Chemistry and Biochemistry - Programs

College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

Undergraduate Programs

Bachelor of Science in Chemistry (code CHEMBS01) (123 units)

The bachelor of science degree program is intended to provide a thorough background in chemistry for those planning to pursue careers as professional chemists or to do graduate study in chemistry or biochemistry. This program, when supplemented with study in other appropriate areas, can serve as preparation for admission to the health professional schools (medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, etc.). Each student should consult with a faculty advisor to plan his or her individual program. Students may also wish to contact the Health Professions Advising Office in the Jensen Student Access to Sciences and Mathematics Center (FO5-109) for additional information and services.

Chemistry majors must achieve a grade of “C” or better in each chemistry course required for the major.

Requirements
Lower Division: CHEM 111A,B, 251; PHYS 151, 152, 254, 255; MATH 122, 123, 224; and BIOL 211A.
Upper Division: CHEM 320A,B, 331, 332, 371A,B, 373, 420, 431, 441A, 451; one course chosen from among CHEM 466H or ENGL 317, 417, 418, 419; and an additional 3 units of upper division chemistry electives including at least one unit of CHEM 496. CH E 330, 425, 430, or 475 may be used as chemistry electives.

B.S. candidates are encouraged to acquire competence in reading scientific German, French, Russian, Chinese or Japanese. Students are also advised to take one or more additional courses in mathematics, such as MATH 247, 364A, 370A, 380.

Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry (code CHEMBA01) (120 units)

The Bachelor of Arts degree program in chemistry is intended to provide a background in chemistry, but not in the depth required for a bachelor of science degree. This program, when complemented with study in other areas, will serve as preparation for a career in chemical and related industries or secondary science education. The bachelor of arts program is also an appropriate preparation for medical, dental, law, and pharmacy schools. Students may also wish to contact the Health Professions Advising Office in the Jensen Student Access to Sciences and Mathematics Center (FO5-109) for additional information and services. In order to take full advantage of the bachelor of arts program for various career objectives, adequate counseling by chemistry advisors is indispensable. Each student must confer with an advisor to set up his/her individually tailored program in chemistry and one or more complementary areas prior to beginning the course of study.

Chemistry majors must achieve a grade of “C” or better in each chemistry course required for the major.

Requirements
Lower Division: CHEM 111A,B, 251; PHYS 100A,B or 151, 152; and MATH 122, 123.
Upper Division: CHEM 320A,B, 331, 371A,B or 377A,B, 420, 451; one course chosen from among CHEM 466H or ENGL 317, 417, 418, 419; and a minimum of 3 additional units chosen in consultation with an advisor selected from CHEM 332, 373, 421, 431, 441A,B, 496. Students must consult an advisor to select additional courses to meet the student’s individual goals and interests.

Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry (code CHEMBS02) (121 units)

The Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry is intended to provide a rigorous background in chemistry and biochemistry for those planning for graduate study in biochemistry or other life sciences, or for careers in biochemical and related industries. This program is also an appropriate preparation for medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and clinical chemistry at the graduate level. Students must confer with an advisor to set up an appropriate program for their goals.

Biochemistry majors must achieve a grade of “C” or better in each chemistry and biochemistry course required for the major.

Requirements
Lower Division: CHEM 111A,B, 251; BIOL 211A,B; MATH 122, 123; and PHYS 100A,B or 151, 152.
Upper Division: CHEM 320A,B, 371A or 377A, 371B or 377B (371A,B is recommended as preparation for graduate studies in biochemistry) 420, 441A,B, 443; BIOL 342 and 342L, BIOL 370 or MICR 371 and 372; 3 units of elective from CHEM 331, 373, 421, 431, 451; BIOL 340, 445, 448, 473; MICR 452, 473; and one course chosen from CHEM 466H or ENGL 317, 417, 418, 419.

Teaching Credential

Requirements Related to a Chemistry Concentration

The Chemistry Concentration meets the subject matter competence requirement for the Single Subject Preliminary Credential in Chemistry (code 181). Prospective students should consult the Single Subject Science Education Advisor in the Department of Science Education early to plan their program.

