DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRYProfessors Emeriti: Lawrence C. Nathan, Robert J. Pfeiffer, William F. Sheehan, Michael A. Sweeney The Department of Chemistry offers two baccalaureate degrees, the Bachelor of Science and the Bachelor of Arts, with a curriculum accredited by the American Chemical Society, the professional organization for chemistry. The departmental programs prepare students for further work in chemistry, either in graduate school or as professional chemists. In addition, a chemistry degree is excellent preparation for careers in medicine, dentistry, law, engineering, business, and teaching. Two tracks are offered for the Bachelor of Science degree, one providing equal training in all the disciplines in chemistry, and one with a biochemistry emphasis that combines training in chemistry with cell and molecular biology coursework. A minor in chemistry also is available. All Bachelor of Science degrees provide graduates with the background necessary to begin a career in chemistry at industrial and governmental laboratories or for admission to institutions offering advanced degrees in chemistry, including doctoral programs. The Bachelor of Science-ACS Certified degrees meet all recommended standards for chemists as mandated by the American Chemical Society. The Bachelor of Arts degree allows students the most freedom in choosing electives and therefore is an excellent program for pre-medical or pre-teaching students. Students with a strong interest in the liberal arts or who wish to pursue subjects outside the standard science curriculum will benefit from this degree. The Bachelor of Arts degree can be effectively combined with a pre-law or business curriculum to provide excellent preparation for law or business careers in the technology sector. Students interested in a teaching career should contact the Liberal Studies Pre-teaching Program. Undergraduate research is a critical component of chemistry degrees, and most of our majors conduct research in collaboration with chemistry faculty mentors. Research in the department has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund, and the Research Corporation. Majors in chemistry, biology, and combined sciences participate in faculty research projects through CHEM 182, 183, and 184. Advanced students also have opportunities for part-time employment assisting faculty in laboratory and related teaching activities. The chemistry curriculum is designed to be flexible in terms of upper-division coursework to allow students to participate in study abroad programs. Students interested in study abroad must meet with their faculty advisor to plan junior and senior year courses as soon as possible. REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR In addition to fulfilling University Core Curriculum and College of Arts and Sciences requirements for the Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degrees, students majoring in chemistry must complete the following departmental requirements for each degree option: Bachelor of Science in Chemistry
Bachelor of Science in Chemistry – ACS Certified
Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with Biochemistry Emphasis
Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with Biochemistry Emphasis – ACS Certified
Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry
Chemistry electives for all degrees can be fulfilled by taking any upper-division chemistry class of three units or more, including CHEM 183 and 184. REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MINOR Students must fulfill the following requirements for a minor in chemistry:
PREPARATION IN CHEMISTRY FOR ADMISSION TO TEACHER TRAINING CREDENTIAL PROGRAMS The State of California requires that students seeking a credential to teach chemistry in California secondary schools must pass the California Subject Examination for Teachers (CSET), a subject area competency examination. The secondary teaching credential requires the completion of an approved credential program that can be completed as a fifth year of study and student teaching, or through an undergraduate summer program and internship. Students who are contemplating secondary school teaching in chemistry should consult with the coordinator in the Department of Chemistry as early as possible. LOWER-DIVISION COURSES 1. Chemistry and the Environment A survey of the role of chemistry in major environmental issues such as global warming, acid rain, ozone depletion, photochemical smog, persistent organic pollutants, fossil fuel, nuclear and renewable energy, recycling and environmental fate