Courses intended for non-science majors
Courses intended for members of the Collegiate Honors Program
Courses intended for students majoring in chemistry and the sciences (or intending to enter a Health Profession)
Additional courses intended for students majoring or minoring in chemistry
Courses Intended for Non-Science Majors:
IDIS 150: Science in the Movies: From Frankenstein to Star Wars - Science-fiction films have an enduring popularity, perhaps because they often reflect both the dreams and the anxieties which the public has about science. Whether the science is good or bad, this type of film often attracts scientists as well as the general public. This course focuses on scientific principles and ethical issues in science-fiction films. Students will view a series of movies that have themes related to astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer science, physics, and psychology. Some of these themes are: artificial intelligence, alien life forms, behavior modification, evolution, robotics, and space travel. A combination of lecture and discussion pertaining to its scientific content will follow each film. Experiments in the laboratory explore some elementary scientific phenomena related to the films. IDIS 150 may be combined with either a physical or life science laboratory course to satisfy the collegiate requirement in laboratory science. One three-hour laboratory period per week. Four credits. Prof. Schreiner
CHEM 111: Chemistry for the Citizen - This course, intended for non-science majors, uses familiar topics to introduce chemical concepts. The module, "Can we Find a Cure for AIDS?" discusses the problem of why and how AIDS is spread as well as background on the disease itself, and focuses on organic chemistry principles. The module "The Art of Faking It" discusses the chemistry behind forgery, particulary art forgery. Various specroscopic techniques will be discussed and inorganic chemistry is introduced. The final module, "Rock Climbing, Kayaking, and Cycling: The Chemistry of Outdoor Sports," explores the world of polymer chemistry by taking an in-depth look at the materials which are used outdoor sporting equipment. Four credits. Prof. Marchetti and Schreiner.
CHEM 125: Chemistry and Crime: From Sherlock Holmes to Today's Courtroom - In this course the student will acquire an understanding of the methods and techniques used in crime detection. Topics as diverse as microscopy, toxicology, serology, fingerprinting, and document and voice examination, as well as arson and explosives investigation will be examined. Extensive use of case studies will be made, emphasizing the role that the forensic scientist played in the detection and solution of the crime. May be used in partial fulfillment of the collegiate laboratory science requirement, in combination with one semester of a life science or one semester of an interdisciplinary science. Three hours of lecture and one three-hour laboratory. Four credits. Can also be taken without laboratory for three credit hours. However, the course without laboratory does not satisfy the collegiate laboratory science requirement. Prof. Marchetti
CHEM 130: Environmental Chemistry - This course will provide students with an interdisciplinary understanding of the chemical processes that govern environmental phenomena including "global warming", the "ozone hole," and "biomass conversion". Students will also investigate public policy surrounding these issues, as well as the relationship of these issues to physics, biology, and environmental science. May be used in partial fulfillment of the collegiate laboratory science requirement in combination with one semester of a life science or one semester of an interdisciplinary science. Three hours of lecture and one three-hour laboratory session per week. Offered alternate years. Four credits. Prof. Moores
Courses for Members of the Collegiate Honors Program:
HONR 193: Better Living with Chemistry- It has been stated that "the most tangible way in which science, especially chemistry, can be concerned with the well-being of society is its use in the maintenance and improvement of the fabric of society". This course was designed to introduce some of the fundamental principles of chemistry and chemical technology, and apply them to a number of specialized fields of chemistry. We will explore aspects of environmental and polymer chemistry, as well as forensic and materials science. In particular, we will focus on how the development of chemical technology affects our lives on a daily basis. While the scientific and technological background will allow us to analyze some interesting areas of chemistry, it is hoped that the course will instill an appreciation for chemistry as a discipline intimately related to one's life, and for science in general, as an open-ended field of study through which one can understand everything from nutrition to nuclear energy. This course will partially satisfy the collegiate requirement in the laboratory sciences. Four credits. Staff
Courses for Science Majors and Pre-Health Profession Students:
