Catalog Home > Undergraduate > The College of Arts and Sciences > Chemistry

Chemistry

About the Program

Bachelor of Arts Degree: 184.5 quarter credits
Bachelor of Science Degree: 190.5 quarter credits

Drexel’s Department of Chemistry offers both a BA and a BS degree in Chemistry. The BA is offered as a 4-year non-co-op program for those interested in following their undergraduate education in chemistry with professional school, such as law or medicine. The BS degree, offered both as a 5-year co-op and a 4-year non-co-op program, is certified by the American Chemical Society. In addition, a minor in chemistry is available for students in other majors who desire a strong physical science background.

Each student plans a course of study and selects electives in consultation with an advisor in the Chemistry Department. Students who show initiative and laboratory ability are encouraged to select a research problem and/or other advanced courses in chemistry during the junior and senior years.

Most graduate courses in chemistry are open to qualified seniors. Prerequisites and descriptions of available graduate courses appear in the graduate catalog.

Both a five year co-op degree and a four-year non-co-op degree are offered for the BS. The BA is a 4-year non-co-op degree.

About the Accelerated Bachelors/Masters Dual Degree Program in Chemistry

The Bachelor’s/Master’s (BS/MS) dual degree program is an accelerated program providing the academically qualified student with an opportunity to earn both a BS and an MS degree (two diplomas are awarded) in five years, the time normally required to finish the co-op option BS degree alone.

This is an academically demanding program, but there are several allowances built in to enable the program to be completed in the time allotted. For instance, only 180 rather than 192 undergraduate quarter credits are required. The co-op experience may be adjusted; the student may take two rather than three coop cycles, enabling two additional quarters of on-campus study. If needed, the student may also take evening courses while on co-op.

Eligibility

Exceptional students with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 and who are enrolled in the five-year co-op option program are eligible for the BS/MS program. Students formally apply to the program after they have completed 90 credits but before they have completed 120 credits. Students are strongly encouraged to begin planning for the program as early as their freshman year. Students who have more than 120 credits are not eligible.

Transfer students are eligible to join the BS/MS program, but they must be able to complete the program in the time it would take to complete the BS degree alone. International transfer students must be able to meet the required minimum TOEFL score for the department graduate program (currently 550) in order to be admitted to the BS/MS program.

Application Process

You need to formally apply to the program. Applications are available in the Office of Graduate Admissions or in the College of Arts & Sciences advisor’s office. Your application must be accompanied by a Plan of Study prepared in consultation with the undergraduate and graduate advisor in the department and approved by both the Department Head and the Dean. Entry into the program must be officially approved by both the Department Head and Academic Dean.

BS/MS Requirements

Students enrolled in the BS/MS dual degree program must complete 180 undergraduate quarter credits for the BS degree and at least 45 graduate quarter credits for the MS degree. All graduate departmental requirements must be satisfied in full, including producing a thesis, if the thesis-option Masters program is elected. Masters thesis requirements may be completed in the summer term of the final year with prior approval of the department. Students in the BS/MS program must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in their undergraduate and graduate coursework to remain in the program. Further questions about the BS/MS degree program should be directed to the departmental graduate advisor.

Additional Information

For more information about the major in Chemistry, contact:

Keven Owens, PhD
Undergraduate Affairs Committee, Chair
Department of Chemistry
Drexel University
kevin.owens@drexel.edu

Degree Requirements (BA)

General Education Requirements ^*
ENGL 101	Expository Writing and Reading	3.0
ENGL 102	Persuasive Writing and Reading	3.0
ENGL 103	Analytical Writing and Reading	3.0
UNIV H101	The Drexel Experience	3.0
Humanities and Arts Electives		6.0
International Studies Electives		6.0
Social and Behavioral Studies Electives		6.0
Studies in Diversity Electives		6.0
Language Requirements Courses		8.0
CHEM 121	Majors Chemistry I	5.0
CHEM 122	Majors Chemistry II	5.0
CHEM 123	Majors Chemistry III	5.5
CHEM 230	Quantitative Analysis	4.0
CHEM 231 [WI]	Quantitative Analysis Laboratory	2.0
CHEM 241	Organic Chemistry I	4.0
CHEM 242	Organic Chemistry II	4.0
CHEM 243	Organic Chemistry III	3.0
CHEM 244	Organic Chemistry Laboratory I	3.0
CHEM 245	Organic Chemistry Laboratory II	3.0
CHEM 253	Thermodynamics and Kinetics	4.0
CHEM 270	Software Skills for Chemists	3.0
CHEM 357 [WI]	Physical Chemistry Laboratory I	2.5
CHEM 367	Chemical Information Retrieval	3.0
CHEM 421	Inorganic Chemistry I	3.0
Chemistry Electives
Select two Chemistry Electives ^**		6.0
Biology Requirements
BIO 122	Cells and Genetics	4.5
BIO 124	Evolution & Organismal Diversity	4.5
BIO 126	Physiology and Ecology	4.5
Mathematics Requirements
MATH 121	Calculus I	4.0
MATH 122	Calculus II	4.0
MATH 123	Calculus III	4.0
MATH 200	Multivariate Calculus	4.0
Physics Requirements
PHYS 101	Fundamentals of Physics I	4.0
PHYS 102	Fundamentals of Physics II	4.0
PHYS 201	Fundamentals of Physics III	4.0
Free Electives
Free Electives		39.0
Total Credits		184.5

Categories of Electives:

Humanities and Arts Electives
Designated courses in art, art history, communication studies, foreign languages (300-level or above), history, literature, music, philosophy, religion, and theatre arts.
International Electives
Designated courses in anthropology, art history, history, literature, music, politics and sociology. Courses with an international focus may be used to fulfill requirements in other categories as well.
Social and Behavioral Studies Electives
Designated courses in anthropology,criminal justice, economics, international relations, history, politics, psychology and sociology.
Studies in Diversity Electives
Africana studies, women's studies or designated cross-listed courses in anthropology, art, art history, history, literature, music, philosophy, politics and sociology.
Language Requirement
Students may satisfy the language course requirements in two ways: (1) taking two terms of sequential study of a foreign language (or placement at the exit level of 103 or above); or (2) taking two terms of a computer language or placement out as determined by the Department of Computer Science.