In addition to meeting the subject matter competence requirement for the Preliminary Credential, prospective Chemistry teachers are also required to complete 44 units of professional preparation in the Single Subject Credential Program, including student teaching. Students may begin the professional preparation courses as early as the junior year. With careful planning, it is possible to complete many of the credential program courses, except for student teaching, as an undergraduate. Courses may also be started as post-baccalaureate student. Refer to the Single Subject Teacher Education section of this Catalog or the Single Subject Credential Program website (www.ced.csulb.edu/single-subject) for a description of the professional preparation requirements, courses, and application procedures.

The Chemistry Subject Matter Program is being revised to meet new state standards. When the revised program has been approved by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the new course requirements will be in effect and supersede current requirements.

Requirements
Lower Division: ASTR 100; BIOL 211A,B; CHEM 111A,B, 251; GEOL 102, 104, 160; PHYS 100A,B or 151,152; MATH 119A,B or 122, 123.
Upper Division: CHEM 320A,B, 441A, 451, 496, either 431 or 441B; SCED 403.

Honors in Biochemistry or Chemistry

Students majoring in the B.S. in Biochemistry, B.S. in Chemistry, or B.A. in Chemistry who would like an enriched academic program including an intensive research experience may be eligible to graduate with Honors in the Major through the University Honors Program. Students may complete General Honors through the University Honors Program as well; in such cases the General Honors thesis requirement is met through Honors in the Major (see University Honors in this Catalog).

Chemistry majors should be aware that this program is designed for students with career goals in life science areas, and, as such, chemistry majors who wish to participate must take additional coursework in biology beyond the minimum required for a chemistry degree.

The requirements for Honors in the Major will also satisfy the requirements of a college-wide program, Honors in Biological Sciences, created with the support of a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. While Honors in the Major requires junior or senior standing, the college-wide program offers an enriched curriculum beginning in the freshman year, including a freshman seminar (BIOL 110H), a critical thinking course designed for science majors, and an introduction to bioinformatics (BIOL 220H). Interested students should contact the Honors in Biological Sciences program director or the Jensen Student Access to Sciences and Mathematics Center.

Requirements for Admission to Honors in the Major
1. Junior or senior standing with at least one year remaining before graduation.
2. Declared major of B.S. in Biochemistry, B.S. in Chemistry, or B.A. in Chemistry.
3. Submission of an application detailing interest in the program and willingness to commit to a year-long research experience.
4. Letter of recommendation from a CSULB faculty member familiar with the student’s work.
5. Completion of BIOL 211A,B; CHEM 251, 320A,B at time of entry with grades of at least “C” in each course. Students may apply during the semester in which they expect to complete these courses.
6. GPA of at least 3.00 in all courses in the major and in all upper division courses in the major.

Requirements for Graduation with Honors in the Major
1. GPA of at least 3.30 in all upper division courses in the major and in Honors courses.
2. Completion of all requirements for the B.S. in Biochemistry, B.S. in Chemistry, or B.A. in Chemistry.
3. Completion of BIOL/CHEM 466H, Research Design and Methods - Honors (3 units).
4. Completion of 3 units CHEM 496, Undergraduate Directed Research.
5. Completion of 3 units of CHEM 498H, Senior Thesis - Honors.
6. Presentation of research results in a public forum. This requirement may be met by presentation at a scientific conference or at a local venue; consult the Honors in the Major advisor for additional information

Substitutions to this program must be approved by the Honors in the Major Advisor.

Minor in Chemistry (code CHEMUM01)

Requirements

The Minor is Chemistry is available to any non-Chemistry or non-Biochemistry major. A minimum of 20 units of chemistry which must include CHEM 111A,B. A minimum of nine units must be taken from upper division chemistry courses. The following courses are not acceptable toward the minor: CHEM 100, 101, 105, 140, 302. CHEM 327; 320A,B; or CHEM 322A,B and CHEM 323A,B are three different paths of Organic Chemistry and only one course from one of the paths is acceptable towards the minor in Chemistry.

