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 hours. 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 hours. Prof. Marchetti and Schreiner.
CHEM 115: Introduction to College Chemistry - This
course is an introduction to college-level chemistry intended for students with limited high school exposure to chemistry. Topics will include a review of the mathematics of chemistry, the history of chemistry, an introduction to the periodic table and the properties of elements, gas laws, manipulation of chemical equations, stoichiometric calculations, acid/base chemistry, and other topics. In the lab, students will be introduced to basic safety procedures in the chemistry laboratory and master the laboratory skills needed for more advanced chemistry courses. Both the lecture and lab will be iPad-based; students may purchase their own iPad or use a departmental unit. Prerequisites: instructor permission only. All students intending to enroll in chemistry must take a placement exam in order to gain entrance into the appropriate course. Contact the department chair to arrange to take the placement examination. Four hours. Marchetti.
CHEM 116: What's Cooking - This course is intended to introduce students to the chemical nature of foods and the chemical and physical transformations that occur during the preparation and cooking of those foods. Potential topics to be investigated, both in class and in the laboratory, include the action of leavening agents in the rising of doughs and batters; the preparation and chemistry of mayonnaise and other colloidal foods; the nature of cocoa and chocolate and how they are produced; the processes occurring during the preparation of ice cream; the chemistry and microbiology of food spoilage and contamination, and how foods may be safely prepared and stored; and the relative advantages and disadvantages of different sources of heat and of different cooking utensil materials used in cooking. Four hours. Staff.
CHEM 117:
Drugs and the Body - From cocaine, marijuana, and meth to aspirin, caffeine, and alcohol, drugs (both legal and illegal) permeate today's society. In this course, intended for non-science majors, students will learn about what drugs are, where they come from and how they are made through an integrated lecture and laboratory. In addition, students will learn about drug testing and what happens to a drug in the human body. Offered alternate years. Four hours. Prof. Green
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 hours. 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 hours. Prof. Moores
CHEM 160: Chemistry of Winemaking – Students will become familiar with the various systems of classification of wine and develop an understanding of the grape plant, its variety, and taxonomy. The course will include detailed coverage of the production of wine from vine planting and vineyard care to harvesting, fermentation, bottling, aging, and shipping. In addition, students will learn the chemical mechanisms behind the fermentation of natural substances to produce ethanol, as well as the analytical instrumentation used in the quality control, verification, and identification of wines from around the world. The travel portion of the course will include tours
of wineries, visits to departments of enology and viticulture at research universities, visits to wine laboratories, and hands-on experience in winemaking. Offered during J-term. Four hours. Schreiner and Marchetti.
CHEM 175: Principles of Chemistry - Principles of chemistry is for students who plan to take additional courses in chemistry. The course is an introduction to the chemist's description and use of light and matter in the context of larger issues such as for example astronomy, the greenhouse effect, and fats in our diet. Specific topics include the interaction of light and matter (spectroscopy), the structure of the atom and the atomic structure of matter, chemical bonds and intermolecular forces, and chemical descriptions of color and solubility, solution phenomena, thermodynamics, chemical equilibria, and kinetics. Prerequisites: CHEM 115 or
placement into the course. All students intending to enroll in chemistry must take a placement exam in
order to gain entrance into the appropriate course. Contact the department chair to arrange to take the
placement examination. Four hours. Schreiner.
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 hours. 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. One hour of lecture per week. One semester hour. Staff.
CHEM 121-122: General 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, Marchetti, Michelesen, and Schreiner.
CHEM 200: Basic Inorganic Chemistry – This course presents the topics of nuclear chemistry, atomic structure, multielectron
atoms and bonding, periodicity, the chemistry of ionic compounds, generalized acid-base theories, kinetics, thermodynamics, and transition metal chemistry. All of these topics are presented in the context of both historical and contemporary applications. The laboratory includes experiments used in inorganic synthesis directly related to topics covered in lecture, including an introduction to molecular modeling, spectroscopic methods of characterization, and classical methods of analysis. Prerequiste: It is recommended that only science majors enroll in this course. Two years of high school mathematics, one year of high school chemistry (two recommended) are helpful. Four hours. Prof. 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: CHEM 122, 200, or 201. CHEM 221 is a prerequisite for CHEM 222. Three hours of lecture and three hours of lab per week. Four hours each. Professor Thoburn.
Courses for Chemistry Majors/Minors:
CHEM 201: 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: CHEM 122. Four hours.
Prof. Marchetti.
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: Permission of the instructor. Staff.
CHEM 311: Introduction to 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. Topics considered include chemical thermodynamics, including its application to thermochemistry, phase equilibria, and colligative properties; the kinetic theory of gases; chemical kinetics, including the treatment of rate data and the theory of rate processes; and an introduction to spectroscopy. Three hours of lecture and one three-hour laboratory session per week. Prerequisites: CHEM 122 or 200, MATH 132 or 142, and PHYS 151. Four hours. Michelsen.
