Chemistry Curriculum

Major

Option I with ACS certification
CHEM 141 (or 131, 132), 241, 242, 243, 244, 341, 342, 347, and an elective (490)
PHYS 131 or 141 and 132 or 142
MATH 170, 171
An approved research experience. A research experience may be fulfilled by completion of an approved laboratory-based research project at Dickinson (eight weeks during summer or a two-semester research project) or at an off-campus site.

Students interested in graduate study in chemistry should consult with their advisor to select additional courses in chemistry and related sciences as necessary.

Option II without ACS certification
CHEM 141 (or 131, 132), 241, 242, 243, 244, 331 or 342, 341, 347, and an elective (490)
PHYS 131 or 141 and 132 or 142
MATH 170, 171

Students interested in graduate study in chemistry should consult with their advisor to select additional courses in chemistry and related sciences as necessary.

Dickinson's Chemistry Department is approved by the American Chemical Society.

Minor

141 (or 131/132) and 5 additional courses in chemistry, excluding 111 and 343

NOTE: A minor in Chemistry cannot be earned in combination with a major in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology due to the chemistry course requirements included in the interdisciplinary program.

Suggested curricular flow through the major

The first course before the comma is the Fall semester course and the courses(s) following the comma are taken in the Spring. The above paths are suggested, but other options exist. 490s are typically offered during Fall and Spring semesters with rotating topics and can generally be taken by students starting their Junior year. Students who plan to study abroad should plan their course sequence early and consult with an advisor in chemistry. It is often most convenient to consider the fall of Junior Year as an abroad semester because CHEM 341 and CHEM 347 may be taken concurrently during the fall of Senior Year. CHEM 244 is not recommended for first-year students who complete CHEM 141. Please note that upper level courses may have pre-requisites that affect the order in which they should be taken.

A research experience may be fulfilled by completion of an approved laboratory-based research project at Dickinson (eight weeks during the summer or a two-semester research project) or at an off-campus site. By taking all courses required for the major and completing an approved research experience, students earn a BS in Chemistry certified by the American Chemical Society (i.e. ACS-certified degree). Students who do not complete an approved chemistry research experience earn a BS in Chemistry.

Students interested in graduate study in chemistry should consult with their advisor to select additional course(s) in chemistry and related sciences as necessary.

Independent study and independent research

Independent study or research is available to students who are prepared for it. Normally this requires the completion of CHEM 131/132 or CHEM 141 as a minimum. More advanced courses are required for most independent research projects. Interested students should talk with faculty members in the department to arrange a topic for independent work

Chemistry majors who desire a degree that is certified by the American Chemical Society are required by the Chemistry department to complete an approved research experience. This experience gives the researcher an insight and depth of understanding of Chemistry that can be obtained in no other way. Some students fulfill their requirement with approved off-campus industrial or academic internships.

Honors

The faculty will award Honors to a chemistry major based on the candidate's complete undergraduate chemistry program. This includes all courses required for the major, the student's grades and the successful completion of a two semester (or a summer) research project. A minimum GPA of 3.40 is required in all courses that count toward the major, including math and physics courses and transfer courses that receive chemistry credit, at the conclusion of the seventh semester (typically the fall semester of the senior year) of study. The Honors research project usually entails joining an established research project in a faculty mentor's laboratory. Honors will be awarded based on the faculty's determination that the candidate has successfully passed at least two of the three segments of an Honors defense: written dissertation, public oral presentation of results, and oral defense in front of the faculty. Results of Honors research should be disseminated in a public forum. For the specific guidelines and procedures see the Chemistry Department web site.

Opportunities for off-campus study

The Dickinson Science Program in England
Chemistry students have the opportunity to study for a semester or a year at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich, England. This Dickinson program is overseen by an on-site Dickinson faculty member who advises students and teaches courses.

Courses

111 Topics in Chemistry w/Lab
This course will apply Chemical concepts to topical areas such as nanotechnology, Chemistry in history, the environment and forensic science.
Three hours classroom and two hours laboratory per week. This course sequence will not count toward major or minor requirements in biology, biochemistry-molecular biology, or Chemistry. Students who decide to pursue further studies in Chemistry after completion of 111 must enroll in 141. Students may take two different sections of this course for credit.
Attributes: Appropriate for First-Year, Lab Sciences

131 General Chemistry I with Lab
The first semester of intro chemistry for students majoring in the physical and biological sciences, who have completed one year of HS chemistry but do not place into Chemistry 141. Core principles and applications of chemistry will be covered that will aid students in understanding "Why Chemistry Matters" regardless of discipline. Topics will include: atomic and molecular structure (Lewis, VSEPR), stoichiometry, gas laws, energy and chemical reactions, periodicity, and solubility and intermolecular forces.
Three hours of classroom and three hours of laboratory per week.
Attributes: Appropriate for First-Year, ENST Foundations (ESFN), Lab Sciences

132 General Chemistry II with Lab
A continuation of Chemistry 131. Topics covered in the second semester will include: kinetics, equilibrium, acids, bases, and buffers, thermodynamics, electrochemistry, nuclear chemistry, and transition metal chemistry.
Three hours of classroom and three hours of laboratory per week. Prerequisite: 131.
Attributes: ENST Foundations (ESFN), Quantitative Reasoning

141 Accelerated General Chemistry with Lab
A one-semester introductory course for students who are especially well-prepared for general chemistry, replacing CHEM 131, 132 as a prerequisite for more advanced courses in the major. Topics include atomic structure, chemical bonding, thermodynamics, kinetics, equilibrium, electrochemistry, acid/base chemistry, solubility, and transition metal chemistry. The laboratory experiments will relate directly to topics covered in lecture, and will include statistical analysis of data, molecular modeling, instrumental methods of analysis, and quantitative analytical and inorganic chemistry. Admittance into this course is based on a placement exam.
Three hours of classroom and three hours of laboratory per week.
Attributes: Appropriate for First-Year, ENST Foundations (ESFN), Lab Sciences, Quantitative Reasoning

200 Special Topics in Chemistry
Topics depend on instructor and will be announced when offered.
Three hours classroom per week. Prerequisite: 132 or 141 or permission of instructor.

