Chemistry

Frank Creegan, Chair
Toll S216, ext. 7728

Premedical students are advised to take CHE 111, 112 and BIO 111, 112 during their first year. Students intending to teach at the secondary school level should consult with the Chair of the Department of Education and the Chair of Chemistry about planning a full-course schedule as early as possible in their college career. Such students need to be aware that NASDTEC Certification in Chemistry requires BIO 111, 112 and at least one course in computer science.

Freshman-Sophomore Courses

Required: CHE 111, 112, MAT 201, 202, CHE PHY 111, 112

Major Requirements and Recommendations

Program Leading to American Chemical Society (ACS) Certification

Required: CHE 111, 112, CHE 201, 202, CHE 301, CHE 305, 306, CHE 401, CHE 408, plus two additional advanced courses, at least one of which must have a lab. A list of advanced courses is available in the College Catalog. Junior and senior majors must also participate in a four-semester Chemistry Seminar (CHE 451, 452, 453, 454) which constitutes the equivalent of one four-credit course. MAT 201, 202 and PHY 111, 112 are also required.

Program Not Leading to American Chemical Society (ACS) Certification

Required: CHE 111, 112, CHE 201, 202, CHE 301, CHE 305, plus five additional courses at the 200 level or above. A maximum of three of these five courses may be selected from certain upper level biology or physics courses provided that these biology or physics courses are not counted towards another major. A list of approved biology and chemistry courses is available in the College Catalog. In addition, junior and senior majors must participate in a four-semester Chemistry Seminar (CHE 451, 452, 453, 454) which constitutes the equivalent of one four-credit course. MAT 201, 202 and PHY 111, 112 are also required.

Minor Requirements: Six chemistry courses are required: CHE 111, 112, CHE 201, 202 plus two additional courses at the 200 level or above.

Senior Capstone Experience: Chemistry majors fulfill the Senior Capstone Experience by conducting a yearlong research project in collaboration with a chemistry faculty member and writing a thesis-quality report.

Many projects involve synthetic and preparative procedures. All projects involve the application of analytical techniques including the use of the department's research-grade UV-VIS, FTIR, AA, NMR, GC, HPLC, GC-MS, electrochemical analyzer, and polarimeter. Seniors present the results of their project in a poster session that is open to the College community. The department has a set of Senior Capstone Experience guidelines that are distributed to both junior and senior chemistry majors each fall. For those students meeting the College-wide standards of eligibility for departmental honors at graduation, the Capstone Experience also forms the basis of an oral examination given at the end of the student's final semester.

Students must enroll in CHE SCE in their final semester to obtain credit for the Senior Capstone Experience. The Senior Capstone Experience is graded according to the Washington College grading system, which involves the use of letter grades (A-F) that may be modified by a minus or a plus.