Concurrent and/or Summer Enrollment in Another College

Students who wish to take course work in a community or other college to meet curricular requirements while enrolled as undergraduates in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics must petition the appropriate department for prior approval to enroll in specific courses. This policy applies to concurrent enrollment or summer enrollment. University policy must also be complied with. See “Concurrent Enrollment” and “Transfer of Undergraduate Credit” in this Catalog. Courses not receiving prior approval will not be accepted for credit by the Department.

Graduate Credit Earned as an Undergraduate Chemistry or Biochemistry Major

Graduate credit usually may not be earned in advance of the baccalaureate degree. However, based upon the recommendation of the Department Chairman and the Chairman of the Department Graduate Studies Committee, academic performance (a grade point average of 3.00 overall and 3.00 in the major), and promise of academic achievement in postgraduate study, a student in his/her senior year may be granted approval to earn a maximum of 12 units of course work in the 400 and 500 level taken at this University toward his/her prospective graduate program, subject to the following conditions:

1. The course work must be in addition to that required by the Department for the B.A. or B.S. degree in Chemistry or the B.S. degree in Biochemistry.
2. The undergraduate student must have a “Petition to Earn Credit in the Senior Year” approved by the appropriate Department Graduate Advisor, the Associate Dean for Graduate Accountability in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Graduate Programs

Master of Science in Chemistry (code CHEMMS01)

Prerequisites

1. Acceptance as a graduate student by the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department;
2. A bachelor’s degree with a major in chemistry; or
3. A bachelor’s degree with undergraduate preparation in chemistry, physics and mathematics equivalent to that required for the bachelor of science degree with a major in chemistry at this University;
4. Entering graduate students are required to take placement examinations in analytical, inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry. Any student failing to take and pass a placement examination in any of these subjects is required to enroll in an appropriate course as recommended by the Graduate Studies Committee. Usually the recommended courses are: CHEM 251 and/or 451 if the subject is analytical chemistry; CHEM 431 if the subject is inorganic chemistry; CHEM 320A and/or 320B if the subject is organic chemistry; CHEM 371A and/or 371B if the subject is physical chemistry.
5. The placement examinations are usually given on Monday and Tuesday of the week preceding the first day of instruction. The Graduate Studies Committee evaluates the examinations and recommends appropriate courses to correct for any deficiencies in chemistry. The Chemistry Graduate Advisor meets with the student at this time to prepare a tentative degree program.

Advancement to Candidacy

The Department recommends advancement to candidacy after the graduate student has:
1. Either passed the placement examinations in analytical, inorganic, organic and physical chemistry or passed the courses as recommended by the Graduate Studies Committee for correcting deficiencies;
2. Earned an average of at least 3.0 (B) in all work completed at this University as a graduate student;
3. Fulfillment of the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR);
4. Obtained approval of a graduate degree program by the Chemistry Graduate Advisor, the Department Chair (in consultation with the Graduate Studies Committee), Associate Dean for Graduate Accountability in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and the Dean of Graduate Studies.

The student is expected to be advanced to candidacy by the beginning of the third semester of graduate work. Upon advancement to candidacy, a Thesis Committee will be selected in consultation with the Graduate Studies Committee.

Requirements

1. Advancement to candidacy;
2. The completion of a minimum of 30 units with:
A. A minimum of nine units in chemistry lecture courses in the 500 series (excluding CHEM 595). These courses must be selected from at least two of the following fields: analytical, inorganic, organic, physical, and biological chemistry;
B. Two units of CHEM 595;
C. Two units of CHEM 660, a maximum of 3 units of CHEM 697 and 4 to 6 units of CHEM 698;
D. Nine to 12 units from 400 and 500 series courses (excluding CHEM 595) approved by the Graduate Advisor. The exact number of units depends on the number of 600-level courses taken.
Changes in the above pattern of course requirements may be made only at the discretion of the Graduate Studies Committee and the Graduate Advisor subject to approval by the Associate Dean for Graduate Accountability and the Dean of Graduate Studies.
3. Completion of a written thesis acceptable to the members of the thesis committee and a public presentation of the thesis research. The public presentation must be completed before the thesis is signed by the committee members.