Courses with CHEM prefix, although ENVS chemistry courses can also fulfill this requirement.

Writing-Intensive Course Requirements

In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid “clustering” these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.

A "WI" next to a course in this catalog may indicate that this course can fulfill a writing-intensive requirement. For the most up-to-date list of writing-intensive courses being offered, students should check the Writing Intensive Course List at the University Writing Center. Students scheduling their courses can also conduct a search for courses with the attribute "WI" to bring up a list of all writing-intensive courses available that term. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.

Sample Plan of Study (BA)

Four-year Non-Co-op


Term 1		Credits
BIO 122	Cells and Genetics	4.5
CHEM 121	Majors Chemistry I	5.0
ENGL 101	Expository Writing and Reading	3.0
MATH 121	Calculus I	4.0
UNIV H101	The Drexel Experience	1.0
	Term Credits	17.5
Term 2
BIO 124	Evolution & Organismal Diversity	4.5
CHEM 122	Majors Chemistry II	5.0
ENGL 102	Persuasive Writing and Reading	3.0
MATH 122	Calculus II	4.0
	Term Credits	16.5
Term 3
BIO 126	Physiology and Ecology	4.5
CHEM 123	Majors Chemistry III	5.5
ENGL 103	Analytical Writing and Reading	3.0
MATH 123	Calculus III	4.0
	Term Credits	17.0
Term 4
CHEM 230^*	Quantitative Analysis	4.0
CHEM 231 [WI] ^*	Quantitative Analysis Laboratory	2.0
CHEM 241	Organic Chemistry I	4.0
MATH 200	Multivariate Calculus	4.0
Free Elective		3.0
	Term Credits	17.0
Term 5
CHEM 242	Organic Chemistry II	4.0
CHEM 244	Organic Chemistry Laboratory I	3.0
PHYS 101	Fundamentals of Physics I	4.0
Chemistry Elective		3.0
	Term Credits	14.0
Term 6
CHEM 243	Organic Chemistry III	3.0
CHEM 245	Organic Chemistry Laboratory II	3.0
PHYS 102	Fundamentals of Physics II	4.0
Humanities Electives		6.0
	Term Credits	16.0
Term 7
CHEM 253	Thermodynamics and Kinetics	4.0
CHEM 367	Chemical Information Retrieval	3.0
CHEM 421	Inorganic Chemistry I	3.0
PHYS 201	Fundamentals of Physics III	4.0
UNIV H101	The Drexel Experience	2.0
	Term Credits	16.0
Term 8
CHEM 270	Software Skills for Chemists	3.0
CHEM 357 [WI]	Physical Chemistry Laboratory I	2.5
International Studies Elective		3.0
Diversity Studies Elective		3.0
Language Course		4.0
	Term Credits	15.5
Term 9
Diversity Studies Elective		3.0
Social and Behavioral Sciences Elective		3.0
Language Course		4.0
International Studies Elective		3.0
	Term Credits	13.0
Term 10
Social and Behavioral Sciences Elective		3.0
Free Electives		12.0
	Term Credits	15.0
Term 11
Chemistry Elective		3.0
Free Elective		12.0
	Term Credits	15.0
Term 12
Free Electives		12.0
	Term Credits	12.0
Total Credit: 184.5

*	CHEM 230 and CHEM 231 must be taken concurrently.

Degree Requirements (BS)

General Education Requirements
ENGL 101	Expository Writing and Reading	3.0
ENGL 102	Persuasive Writing and Reading	3.0
ENGL 103	Analytical Writing and Reading	3.0
UNIV H101	The Drexel Experience	3.0
Technical Electives ^*		6.0
Liberal Studies Electives ^*		6.0
Chemistry Requirements
CHEM 121	Majors Chemistry I	5.0
CHEM 122	Majors Chemistry II	5.0
CHEM 123	Majors Chemistry III	5.5
CHEM 230	Quantitative Analysis	4.0
CHEM 231 [WI]	Quantitative Analysis Laboratory	2.0
CHEM 241	Organic Chemistry I	4.0
CHEM 242	Organic Chemistry II	4.0
CHEM 243	Organic Chemistry III	3.0
CHEM 244	Organic Chemistry Laboratory I	3.0
CHEM 245	Organic Chemistry Laboratory II	3.0
CHEM 253	Thermodynamics and Kinetics	4.0
CHEM 270	Software Skills for Chemists	3.0
CHEM 346	Qualitative Organic Chemistry	5.5
CHEM 355	Physical Chemistry IV	3.0
CHEM 357 [WI]	Physical Chemistry Laboratory I	2.5
CHEM 358	Physical Chemistry Laboratory II	2.5
CHEM 359	Atomic and Molecular Spectroscopy	3.0
CHEM 367	Chemical Information Retrieval	3.0
CHEM 420	Molecular Symmetry and Group Theory Applied Chemistry	3.0
CHEM 421	Inorganic Chemistry I	3.0
CHEM 422	Inorganic Chemistry II	3.0
CHEM 425	Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory	4.0
CHEM 430	Analytical Chemistry I	3.0
CHEM 431 [WI]	Analytical Chemistry II	4.0
CHEM 493	Senior Research Project	9.0
Biology Requirements
BIO 122	Cells and Genetics	4.5
BIO 214	Principles of Cell Biology	3.0
Biochemistry Requirements ^**
BIO 404	Structure and Function of Biomolecules	4.0
or BIO 311	Biochemistry
BIO 306	Biochemistry Laboratory	2.0
or BIO 406	Computational Biochemistry Laboratory
Computer/Mathematics Requirements
MATH 121	Calculus I	4.0
MATH 122	Calculus II	4.0
MATH 123	Calculus III	4.0
MATH 200	Multivariate Calculus	4.0
MATH 201	Linear Algebra	4.0
or MATH 210	Differential Equations
Physics Requirements
PHYS 101	Fundamentals of Physics I	4.0
PHYS 102	Fundamentals of Physics II	4.0
PHYS 201	Fundamentals of Physics III	4.0
Free Electives
Free Electives		27.0
Total Credits		190.5

