College of Science
Department Office: 2020 Henry Eyring Building, 581-6681
Department Chair, C. Dale Poulter, Ph.D.
Faculty
Distinguished Professors. P. Armentrout, D. Grant, D. Poulter, P.
Stang.
Professors. S. Anderson, W. Bentrude, W. Breckenridge, C. Burrows,
R. Ernst, E. Eyring, J. Harris, G. Keck, J. Miller, M. Morse, R. Ragsdale, J.
Simons, G. Voth, H. White, C. Wight.
Associate Professors. T. Beebe Jr., C. Grissom, T. Richmond, T.
Truong, F. West.
Assistant Professors. P. Beal, T. Curtiss, S. David.
Adjunct Professors. D. Alderman, A. Boldyrev, R. Boyd, K. Caldwell, D.
Dixon, A. Epstein, J. Facelli, I. Horvath, C. Ireland, L. Knight, J.
Linderberg, J. McCloskey, J. Michl, J. Morrison, G. Prestwich, R. Steiner.
Adjunct Associate Professors. A. Aarif, C. Brzezowski, J. Driscoll, C.
Mayne.
Adjunct Assistant Professors. J. Muller, E. Stefanovich, S. Vyazovkin.
Adviser. Thomas G. Richmond, 2128 HEB (801) 581-7487,
Richmond@chemistry.utah.edu
Chemistry is often called the "central science" because of its
pervasive impact on our lives. It is a discipline considered essential to
the training of life scientists, engineers, physicians, physical and earth
scientists, and other professions with a technological base. Chemists
are employed in a variety of fields not traditionally considered
"chemistry." The wide applicability of the field is emphasized in the
scope of the interdisciplinary majors offered in the department. These
programs of study are grounded in the chemistry core, but offer
sufficient flexibility to allow students to develop individualized
programs for both general and specialized training.
Undergraduate Program
All chemistry degree programs share a common core of required
courses within the department as well as a group of allied courses in
mathematics and physics. The additional requirements that give the
professional major and each of the interdisciplinary majors their unique
foci are listed below.
Placement. Normal progress toward the bachelor's degree in
chemistry requires the completion of Mathematics 1210 (Calculus I) by
the end of the freshman year, meaning that entering freshmen must
be able to pass the University's mathematics placement examination in
college algebra. Otherwise, deficiencies in mathematics should be made
up as soon as possible prior to entering the second year of study.
Consult with the Mathematics and Physics departments for proper
placement in courses based on performance on AP examinations in
those subjects. A score of 3, 4, or 5 on the AP Chemistry Exam
normally will earn 8 semester hours of credit equivalent to Chemistry
1210 and 1220. In general, students earning a 4 or 5 on the Chemistry
AP exam should be prepared to begin the organic chemistry sequence
(CHEM 2310, 2320). However, students should consult with Professor
Ron Ragsdale at 801-581-7621 for proper placement. Premedical
students should be aware that many medical schools will not accept a
score of 3 on this exam and also encourage students to take additional
upper-division chemistry courses. Any of the degree programs outlined
below are appropriate for premedical students, who should consult the
Premedical Student Adviser for more information on the application
procedure to medical schools.
Course Prerequisites. Students who register for any chemistry
class who have not satisfied the stated prerequisite(s) may be dropped
from the class at the instructor's discretion. Courses substituted for
those specifically listed as prerequisites, including courses in allied
areas, should be approved by the instructor prior to registration.
Specific course prerequisites are listed in the course descriptions later
in this section.
Introductory Courses. Chemistry 1010, 1020, and 1030 are
designed for non-science majors and satisfy the University's science
intellectual explorations requirement. Chemistry 1200 is a preparatory
course for students with a weak background in high school chemistry
who plan to take the general chemistry sequence. The Chemistry 1110,
1120 sequence is primarily for students in nursing and other allied
health areas requiring a one-year introductory sequence in general,
organic, and biochemistry. This sequence also satisfies the science
intellectual explorations requirement. None of the above courses
satisfy any requirements for the chemistry or other science majors.
