Chemistry B.A./B.S.

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View information for the Department of Chemistry , including Learning Outcomes for the department and its programs.

Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry

The Bachelor of Arts degree is designed for students seeking to enter professions requiring moderate training in chemistry combined with training in other areas. Examples are high school teaching, chemical patent law, library work, and technical sales, as well as health professions such as medicine, optometry, dentistry, medical technology, pharmacy, physical therapy, and veterinary medicine. Students with interests in health related fields are advised to take complete the Biochemistry concentration.

Further information on the health professions area can be obtained from the Pre-Health Professional Program .

Bachelor of Science in Chemistry

The Bachelor of Science degree program is approved by the American Chemical Society (ACS) and provides comprehensive training in chemistry for students wishing to become professional chemists in industry or government, or who plan to attend graduate school. Students wishing to receive a degree approved by the ACS must complete CHEM 4610, and either MATH 2530 or MATH 2460, in addition to the Bachelor of Science degree requirements listed.

Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Chemistry Requirements

1. Complete University General Education requirements for the bachelor’s degree.

(51 units minimum)

Click here to view General Education requirements.

2. Complete the following prerequisites to the major:

CR grades will not be accepted for chemistry course prerequisites.

a. Complete the following required courses in the major field:

(14 units)

b. Students pursuing the biochemistry concentration must complete the following prerequisite courses:

(8 units)

c. Bachelor of Arts students complete the following required courses in supporting fields:

(21 units)

i.

CS 1500 - Computer Programming I
or equivalent by advisement

ii.

iii.

d. Bachelor of Science students complete the following required courses in supporting fields:

(25 units)

3. Complete a major.

Of not less than 24 upper-division units as specified for the Bachelor of Arts degree, or 31 upper-division units as specified for the Bachelor of Science degree; of these, no more than eight units of CR-graded coursework in courses graded exclusively CR/NC may apply toward the major. Transferred lower division courses (such as community college courses) may be used to fulfill subject requirements, but these will not count towards the minimum number of upper-division units in the major.

4. Completion of a minor is not required.

The Bachelor of Arts Major

(24 units)

1. Complete the following courses:

(18 units)

2. Select a minimum of six credit hours from the following courses:

(6 units)

CHEM 3200 - Introduction to Fluorescence
CHEM 3022 - Organic Chemistry Laboratory II
** CHEM 4200 - Advanced Inorganic Chemistry
** CHEM 4212 - Advanced Chemistry Laboratory
CHEM 4300 - Advanced Organic Chemistry
* CHEM 4420 - Biochemistry II
* CHEM 4422 - Advanced Biochemistry Laboratory
CHEM 4610 - Computer Methods in Chemistry
CHEM 4940 - Chemistry Internship
CHEM 4950 - Selected Topics in Chemistry
CHEM 4960 - Research Seminar
CHEM 4961 - Seminar on Directed Readings
CHEM 4980 - Individual Study
*Note: The electives asterisked above count toward the Biochemistry concentration.
**Note: The electives marked with ** above require additional prerequisites not included in the BA degree. Refer to course descriptions for the specific prerequisite requirements.

Bachelor of Science Major

(31 units)

1. Complete the following courses:

(28 units)

2. Select a minimum of three credit hours from the following courses:

(3 units)

CHEM 3200 - Introduction to Fluorescence
CHEM 4300 - Advanced Organic Chemistry
* CHEM 4420 - Biochemistry II
* CHEM 4422 - Advanced Biochemistry Laboratory
CHEM 4610 - Computer Methods in Chemistry
CHEM 4940 - Chemistry Internship
CHEM 4950 - Selected Topics in Chemistry
CHEM 4960 - Research Seminar
PHYS 3520 - Modern Physics and Quantum Mechanics
CHEM 4961 - Seminar on Directed Readings
CHEM 4980 - Individual Study
PHYS 4450 - Nuclear and Particle Physics
PHYS 4530 - Thermal and Statistical Physics
*Note: The electives asterisked above count toward the Biochemistry concentration.
Note: The following are needed to meet American Chemical Society degree requirements. (4-5 units)

a. CHEM 4610 - Computer Methods in Chemistry

b. MATH 2460 - Introduction to Differential Equations  or

   MATH 2530 - Linear Algebra

Biochemistry Concentration

(8 units)

This concentration offers chemistry majors an additional focus on the subfield of biochemistry. Chemistry majors that are pre-med, pre-pharmacy, or planning on graduate studies in biochemistry or molecular biology are recommended to pursue this concentration.

1. Complete the following required upper-division courses:

(5 units)

2. Complete one of the following upper-division elective courses:

(3 units)

BIOL 3310 - Cellular and Molecular Biology
BIOL 3350 - Introductory Genetics
MBIO 3010 - Bacteriology
Note: These courses require BIOL 1050 and BIOL 1150 as prerequisites, which are listed as prerequisites to the chemistry degree when pursuing the biochemistry concentration.

Environmental Sciences Concentration

A Chemistry major may complete additional requirements in the sciences and mathematics to qualify for a concentration in Environmental Sciences. This program requires study in biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physical sciences, along with an environmental seminar and investigation of an environmentally related problem. Further details are found in the Environmental Sciences section of this catalog.