CHEM 100: Introduction to Health Professions - This course is designed to introduce students to both medical and paramedical professions. Over a one-semester period of time, students will hear from experts in many of the major areas of medicine, surveying requisites to entry, current lifestyle and average pay within each field, and future potential of each specialty area. Included in this survey will be information on how to gain exposure to different areas of the medical professions (internships, volunteering, etc.), where to apply, and an introduction to the application process. This course is taught by a local physician. One hour of lecture per week. One semester hour. Dr. Wortham
CHEM 121-122: College Chemistry - This two-semester lecture and lab sequence is designed to prepare science majors for an in-depth study of the fundamental principles of chemistry. In the fall semester concepts of structure and composition of matter (the atomic model and the periodicity model)and bonding (models for ionic and covalent compounds) are introduced. In the spring semester concepts in equilibrium and dynamics will be presented: the kinetic-molecular theory of gases; the kinetic theory of liquids; chemical reaction equilibrium; thermochemistry, entropy and free energy; rates, extent, and types of chemical reactions will be covered. Chemistry 121 is a prerequisite for Chemistry 122. Chemistry 121 may be used in partial fulfillment of the collegiate laboratory science requirement, in combination with one semester of a life science or one semester of an interdisciplinary science. Chemistry 122 is required for an A.C.S. approved degree. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Three hours of lecture and three hours of lab per week. Four hours each. Profs. Green and Schreiner
CHEM 221-222: Organic Chemistry - Completion of this sequence satisfies a requirement for chemistry minors, chemistry and biology majors, and premedical and predental students. Fundamental facts, theories, and nomenclature of organic compounds and their reactions are discussed. Students are required to study and understand such topics as structural theory, stereochemistry, reaction rate theory, and reaction mechanisms, as applied to basic physical, chemical, and spectroscopic properties of aliphatic, alicyclic, and aromatic hydrocarbons, mono-, di-, and polyfunctional compounds, including some natural products and biomolecules. Computer aided molecular design is used extensively throughout the course. Laboratory assignments are designed to teach techniques and theoretical concepts involved in separation, isolation, purification, and identification of organic compounds in carrying out organic reactions and the synthesis of organic materials. Most of the information covered in this course is prerequisite to biochemistry, medicinal chemistry, other advanced chemistry, and some biology courses. Prerequisite: Chemistry 122. Chemistry 221 is a prerequisite for Chemistry 222. Three hours of lecture and three hours of lab per week. Four hours each. Professor Thoburn.
Courses for Chemistry Majors/Minors:
CHEM 251-252, CHEM 351-352: Directed Study in Chemistry - These courses are designed for students wishing to work on a research project prior to the senior year. Interested students may select a project in consultation with a faculty member and work under his/her supervision. Permission from a chemistry faculty member is required. The student is required to spend at least three hours per week in the laboratory. Prerequisites: Chemistry 122. Corequisite for Chem. 251-252: Chem. 221-222. One semester hour. Staff
CHEM 311-312: Physical Chemistry - Application of the laws of physics to chemical phenomena will be examined. An attempt is made to provide a theoretical foundation for the study of the other disciplines of chemistry, and applications are drawn from these disciplines whenever possible. Topics considered include chemical thermodynamics, including its application to thermochemistry, phase equilibria, electrochemistry and surface chemistry; the kinetic theory of gases and statistical mechanics as applied to chemical systems; chemical kinetics, including the treatment of rate data and the theory of rate processes; quantum theory as applied to the spectra and structure of atoms and molecules; and the elements of crystallography. Prerequisites: Chemistry 121-122, Physics 152, and Mathematics 132 or 142. Chemistry 311 is a prerequisite for Chemistry 312. Three credits. Prof. Moores
CHEM 321: Quantitative Chemical Analysis - This course presents the theory and techniques necessary for quantitative analysis of chemical systems at equilibrium. Topics covered will include volumetric and gravimetric analysis, acid-base chemistry, electrochemistry, spectrophotometry and chromatography. Laboratory investigations will involve wet chemical methods and introductory instrumental techniques to analyze quantitatively the components of complex mixtures and statistical methods to interpret the analytical results. Three hours of lecture and three hours of lab per week. Prerequisites: Chemistry 122 and 122L, Physics 151 (corequisite), or consent of the instructor. Offered in alternate years. Four hours. Prof. Marchetti.