*	Technical electives are defined as 200+ level courses from Science, Mathematics, Business, Engineering or Information Studies. Liberal studies electives are defined as courses (at any level) from all other areas.
**	Students select one lecture and one lab course from the choices below. Students may also choose to take the two lecture courses (BIO 404 and BIO 311) rather than a lecture/laboratory combination.

Writing-Intensive Course Requirements

Sample Plans of Study (BS)

Five-year Co-op

(See below this plan for Four-year Non-Co-op)


Term 1		Credits
BIO 122	Cells and Genetics	4.5
CHEM 121	Majors Chemistry I	5.0
ENGL 101	Expository Writing and Reading	3.0
MATH 121	Calculus I	4.0
UNIV H101	The Drexel Experience	1.0
	Term Credits	17.5
Term 2
CHEM 122	Majors Chemistry II	5.0
ENGL 102	Persuasive Writing and Reading	3.0
MATH 122	Calculus II	4.0
PHYS 101	Fundamentals of Physics I	4.0
	Term Credits	16.0
Term 3
CHEM 123	Majors Chemistry III	5.5
ENGL 103	Analytical Writing and Reading	3.0
MATH 123	Calculus III	4.0
PHYS 102	Fundamentals of Physics II	4.0
	Term Credits	16.5
Term 4
CHEM 230^*	Quantitative Analysis	4.0
CHEM 231 [WI] ^*	Quantitative Analysis Laboratory	2.0
CHEM 241	Organic Chemistry I	4.0
MATH 200	Multivariate Calculus	4.0
PHYS 201	Fundamentals of Physics III	4.0
	Term Credits	18.0
Term 5
CHEM 242	Organic Chemistry II	4.0
CHEM 244	Organic Chemistry Laboratory I	3.0
MATH 210 or 201	Differential Equations Linear Algebra	4.0
Free Elective		3.0
	Term Credits	14.0
Term 6
BIO 214	Principles of Cell Biology	3.0
CHEM 243	Organic Chemistry III	3.0
CHEM 245	Organic Chemistry Laboratory II	3.0
CHEM 253	Thermodynamics and Kinetics	4.0
Free Elective		3.0
	Term Credits	16.0
Term 7
CHEM 270	Software Skills for Chemists	3.0
CHEM 357 [WI]	Physical Chemistry Laboratory I	2.5
Free Electives		6.0
Technical Elective (200+ level, see degree requirements)		3.0
	Term Credits	14.5
Term 8
CHEM 355	Physical Chemistry IV	3.0
CHEM 367	Chemical Information Retrieval	3.0
CHEM 421	Inorganic Chemistry I	3.0
CHEM 430	Analytical Chemistry I	3.0
UNIV H101	The Drexel Experience	2.0
	Term Credits	14.0
Term 9
CHEM 359	Atomic and Molecular Spectroscopy	3.0
CHEM 420	Molecular Symmetry and Group Theory Applied Chemistry	3.0
CHEM 431 [WI]	Analytical Chemistry II	4.0
Technical Elective (200+ level, see degree requirements)		3.0
Free elective		3.0
	Term Credits	16.0
Term 10
CHEM 346	Qualitative Organic Chemistry	5.5
CHEM 493	Senior Research Project	3.0
CHEM 358	Physical Chemistry Laboratory II	2.5
BIO 404 or 311^**	Structure and Function of Biomolecules Biochemistry	4.0
	Term Credits	15.0
Term 11
CHEM 493	Senior Research Project	3.0
BIO 406 or 306^**	Computational Biochemistry Laboratory Biochemistry Laboratory	2.0
Liberal Studies Electives		6.0
Free Electives		6.0
	Term Credits	17.0
Term 12
CHEM 422	Inorganic Chemistry II	3.0
CHEM 425	Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory	4.0
CHEM 493	Senior Research Project	3.0
Free Electives		6.0
	Term Credits	16.0
Total Credit: 190.5

