Major/Minor Requirements

Please note: The information displayed here is current as of Sunday, October 6, 2013, but the official Course Catalog should be used for all official planning.

2013-2014 Course Catalog

Required for the chemistry major

Introductory principles
- CHEM 115 and 116 or the equivalent
- MATH 140 and 150, or the equivalent
- PHYS 141 and 151
Core competencies
- CHEM 210: Analytical chemistry
- CHEM 250: Organic chemistry I
- CHEM 252: Organic chemistry II
- CHEM 320: Inorganic chemistry
- CHEM 340: Biochemistry
- CHEM 370: Physical Chemistry
- Four additional classes. Three classes must be above the 400 level. One of the three must be either CHEM 470 or CHEM 475. The fourth class may be drawn from the natural sciences division, 200 or above, with departmental approval.
Six units of credit earned in Chemistry Senior experience courses numbered 380, 480, and 680
C average in the major

Required for the chemistry minor

A minimum of six chemistry courses to include:

Introductory principles
chem 115 and 116 or the equivalent
Core competencies
- CHEM 210: Analytical chemistry
- CHEM 250: Organic chemistry I
- CHEM 320: Inorganic chemistry
- CHEM 370: Physical Chemistry
- Two additional classes. One class must be above the 400 level.
At least three units of credit earned in Chemistry Seminar courses numbered 380, 480, and 680
C average in the minor

Required for the interdisciplinary major in the natural sciences in chemistry and physics or geology

Chemistry students who have strong secondary interests in physics or geology may construct a major involving chemistry and geology or physics, using the interdisciplinary major in the natural sciences. Previous interdisciplinary combinations of biology and chemistry have been replaced by the biochemistry major.
The requirements for the interdisciplinary major with chemistry as the primary discipline are:

Introductory course sequences in chemistry, physics, and geology, chosen to include the discipline of secondary interest. The introductory sequences are:
- CHEM 115 and 116 or the equivalent
- GEOL 110 and 210
- PHYS 141 and 151
Intermediate/Advanced Requirement: At least 10 six-unit courses in the sciences (biology, chemistry, geology, physics) numbered 200 or above, with at least five in chemistry and at least three in the secondary discipline.
Six units of credit earned in Chemistry Seminar courses numbered 380, 480, and 680

Senior Experience in Chemistry

The Chemistry Department's capstone sequence consists of a series of 3 seminars:

CHEM 380: Seminar - Perspectives on Chemistry (Fall Term, 1 unit) Taken optimally by sophomores or juniors, this is a series of presentations by visiting chemists and Lawrence students, faculty, and staff, featuring current issues in chemistry, important applications of chemistry, and professional development topics appropriate to chemistry majors or minors, intended to introduce students to "life after Lawrence" early enough in college to affect their trajectories through the college curriculum. This course covers the major career destinations for chemistry students, of graduate school, health professions, chemical engineering, K-12 teaching, and the chemical industry.
CHEM 480: Seminar: Chemical Literature (Winter Term, 2 units) A seminar course for chemistry majors and minors, taken optimally during the junior year, in which students learn how to educate themselves about the chemical literature in a field of interest to them. In this seminar, they learn the character and organization of the chemical literature and become familiar with search strategies, as each selects a topic and, guided by the instructor, conducts a literature search for key papers on that topic, constructs a bibliography, reads several of the most important of the papers, and prepares an end-of-term presentation highlighting key research findings related to their chosen topic. Students are encouraged to correlate their activities in this seminar with research projects that they undertake at Lawrence or elsewhere, which form the basis of the Senior Seminar.
CHEM 680: Senior Seminar (Spring Term, 3 units): The culminating course in our capstone sequence asks each major to present an individual seminar presentation based on research they have done at Lawrence or elsewhere. 3 units.

Students are strongly encouraged to consult with their advisors and relevant department chairs to plan and negotiate their overall capstone experience as early as possible.