chemistry: 70-72 units The Option in Biochemistry: 76-78 units
DEGREE CORE PROGRAM: 53 units
Lower-Division Core: 36 units
Mathematics Requirement: 12 units
3 courses required:
| MATH | 120 | Analytic Geometry and Calculus | 4.0 | FS * |
Prerequisites: Completion of ELM requirement; both MATH 118 and MATH 119 (or high school equivalent); a score that meets department guidelines on a department administered calculus readiness exam.
| MATH | 121 | Analytic Geometry and Calculus | 4.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: Completion of ELM requirement; MATH 120 with a grade of C- or higher.
| MATH | 220 | Analytic Geometry and Calculus | 4.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: Completion of ELM requirement; MATH 121 with a grade of C- or higher.
Physics Requirement: 12 units
3 courses required:
Prerequisites: High school physics or faculty permission. Concurrent enrollment in or prior completion of MATH 121 (second semester of calculus) or equivalent.
| PHYS | 204B | Electricity and Magnetism | 4.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: MATH 121, PHYS 204A with a grade of C- or higher.
| PHYS | 204C | Heat/Wave Motion/Sound/Light | 4.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: MATH 121, PHYS 204A with a grade of C- or higher.
Lower-Division Chemistry Requirement: 12 units
3 courses required:
| CHEM | 111 | General Chemistry | 4.0 | FS * |
Prerequisites: Second-year high school algebra; one year high school chemistry. (One year of high school physics and one year of high school mathematics past Algebra II are recommended.)
| CHEM | 112 | General Chemistry | 4.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: CHEM 111.
| CHEM | 270 | Organic Chemistry | 4.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: CHEM 112.
Upper-Division Core: 17 units
7 courses required:
| CHEM | 300 | The Chemical Literature | 1.0 | FA WP |
Prerequisites: ENGL 130 (or its equivalent) with a grade of C- or higher, CHEM 270.
| CHEM | 320 | Quantitative Analysis | 4.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: CHEM 112.
| CHEM | 331 | Physical Chemistry | 3.0 | FA |
Prerequisites: CHEM 320, MATH 220, PHYS 204B, PHYS 204C.
| CHEM | 332 | Physical Chemistry | 3.0 | SP |
Prerequisites: CHEM 331.
| CHEM | 370 | Organic Chemistry | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: CHEM 270.
| CHEM | 370M | Organic Chemistry Laboratory | 2.0 | SP |
Prerequisites: Concurrent enrollment in or prior completion of CHEM 370.
| CHEM | 400 | Senior Seminar in Chemistry | 1.0 | SP |
Major Option Course Requirements: 17-25 units
The following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, are required dependent upon the option chosen. Students must select one of the following options for completion of the major course requirements.
THE OPTION IN PROFESSIONAL CHEMISTRY: 17-19 units
8 courses required:
| CHEM | 361 | Intermediate Inorganic Chem | 2.0 | FA |
Prerequisites: CHEM 320, MATH 220, PHYS 204B, PHYS 204C.
| CHEM | 362 | Intermediate Inorganic Chem | 2.0 | SP |
Prerequisites: CHEM 361.
| CHEM | 381 | Integrated Chemistry Lab I | 2.0 | FA |
Prerequisites: Concurrent enrollment in or prior completion of CHEM 331 and CHEM 361.
| CHEM | 382 | Integrated Chemistry Lab II | 2.0 | SP |
Prerequisites: CHEM 331, CHEM 361, CHEM 381; concurrent enrollment in or prior completion of CHEM 331.
Corequisites: CHEM 382R.
| CHEM | 382R | Integrated Chem Discussion | 1.0 | SP |
Prerequisites: CHEM 331, CHEM 361, CHEM 381; concurrent enrollment in or prior completion of CHEM 332.
| CHEM | 420 | Instrumental Analysis | 2.0 | FA |
Prerequisites: CHEM 332, CHEM 382.
Corequisites: CHEM 420L.
| CHEM | 420L | Instrumental Analysis Lab | 2.0 | FA |
Prerequisites: CHEM 381, CHEM 382.
Corequisites: CHEM 420.
Prerequisites: CHEM 370.
1-3 units selected from:
| CHEM | 398 | Special Topics1.0 | 3.0 | FS |
| CHEM | 399 | Special Problems1.0 | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: CHEM 112, faculty permission.
| CHEM | 435 | Chemical Thermodynamics | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: CHEM 332.
Prerequisites: CHEM 451.
| CHEM | 455L | Biochemistry Laboratory | 2.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: CHEM 320, CHEM 451; CHEM 370L or CHEM 370M.
| CHEM | 473 | Synthetic Organic Chemistry1.0 | 3.0 | FA |
Prerequisites: CHEM 370; CHEM 370L or CHEM 370M.
| CHEM | 474 | Physical Organic Chemistry | 3.0 | SP |
Prerequisites: CHEM 332, CHEM 370.
| CHEM | 475 | Advanced Organic Laboratory | 2.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: CHEM 370.
| CHEM | 477 | Seminar Organic Spectroscopy | 1.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: Concurrent enrollment in or prior completion of CHEM 370.
| CHEM | 490 | Research in Chemistry1.0 | 2.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: CHEM 332.
