CURRICULUM

• Overview

• Admission requirements

• Major

• Minor

• Course List

• Research

• Recommended course schedule:

  • Capital Scholars

  • Capital Scholars Honors

  • Transfer Students

• UIS Course Schedule

• UIS Course Descriptions

• UIS Catalog

  
  
  

Bachelor of Science in Chemistry

A Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Chemistry requires 120 semester hours of coursework.

After completing required general education and program requirements, chemistry majors will have approximately 20 semester hours of general electives that may be taken in any academic program.

Some students elect to use these general elective hours to complete a minor in another field of interest.

Students wishing to major in chemistry should consult with an academic advisor upon admission to the university to make sure they are taking their required courses in the proper sequence.

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Three options are available for the Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry:

1. Chemistry
2. Chemistry with a biochemistry concentration
3. Chemistry with a Science of the Environment concentration

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ACS Certification

Certification by the American Chemical Society is optional for all degrees. Students who choose to be certified must take CHE 422 Inorganic Chemistry as a program elective.

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Biochemistry Concentration

The biochemistry concentration may be attractive to students seeking to attend medical school or to find careers in forensic science or biotechnology. Students who choose this option must take nine credit hours of courses for their electives:

• CHE 416 Biochemistry II
• One advanced biology course from
  
  1. BIO 311 Cell Biology,
  2. BIO 345 & 346 General Microbiology with Laboratory (both count as one advanced course), or
  3. BIO 381 Genetics
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The Science of the Environment Concentration (14-16 Hours)

Students who choose the Science of the Environment
concentration must take 14-16 credit hours of courses for
their electives:

Life Science Selection (4 hours)

Select one 4-hour course from the following options (BIO 345 and 346 must be taken
concurrently).
BIO 345 General Microbiology (3 Hrs.) and
BIO 346 General Microbiology Lab (1 Hr.) 4 Hrs.
BIO 371 Principles of Ecology 4 Hrs.
BIO 444 Aquatic Ecology 4 Hrs.
BIO 445 Biology of Water Pollution 4 Hrs.
BIO 446 Restoration Ecology 4 Hrs.
BIO 447 Global Change Ecology 4 Hrs.
BIO 462 Conservation Biology 4 Hrs.

Physical Science Selection (4 hours)

Select one 4-hour course from the following options.
CHE 431 Environmental Chemistry 4 Hrs.
ENS 463 Our Changing Climate 4 Hrs. *

ENS 468 Environmental Geology 4 Hrs.
*Students must take the 4-hour option of ENS 463 to meet concentration credit hour requirements.

Techniques Courses (7-8 hours)

Select two courses from the following options.
BIO 402 Biometrics 4 Hrs.
BIO 410 Modeling Biological Systems 4 Hrs.
CHE 418 Biomolecular Laboratory Methods 3 Hrs.
ENS 404 Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems 4 Hrs.
ENS 405 Fundamentals of Remote Sensing 4 Hrs.

Research Course (4 hours)

CHE 400 Undergraduate Research 4 Hrs. **
**This course should be completed in a collaborative research project that is ongoing between biology and chemistry faculty. Students should consult with their advisor about on-going projects.