Friday, April 10, 2009

Requirements For A Bachelor'S Degree In Chemistry

This student is conducting an experiment in a chemistry class.


The Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry requires both a specialized knowledge in that area, as well as a familiarity in fields as wide-ranging as philosophy and composition. Each university stipulates how broad your education will be, with some outlining a dozen courses outside your major and others suggesting few or none. Within each university, each chemistry department will also require some courses that might be outside the limits of the major.








Science Courses


The foundation of a degree in chemistry includes courses in organic and inorganic chemistry, biology and physics. Each program spreads the courses around each area in a unique way, but knowledge and familiarity with each field will be necessary to graduate with the degree. These courses often require some basic knowledge taken from high school or previous college courses. As a chemistry major, you will probably have to take seven courses strictly in that department.


Advanced Mathematics








As part of the curriculum for a Bachelor of Science degree, a school often stipulates the need for an advanced course in mathematics. Farleigh Dickinson University's Chemistry Department, for example, allows this coursework to be one three-credit course of either Calculus III or Applied Statistics for Scientists. Each program sets a different expectation for graduates, however, and some students might be able to substitute credit from high school or transfer work.


Other Requirements


A minimum GPA in the major is set around 2.5 but varies depending on the program. Some universities, often those with a liberal arts tradition, also require coursework in the humanities, such as a course in philosophy or world literature. Additionally, other B.S. programs, like the one at Farleighn Dickinson, require their chemistry students to take one three-hour course in "ethical and moral analyses" in either the philosophy or other departments. Also, some departments offer the opportunity to write an honors thesis or other independent project.

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