Undergraduate Program

College of Arts and Sciences and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology Undergraduate Admission Requirements

A minimum of 26 credit hours; 23 credit hours must be in courses acceptable toward graduation.

A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.00 on all work.

  • Transfer students must have a 2.00 transfer GPA.
  • Continuing UNM students must have a 2.00 institutional GPA.

Demonstrated academic achievement by satisfying the following:

  • Completion of the University Writing and Speaking Core.
  • Completion of the University Mathematics Core.
  • Completion of the University Foreign Language Core.

Completion of Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology admission course work with grades of "C" or better:

  • CHEM 122 or 132.
  • MATH 161 or 180.

Degrees Offered

  • Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry (B.A.)
  • Bachelor of Science in Chemistry (B.S.)

Major Study Requirements

Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry:

  • CHEM 121, 123L, 122, 124L, 253L, **301, **302, 303L, 304L, **315, and sufficient elective credit hours to bring the total to 31 credit hours. Electives must be selected from the following courses: CHEM 421, 425, *431, 471, 495-496 (no more than 2 credit hours in 495-496).
  • PHYC 151, 151L, 152, 152L and MATH 162 and 163. Those students who previously majored in a field requiring MATH 180 and 181 and then switched to the B.A. program in Chemistry may substitute that sequence for MATH 162 and 163 with the permission of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology Chairperson. If the substitution is approved, the student must also take an additional 3 credit hours of Mathematics in a course approved by the Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department Chairperson.

Bachelor of Science in Chemistry:

  • CHEM 121, 123L, 122, 124L, 253L, **301, **302, 303L, 304L, **311, **312, 411L, *431, 453L, and at least 7 additional credit hours selected from courses numbered CHEM 325-498 (at least 3 of the 7 credit hours must be a laboratory course). Up to 3 credit hours of CHEM 495-498 or 2 credit hours of 495-498 and 1 credit hour of 325-326 may be counted toward the B.S. degree.
  • PHYC 160, 160L, 161, 161L, mathematics equivalent to MATH 264 and one course from MATH 311-316. 

Notes:

  • The program of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology conforms to the standards prescribed by the American Chemical Society.
  • CHEM 131 and 123L may be substituted for CHEM 121 and 123L, and 132 and 124L may be substituted for CHEM 122 and 124L.
  • Physics and mathematics courses required for the B.A. or B.S. degree may not be taken on the CR/NC grade option.
  • If changing from a B.A. to a B.S., students are required to complete MATH 162 and MATH 163 and PHYC 160, 160L, 161, 161L. 
  • Students wishing to have their B.S. degree certified by the American Chemical Society (ACS) must include CHEM 421 and 3 credit hours of research in their 6 credit hours of electives.

Distributed Minor for Chemistry Majors (B.S.)

In lieu of a specific minor, a student in the B.S. program may obtain a distributed minor. 

Requirements:

  • Completion of the Chemistry B.S. requirements.
  • One additional course from MATH 311, **314 or **316.
  • ENGL 219.

No distributed minors are allowed for B.A. majors.


Minor Study Requirements 

20 credit hours in Chemistry to include: CHEM 121, 122, 123L, 124L, 253L, **301, **302, 303L, 304L.

Any deviation from the requirements prescribed above must be approved in writing.


Departmental Honors

The student enters the program at the beginning of the junior year. At this time the student's grade point average must be at least 3.20 overall and 3.50 in Chemistry. This minimum must be maintained throughout the junior and senior years. Course requirements for graduation with honors are as follows: 121, 122, 123L, 124L, or (131 and 123L, 132 and 124L), 253L, **301, **302, 303L, 304L, **311, **312, 411L, 421, *431, 432L, 453L, and 7 credit hours of additional courses from 325-498, including at least 3 credit hours of 497-498. A senior honors thesis is written based on the senior honors research and submitted to the faculty. An oral presentation is also be made in a departmental or divisional seminar. Honors students also take the Graduate Record Examination Advanced Test in Chemistry in their senior year and must obtain a satisfactory score.