of pollutants. Laboratory 3 hours every other week. (4 units) 2. Chemistry in the Modern World Some of the most fundamental principles of chemistry are presented along with many examples of chemistry’s role in consumer, environmental, and human health applications. (4 units) 5. Chemistry: An Experimental Science A survey of modern chemical applications, including applications to health, the environment, and consumer issues, and an introduction to the scientific method of inquiry. Laboratory 3 hours every other week. (4 units) 11. General Chemistry I Topics include chemical properties and reactions, thermochemistry, stoichiometry, quantitative problem-solving, and an introduction to ionic and covalent chemical bonding. Laboratory 3 hours per week. (5 units) 11H. General Chemistry I Honors Accelerated treatment of CHEM 11 material and presentation of other topics not normally covered in general chemistry. Laboratory 3 hours per week. Prerequisite: Grade of at least “3” on the Chemistry advanced placement test and permission of instructor or participation in University Honors Program. (5 units) 12. General Chemistry II Subjects include properties of solids, liquids, and gases, properties of solutions, chemical kinetics, properties of acids and bases, and an introduction to chemical equilibria. Several lectures deal with special topics chosen at the discretion of the instructor. Laboratory 3 hours per week. Prerequisite: CHEM 11 with a grade of C– or better. (5 units) 12H. General Chemistry II Honors Accelerated treatment of CHEM 12 material plus an introduction to molecular symmetry, the chemistry of free radicals, and other subjects not normally covered in general chemistry. Laboratory 3 hours per week. Prerequisite: Strong performance in CHEM 11 and permission of instructor or participation in University Honors Program. (5 units) 13. General Chemistry III Topics include aqueous equilibrium, acid-base chemistry, chemical thermodynamics, electrochemistry, spectroscopy, and statistical tools required for data analysis. The laboratory introduces quantitative analytical methods such as titration, spectroscopy, and electrochemistry. Laboratory 4 hours per week. Prerequisite: CHEM 12 with a grade of C– or better. (5 units) 15. Introduction to Research This course introduces students to opportunities for undergraduate research in the department. Departmental faculty present their current research. Also, an overview of typical tools used in pursuing scientific research projects is provided. Students interested in the chemistry major/minor should ordinarily take this course before the end of their sophomore year. (1 unit) 19. Chemistry for Teachers This laboratory-based course is designed to teach the fundamental concepts of chemistry and is geared toward students who are interested in becoming elementary or middle school teachers. The course focuses on the following concepts: nature of matter, atomic structure, chemical bonding, and chemical reactions. While learning these core concepts, students will experience what it means to do science by developing their experimentation skills as they participate in a classroom scientific community. Laboratory 3 hours per week. (4 units) 31. Organic Chemistry I Topics include organic structure and conformations, stereochemistry, structure-reactivity relationships, and the chemistry of alkyl halides and alkenes. Special emphasis is placed on understanding reaction mechanisms. Laboratory 3 hours per week. Prerequisite: CHEM 13 with a grade of C- or better. (5 units) 32. Organic Chemistry II Topics include spectroscopy and the chemistry of alkynes, ethers, alcohols, and carbonyl compounds. Laboratory 3 hours per week. Prerequisite: CHEM 31 with a grade of C– or better. (5 units) 33. Organic Chemistry III Topics include carbonyl condensation reactions, aromatic substitutions, amines, carbohydrates, and peptide and protein synthesis. Other advanced topics may include pericyclic reactions and natural product synthesis. Laboratory 3 hours per week. Prerequisite: CHEM 32 with a grade of C– or better. (5 units) 99. Independent Laboratory Laboratory course, primarily for transfer students to make up lower-division laboratory as needed for equivalency with CHEM 11, 12, 13, 31, 32, and/or 33. Prerequisite: Approval of department chair. (1 unit) UPPER-DIVISION COURSES 101. Bioinorganic Chemistry Structure, properties, and reactivity of metal complexes and the function of metal ions in biological processes. Prerequisite: CHEM 33. (5 units) 102. Inorganic Chemistry Introduction to inorganic chemistry with emphasis on the nonmetals. Laboratory 