CHEM 322: Instrumental Methods of Analysis - In this course the student will acquire an understanding of the fundamental principles upon which modern measuring devices are based, the kinds of information an instrument can contribute to a chemical analysis and how to interface the instruments to a computer both for instrumental control and for data acquisition. Among the methods studied will be UV/visible, fluorescence, IR, NMR and AA spectrosocpy, mass spectrometry, gas and high pressure liquid chromatography, thermal methods (DSC and TGA). Three lectures per week. Prerequisites: Chemistry 311, 321, 321L, Physics 102 or 112 and 122L (corequisites). Three credits. Prof. Marchetti.
CHEM 325: Introduction to Research - This course is designed to introduce chemistry students to the principles and techniques of chemical research. Topics covered include chemical literature searching, research proposal writing, oral presentation, experimental design, the principles of laboratory safety, and scientific ethics. This course, which is offered only in the spring term, serves as a prerequisite to Chem. 497, and is open only to second-semester juniors. One semester hour. Staff.
CHEM 341L - 342L: Advanced Chemistry Laboratory I and II: Synthesis and Separation - An introduction to the synthesis and separation of various classes of compounds. Experimental projects will be drawn from diverse areas of chemical compounds: organometallics, polymers, bioorganic and bioinorganic compounds, etc. Numerous separatory techniques (recrystallization, fractional distillation, and chromatography, etc.) will be introduced as needed in the lab. Students will be expected to demonstrate their understanding of the work done through performance in lab, preparation of written laboratory reports, and oral presentations in class. Prerequisites: Chemistry 222. One three-hour laboratory per week. One semester hour. Staff
CHEM 400: Chemical Internship - This course is designed to introduce chemistry majors who express an interest in pursuing a career in chemistry to industrial and institutional research and development. Each student will spend four weeks (five days per week) in an industrial or institutional scientific laboratory. Actual work performed will be determined by on-site supervisors. Prerequisites: Chemistry 121-122 , 221-222, 311, 341 or 342, 321, a quality point average of 3.00 in all chemistry courses, and departmental approval. Offered only during the January Term. Enrollment is limited. Three credits. Staff
CHEM 401: Advanced Experimental Chemistry - A student who wishes to work on a research project for eight hours per day, five days per week, for four weeks during the January term will have the opportunity to do so in this course. Daily logs, weekly reports, and a final report must be written to the satisfaction of a faculty supervisor. Offered only during the January Term. Prerequisites: Chemistry 121-122, 221-222, 321, 311 and 341 or 342. Three credits. Staff
CHEM 402: Medicinal Chemistry - This course is offered for those students who want to pursue a career in some area of the health-related sciences. It should be of interest to both chemistry and biology majors. Studies are made of the chemical structures of drugs and their direct influence on pharmacological activity. Many classifications of drugs are covered, and emphasis is placed on structures, mechanisms of action, syntheses, and structure-activity relationships. Students are expected to obtain an understanding of the structural features of drugs that cause them to produce various types of biological responses. This basic understanding will support further studies in such fields as medicine, dentistry, biochemistry, or pharmaceutical chemistry. Three hours of lecture each week. Prerequisite: Chemistry 221-222 or permission of the instructor. Three credits. Prof. Green.