Science majors should begin the general chemistry sequence with
Chemistry 1210 and its associated laboratory course, Chemistry
1230. Students wishing an early exposure to organic chemistry may
then take the CHEM 2310, 2320 sequence (with labs CHEM 2330,
2340) and then conclude their introductory studies with CHEM 1220
(and lab CHEM 1240). Alternatively, students may complete the full
general chemistry sequence (CHEM 1210, 1220, 1230, 1240) in the
first year and then organic chemistry (CHEM 2310, 2320, 2330, 2340)
in the second year. Honors courses for the second semester of
general chemistry (CHEM 1221) and for organic chemistry (CHEM
2311, 2321) may be identified by their course number, which ends in
one (1). In addition, the undergraduate research section for Honors
students is numbered CHEM 4999.
General Requirements. Chemistry majors must complete all
universitywide graduation requirements, including those in the following
areas: writing (WRTG 2010), intellectual explorations [eight 3
semester-hour courses with two in each of fine arts, humanities,
physical and life sciences (courses in the chemistry major may satisfy
this requirement), and social sciences], American institutions (one 3
semester-hour course from an approved list), and diversity (one 3
semester-hour course from an approved list). An appropriately chosen
diversity course can double count as an intellectual explorations
course. Any two 3-semester-hour mathematics courses numbered
above 1100 will meet the 6-semester-hour quantitative/reasoning
requirement (for example, the calculus sequence MATH 1210 and
1220). The communication/writing requirement is met by CHEM 3000,
which is designated as a writing intensive course, as is CHEM 5700.
However, we encourage students to consider upper-division writing
courses such as WRTG 3400 (Professional Writing) to hone their skills
in this important area. Those seeking the B.A. degree must complete
16 semester hours split evenly between first-year and second-year
language courses. Most chemistry majors earn a B.S. degree, which
requires 6 semester hours of upper-division quantitatively intensive
courses (CHEM 3060, 3070, and 3090 meet this criteria).
The above section is designed to guide chemistry majors in
meeting University graduation requirements, and does not supersede
or replace any such rules. Students should consult with the University
College, 450 SSB, for assistance in meeting these and other
universitywide requirements.
A minimum of 122 semester hours is required to graduate and at
least 40 semester hours must be in upper-division courses numbered
3000 and above. Most of the chemistry degree programs require about
32 upper-division hours; thus, students should plan to take additional
upper-division work in chemistry, physics, or mathematics, or in their
general education courses to meet this 40-semester-hour standard. A
minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 based on University
of Utah work only is required by the University. In addition, the
department requires a minimum GPA of 2.00 based on all courses
taken in the College of Science at the University of Utah for the
particular degree option chosen. A minimum of 12 upper-division
semester hours of chemistry courses must be taken in residence at
the University of Utah. Finally, all chemistry majors must pass the
departmental comprehensive exams in analytical, inorganic, organic,
and physical chemistry, which are normally given in April and August of
each year. Students are advised to check with the department early in
the spring semester for examination dates.
Departmental Minor. A chemistry minor requires a minimum of 23
semester hours including 20 semester hours of general and organic
chemistry plus one 3000-level or above course in chemistry. A
minimum of 6 semester hours must be taken in the Chemistry
Department at the University of Utah. The GPA for chemistry courses
taken at Utah must be 2.00 or greater. Example: CHEM 1210, 1220,
1230, 1240, 2310, 2320, 2330, 2340, and one of the following: CHEM
3000, 3060, 3070, 3090, 3100, or 3510. Students are encouraged to
take a 5000-level advanced lab course.
Degrees. B.A., B.S.
Students seeking a bachelor's degree in chemistry may select from
two program options: professional and interdisciplinary. The program
options, each with their own goals and curriculum requirements, are
described in detail.
Requirements for the Major
Chemistry Core Courses (required of all majors):
CHEM 1210, 1220 General Chemistry I, II (4, 4)
CHEM 1230, 1240 General Chemistry Lab I, II (1, 1)
CHEM 2310, 2320 Organic Chemistry I, II (4, 4)
CHEM 2330, 2340 Organic Chemistry Lab I, II (1, 1)
CHEM 3000 Quantitative Analysis (4)
CHEM 3060 Physical Chemistry I (4)
CHEM 3100 Inorganic Chemistry (4)
Math and Physics Core (required of all majors)
MATH 1210, 1220, 2210 Calculus I, II, III (4, 4, 3)
PHYCS 2210, 2220 Physics I, II (4, 4)
PHYCS 2219, 2229 Physics Lab I, II (1, 1)
I. Professional Major (Minimum total credits: 75)
The professional major is designed for students who plan a career in
chemistry or an allied field. The program satisfies American Chemical
Society requirements for an accredited bachelor's degree in
chemistry.