BS in Chemistry: Four-year Non-Co-op


Term 1		Credits
BIO 122	Cells and Genetics	4.5
CHEM 121	Majors Chemistry I	5.0
ENGL 101	Expository Writing and Reading	3.0
MATH 121	Calculus I	4.0
UNIV H101	The Drexel Experience	1.0
	Term Credits	17.5
Term 2
CHEM 122	Majors Chemistry II	5.0
ENGL 102	Persuasive Writing and Reading	3.0
MATH 122	Calculus II	4.0
PHYS 101	Fundamentals of Physics I	4.0
	Term Credits	16.0
Term 3
CHEM 123	Majors Chemistry III	5.5
ENGL 103	Analytical Writing and Reading	3.0
MATH 123	Calculus III	4.0
PHYS 102	Fundamentals of Physics II	4.0
	Term Credits	16.5
Term 4
CHEM 230^*	Quantitative Analysis	4.0
CHEM 231 [WI] ^*	Quantitative Analysis Laboratory	2.0
CHEM 241	Organic Chemistry I	4.0
MATH 200	Multivariate Calculus	4.0
PHYS 201	Fundamentals of Physics III	4.0
	Term Credits	18.0
Term 5
CHEM 242	Organic Chemistry II	4.0
CHEM 244	Organic Chemistry Laboratory I	3.0
MATH 210 or 201	Differential Equations Linear Algebra	4.0
Free Elective		3.0
	Term Credits	14.0
Term 6
CHEM 243	Organic Chemistry III	3.0
CHEM 245	Organic Chemistry Laboratory II	3.0
Technical Elective (200+ level, see degree requirements)		3.0
Free Electives		6.0
	Term Credits	15.0
Term 7
BIO 214	Principles of Cell Biology	3.0
CHEM 253	Thermodynamics and Kinetics	4.0
CHEM 367	Chemical Information Retrieval	3.0
CHEM 421	Inorganic Chemistry I	3.0
CHEM 430	Analytical Chemistry I	3.0
UNIV H101	The Drexel Experience	2.0
	Term Credits	18.0
Term 8
CHEM 270	Software Skills for Chemists	3.0
CHEM 357 [WI]	Physical Chemistry Laboratory I	2.5
CHEM 420	Molecular Symmetry and Group Theory Applied Chemistry	3.0
CHEM 431 [WI]	Analytical Chemistry II	4.0
Free Elective		3.0
	Term Credits	15.5
Term 9
Technical Elective (200+ level, see degree requirements)		3.0
Free Electives		9.0
Liberal Studies Elective		3.0
	Term Credits	15.0
Term 10
CHEM 346	Qualitative Organic Chemistry	5.5
CHEM 355	Physical Chemistry IV	3.0
CHEM 493	Senior Research Project	3.0
BIO 404 or 311	Structure and Function of Biomolecules Biochemistry	4.0
	Term Credits	15.5
Term 11
CHEM 359	Atomic and Molecular Spectroscopy	3.0
CHEM 493	Senior Research Project	3.0
BIO 406 or 306^**	Computational Biochemistry Laboratory Biochemistry Laboratory	2.0
Liberal Studies Elective		3.0
Free elective		3.0
	Term Credits	14.0
Term 12
CHEM 358	Physical Chemistry Laboratory II	2.5
CHEM 422	Inorganic Chemistry II	3.0
CHEM 425	Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory	4.0
CHEM 493	Senior Research Project	3.0
Free Elective		3.0
	Term Credits	15.5
Total Credit: 190.5

CHEM 230 and CHEM 231 must be taken concurrently.

Biochemistry Requirement: The American Chemical Society requires ACS-certified students to take a specified number of biochemistry courses. To fulfill this requirement in the BS curriculum, students should take a combination of one lecture and one lab course from the choice of: BIO404 Structure and Function of Biomolecules, BIO311 Metabolism, BIO306 Biochemistry Laboratory and BIO406 Computational Biochemistry Laboratory.

Students may also choose to take the two lecture courses (BIO404 and BIO 311) rather than a lecture/laboratory combination. Note that the courses BIO122 and BIO214 are required in order to provide adequate background in biology for taking these upper-level biochemistry courses.

Co-op/Career Opportunities

Opportunities for chemistry majors include working in research and development in corporate and government laboratories in the chemical, pharmaceutical and agricultural (e.g., U.S. Department of Agriculture) sectors. There is a remarkably high concentration of chemical and pharmaceutical companies in the Philadelphia region. Other options include entering medical, dental, law, or other professional schools.

The major in chemistry is sufficiently flexible to allow students to prepare to teach at the secondary level. With proper selection of electives, students can meet teacher certification requirements.

Sample Co-op Opportunities

A five-year co-op degree is offered. When students complete their co-op jobs, they are asked to write an overview of their experiences. These brief quotes are taken from some recent student reports:

Assistant chemist, pharmaceuticals manufacturer: “My position involved the synthesis and characterization of target compounds in the endotheline project. Involved the development of synthetic roots to the prescribed target. This would include the investigation of reactions which were going to be used. . . .the position was very independent. . .great working environment. ”

Co-op chemist, petroleum refiner: “Performed synthesis of ligands and metal complexes. Operated FT-IR spectrometer for sample analysis. Submitted samples for analysis by mass spectrometer and NMR. . . .The position allowed me to develop the skills necessary for independent research in organic synthesis. ”

Assistant lab technician, pharmaceuticals manufacturer: “I was an assistant technician in a mass spectrometry lab. . . . I was responsible for the development of SDS-gel electrophoresis techniques for gels and gel membranes. . . . I developed the methods independently and my employer encouraged me to be an expert on the technique and explore any method I found that would benefit the lab. ”

Visit the Drexel Steinbright Career Development Center page for more detailed information on co-op and post-graduate opportunities.

Minor in Chemistry

The academic minor program in chemistry is designed to expose students to each of the major sub-disciplines of chemistry (analytical, inorganic, organic, and physical). In order to accomplish this students take a total of at least 27.5 credits of chemistry past the freshman year (100 level courses).

As chemistry is an experimental science at least two laboratory courses must be included in the group of courses taken for the minor. Students should note that their academic major may require certain chemistry courses that can also be used to fulfill the requirements for a minor in chemistry.

Required Courses
CHEM 241	Organic Chemistry I	4.0
CHEM 230	Quantitative Analysis	4.0
CHEM 253	Thermodynamics and Kinetics ^*	4.0
CHEM 421	Inorganic Chemistry I	3.0
CHEM 244	Organic Chemistry Laboratory I	3.0
Chemistry Electives ^**		9.5
Total Credits		27.5

May substitute CHEC 352 Physical Chemistry and Applications II (4 credits) or CHEC 353 Physical Chemistry and Applications III (4 credits) for the CHEM 253 Thermodynamics and Kinetics requirement.

The 10.5 credits of chemistry electives must include at least one additional laboratory course. These electives are selected from any of the regularly offered chemistry department lecture or laboratory courses 200-level and above according to your specific interests. Note that existing course pre-requisites may affect which courses may be selected. The variable credit courses CHEM 493 Senior Research Project or CHEM 497 Research (Undergraduate) may also be used to fulfill either the lecture or laboratory requirements for the minor.