CHEM 312: Advanced 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. Topics covered include statistical thermodynamics as applied to chemical systems; molecular symmetry and quantum theory as applied to the spectroscopy and structure of atoms and molecules; and advanced topics of interest. Prerequisites: CHEM 311 and PHYS 152. Three hours. Michelsen.
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: CHEM 222 and PHYS 152. Offered in alternate years. Three hours. Prof. Marchetti.
CHEM 335: Forensic Chemistry – This course consists of an overview of Forensic chemistry and its application to criminal and civil cases. Topics covered will include the history of forensic science, statistical data analysis, instrumentation, drugs and pharmacology, chemical analysis of physical evidence, the chemistry of polymers, and analysis of plastic products. This course includes a laboratory portion where forensic techniques will be utilized, with an emphasis on real-life forensic cases. Prerequisites: CHEM 122 or 200 and CHEM 222 are required. Four hours. Marchetti.
CHEM 340: Introduction to Laboratory Research – This course is designed to introduce chemistry students to the principles and techniques of chemistry research through class work, seminars and experimental work. Topics covered include chemical literature searching, laboratory report writing, research proposal writing, oral presentation, experimental design, the principles of laboratory safety, scientific ethics, and scientific career options. Experimental projects will be drawn from a variety of applications of chemistry. Students will be expected to demonstrate their understanding of the work done through performance in lab, analysis of data, and written and oral laboratory reports. Students will attend seminars by guest speakers that highlight chemistry in industry, law, medicine, forensics, and other areas. Students will plan their capstone project in conjunction with a faculty mentor by preparing a research proposal. This course is a prerequisite to CHEM 495 and CHEM 496. This course should be taken concurrently with CHEM 222, preferably in the sophomore year. Prerequisite: CHEM 221. Three hours. Staff.
CHEM 400: Chemical Internship - TThis 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: departmental approval. Offered as needed during January term. Enrollment is limited. Application required; see Internship Program. Three hours. 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. Prerequisite: departmental approval. Offered as needed during January term. Three hours. 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, and structure-activity relationships. Students are expected to obtain an understanding of the structural features of drugs which 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. Prerequisite: CHEM 222. Introductory biology is helpful, but not required. Offered alternate years. Three hours. Green.
CHEM 403: Polymer and Material Science – This course provides an in-depth study of the chemistry behind polymeric materials. The course will focus on an in-depth examination of various polymers and ceramics, including reaction mechanisms, structural variations, energy of formation, and methods of characterization. Students will learn to perform various statistical and kinetic calculations in relation to polymer formation. Students will also learn the chemical basis behind the physical properties of polymers and the engineering methods used to test such factors. Prerequisites: CHEM 222, MATH 132 or 142. Recommended: CHEM 311- 312. Three hours. Marchetti.
CHEM 405: Advanced Inorganic Chemistry - 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. Applications to organometallic chemistry and bioinorganic chemistry will be introduced. Prerequisite: CHEM 312 or permission of the instructor. Offered alternate years. Three hours. Schreiner.
CHEM 406: Introduction to Organometallic Chemistry – A study of the basic principles of the organometallic chemistry
of d-block elements. Topics include a survey of the properties and reactions of organometallic complexes and applications of organotransition metal compounds in catalysis, organic synthesis, bioinorganic chemistry, and medicinal chemistry. Lectures will be supplemented by discussions of current literature in the field. Prerequisite: CHEM 222. Three hours. Schreiner.
407 – Biochemistry I – An in-depth study of the chemistry of living systems.Amajor theme of the course will be the relationship between molecular structure, function, and regulation. Topics to be covered will include: structures of amino acids, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids; protein folding; enzymes, enzyme kinetics, and regulation; protein-ligand interactions; multivalent interactions. Prerequisite: CHEM 222. The laboratory portion of the course will focus on techniques in protein chemistry such as expression, purification, identification, manipulation, and enzyme kinetics. Introductory biology is helpful, but not required. Four hours. Green.
408 – Biochemistry II – A continuation of the in-depth study of the chemistry of living systems.A major theme of the course will be the relationship between molecular structure, function, and regulation. Topics to be covered will include: degradative and synthetic metabolic pathways of various classes of molecules; synthesis of nucleic acids and proteins; expression of genetic information. The laboratory portion of the course will focus on techniques of nucleic acid manipulation and advanced protein techniques. Prerequisite: CHEM 407. Three hours of lecture and three hours of lab per week. Four hours. Green.
495: Chemistry Capstone – 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. Nine hours of lab per week. Three hours. Prerequisite: CHEM340. Three hours. Staff.
496-498: Senior Project – The purpose of this sequence is to allow qualified students to carry out original experimental work. Considerable self-discipline, diligence, and ingenuity on the part of the student 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 which 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 nine 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. Prerequisites: CHEM 340 and departmental approval. Six hours. Staff.