3 hours per week. Prerequisite: CHEM 13. (5 units) 111. Instrumental Analysis Principles and use of instrumentation. Focus on electronics, spectroscopic methods, mass spectrometry, and chemical separations. Laboratory 4 hours per week. Prerequisite: CHEM 13. Co-requisite: CHEM 32. (5 units) 115. Chemistry Seminar Active areas of research in university, industrial, and government laboratories, presented by guest speakers. May be repeated for credit. P/NP. (0.5 units) 130. Organic Syntheses Modern synthetic methods applied to the preparation of structurally complex target compounds, such as bioactive natural products and pharmaceuticals. Extensive discussion of synthetic planning, known as retrosynthetic analysis, emphasizing the standard bond-forming methods learned in CHEM 31-33. Offered in alternate years. Prerequisite: CHEM 33. (5 units) 131. Bioorganic Chemistry Chemical synthesis of carbohydrates, nucleic acids, peptides, proteins, and reaction mechanisms of biological cofactors. Offered in alternate years. Prerequisite: CHEM 33. (5 units) 141. Biochemistry I An introduction to structure/function relationships of biologically important molecules, enzymology, membrane biochemistry, and selected aspects of the intermediary metabolism of carbohydrates. Prerequisite: CHEM 33. (5 units) 142. Biochemistry II Includes a study of various aspects of the intermediary metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids and amino acids as well as nucleic acid structure and function, protein synthesis and subcellular sorting, and more advanced molecular physiology, including membrane biochemistry, signal transduction and hormone action. Prerequisite: CHEM 141. (5 units) 143. Biochemical Techniques A laboratory course emphasizing fundamental theory and practice in biochemical laboratory techniques, including preparation and handling of reagents; isolation, purification, and characterization of biomolecules; enzyme kinetics; spectrophotometric assays; electrophoretic and immunological techniques. Laboratory 8 hours per week. Prerequisites: CHEM 141 and consent of instructor. (3 units) 150. Biophysical Chemistry Introduction to the physical behavior of biomolecules. Topics include transport properties, reaction kinetics, sedimentation, binding dynamics, molecular motion, and electron transfer. Prerequisites: MATH 13 and CHEM 33 or consent of instructor. (5 units) 151. Spectroscopy Fundamentals of quantum mechanics including wave functions and probability, rotational, vibrational, and electronic transitions, atomic and molecular electronic structure, and magnetic resonance. Prerequisites: MATH 13 and CHEM 33. (5 units) 152. Chemical Thermodynamics Fundamental laws of thermodynamics, and applications to ideal and real gas equations of state, ideal and real solutions, phase equilibria, and electrochemistry. Prerequisites: MATH 13 and CHEM 33. (5 units) 154. Physical Chemistry Laboratory Experimental applications of thermodynamics, kinetics, spectroscopy, and other aspects of physical chemistry. Laboratory 8 hours per week. Prerequisite: Must be enrolled in, or have completed, CHEM 151 or CHEM 152. (3 units) 182. Undergraduate Research Experimental research project supervised by chemistry faculty. Each unit requires a minimum of 30 hours of laboratory work. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. (1–3 units) 183. Senior Research Experience Individual research under the supervision of chemistry faculty, culminating in a comprehensive progress report. Laboratory at least 9 hours per week. Prerequisite: Senior standing in chemistry and consent of instructor. (3 units) 184. Capstone Research Experience Continuation of individual research under the supervision of a chemistry faculty mentor, culminating in a thesis and oral presentation. Laboratory at least 9 hours per week. Prerequisites: CHEM 182 or CHEM 183 and consent of instructor. (3 units) 190. Special Topics in Chemistry Special Topics courses may be offered as 2-5 unit courses covering advanced topics in any of the five areas of study in chemistry. These courses may be offered as once a week seminars or follow more traditional course schedules. The course units will vary based on the number of course meetings per quarter and the course workload. Possible course topics are organic mechanisms, transition metals in organic synthesis, materials, nanotechnology, photochemistry, bioanalytical chemistry, electrochemistry, molecular physiology, membrane biochemistry. This course with a different topic may be repeated for credit. (2-5 units) |
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