Facilities

There are seven undergraduate teaching laboratories in the department: three freshman Chemistry labs, an advanced Organic Chemistry lab, a Physical Chemistry lab, an Analytical Instrumentation Laboratory and a combined Analytical/Inorganic Chemistry lab.

Mass Spectrometry Laboratory
A Waters Autospec M high resolution mass spectrometer, a Sciex API triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, and a Bruker Autoflex III MALDI Time-of-Flight mass spectrometer.

Magnetic Resonance Laboratory
Varian INNOVA 300 MHz superconducting FT-NMR spectrometer, Varian INNOVA 500 MHz superconducting FT-NMR spectrometer, and a Varian X-band 12" EPR spectrometer.

Analytical Instrumentation Laboratory
The open-access departmental Analytical Instrumentation Laboratory includes two Perkin-Elmer (PE) Spectrum One Fourier-transform infrared absorption spectrometers each with a universal diamond ATR accessory, a PE Lambda-35 UV/visible spectrometer, a PE Lambda-950 UV/visible/NIR spectrometer with a 60-mm-diameter diffuse reflectance integrating sphere, a PE model 343 polarimeter, a PE LS55B luminescence spectrometer, a PE Clarus 500 capillary-column GC with dual FID detectors, a Clarus 500 capillary-column GC/MS system (with electron impact capability), a PE Series 200 Quaternary HPLC development system with UV/visible photodiode array detector, a PE Series 200 binary HPLC system interfaced to a Sciex 2000 triple quadrupole MS detector, a PE Series 2000 binary gel permeation chromatography system with refractive index detector, and a Varian AA240FS flame atomic absorption spectrometer equipped with a GTA 120 graphite furnace accessory.

Other Departmental Facilities
The department has a VEECO INNOVA N3 Multimode scanning probe microscope and also maintains a computational chemistry laboratory equipped with nine Dell Optiplex 620 computers running Hyperchem v 8.0. Research laboratories for each of the department faculty members are located in Disque and Stratton Halls. Instrumentation available in the research laboratories is described on individual faculty web pages. Additional full-time support includes an instrument specialist (for NMR and MS), a glassblower (Chemistry Department), two electronics specialists (College of Arts & Sciences Electronics Shop), and four machinists (Drexel University Machine Shop).

Courses

CHEM 050 Preparatory Chemistry 0.0 Credits

This online course covered general chemical principles, such as stoichiometry, atomic and molecular structure, and characterization of chemical reactions.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit

CHEM 100 Chemistry 2.0 Credits

Chemistry and its significance to industry and life, with discussions revolving around synthesis and use of polymers and biologically significant molecules.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit

CHEM 101 General Chemistry I 3.5 Credits

Covers fundamental principles of chemistry, stoichiometry, atomic and molecular structure, chemical bonding, states of matter, thermochemistry, and periodicity.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: APCH 12 or CHEM 111 [Min Grade: D] or CHEM 050 [Min Grade: D]

CHEM 102 General Chemistry II 4.5 Credits

Covers chemical equilibrium, including acid-base equilibria in solution; electrochemistry; organic chemistry; polymers; and petroleum.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: CHEM 101 [Min Grade: D] or CHEM 121 [Min Grade: D] or CHEM 161 [Min Grade: D]

CHEM 103 General Chemistry III 5.0 Credits

Covers organic functional groups, biochemistry, inorganic and coordination compounds, chemical kinetics, thermodynamics, and nuclear chemistry.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: CHEM 102 [Min Grade: D] or CHEM 122 [Min Grade: D] or (CHEM 162 [Min Grade: D] and CHEM 164 [Min Grade: D])

CHEM 108 Health Chemistry I 3.0 Credits

Covers physical and chemical properties of substances used in medical areas and related principles: atomic structure, bonding, gases, solutions, acids and bases, oxidation-reduction and the chemistry of hydrocarbon compounds and polymers. Examples are taken from pharmacology, nutrition and other allied health fields.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit

CHEM 110 Environmental Chemistry 2.0 Credits

Chemistry of the environment; the ecological aspects. Discussion of problems related to the pollution of the atmosphere, natural waters, and soil from a chemist's point of view.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit

CHEM 111 General Chemistry I 4.0 Credits

Not open to engineering or science majors. Introduces the principles of general chemistry. Covers SI units, unit factor calculations, states of matter, elements and compounds, energy, atoms, electronic configurations, ionic and covalent bonds, Lewis dot structures, shapes of molecules, chemical equations, stoichiometry, molarity, gas laws, nuclear chemistry, equilibrium between different states of matter, and some colligative properties of solutions.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit

CHEM 112 General Chemistry II 4.0 Credits

Introduces organic chemistry. Covers some classes of organic compounds from alkanes to amines, basic reactions of important functional groups, uses of some compounds, stereochemistry, synthetic and natural polymers (carbohydrates, protein, DNA), and briefly acids and bases.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: CHEM 111 [Min Grade: D]

CHEM 113 General Chemistry I Laboratory 1.5 Credit

Covers chemical and physical properties and techniques for inorganic, organic, and polymeric compounds, including distillation, crystallization, chromatography, separation.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit

CHEM 114 General Chemistry II Laboratory 1.5 Credit

Continuation of CHEM 113.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit

CHEM 121 Majors Chemistry I 5.0 Credits

Part I in an introductory sequence for chemistry majors. Covers fundamental principles of atomic and molecular nature of matter, electronic structure, physic-chemical properties, periodicity, chemical reactions, stoichimoetry, thermochemistry, chemical bonding, properties of gases, and nuclear chemistry. Course includes weekly lab experiments.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is CHEM.
Prerequisites: APCH 12 or CHEM 111 [Min Grade: D] or CHEM 050 [Min Grade: D]

CHEM 122 Majors Chemistry II 5.0 Credits

Part II in an introductory sequence for chemistry majors. Covers physical properties of liquids and solids, kinetics, equilibrium, solutions, acids and bases, thermodynamics, and electrochemistry. Course includes weekly lab experiments.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is CHEM.
Prerequisites: CHEM 101 [Min Grade: C-] or CHEM 121 [Min Grade: C-]

CHEM 123 Majors Chemistry III 5.5 Credits

Part III in an introductory sequence for chemistry majors. Course covers physical and chemical properties of substances used in consumer products through an introduction to fundamental structures, nomenclature and properties of hydrocarbons, organize functional groups, polymers and biomolecules. Course includes weekly lab experiments.