CHEM 405: Inorganic Chemistry - This course offers chemistry majors an in-depth study of the fundamental principles of inorganic chemistry. Topics such as bonding, molecular geometry, and the chemical reactions of ionic, covalent, and metallic substances will be discussed. Concepts of acid-base chemistry (Bronsted-Lowry, Lewis, Drago, and Lux-Flood systems) will be examined. The student will study the synthesis, structure, properties, and periodic trends of the main-group elements as well as the coordination chemistry and descriptive chemistry, bonding, spectroscopy, thermodynamics, kinetics, and structure of the compounds of the transition elements. As time permits, applications to organometallic chemistry and bioinorganic chemistry will be introduced. Three hours of lecture each week. This course is required for an A.C.S. approved degree. Prerequisite: Chemistry 311 or 321 or consent of the instructor. Three credits. Prof. Schreiner
CHEM 407-408: Biochemistry - An in-depth study of the chemistry of living systems. Topics to be covered will include: structures of amino acids, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, nucleic acids; protein folding and function; membrane structure and transport; hormones and receptors; kinetics, mechanisms, and regulation of enzymes; degradative and synthetic metabolic pathways of various classes of molecules; synthesis of nucleic acids and proteins; expression of genetic information. A major theme of the class will be the relationships between molecular structure, function, and regulation. Three hours of lecture each week. Chemistry 407 is required for an ACS approved degree. Prerequisites: Chemistry 221-222; introductory biology is helpful but is not required. Chemistry 407 is a prerequisite for Chemistry 408. Three credits. Prof. Green.
CHEM 415: Chemistry Seminar - This course serves to present chemistry and the chemist in a variety of contexts. Lectures given by students and guest speakers describe recent chemical research, discuss chemists' participation in industry, law, medicine, and other areas, and emphasize written and oral communication of technical information. Senior standing required. One semester hour. Speaking intensive. Staff.
CHEM 441L: Advanced Chemistry Laboratory III: Analysis and Characterization - An introduction to the molecular characterization of various classes of compounds. Experimental projects will be drawn from diverse areas of chemistry: organometallics, polymer, bioorganic, bioinorganic, etc. Numerous analytical techniques (for example spectroscopic, electrochemical, or calorimetric) will be used as needed in lab. Students will be expected to demonstrate their understanding of the work done through performance in lab, preparation of written laboratory reports, and oral presentations in class. One three-hour laboratory per week. One semester hour. Offered only in the fall term. Prerequisites: Chemistry 222 and 342 or consent of the instructor. Prof. Schreiner.
CHEM 442: Advanced Chemistry Laboratory IV: Exploration and Discovery - A synthesis of Chem 341-342 and Chem. 441. Students participating in this course will select and carry out a research project covering an area of current chemical investigation. The project may be selected from the traditional areas of chemistry (inorganic, organic, analytical, physical, or biochemistry) or from an interface between these areas. An oral presentation and a final report must be given at the conclusion of the course. One three-hour laboratory period per week. One semester hour. Offered only in the spring term. Prerequisites: Chemistry 325 and Chemistry 441. Staff
CHEM 497-498: Senior Project - The purpose of this sequence is to allow qualified students to carry out original experimental work within a research atmosphere. Considerable self-discipline, diligence, and ingenuity on the part of the students are necessary. Students may spend the entire period working on a research project of their own choice, upon approval and under the guidance of the departmental faculty, or on projects designed by and of interest to individual faculty members. In either case, students may be required to use techniques and apparatus that may not have been available to them in other courses. They will be expected to plan and carry out their work on their own initiative to the satisfaction of the faculty member directly involved and of the department. A written thesis and several oral presentations are required. The equivalent of six hours of laboratory work per week, in addition to time required for library research and thesis preparation, is expected of each student who enrolls in this sequence. The ultimate goal of this training is to impart to each student self-reliance and confidence concerning laboratory research. All qualified students who intend to pursue graduate work in chemistry are urged to enroll in this sequence. It is required for an A.C.S. approved degree. Prerequisites: Chemistry 325 and Departmental approval. Three credits. Staff