Requirements for the Major in Chemistry
Courses for the Chemistry Major must be taken for letter grade.
Chemistry: CHEM 001A PO , CHEM 001B PO or CHEM 051 PO ; CHEM 110A PO , CHEM 110B PO ; two of CHEM 115 PO ,CHEM 147 PO , or CHEM 161 PO ; MATH 030 PO , MATH 031 PO ; MATH 032 PO or MATH 067 PO ; PHYS 041 PO , PHYS 042 PO , or PHYS 070 PO , PHYS 071 PO , PHYS 072 PO ; CHEM 158A PO ; CHEM 158B PO ; CHEM 191 PO or CHEM 194 PO ; two elective course credits chosen from chemistry courses numbered above 100 (up to 1/2 credit of CHEM 199RAPO or CHEM 199IRPO can be used toward the two elective credits).
Chemistry courses from the other Claremont Colleges may be selected for chemistry electives. Students may substitute one appropriate biology, geology, mathematics, computer science or physics course for one of the two chemistry elective course credits. Students wishing to make elective substitutions should consult with their academic advisors or the chair of the department. Attendance at the departmental seminars and senior thesis presentations is expected of junior and senior majors.
Faculty-supervised independent research and research assistantships can be taken for academic credit during the school year (CHEM 199IRPO or CHEM 199RAPO ). Collaborative research fellowships are available to students at all levels in chemistry for up to a 10-week period in the summer.
The two-semester senior capstone exercise is the Senior Thesis with two options: a thesis in grant proposal format based on literature research (CHEM 191 PO ), or an experimental research thesis (CHEM 194 PO ) based on original research in collaboration with a faculty member.
Chemical Engineering track: MATH 060 PO and ENGR 082 HM are taken to fulfill the chemistry elective requirement; MATH 102 PO , ENGR 131 HM , ENGR 133 HM are recommended. Participation in the HM Engineering Clinic for two semesters is required, and both oral and written presentations of the student’s contribution to the clinic project are used to satisfy the senior capstone exercise by enrollment in the experimental Senior Thesis (CHEM 194 PO ).
The Chemistry Department participates in the interdepartmental program of Molecular Biology, the intercollegiate program of Environmental Analysis, and in a Chemistry/Public Policy Analysis Major via the chemistry track in this major.
Pre-Professional Program in Chemistry. Students planning to pursue advanced studies in graduate school should, in consultation with their advisors, choose additional courses that will strengthen their preparation in the area of interest. This curriculum has been approved by the American Chemical Society Committee for Professional Training of Chemists. Students who wish to receive certification from the American Chemical Society should include CHEM 115 PO , CHEM 147 PO and CHEM 161 PO in their course of study.
