The Department of Chemistry and Physics provides an undergraduate program designed to train students as professional chemists, with American Chemical Society certification, and professional physicists qualified to obtain employment in industry, education or to enter postgraduate programs in professional or academic areas. The department also provides service courses for sciences, engineering, pre-health sciences, pre-professional, education and non-technical majors. The Master of Science program in Chemistry prepares students for advanced graduate studies or entry into industrial or educational positions.
The department mission is to:
1. Ensure quality instruction as a primary focus for students
2. Provide a positive learning environment for students
3. Promote scholarship by mentoring students
4. Maintain a faculty of teacher scholars
The Department offers programs leading to B.S. and B.A. degrees in chemistry and the B.S. degree in physics, the B.S. in forensic chemistry and the B.A. in biochemistry. In addition, the department offers pre-professional programs to prepare students for entrance into various professional programs such as medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and pharmacy. The chemistry and physics department has active research programs in several areas including environmental chemiostry, biochemistry, surface chemistry, computational chemistry, materials sciences, polymer chemistry, transition metal coordination chemistry, molecular spectroscopy, organic reaction machanisms and nuclear physics. Undergraduate students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to participate in one or more of these programs.
For details concerning pre-medicine, pre-dental and other pre-professional programs leading to professions in medicine, consult the College of Arts and Sciences section of this bulletin.
Students wishing to teach chemistry, physics or integrated chemistry and physics in Texas public schools should consult with the department chair for detailed information.
Minimum Math Requirements for Chemistry Courses
CHEM 1421: noneThe degree of Bachelor of Science in Chemistry will be awarded upon completion of the following requirements.
*American Chemical Society approved degree plan. A grade of “C” or better is required in core chemistry courses (CHEM 1411, 1412, 3401, 3331, 3411, 3412, 4311, 4312, 4341, 4411)
Suggested Program of Study
(Bachelor of Science – Chemistry)* – Total Min. Hours: 121
The degree of Bachelor of Science in Chemistry will be awarded after the completion of the following requirements:
Suggested Program of Study
(Bachelor of Science – Chemistry)* – Total Min. Hours: 130
Biochemistry Option
The following is a recommended program of study for completion of the degree plan in the minimum semester hours with the specified option. Additional requirements may be required for specialized areas, i.e. certain minor requirements, preparation for graduate school, certifications or licensures. Please see a program advisor or the department chair for details.
The degree of Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry will be awarded after the completion of the following requirements.
Suggested Program of Study
(Bachelor of Arts – Chemistry) – Total Min. Hours: 122
The Bachelor of Arts degree in biochemistry will be awarded after the completion of the following requirements.
Suggested Program of Study
(Bachelor of Arts – Biochemistry option) – Total Min. Hours: 121
Suggested Program of Study
(Bachelor of Science – Biology & Chemistry) – Total Min. Hours: 146
The Bachelor of Science degree in Forensic Chemistry will be awarded after the completion of the following requirements.
Suggested Program of Study
(Bachelor of Science – Forensic Chemistry) – Total Min. Hours: 128
A chemistry minor consists of at least 19 hours to include CHEM 1411, CHEM 1412, CHEM 3411 and two courses chosen from: CHEM 3331, CHEM 3401, CHEM 3412, CHEM 4411, CHEM 4481, or CHEM 4131 and CHEM 4311. To qualify for the minor a grade of no less than “C” must be obtained in each of the courses applied to the minor.
The Department of Chemistry and Physics offers a program of study leading to the Master of Science in Chemistry degree. Those seeking admission to this program must meet the general requirements as set forth in this catalog for admission to the College of Graduate Studies and must have a minimum GPA of 2.75 on the last 60 hours of undergraduate work or 2.50 on all undergraduate work.
In addition, the applicant must offer the substantial equivalent of the course in general chemistry, inorganic chemistry, analytical chemistry, organic chemistry and physical chemistry required of undergraduate students in the chemistry curriculum. The applicant also must have completed one year of college physics and mathematics through integral calculus.
Degree RequirementsThe candidat for the M.S. degree in chemistry must meet all the College of Graduate Studies general degree requirements as listed in the catalog. Additional specific degree requirements are as follows:
Thesis Option
This option is strongly recommended for those who plan to continue graduate work beyond the mater's level. The thesis option requires a minimum of 30 hours to include:
Non-Thesis Option
This option is intended for those not seeking a higher degree.