Core courses, plus:
MATH 2250 Ordinary Differential Equations and Linear Algebra
(3)
MATH 3150 Partial Differential Equations (2)
CHEM 3070 Physical Chemistry II (4)
CHEM 3510 Biological Chemistry I (3)
Five laboratory courses selected from the following:
CHEM 5700 Advanced Analytical Chemistry Lab (2)
CHEM 5710 Advanced Organic Chemistry Lab (2)
CHEM 5720 Advanced Physical Chemistry Lab (2)
CHEM 5730 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry Lab (2)
CHEM 3515 Biological Chemistry Lab (2)
CHEM 4800 or 4999 Undergraduate Research (2)
II. Interdisciplinary Major (Minimum total credits: 72)
The interdisciplinary major is for students interested in combining a
sound chemistry background with extensive work in another area of
their choice. All interdisciplinary majors include the chemistry core.
Note: Many of these courses have prerequisites, and the student
should consult the individual course listings under the appropriate
department to determine what these are.
A. Biological Chemistry
Core courses, plus:
BIOL 2001 Principles of Biology I (4)
BIOL 3510 Biological Chemistry I (3)
BIOL 3515 Biological Chemistry Laboratory (2)
BIOL 3520 Biological Chemistry II (3)
CHEM 3070 Physical Chemistry II (4) or
CHEM 3090 Biophysical Chemistry (3)
Five or more semester units selected from approved Biology courses
numbered 3000 or higher.
Two laboratory courses selected from:
CHEM 5700 Advanced Analytical Chemistry Lab (2)
CHEM 5710 Advanced Organic Chemistry Lab (2)
CHEM 5720 Advanced Physical Chemistry Lab (2)
CHEM 5730 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry Lab (2)
B. Business
Students should consult with the College of Business
Undergraduate Studies Office for additional information. (NOTE:
Several of these courses have prerequisites, and students will not be
allowed to register for courses for which they have not completed the
prerequisites.)
Core courses, plus:
CHEM 3070 Physical Chemistry II (4)
or CHEM 3090 Biophysical Chemistry (3)
Two laboratory courses selected from:
CHEM 5700 Advanced Analytical Chemistry Lab (2)
CHEM 5710 Advanced Organic Chemistry Lab (2)
CHEM 5720 Advanced Physical Chemistry Lab (2)
CHEM 5730 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry Lab (2)
Twelve or more units selected from the following (consult course
descriptions for prerequisites):
ACCTG 2610 Survey of Accounting I (3)
FINAN 1200 Management of Personal Finance (3)
FINAN 3040 Financial Management I (3)
FINAN 3050 Financial Management II (3)
FINAN 4050 Intermediate Investments (3)
MGT 1010 Foundations of Business Thought (3)
MGT 2390 Business Statistics I (3)
MGT 2490 Business Statistics II (3)
MGT 3410 Business Law (3)
MGT 3500 Principles of Management (3)
MGT 3660 Production Operations Management (3)
MGT 3680 Human Behavior in Organizations (3)
MGT 4560 Small Business Management (3)
MGT 5770 Innovation and Entrepreneurship (3)
MKTG 3010 Principles of Marketing (3)
MKTG 3450 Marketing Research (3)
C. Chemical Physics
Core courses, plus:
CHEM 3070 Physical Chemistry II (4)
MATH 2250 Ordinary Differential Equations and Linear Algebra
(3)
MATH 3150 Partial Differential Equations for Engineers (3)
MATH 3160 Complex Variables for Engineers (2)
MATH 3730 Applied Linear Algebra (3)
Two laboratory courses selected from:
CHEM 5700 Advanced Analytical Chemistry Lab (2)
CHEM 5710 Advanced Organic Chemistry Lab (2)
CHEM 5720 Advanced Physical Chemistry Lab (2)
CHEM 5730 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry Lab (2)
Six or more units selected from the following:
CHEM 6000 Introduction to Quantum Mechanics I (2)
CHEM 6010 Introduction to Quantum Mechanics II (2)
CHEM 6020 Introduction to Spectroscopy I (2)
CHEM 6030 Introduction to Spectroscopy II (2)
CHEM 6040 Statistical Thermodynamics (2)
CHEM 6050 Classical Thermodynamics (2)
CHEM 6070 Chemical Kinetics (2)
CHEM 6080 Chemical Dynamics (2)
D. Education
Teaching Major, Minor, Certification. Please refer to Education in
the Colleges section for information on teaching major and minor
course requirements and state secondary teacher certification.