CHEM 151 Applied Chemistry 3.0 Credits

For business majors. Covers physical and chemical properties of substances used in consumer products. Provides qualitative introduction to required principles, including atomic structure and the elements, bonding and compounds, and the chemistry of carbon compounds and polymers. Uses examples from the areas of food and nutrition, pharmacology, and the petrochemical industry.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit

CHEM 161 General Chemistry I 3.0 Credits

Covers atomic structure, stoichiometry, gases, valence theory, and thermochemistry.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: MATH 003 [Min Grade: D] or (MATH 001 [Min Grade: D] and MATH 002 [Min Grade: D])

CHEM 162 General Chemistry II 3.0 Credits

Covers solutions, colligative properties, chemical equilibrium, and electrochemistry. Introduces organic chemistry.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: CHEM 161 [Min Grade: D] or CHEM 101 [Min Grade: D]

CHEM 163 General Chemistry III 3.0 Credits

Continues organic chemistry. Introduces thermodynamics, molecular biology, inorganic chemistry, chemical kinetics, and nuclear chemistry.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: CHEM 164 [Min Grade: D] and CHEM 162 [Min Grade: D]

CHEM 164 General Chemistry Laboratory I 2.0 Credits

Involves experiments demonstrating the principles of gas behavior, thermochemistry, colligative properties, chemical equilibrium, and electrochemistry. Some or all pre-requisites may be taken as either a pre-requisite or co-requisite. Please see the department for more information.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: CHEM 162 [Min Grade: D] (Can be taken Concurrently)

CHEM 165 General Chemistry Laboratory II 2.5 Credits

Involves experiments illustrating the principles of organic separations, transition metal chemistry, complex ions, chemical kinetics, and qualitative analysis. Some or all pre-requisites may be taken as either a pre-requisite or co-requisite. Please see the department for more information.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: CHEM 163 [Min Grade: D] (Can be taken Concurrently)

CHEM 201 Why Things Work: Everyday Chemistry 3.0 Credits

Course will cover chemical explanations of everyday materials and phenomena. The focus will be conceptual understanding, as opposed to a detailed quantitative treatment.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit

CHEM 230 Quantitative Analysis 4.0 Credits

Covers chemical analysis and data treatment, including chemical equilibrium, acid-base and redox reactions, and applications to gravimetric and titrimetric methods.

CHEM 231 [WI] Quantitative Analysis Laboratory 2.0 Credits

Provides laboratory studies in quantitative analysis. This is a writing intensive course. Some or all pre-requisites may be taken as either a pre-requisite or co-requisite. Please see the department for more information.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: CHEM 230 [Min Grade: D] (Can be taken Concurrently)

CHEM 241 Organic Chemistry I 4.0 Credits

Covers structure, reactions, and stereochemistry of organic compounds, especially alkanes, cycloalkanes, haloalkanes, and alkenes. Also covers SN1, SN2, E1, and E2 compound.

CHEM 242 Organic Chemistry II 4.0 Credits

Covers structure, reactivity, and stereochemistry of organic compounds, especially alkanes, alkynes, alcohols, ethers, dienes, and aromatic compounds. IR, MS, and NMR spectral techniques are introduced and applied to the identification of organic compounds.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: CHEM 241 [Min Grade: D]

CHEM 243 Organic Chemistry III 3.0 Credits

Covers structure, preparation, reactivity, and stereochemistry of organic compounds, especially substituted aromatics, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, carboxylic acid halides, anhydrides, amides, polypeptides, esters, amines, phenols, and carbohydrates.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: CHEM 242 [Min Grade: D]

CHEM 244 Organic Chemistry Laboratory I 3.0 Credits

Introduces simple recrystallization, distillation, extraction, and chromatography techniques and applies them to several organic reactions illustrative of topics covered in CHEM 241. Provides opportunity to take and interpret IR and GC spectra.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: CHEM 241 [Min Grade: D]

CHEM 245 Organic Chemistry Laboratory II 3.0 Credits

Provides experiments illustrating a number of organic reactions covered in CHEM 242 as well as more advanced organic techniques. Provides opportunity to take and interpret IR and GC scans. Some or all pre-requisites may be taken as either a pre-requisite or co-requisite. Please see the department for more information.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: CHEM 242 [Min Grade: D] (Can be taken Concurrently)CHEM 244 [Min Grade: D]

CHEM 251 Physical Chemistry I 3.0 Credits

Introduces physical chemistry. Topics include quantum chemistry, operators, the uncertainty principle, deBroglie wavelength, particle in a box, hydrogen-like atoms, aufbau principle, commutators, normalization, LCAO-MO, variation principle, diatomic molecules, Heckel approximation, harmonic oscillator, conjugated systems, electronic and vibrational spectroscopy, and selection rules.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: (CHEM 102 [Min Grade: D] and MATH 200 [Min Grade: D]) or TDEC 121 [Min Grade: D] or (CHEM 162 [Min Grade: D] and CHEM 164 [Min Grade: D])

CHEM 253 Thermodynamics and Kinetics 4.0 Credits

Covers gas properties, gas laws, state functions, first, second, and third laws of thermodynamics, phase transformations, phase diagrams, chemical equilibrium, spontaneous reactions, Gibbs free energy, molecular motion, diffusion, rates of chemical reactions, rate laws, molecular reaction dynamics, transition states, electron transfer.