241 Organic Chemistry I with Lab
The major focus of this course is on the reactivities of organic and inorganic molecules; this is an extension of the study of the covalent bond that was studied in Chemistry 131/132 or 141. Topics include reaction types and mechanisms, stereochemistry, nomenclature, and spectroscopic methods. Laboratory work involves the synthesis, analysis and identification of organic and inorganic molecules.
Three hours classroom and four hours laboratory per week. Prerequisite: 132 or 141.
Attributes: ENST Foundations (ESFN), Lab Sciences, NRSC Course

242 Organic Chemistry II with Lab
This course continues the study of the reactivities of organic and inorganic molecules started in 241. Particular emphasis is placed on unsaturated systems. Laboratory work continues investigations into the synthesis, analysis, and identification of organic and inorganic molecules begun in 241.
Three hours classroom and four hours laboratory per week. Prerequisite: 241.
Attributes: ENST Foundations (ESFN)

243 Modern Chemical Analysis w/Lab
The theory of chemical equilibrium as it pertains to acid-base, metal-ligand, redox, and EDTA titrations. Topics such as experimental design, sampling, calibration strategies, standardization, and the optimization and validation of experimental results will be covered. Statistical analysis of data will also be included. This class is meant to aid students in developing both a sound knowledge of experimental protocols (i.e. How many samples do we need to collect? How do we extract our analyte from the matrix? How much sample must be extracted in order to obtain a measurable result? How do we measure what's present? and in the critical evaluation of experimental results (How much confidence do we have that our results are representative of the system under study?).
Three hours classroom and four hours of laboratory per week. Prerequisite: 132 or 141.
Attributes: ENST Applications (ESAP)

244 Thermodynamics and Kinetics
The fundamentals of chemical thermodynamics will be presented with a view towards providing an understanding of the concept of chemical equilibrium. Introductory concepts in chemical kinetics will also be discussed. Laboratory will focus on experiments illustrating the principles of thermodynamics and chemical kinetics.
Three hours classroom and four hours laboratory per week. Prerequisites: 132 or 141, MATH 171 or concurrent enrollment.
Attributes: ENST Foundations (ESFN), Lab Sciences

331 Principles of Biochemistry
This course will explore the structure and function of fundamental organic biomolecules of life, including nucleotides, peptides, carbohydrates, and lipids; their biosynthesis and interactions in an aqueous solution; and enzyme kinetics and catalysis. Special attention will be dedicated to how dysregulation of these systems manifests itself in human disease. Students may not receive credit for both CHEM 331 and CHEM 342. This course does not have an associated lab.
Prerequisite: CHEM 242. This course is cross-listed as BIOL 331.
Attributes: NRSC Course

341 Quantum Chemistry and Spectroscopy
Examines how the Quantum Theory, and in particular the Schrödinger Equation, makes possible the determination of translational, rotational, and vibrational energies of molecules, and how spectroscopy experimentally determines the energy and hence structure of atoms and molecules.
Three hours classroom per week. Prerequisites: 132 or 141, MATH 171 and PHYS 141 or 131, or permission of the instructor. NOTE: PHYS 141 or 131 may be taken concurrently with CHEM 341.

342 Structure and Function of Biomolecules w/Lab
This course is an introductory biochemistry course focused on the chemistry of the major molecules that compose living matter. The structure and function of the major classes of biomolecules (nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates) are addressed along with other topics including bioenergetics, enzyme catalysis, and information transfer at the molecular level. The laboratory portion of the course focuses on methods used to study the properties and behavior of biological molecules and their functions in the cell.
Three hours lecture and four hours of laboratory per week. Prerequisite 242; an introductory biology course is highly recommended.
Attributes: ENST Foundations (ESFN), NRSC Course

343 Metabolism
A survey of the metabolic processes in animals and plants, including signal transduction, aerobic and anaerobic respiration, and photosynthesis, as well as the biosynthesis of the major types of biomolecules. For each metabolic pathway, we will examine the regulation of enzymes and related genes, their energetic requirements, and the function of pathway end products. Both the normal functioning of metabolic pathways and common metabolic malfunctions, e.g., human inborn errors of metabolism, will be considered. Selected readings from the primary literature and the popular press are required. Students will complete detailed case studies focusing on human metabolism and metabolic disorders.
Three hours classroom per week. Prerequisite: 242.
Attributes: ENST Foundations (ESFN), Food Studies Elective

347 Concepts of Inorganic Chemistry with Lab
This course will cover fundamental concepts in inorganic chemistry to include: periodic trends, atomic and molecular structure, ionic bonding and crystal structures, solubility of ionic solids, acid-base chemistry, structure and bonding in coordination compounds, and reactions of transition metal complexes. Throughout the course the unifying theme will be the application of principles of structure and bonding to predict and explain reactions involving inorganic compounds.
Three hours classroom and four hours of laboratory per week. Prerequisites: 244, 341 or concurrent enrollment.
Attributes: ENST Foundations (ESFN), Writing in the Discipline

490 Advanced Topics in Chemistry
Topics may be drawn from areas such as heterocycles, natural products, medicinal chemistry, food and nutrition, industrial chemistry, organic synthesis, inorganic synthesis, nuclear magnetic resonance, measurement including computer applications, spectroscopy, statistical thermodynamics, and catalysis.
Three hours classroom per week. Prerequisite dependent upon topic