Master of Science in Biochemistry (code CHEMMS02)

Prerequisites

1. Acceptance as a graduate student by the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department;

2. A bachelor’s degree with a major in chemistry or one of the biological sciences. Prerequisite courses include CHEM 251, CHEM 320A,B, CHEM 377A,B, CHEM 420, CHEM 441A,B, MATH 122, MATH 123, or their equivalents and courses in general biology and cell/molecular biology. A student deficient in any of these courses must complete the course(s) as a graduate student.

3. Entering graduate students are required to take placement examinations in analytical, biological, organic, and physical chemistry. Any student failing to take and pass a placement examination in any of these subjects is required to enroll in an appropriate course as recommended by the Graduate Studies Committee. Usually the recommended courses are: CHEM 251 and/or 451 if the subject is analytical chemistry; CHEM 441A and/or 441B if the subject is biochemistry; CHEM 320A and/or 320B if the subject is organic chemistry; CHEM 371A and/or 371B; or CHEM 377A and/or 377B if the subject is physical chemistry.

4. The placement examinations are usually given on Monday and Tuesday of the week preceding the first day of instruction. Entering students should correspond with the Biochemistry Graduate Advisor before arrival to arrange to take these examinations. The Graduate Studies Committee evaluates the examinations and recommends appropriate courses to correct any deficiencies in chemistry or biochemistry. The Biochemistry Graduate Advisor will meet with the student at this time to prepare a tentative degree program.

Advancement to Candidacy

The Department recommends advancement to candidacy after the graduate student has:
1. Either passed the placement examinations in analytical, biological, organic and physical chemistry or passed courses recommended by the Graduate Studies Committee for correcting the deficiencies;
2. Earned at least a 3.0 ("B") average in all graduate work completed at this University;
3. Fulfillment of the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR);
4. Obtained approval of a graduate degree program by the graduate advisor, the Department Chair (in consultation with the Graduate Studies Committee), Associate Dean for Graduate Accountability in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and the Dean of Graduate Studies.
The criteria above should be met by the beginning of the third semester of graduate study. Deficient students may continue at the discretion of the Department Graduate Studies Committee.

Requirements

1. Advancement to candidacy;
2. The completion of a minimum of 30 units with:
A. A minimum of nine units in chemistry lecture courses in the 500 series (excluding CHEM 595);
B. Three units of CHEM 595;
C. One unit of CHEM 660, a maximum of 3 units of CHEM 697, and 4 to 6 units of CHEM 698;
D. The following courses taken either prior to or during the course of this program: (1) CHEM 377A or 371A and CHEM 377B or 371B; (2) CHEM 443 and either CHEM 420 or 451; (3) at least one senior or graduate level course in cell/molecular biology or a related area. Credit earned in these courses may be included in the student's official program at the discretion of the Graduate Advisor.
E. Two units of CHEM 660, a maximum of 3 units of CHEM 697 and 4 to 6 units of CHEM 698;
F. The following courses taken either prior to or during the course of this program: (1) CHEM 443 and CHEM 451; (2) at least one senior or graduate level course in cell/molecular biology or a related area. Credit earned in these courses may be included in the student's official program at the discretion of the Graduate Advisor.
G. Additional 400 and 500 level science courses (excluding CHEM 595) approved by the Graduate Advisor. These courses may also include CHEM 371B.
Changes in the above pattern of course requirements may be made only at the discretion of the Graduate Studies Committee and the Graduate Advisor subject to approval by the Associate Dean for Graduate Accountability and the Dean of Graduate Studies.
3. Completion of a written thesis acceptable to the members of the thesis committee and a public presentation of the thesis research. The public presentation must be completed before the thesis is signed by the committee members.

Changes in the above pattern of course requirements may be made only at the discretion of the Graduate Studies Committee and the Graduate Advisor subject to approval by the Associate Dean for Graduate Accountability and Dean of Graduate Studies.