Requirements for The Interdisciplinary Major in the Sciences with Primary Emphasis in Chemistry

The "Interdisciplinary Major in the Sciences" provides a general pattern that students can use to tailor a major from courses in Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Geology. One discipline needs to be declared as a "primary" discipline, and another as "secondary."

The most common combinations have been those in which the primary discipline is chemistry or biology and the secondary discipline is the other of those. That option is being phased out, as a result of the introduction in 2008 of a formalized Biochemistry major. As a result, while current students who have declared the IDS major in chemistry and biology (CH/BI or BI/CH) may finish that program, those options are not expected to be available for students who have not yet declared a major. It will still be possible, however, for students to do IDS majors with Chemistry/Geology or Chemistry/Physics combinations.

Requirements for the Interdisciplinary Major in the Sciences, with Primary Emphasis in Chemistry:

• Introductory Courses:
  • Principles of Chemistry: CHEM 115 & 116, or
    Accelerated General Chemistry: CHEM 119,
    or the equivalent;
  • Two terms of Physics, normally PHYS 150,160
  • Two introductory courses in one of:
    • Biology (usually BIOL 110 Principles of Biology, and 140 General Zoology); OR
    • Geology (usually GEOL 101 Introductory Geology, and 210 History of the Earth and Life)
• Intermediate and Advanced Courses: At least 10 courses, all numbered 200 or above, in Chemistry, Biology, Physics, or Geology:
  • at least 5 of these must be in Chemistry, and
  • at least 3 must be in the discipline of secondary emphasis.
• At least one course credit (6 units) earned in the Chemistry Seminar series of courses (Chemistry 380, 480, 680).

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