Program Review
College of Natural and Health Sciences
Contact: Michael Mosher, Ph.D., Chair
Location: Ross Hall 3480
Telephone: 970.351.2559
Website: www.unco.edu/nhs/chemistry
Advising Information:
Students must consult with their assigned major advisor each semester prior to registering.
To find your advisor, log into ursa.unco.edu; go to 'Student' tab and click 'View Student Information' link. If no advisor is listed, contact the major program for advisor information.
The program consists of three parts:
- Liberal Arts Curriculum (LAC) Credits
- Required Major Credits
- University-Wide Credits
Program Description:
This program is designed to give students a broad background and an in-depth foundation in chemistry. Students will work with a faculty member on an independent research project in chemistry. Students receiving this degree can be certified by the American Chemical Society. See advisor for details.
Students graduating with this concentration are prepared to pursue graduate study in chemistry, professional schools (e.g., chemical engineering, medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and other health sciences) or an entry-level position with a chemical or petroleum company.
Program Admission Requirements:
Academic Good Standing
Program Requirements:
- All students in the program must take an assessment examination before graduation.
- Students majoring in chemistry must earn a grade of “C” or better (C- is not acceptable) in all courses having a CHEM prefix which count toward the major.
- In accordance with University Policies, coursework earned more than 10 years prior to the date of matriculation to UNC may not be used to satisfy any major or minor requirements. Any exception to this policy is at the discretion of the academic program.
Program Recommendations:
- Graduate level CHEM courses are recommended for juniors and seniors. Other recommended electives include MATH 221, MATH 335, STAT 150, PHYS 321 and PHYS 343.
- It is recommended that students have a fundamental background in computers.
- Juniors and seniors are expected to participate in Chemistry and Biochemistry’s undergraduate research program.
- Qualifying students may be eligible for a five-year program resulting in a B.S./M.S. degree. Consult your advisor early in your program for details.
Degree Requirements — 120 Credits
1. Liberal Arts Curriculum — 31 credits
To complete the degree in 120 credits as outlined, the program recommends the below LAC courses that also count toward the 75-76 required major credits.
Any additional coursework completed outside of the recommended list below may extend the length of the program of study.
Written Communication — 6 credits
SCI 291 (3) is recommended to fulfill the Intermediate Writing Course in the Written Communication requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.
See Written Communication courses
Mathematics — 3 credits
MATH 131 (4) is recommended to fulfill Mathematics requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.
See Mathematics courses
Arts & Humanities, History, Social & Behavioral Sciences, U.S. Multicultural Studies [MS], and International Studies [IS] — 15 credits
To complete the LAC in the minimum number of credits, be sure to choose at least one course with an IS designation and one course with an MS designation.
Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.
See Arts & Humanities, History, and Social & Behavioral Sciences courses
Natural & Physical Sciences — 7 credits
CHEM 111 (4), CHEM 111L (1), and PHYS 240 (5) are recommended to fulfill Natural & Physical Sciences requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.
See Natural & Physical Sciences courses
See Liberal Arts Curriculum
2. Required Major — 75-76 credits
Take all of the following courses:
Take one of these two combinations (CHEM 451/451L and CHEM 452/452L) (5 credits):
Take three of the following five (lecture + lab) combinations (CHEM 421, CHEM 442/443, CHEM 451/451L, CHEM 452/452L, and CHEM 482/482L) (12-13 credits):
3. University-Wide Credits — 13-14 credits*
Complete additional credits to achieve the minimum credits needed for any degree at UNC; for this program, that will typically be 13-14 credits.
*Note: Students who apply the recommended courses to both the liberal arts curriculum and the major requirements will have an increased number of university wide electives to apply to this degree. See your advisor for details.
Program Notes
Students wishing to participate in the Honors Program should consult their advisors about Liberal Arts Curriculum selections and other requirements.