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Chemistry BS / Chemistry MS

Major: Chemistry
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science (BS) and Master of Science (MS)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 226.0
Co-op Options: Three Co-op (Five years)
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 40.0501
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 19-2031

About the Program

The Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's (BS + MS) in Chemistry provides academically qualified students with the opportunity to earn both a bachelor's and master's degree in five years, which is the time normally required to finish the co-op option bachelor’s degree alone.

Eligibility

Exceptional students with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 and who are enrolled in the five-year co-op option are eligible for the BS + MS program. Students formally apply to the program after they have completed 90.0 credits but before they have completed 120.0 credits. Students are strongly encouraged to begin planning for the program as early as their freshman year. Students who have more than 120.0 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

Students need to formally apply to the accelerated chemistry program. Applications are available in the Office of Graduate Admissions or in the College of Arts and Sciences advisor's office. Applications must be accompanied by a plan of study prepared in consultation with the undergraduate and graduate advisor in the department, and must be officially approved by both the department head and the dean.

Additional Information

For more information, contact:

Daniel King, PhD
Undergraduate Affairs Committee Chair
Department of Chemistry
Drexel University
dk68@drexel.edu

Admission Requirements

Students enrolled in the Accelerated BS + MS in Chemistry must complete 180.0 undergraduate quarter credits for the bachelor's degree and at least 45.0 graduate quarter credits for the master's degree. All graduate departmental requirements must be satisfied in full, including producing a thesis, if the thesis-option master's program is elected. Master's thesis requirements must be completed no later than the spring quarter of the final year. 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.

BS/MS Requirements

Students enrolled in the BS/MS dual degree program must complete 180-181 undergraduate quarter credits for the BS degree and at least 45.0 graduate quarter credits for the MS degree. All graduate departmental requirements must be satisfied in full, including producing a thesis, if the thesis-option master's program is elected. Master's 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.

Degree Requirements

General Education Requirements - BS
CIVC 101	Introduction to Civic Engagement	1.0
COOP 101	Career Management and Professional Development ^*	1.0
ENGL 101	Composition and Rhetoric I: Inquiry and Exploratory Research	3.0
or ENGL 111	English Composition I
ENGL 102	Composition and Rhetoric II: Advanced Research and Evidence-Based Writing	3.0
or ENGL 112	English Composition II
ENGL 103	Composition and Rhetoric III: Themes and Genres	3.0
or ENGL 113	English Composition III
UNIV S101	The Drexel Experience	1.0
UNIV S201	Looking Forward: Academics and Careers	1.0
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 246	Organic Chemistry for Majors I	6.5
CHEM 248	Organic Chemistry for Majors II	6.5
CHEM 249	Organic Chemistry for Majors III	7.0
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 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	3.0
6.0 credits of CHEM 493 are satisfied by 6.0 credits of CHEM 997 as shared coursework
Biology Requirements
BIO 131	Cells and Biomolecules	4.0
BIO 134	Cells and Biomolecules Lab	1.0
BIO 214	Principles of Cell Biology	4.0
Biochemistry Requirements ^†
BIO 306	Biochemistry Laboratory	2.0
BIO 311	Biochemistry	3.0-4.0
or BIO 404	Structure and Function of Biomolecules
or CHEM 371	Chemistry of Biomolecules
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		21.0
MS Major Sequence		9.0
Select one of the following sequences:
Inorganic Chemistry
CHEM 521	Inorganic Chemistry I
CHEM 522	Inorganic Chemistry II
CHEM 523	Inorganic Chemistry III
Analytical Chemistry
CHEM 530	Analytical Chemistry I
CHEM 531	Analytical Chemistry II
CHEM 755	Mass Spectrometry
Organic Chemistry
CHEM 541	Organic Chemistry I
CHEM 542	Organic Chemistry II
CHEM 543	Organic Chemistry III
Physical Chemistry ^††
CHEM 555	Quantum Chemistry Of Molecules I
CHEM 557	Physical Chemistry I
CHEM 558	Physical Chemistry II
Polymer Chemistry
CHEM 561	Polymer Chemistry I
CHEM 562	Polymer Chemistry II
CHEM 563	Polymer Chemistry III
Additional Sequence Courses		12.0
CHEM 767	Chemical Information Retrieval	3.0
CHEM 367 is satisfied by CHEM 767 as shared coursework
CHEM 865	Chemistry Research Seminar	3.0
Electives ^‡		18.0
Total Credits		225.0-226.0

*

Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major.

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

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.

***

If the GR equivalent of any UG course(s) is taken (e.g., CHEM 555 instead of CHEM 355, CHEM 521 instead of CHEM 421), the UG course(s) in the plan of study must be replaced with a technical elective.

†

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: BIO 311, BIO 306, BIO 404, or CHEM 371 to fulfill the biochemistry requirement. Students may also choose to take the two lecture courses (BIO 311, BIO 404, or CHEM 371) rather than a lecture/laboratory combination.