CHEM 256 Physical Chemistry for Biological Sciences 4.5 Credits

Covers elementary chemical thermodynamics and homogeneous reaction kinetics as bases for experiment and phenomenology in biology and biochemistry, including properties of molecules in solution.

CHEM 270 Software Skills for Chemists 3.0 Credits

Course covers mathematical, computational, and professionals skills useful to chemists. Representation of chemical problems in mathematical language; use of software to: solve mathematical problems that arise in chemistry; process, analyze and present data; visualize and analyze molecular structures. Also covers the American Chemical Society guidelines for professionalism in chemistry.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: CHEM 102 [Min Grade: D] or CHEM 122 [Min Grade: D] and (PHYS 201 [Min Grade: D] or PHYS 211 [Min Grade: D])

CHEM 346 Qualitative Organic Chemistry 5.5 Credits

Covers identification of pure organic compounds, physical constants, solubilities by semi-micro techniques, infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and separation and identification of mixtures.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Cannot enroll if classification is Freshman
Prerequisites: CHEM 243 [Min Grade: D] and CHEM 245 [Min Grade: D]

CHEM 355 Physical Chemistry IV 3.0 Credits

Computational methods of modeling molecules; Covers potential energy functions and surfaces, molecular conformations, failures of classical physics, the quantum hypothesis, the classical wave equation and the origins of the Schrodinger equation, particle-in-a-box, linear variation functions, molecular orbitals from linear combinations of atomic orbitals, Pauli principle, molecular calculations and their interpretation.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: (CHEM 252 [Min Grade: D] or CHEM 253 [Min Grade: D]) and (CHEM 270 [Min Grade: D] or PHYS 160 [Min Grade: D]) and (MATH 201 [Min Grade: D] or MATH 210 [Min Grade: D]) and CHEC 352 [Min Grade: D]

CHEM 356 Physical Chemistry Laboratory 2.0 Credits

Provides experiments in physical chemistry for engineering students. Some or all pre-requisites may be taken as either a pre-requisite or co-requisite. Please see the department for more information.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: CHEM 241 [Min Grade: D] (Can be taken Concurrently)

CHEM 357 [WI] Physical Chemistry Laboratory I 2.5 Credits

Provides experiments illustrative of topics included in CHEM 251 and CHEC 352. This is a writing intensive course. Some or all pre-requisites may be taken as either a pre-requisite or co-requisite. Please see the department for more information.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Cannot enroll if classification is Freshman
Prerequisites: (CHEM 252 [Min Grade: D] or CHEM 253 [Min Grade: D]) and (PHYS 211 [Min Grade: D] or PHYS 201 [Min Grade: D]) or CHEC 352 [Min Grade: D]

CHEM 358 Physical Chemistry Laboratory II 2.5 Credits

Continues CHEM 357.

CHEM 359 Atomic and Molecular Spectroscopy 3.0 Credits

Emission and absorption of light, laser principles, optical spectrometers, atomic spectroscopy. LS-coupling, Zeeman effect, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, EPR, NMR, ENDOR, molecular spectroscopy of diatomic and polyatomic molecules, rotational, vibrational and electronic, fluorescence spectroscopy, two-photon spectroscopy, time resolved spectroscopy, photo-electron spectroscopy.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: CHEM 355 [Min Grade: D]

CHEM 361 Advanced Organic Chemistry Laboratory 2.5 Credits

Emphasizes experimental design, data collection, and interpretation in such areas as reaction mechanism and molecular structure determination. Not offered every year.

CHEM 364 Spectroscopic Analysis 3.0 Credits

Covers interpretation of spectra for the determination of structure of organic molecules. Stresses use of infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, and mass spectrometry. Fall. Not offered every year.

CHEM 367 Chemical Information Retrieval 3.0 Credits

This course examines methods for retrieving literature information, via standard tabulations, journals, and abstracts, using both hard-copy and electronic sources. Includes techniques for online searching of databases such as Chemical Abstracts, Beilstein, and crystallographic depositories.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit

CHEM 371 Chemistry of Biomolecules 3.0 Credits

This course is a chemistry-based approach to understanding the basic structure, chemical reactivity, and biological function of biomolecules – including amino acids, peptides, proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, and lipids. A special emphasis will be given to topics in the frontiers of biomolecular research at the interface between chemistry and biology.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: CHEM 243 [Min Grade: D]

CHEM 420 Molecular Symmetry and Group Theory Applied Chemistry 3.0 Credits

Applies the principles of simple group theory to molecular structure and to electronic and motional properties of molecules, including crystal field and molecular orbital methods.

CHEM 421 Inorganic Chemistry I 3.0 Credits

Covers crystal, atomic, and molecular structure; modern chemical bonding; and magnetic properties of inorganic systems.

CHEM 422 Inorganic Chemistry II 3.0 Credits

Covers organometallic and coordination compounds, substitution mechanisms, and bio-inorganic chemistry.

CHEM 424 Special Chemistry Problems 0.5-12.0 Credits

Allows theoretical and laboratory investigations of a particular problem of interest to the individual student. A written report may be required.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Can be repeated multiple times for credit
Restrictions: Cannot enroll if classification is Freshman

CHEM 425 Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory 4.0 Credits

Covers synthesis of properties of inorganic compounds, magnetic measurements, spectroscopic properties, and interpretations of complex ion structure. Some or all pre-requisites may be taken as either a pre-requisite or co-requisite. Please see the department for more information.