Courses

CHEM 101. Chemistry in Our Community. (3)



CHEM 111. Elements of General Chemistry. (4)



CHEM 115. Preparation for Chemistry. (2)



CHEM 120. Foundations of Chemistry. (3)



CHEM 121. General Chemistry I. (3)



CHEM 122. General Chemistry II. (3)



CHEM 123L. General Chemistry I Laboratory. (1)



CHEM 124L. General Chemistry II Laboratory. (1)



CHEM 131. Principles of Chemistry. (3)



CHEM 132. Principles of Chemistry. (3)



CHEM 192. Topics. (1-3, no limit Δ)



CHEM 212. Integrated Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry. (4)



CHEM 253L. Quantitative Analysis. (4)



CHEM **301. Organic Chemistry. (3)



CHEM **302. Organic Chemistry. (3)



CHEM 303L. Organic Chemistry Laboratory. (1)



CHEM 304L. Organic Chemistry Laboratory. (1)



CHEM **311. Physical Chemistry. (3)



CHEM **312. Physical Chemistry. (3)



CHEM **315. Introductory Physical Chemistry. (4)



CHEM **325. Special Topics for Undergraduates. (1-3, may be repeated once Δ)



CHEM **326. Special Topics for Undergraduates. (1-3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)



CHEM **391. Readings in Selected Topics. (1-3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)



CHEM **392. Readings in Selected Topics. (1-3, may be repeated once Δ)



CHEM 411L. Laboratory Methods In Physical Chemistry. (3)



CHEM 412. Advanced Physical Chemistry. (3)



CHEM 421. Biological Chemistry. (3)



CHEM 425. Organic Chemistry of Biological Pathways. (3)



CHEM *431. Advanced Inorganic Chemistry. (3)



CHEM 432L. Advanced Synthetic Chemistry Laboratory. (3)



CHEM 452. Polymer Chemistry. (3)



CHEM 453L. Analytical Instrumentation: Theory and Application. (4)



CHEM 457. Environmental Chemistry. (3)



CHEM 468. Chemistry and Physics at the Nanoscale. (3)



CHEM 469 / 569. Characterization Methods for Nanostructures. (3)



CHEM 471. Advanced Topics in Chemistry. (2-3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)



CHEM 495. Undergraduate Problems. (1-3)



CHEM 496. Undergraduate Problems. (1-3 to a maximum of 4 Δ)



CHEM 497. Senior Honors Research. (1-3 to a maximum of 4 Δ)



CHEM 498. Senior Honors Research. (1-3 to a maximum of 4 Δ)



CHEM *499. Chemistry Seminar-Research. (1 to a maximum of 2)



CHEM 500. Scientific Teaching in Chemistry. (1-3, no limit Δ)



CHEM 501. Molecular Structure Theory. (3)



CHEM 504. Chemical Dynamics. (3)



CHEM 511. Mechanisms in Organic Chemistry. (3)



CHEM 514. Synthesis in Organic Chemistry. (3)



CHEM 515. Topics in Organic Chemistry. (1-3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)



CHEM 516. Topics in Organic Chemistry. (1-3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)



CHEM 521. Biological Chemistry. (3)



CHEM 536. Synthesis and Mechanism in Inorganic Chemistry. (3)



CHEM 537. Topics in Inorganic Chemistry. (3 to a maximum of 9 Δ [1-3 to a maximum of 6 Δ])



CHEM 538. Topics in Inorganic Chemistry. (3 to a maximum of 9 Δ [1-3 to a maximum of 6 Δ])



CHEM 545. Topics in Analytical Chemistry. (3 to a maximum of 9 Δ)



CHEM 546. Topics in Analytical Chemistry. (3 to a maximum of 9 Δ [1-3 to a maximum of 6 Δ])



CHEM 567. Topics in Physical Chemistry. (3 to a maximum of 9 Δ [1-3 to a maximum of 6 Δ])



CHEM 568. Chemistry and Physics at the Nanoscale. (3)



CHEM 569 / 469. Characterization Methods for Nanostructures. (3)



CHEM 587. Advanced Topics in Biological Chemistry. (3 to a maximum of 9 Δ [1-3 to a maximum of 6 Δ])



CHEM 599. Master's Thesis. (1-6, no limit Δ)



CHEM 623. Research Colloquium. (1 to a maximum of 10 Δ)



CHEM 625. Chemistry Divisional Seminar. (1, no limit Δ)



CHEM 627. Chemistry Instrumentation Seminar. (1 to a maximum of 2 Δ)



CHEM 650. Research/Readings. (2-12, no limit Δ)



CHEM 699. Dissertation. (3-12, no limit Δ)



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