††

Every course can be replaced by CHEM 554 or CHEM 752.

‡

The remaining 18.0 credits may be satisfied by any graduate Chemistry courses. Students may take one graduate-level course during applicable co-op terms. In some cases, course substitutions may be made with courses from other departments. Elective courses taken outside the department must receive prior departmental approval in order to be counted toward the degree. It is recommended that students take 7.0 credits of CHEM 997 as part of the 18.0 elective credits.

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 Program . 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.

Sample Plan of Study

First Year
Fall	Credits	Winter	Credits	Spring	Credits	Summer	Credits
BIO 131	4.0	CHEM 122	5.0	CHEM 123	5.5	VACATION
BIO 134	1.0	CIVC 101	1.0	COOP 101^*	1.0
CHEM 121	5.0	ENGL 102 or 112	3.0	ENGL 103 or 113	3.0
ENGL 101 or 111	3.0	MATH 122	4.0	MATH 123	4.0
MATH 121	4.0	PHYS 101	4.0	PHYS 102	4.0
UNIV S101	1.0
	18		17		17.5		0
Second Year
Fall	Credits	Winter	Credits	Spring	Credits	Summer	Credits
CHEM 230 & CHEM 231	6.0	CHEM 248	6.5	COOP EXPERIENCE		COOP EXPERIENCE
CHEM 246	6.5	MATH 200	4.0
PHYS 201	4.0	(UG) Technical elective^**	3.0
(UG) Free elective	3.0	(UG) Liberal Studies elective	3.0
	19.5		16.5		0		0
Third Year
Fall	Credits	Winter	Credits	Spring	Credits	Summer	Credits
BIO 214	4.0	CHEM 270	3.0	COOP EXPERIENCE		COOP EXPERIENCE
CHEM 249	7.0	CHEM 357	2.5
CHEM 253	4.0	MATH 210	4.0
(UG) Free elective	3.0	(UG) Liberal Studies elective	3.0
		CHEM 532 or 562^†	3.0
		CHEM 865	3.0
		(GR) Graduate CHEM course^‡	1.0
	18		19.5		0		0
Fourth Year
Fall	Credits	Winter	Credits	Spring	Credits	Summer	Credits
CHEM 355	3.0	BIO 306	2.0	COOP EXPERIENCE		COOP EXPERIENCE
CHEM 421	3.0	CHEM 359	3.0
CHEM 430	3.0	CHEM 420	3.0
CHEM 493	1.0	CHEM 431	4.0
UNIV S201	1.0	CHEM 522, 531, 542, 558, or 562^†	3.0
(UG) Free elective	3.0	(GR) Graduate CHEM course^‡	5.0
CHEM 521, 530, 541, 557, or 561^†	3.0
CHEM 767	3.0
	20		20		0		0
Fifth Year
Fall	Credits	Winter	Credits	Spring	Credits
BIO 311 or 404^***	4.0	(UG) Technical elective	3.0	CHEM 422	3.0
CHEM 346	5.5	(UG) Free electives	9.0	CHEM 425	4.0
CHEM 358	2.5	(GR) Graduate CHEM courses^‡	8.0	CHEM 493	2.0
(GR) Graduate CHEM courses^‡	8.0			(UG) Free elective	3.0
				CHEM 523, 755, 543, 555, or 563^†	3.0
				(GR) Graduate CHEM course^‡	5.0
	20		20		20
Total Credits 226

*

Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major.

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

***

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, you should take a combination of one lecture and one lab course from the choice of: BIO 311, BIO 306, BIO 404 or CHEM 371 to fulfill the biochemistry requirement. Students may also choose to take the two lecture courses (BIO 404, BIO 311 or CHEM 371) rather than a lecture/laboratory combination.

†

Students must complete three courses in one of the major areas: Analytical, Inorganic, Organic, Physical, or Polymer Chemistry.

For the Physical Chemistry major area,CHEM 554 or CHEM 752 can replace CHEM 557, CHEM 558 or CHEM 555.

‡

SUGGESTED OPTIONS: major area electives and non-major area electives not previously taken, CHEM 997 (up to 9.0 credits).

At least one sequence course from each of the major areas, a total of 12.0 credits, should be completed as part of the required CHEM electives.

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.

Facilities

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

Mass Spectrometry Laboratory
The department maintains a professionally staffed mass spectrometry facility available to all members of the university community. Currently available instrumentation consists of a Waters Autospec M high resolution magnetic-sector mass spectrometer, a Bruker Autoflex III MALDI Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer, a Thermo LTQ-FT Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometer, a Sciex API-3000 triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer, and a Varian Saturn 2000 Gas Chromatograph/Ion-trap mass spectrometer system.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Laboratory
The professionally staffed Chemistry department NMR facility is equipped with 300MHz and 500MHz Varian Unity INNOVA NMR systems; both instruments have multi-nuclear capability. The probe on the 500MHz instrument is a cryogenically cooled triple resonance model (1H {13C/15N}) suitable for protein analysis. A Varian X-band 12" EPR spectrometer is also available.

