Chemistry BS
Total Units Required: 120
The Bachelor of Science in Chemistry includes courses in all major chemical subdisciplines: analytical, biochemistry, inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry. Substantial laboratory work, plus complementary courses in mathematics and physics, provide an excellent background for careers in a wide range of areas in science and academia, as well as preparation for professional schools, especially in medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy.
The series of courses follow the approved guidelines from the esteemed American Chemical Society (ACS). Students can also be certified as professional chemists and awarded the ACS certificate in chemistry upon successful completion of course requirements.
Advising Requirement
Advising is mandatory for this program. Consult your department advisor or program coordinator for information.
E-advising Tools
Use the interactive e-advising tools designed to help students graduate within four years. These tools can be accessed through the Student Center in the Portal.
Grading Requirement
All courses taken to fulfill program course requirements must be taken for a letter grade except those courses specified by the department as credit/no credit grading only.
Some courses require a minimum grade to progress in the program. Minimum grade requirements, including those listed on course requisites, are considered graduation requirements.
Course Requirements for the Major: 70 units
Completion of the following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, is required of all candidates for this degree. Courses in this program may complete more than one graduation requirement.
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Division | ||
| Chemistry | ||
| CHEM 111 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM 112 | General Chemistry II | 4 |
| CHEM 270 | Organic Chemistry I | 4 |
| Mathematics | ||
| MATH 120 | Analytic Geometry and Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 121 | Analytic Geometry and Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 220 | Analytic Geometry and Calculus | 4 |
| Physics | ||
| PHYS 204A | Physics for Students of Science and Engineering: Mechanics | 4 |
| PHYS 204B | Physics for Students of Science and Engineering: Electricity and Magnetism | 4 |
| PHYS 204C | Physics for Students of Science and Engineering: Heat, Wave Motion, Sound, Light, and Modern Topics | 4 |
| Upper Division | ||
| CHEM 320 | Quantitative Analysis | 4 |
| CHEM 331 | Physical Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM 332 | Physical Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM 361 | Inorganic Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 370 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM 370M | Organic Chemistry Laboratory | 2 |
| CHEM 401W | Communicating Chemistry (W) | 3 |
| CHEM 420 | Instrumental Analysis | 3 |
| CHEM 451 | Biochemistry I | 3 |
| Select two of the following: 1 | 4 | |
| Integrated Chemistry Laboratory I | ||
| Integrated Chemistry Laboratory II (W) | ||
| Integrated Chemistry Laboratory III (W) | ||
| Select three units from the following: | 3 | |
| Special Topics | ||
| Special Problems | ||
| Biochemistry II | ||
| Biochemistry Laboratory | ||
| Biochemistry Laboratory (W) | ||
| Seminar in Organic Spectroscopy | ||
| Research in Chemistry | ||
| Research Project | ||
| Honors Research Project (W) | ||
| Total Units | 70 | |
Electives Requirement
To complete the total units required for the bachelor's degree, select additional elective courses from the total University offerings. Consult with an advisor to help select courses that provide breadth to your University experience and possibly help satisfy credential, professional, or graduate school prerequisites or support completion of a minor.
Honors in the Major
Honors in the Major is a program of independent work in your major. It requires six units of honors coursework completed over two semesters.
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 academic competition. Such experience is valuable for graduate school and professional life. 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.
Some common features of Honors in the Major program are:
- You must take six units of Honors in the Major coursework. All six units are honors courses (marked by a suffix of H), and at least three of these units are independent study (399H, 499H, 599H) as specified by your department. You must complete each course with a minimum grade of B.
- You must have completed 9 units of upper-division coursework or 21 overall units in your major before you can be admitted to Honors in the Major. Check the requirements for your major carefully, as there may be specific courses that must be included in these units.
- Your cumulative GPA should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
- Your GPA in your major should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
- 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 six units of coursework over the two semesters of their senior year.
- Your honors work culminates with a public presentation of your honors project.
Honors in the Major is not part of the Honors Program. Each department administers its own program. Please contact your major department or major advisor to apply.
See Bachelor's Degree Requirements for complete details on general degree requirements. A minimum of 39 units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.
General Education Requirements: 43 units
See General Education and the Class Schedule for the most current information on General Education requirements and course offerings.
This major has approved GE modification(s). See below for information on how to apply these modification(s).
- CHEM 401W is an approved major course substitution for Upper-Division Physical and Biological Sciences (UD-5).
American Institutions Course Requirements: 6 units
The American Institutions graduation requirement, as mandated in Title 5, Section 40404, requires that students satisfactorily complete courses in United States history, the US Constitution, and government and American ideals (including California state and local government). At Chico State, HIST 130 meets the US history requirement (US-1), and POLS 155 meets the US Constitution and government requirement (US-2) and the California state and local government requirement (US-3). POLS 155 also fulfills three units of GE Area 4, Social and Behavioral Sciences. See Bachelor’s Degree Requirements for more information.
Diversity Course Requirements: 6 units
You must complete a minimum of two courses that focus primarily on cultural diversity. At least one course must be in US Diversity (USD) and at least one in Global Cultures (GC). See Diversity Requirements for a full list of courses. Many courses taken to satisfy these requirements may also apply to General Education.
Upper-Division Writing Requirement
Writing Across the Curriculum (EM 17-009) requires you to take four Writing (W) courses, two of which are upper-division courses designated for your major. Specifically, you must:
- Take one Writing (W) course.
- Take one Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GW) course.
- Complete a GE English Composition (1A) course before taking the GW course.
- Earn a grade of C- or higher to receive GW credit.
See Writing and Math Requirements for details on additional writing requirements you need to complete for graduation.
Major-Designated Courses
Writing (W) Course
Select two of the following:
- CHEM 381 Integrated Chemistry Laboratory I
- CHEM 382W Integrated Chemistry Laboratory II (W)
- CHEM 483W Integrated Chemistry Laboratory III (W)
GWAR (GW) Course
- CHEM 401W Communicating Chemistry (W)
Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) are clear, measurable statements that describe how students demonstrate mastery of the knowledge, skills, and values of the discipline as appropriate to the degree. Graduates of this program are expected to achieve the following PLOs:
- Have a deep understanding of the basic theories of matter and be able to explain more complex phenomena using that knowledge.
- Have a good understanding of the theories of inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, analytical chemistry, and biochemistry.
- Be able to apply advanced mathematical operations to problem solving as it relates to chemical concepts.
- Be able to perform independent analysis of chemical compounds and mixtures using modern instrumentation.
- Have a working knowledge of the capabilities of modern instrumentation and be able to design and modify experiments to use the instruments effectively.
- Understand the hazards of various classes of chemicals and be able to perform experiments in a way to minimize safety risks to themselves and the environment.
- Be able to solve chemical problems by analyzing experimental results and interpreting them based on chemical theory.
- Be able to perform quantitative analyses with good accuracy and precision.
- Be able to categorize data statistically using computer technology.
- Be able to retrieve information from the chemical literature and incorporate it into written reports and new experiments of their own design.
- Be able to communicate their knowledge of chemistry and their experimental results to other students and other chemists through well-written reports.
- Be able to communicate their knowledge of chemistry and their experimental results to other students and other chemists through clear and concise oral presentations.