CHEM 430 Analytical Chemistry I 3.0 Credits

Provides an introduction to statistics (particularly the development and use of analytic calibration curves), basic electronics, and the principles of spectroscopic methods of analysis, including the interaction of light with matter and basic instrument design.

CHEM 431 [WI] Analytical Chemistry II 4.0 Credits

Continues CHEM 430. Covers principles of chromatographic methods of analysis. Lab includes experiments on atomic absorption, fluorescence, infrared absorption, UV/visible absorption, gas chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography, basic electronics, and potentiometry/coulometry. This is a writing intensive course.

CHEM 465 Synthetic Polymer Chemistry 3.0 Credits

Explores scope of polymer science; structure-property relations; step, free radical, cationic, group-transfer, metathesis, coordination, and ring-opening polymerizations; and stereochemistry of polymerizations and reactions of polymers.

CHEM 466 Physical Chemistry of Polymers 3.0 Credits

Covers kinetics and thermodynamics of polymerizations; control of polymerization processes; gelation theory; copolymerization; and determination of polymer molecular weight and distribution by membrane osmometry, light-scattering, solution viscosity, and other techniques.

CHEM 467 Polymer Chemistry III 3.0 Credits

Covers spectroscopy of polymers; rubber elasticity; morphology; viscoelasticity; thermal analysis; computational methods; testing, fabrication, and processing; and magnetic and mechanical properties of polymers.

CHEM 480 Special Topics in Chemistry 5.0 Credits

This course covers a selected special topic in chemistry. May be repeated three times for credit.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Can be repeated 3 times for 15 credits

CHEM 493 Senior Research Project 0.5-12.0 Credits

Provides individualized research with a faculty member in any number of chemical disciplines. Requires written report. May be repeated three times for credit.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Can be repeated 3 times for 12 credits
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is CHEM and classification is Junior or Senior.

CHEM 497 Research 0.5-12.0 Credits

Covers research problems in several areas of chemistry. Requires written report.

College/Department: College of Arts and Sciences
Repeat Status: Can be repeated multiple times for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is CHEM.

Chemistry Faculty

Anthony W. Addison, PhD (University of Kent at Canterbury, England). Professor. Design and synthesis of novel biomimetic and oligonuclear chelates of copper, nickel, iron and vanadium; their interpretation by magnetochemical, electrochemical and spectroscopic methods, including electron spin resonance; CD and ESR spectroscopy and kinetics for elucidation of molecular architecture of derivatives (including NO) of oxygen-binding and electron-transfer heme- and non-heme iron metalloproteins of vertebrate and invertebrate origins.

Jean-Claude Bradley, PhD (University of Ottawa). Associate Professor. The synthesis of novel anti-malarial agents from virtual combinatorial libraries of Ugi products.

Joe P. Foley, PhD (University of Florida) Associate Department Head. Professor. Separation science, especially the fundamentals and biomedical/pharmaceutical applications of the following voltage- or pressure-driven separation techniques: capillary electrophoresis, electrokinetic chromatography, capillary electrochromatography, and micellar liquid chromatography. Within these techniques, we explore novel separation modes and surfactant aggregate pseudophases (micelles, vesicles, microemulsions); chiral separations; and physicochemical measurements.

Monica Ilies, PhD (Polytechnic University of Bucharest). Assistant Teaching Professor.

Haifeng Frank Ji, PhD (Chinese Academy of Sciences). Associate Teaching Professor. Micromechancial sensors for biological and environmental applications; nanomechanical drug screening technology.

Daniel B. King, PhD (University of Miami). Associate Professor. Assessment of active learning methods and technology in chemistry courses; incorporation of environmental data into chemistry classroom modules; development of hands-on activities and laboratory experiments.

Daniel A. Kleier, PhD (University of Notre Dame). Associate Teaching Professor.

Kevin G. Owens, PhD (Indiana University). Associate Professor. Mass spectrometry research, including the development of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS) techniques for use with biological and synthetic polymer systems, and the development of chemometric techniques for improved data analysis.

Lynn S. Penn, PhD (Bryn Mawr College). Professor. Surface modification for specific applications: chemically derivatize metal and ceramic solid surfaces; designing and executing sequential chemical processes, building complex and layered structures on surfaces, with specific focus on behavior of polymer brushes (investigating the fundamental transport-selective behavior of polymer brushes because of potential in drug delivery, biomedical devices and as an explanation of some biological processes).

Carey M. Rosenthal, PhD (Harvard University). Associate Professor. Application of spacefilling curves and line integral presentations to scattering problems.

Susan A. Rutkowsky, PhD (Drexel University). Assistant Teaching Professor.

Louis Scerbo, PhD (Oregon State University at Corvallis). Associate Professor. Membrane structures and function.

Reinhard Schweitzer-Stenner, PhD (Universitat Bremen) Department Head. Professor. Exploring conformational ensembles of unfolded or partially folded peptides and proteins; determining the parameters governing peptide self-aggregation; structure and function of heme proteins; investigating protein-membrane interactions.

Karl Sohlberg, PhD (University of Delaware). Associate Professor. Computational and theoretical materials-related chemistry: (1) complex catalytic materials; (2) mechanical and electrical molecular devices.

Peter A. Wade, PhD (Purdue University). Associate Professor. Exploration of a newly discovered [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement in which O-allyl nitronic esters are thermally converted to γ,δ-unsaturated nitro compounds; development and exploitation of a carbon-based hemiacetal mimic; and exploration of cycloaddition reactions involving nitroethylene derivatives and novel nitrile oxides.

Anthony Wambsgans, PhD (Rice University). Associate Teaching Professor.

Jun Xi, PhD (Cornell University). Assistant Professor. Mechanistic studies of enzymatic degradation of cellulose by cellulase, real-time characterization of biomechanical properties of cells in response to cell signaling, development of conformation-specific inhibition for cancer therapeutics.