| CHEM | 491 | Research Project | 3.0 | FA |
Prerequisites: Open by invitation to chemistry majors with a GPA of 3.0 or higher; faculty permission.
| CHEM | 492 | Research Project | 3.0 | SP |
Prerequisites: CHEM 491. Not open to students who have completed CHEM 499H; faculty permission.
| CHEM | 495 | Selected Topics in Chemistry1.0 | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: CHEM 332, CHEM 361, CHEM 382, CHEM 420.
| CHEM | 496 | Selected Topics in Chemistry1.0 | 3.0 | SP |
Prerequisites: CHEM 331, CHEM 370, CHEM 451.
| CHEM | 499H | Honors Research Project | 3.0 | FS WP |
Prerequisites: ENGL 130 (or its equivalent) with a grade of C- or higher, CHEM 320, CHEM 331, CHEM 332, CHEM 370M, MATH 220, PHYS 204A, PHYS 204B, PHYS 204C; faculty permission.
THE OPTION IN BIOCHEMISTRY: 23-25 units
6 courses required:
| BIOL | 151 | Biological Principles | 4.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: Recommend CHEM 111 or concurrent enrollment.
| BIOL | 211 | General Microbiology | 4.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: A college course in biology and in general chemistry.
Prerequisites: BIOL 152.
Prerequisites: CHEM 370.
Prerequisites: CHEM 451.
| CHEM | 455L | Biochemistry Laboratory | 2.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: CHEM 320, CHEM 451; CHEM 370L or CHEM 370M.
1 course selected from:
| BIOL | 400 | Fundamentals of Ecology | 4.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: BIOL 152 or faculty permission. Some taxonomic background is recommended.
| BIOL | 410 | Cell and Molecular Biology | 4.0 | FA |
Prerequisites: BIOL 152.
| BIOL | 412 | Bacterial Physiology | 4.0 | SP |
Prerequisites: BIOL 211; BIOL 360; CHEM 270. CHEM 451 is recommended.
| BIOL | 414 | Plant Physiology | 4.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: BIOL 108 or BIOL 152; BIOL 209; CHEM 108 or CHEM 270; or faculty permission.
| BIOL | 416 | Vertebrate Physiology | 4.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: BIOL 152; CHEM 108 or CHEM 270. Strongly recommended: BIOL 210.
| BIOL | 417 | Cell Physiology | 3.0 | SP |
Prerequisites: BIOL 152; CHEM 108 or CHEM 270.
| BIOL | 464 | Medical Genetics | 3.0 | SP |
Prerequisites: BIOL 360.
Prerequisites: BIOL 152.
| BIOL | 470 | Medical Bacteriology | 5.0 | FA |
Prerequisites: BIOL 211; BIOL 466; CHEM 270. Immunization against tetanus and diphtheria required.
| BIOL | 472 | Microbial Genetics | 4.0 | FA |
Prerequisites: BIOL 360. BIOL 211 is recommended.
| BIOL | 474 | Food and Industrial Microbio | 3.0 | SP |
Prerequisites: BIOL 211, CHEM 270.
| BIOL | 476 | General Virology | 4.0 | F2 |
Prerequisites: BIOL 152. Recommended: BIOL 211.
CHEM 347 and CHEM 425 are strongly recommended as additional electives.
Electives Requirement:
To complete the total units required for the bachelor's degree, select additional elective courses from the total university offerings. You should consult with an adviser regarding the selection of courses which will provide breadth to your university experience and possibly apply to a supportive second major or minor.
Grading Requirement:
All courses taken to fulfill major course requirements must be taken for a letter grade except those courses specified by the department as Credit/No Credit grading only.
Advising Requirement:
Advising is mandatory for all majors in this degree program. Consult your department chair or undergraduate adviser for specific information.
Honors in the Major
Honors in the Major is a program of independent work in your major. It involves 6 units of honors course work completed over two semesters.
Your Honors work will be recognized at your graduation, on your permanent transcripts, and on your diploma. It is often accompanied by letters of commendation from your mentor in the department or the department chair. Most importantly, however, the Honors in the Major program allows you to work closely with a faculty mentor in your area of interest on an original performance or research project. This year-long collaboration allows you to work in your field at a professional level and culminates in a public presentation of your work. Students sometimes take their projects beyond the university for submission in professional journals, presentation at conferences, or competition in shows; such experience is valuable for graduate school and later professional life.
Some common features of Honors in the Major program are
1. You must take 6 units of Honors in the Major course work. At least 3 of these 6 units are independent study (499H) as specified by your department. You must complete each class with a minimum grade of B. 2. You must have completed 9 units of upper-division course work or 21 overall units in your major before you can be admitted to Honors in the Major. Check the requirements carefully, as there may be specific courses that must be included in these units. 3. Your cumulative GPA should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5 percent of majors in your department. 4. Your GPA in your major should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5 percent of majors in your department. 5. Most students apply for or are invited to participate in Honors in the Major during the second semester of their junior year. Then they complete the 6 units of course work over the two semesters of their senior year. 6. Your honors work culminates with a public presentation of your Honors project.
While Honors in the Major is part of the Honors Program, each department administers its own program. Please contact your major department or major adviser for further information.