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 mass spectrometer, 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.

Organic Instrumentation Laboratory
The Organic Instrumentation Laboratory (co-located with the organic synthesis teaching laboratories in the Papdakis Integrated Sciences Building) is equipped with two Perkin-Elmer (PE) Spectrum Two Fourier-transform infrared absorption spectrometers each with a universal diamond ATR accessory, a PE Clarus 500 capillary-column GC with one FID and one TCD detector, and an Anasazi EFT-90 FT-NMR system.

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 790 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. Full-time professional support includes two electronic instrument specialists (for NMR and MS- Chemistry department), two electronics specialists (College of Arts & Sciences Electronics Shop), and four machinists (Drexel University Machine Shop).

Chemistry Faculty

Reza Farasat, PhD (University of Alabama). Assistant Teaching Professor. Modification of polymers for diverse applications; utilizing Thermoanalysis techniques to study polymeric and non-polymeric materials; nanotechnology; applying Multi-detector Size Exclusion Chromatography for characterization of polymers; creating composites to improve materials' properties.

Fraser Fleming, PhD (University of British Columbia (Canada)). Professor. Nitriles, Isonitriles, Stereochemistry, Organometallics

Joe P. Foley, PhD (University of Florida) Department Head. Professor. Separation science, especially the fundamentals and biomedical/pharmaceutical applications of the following voltage- or pressure-driven separation techniques: capillary electrophoresis (CE), electrokinetic chromatography, supercritical fluid chromatography, and high-performance and two-dimensional liquid chromatography (LC). Within these techniques, we explore novel separation modes (e.g., dual-opposite-injection CE and sequential elution LC), novel surfactant aggregate pseudophases, and chiral separations.

Lee Hoffman, PhD (Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia). Assistant Teaching Professor. Interfacial studies on the self-assembly of natural organic materials, understanding the nature of each component, and development of a mechanism describing this process;Dendrimer/metal nanocomposite design and synthesis hosting metal nanoparticles, utilizing the multivalent dendritic polymer architecture for further exploitation with other molecules such as antibodies and other targeting species.

Monica Ilies, PhD (Polytechnic University of Bucharest). Associate Teaching Professor. Bioorganic chemistry and chemical biology; bioinorganic chemistry and biochemistry.

Haifeng Frank Ji, PhD (Chinese Academy of Sciences). 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.

Jamie Ludwig, PhD (UT Southwestern Medical Center). Discovery and optimization of biocatalytic transformations for use inorganic synthesis.

Dionicio Martinez-Solario, PhD (University of Alabama). Assistant Professor. Total synthesis of complex biologically active natural products serving as inspirational platforms for the discovery and development of new reactions and synthetic methods.

Craig McClure, PhD (University of Michigan). Associate Teaching Professor. Promotion of quantitative literacy in introductory courses; development of guided inquiry activities for introductory chemistry; outreach programs in STEM fields.

Kevin G. Owens, PhD (Indiana University). Associate Professor. Mass spectrometry research, including the development of sample preparation techniques for quantitative analysis and mass spectrometric imaging using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS) techniques for both biological and synthetic polymer systems, the development of laser spectroscopic techniques for combustion analysis, and the development of correlation analysis and other chemometric techniques for automating the analysis of mass spectral information.

Susan A. Rutkowsky, PhD (Drexel University) Associate Department Head. Associate Teaching Professor. Development of labs and lecture demonstrations for general and organic chemistry courses; STEM outreach programs.

Jeremiah Scepaniak, PhD (New Mexico State University). Assistant Professor. Design transition metal-based contrast agents for MRI & synthesis of bimetallic complexes to activate small molecules.

Reinhard Schweitzer-Stenner, PhD (Universität Bremen (Germany)). 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; use of IR, VCD, Raman, NMR and absorption spectroscopy for structure analysis.

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

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

Ezra Wood, PhD (University of California-Berkeley). Associate Professor. Radical chemistry and formation of secondary pollutants in urban and forest environments, impacts of biomass burning on air pollution and climate change, pollutant emissions, and design and deployment of novel instrumentation for field studies.

Jun Xi, PhD (Cornell University). Associate Teaching Professor. Biomacromolecular interactions both in solution and in confined environment; mechanisms of DNA replication and DNA repair; structure and function of molecular chaperones; drug target identification and new therapeutic development; single molecule enzymology; DNA directed organic synthesis.

Emeritus Faculty

Anthony W. Addison, PhD (University of Kent at Canterbury, England). Professor Emeritus. Design and synthesis of novel biomimetic and oligonuclear chelates of copper, nickel, iron, ruthenium 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; energy-transfer by Ru, Ir and lanthanide-containing molecules and assemblies.

Amar Nath, PhD (Moscow State University, Moscow USSR). Professor Emeritus.

Peter A. Wade, PhD (Purdue University). Professor Emeritus. 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.