E. Geology
Core courses, plus:
CHEM 3070 Physical Chemistry II (4)
Two laboratory courses selected from:
CHEM 5700 Advanced Analytical Chemistry Lab (2)
CHEM 5710 Advanced Organic Chemistry Lab (2)
CHEM 5720 Advanced Physical Chemistry Lab (2)
CHEM 5730 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry Lab (2)
Twelve or more units selected from the following:
GG 1110 Physical Geology (3)
GG 3060 Structural Geology (3)
GG 3080 Mineralogy (4)
GG 3090 Introduction to Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology (4)
GG 4100 Optical Mineralogy (3)
GG 5450 Mineral Deposits (3)
GG 5660 Geochemistry (3)
GG 5670 Isotope Geology (3)
F. Materials Science and Engineering
Core courses, plus:
MATH 2250 Ordinary Differential Equations and Linear Algebra
(3)
CHEM 3070 Physical Chemistry II (4)
Two laboratory courses selected from:
CHEM 5700 Advanced Analytical Chemistry Lab (2)
CHEM 5710 Advanced Organic Chemistry Lab (2)
CHEM 5720 Advanced Physical Chemistry Lab (2)
CHEM 5730 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry Lab (2)
Fifteen or more units selected from the following:
MSE 2010 Introduction to Materials Science and Engineering (4)
MSE 3010 Materials Processing Lab (2)
MSE 3210 Electronic Properties of Solids (2)
MSE 3310 Introduction to Ceramics (3)
MSE 3410 Introduction to Polymers (3)
MSE 3510 Introduction to Metallic Materials (3)
MSE 5032 Thermodynamics of Solids (4)
MSE 5034 Kinetics of Solid-state Processes (3)
MSE 5010 X-Ray Diffraction (2.5)
MSE 5473 Polymer Synthesis and Characterization (4)
G. Mathematics
Core courses, plus:
CHEM 3070 Physical Chemistry II (4)
MATH 2250 Ordinary Differential Equations and Linear Algebra
(3)
MATH 3150 Partial Differential Equations for Engineers (2)
MATH 3160 Complex Variables for Engineers (2)
MATH 3730 Applied Linear Algebra (3)
Two laboratory courses selected from:
CHEM 5700 Advanced Analytical Chemistry Lab (2)
CHEM 5710 Advanced Organic Chemistry Lab (2)
CHEM 5720 Advanced Physical Chemistry Lab (2)
CHEM 5730 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry Lab (2)
Six or more units selected from the following:
MATH 5010 Introduction to Probability (3)
MATH 5080 Statistical Inference I (3)
MATH 5090 Statistical Inference II (3)
MATH 5210 Introduction to Real Analysis (3)
MATH 5600 Survey of Numerical Analysis (4)
MATH 5610 Introduction to Numerical Analysis I (4)
MATH 5620 Introduction to Numerical Analysis II (4)
Other Areas. Students may also design a degree program that
emphasizes another specialized area, provided they obtain
departmental approval of their proposed program before entering their
last two years of undergraduate study. Please note that such
proposed programs must contain the chemistry, physics, and
mathematics core courses listed above, have an additional semester of
physical chemistry, and at least two advanced laboratory courses. In
intellectual rigor, they should be similar to the approved programs
listed above and have some rational connection to the field of
chemistry. Students are encouraged to consult the departmental
adviser, Professor Tom Richmond, 2128 Henry Eyring Building, 801
581-7487, e-mail: Richmond@chemistry.utah.edu for additional
information or advice in planning their program.
CHEM Course Descriptions
Chemistry Teaching Major and Minor
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