Chemistry, Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
The curriculum in chemistry prepares students for graduate study in chemistry and related fields and for admission to schools of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and veterinary medicine. It prepares students to teach in secondary schools or to work in chemical and industrial laboratories and in related fields of business and industry. The department also offers required and elective courses in chemistry to students in other programs of study.
The Department of Chemistry offers five areas of concentration for completing the Bachelor of Science in Chemistry: chemical science, professional chemist, professional chemist with honors, biochemistry and chemical modeling. With proper selection of electives, the degree satisfies admission requirements to most schools of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and veterinary medicine.
Degree requirements – Bachelor of Science in Chemistry
Chemical science concentration
Professional chemist concentration
Professional chemist with honors concentration
Biochemistry concentration
Chemical modeling concentration
Advising notice
Transfer students
Degree requirements – Bachelor of Science in Chemistry
The required courses and their recommended sequences are given for each of the main degree concentrations (chemical science, professional chemist, professional chemist with honors, biochemistry and chemical modeling).
A grade of C or higher is required in each prerequisite course: CHEM 100 (if required through placement qualifiers), CHEM 101, CHEM 102, CHEM 301 and CHEM 302.
Chemical science concentration
(37 credits in chemistry and 16 to 18 credits of collateral requirements)
The chemical science concentration is tailored for the pre-professional study of the health sciences and other interdisciplinary areas where an emphasis on chemistry is sought. This concentration for the bachelor’s degree in chemistry permits students to select more courses from other disciplines. With fewer requirements in mathematics, physics and chemistry, this concentration is one option for students planning to study medicine or dentistry.
Freshman year
CHEM 101 and CHEZ 101 General Chemistry and Laboratory I *
CHEM 102 and CHEZ102 General Chemistry and Laboratory II
MATH 200 Calculus with Analytic Geometry**
MATH 201 Calculus with Analytic Geometry
Sophomore year
CHEM 301 and CHEZ 301 Organic Chemistry and Laboratory I
CHEM 302 and CHEZ 302 Organic Chemistry and Laboratory II
CHEM 309 and CHEZ 309 Quantitative Analysis and Laboratory
PHYS 207 University Physics I or 201 General Physics
PHYS 208 University Physics II or 202 General Physics
Junior year
CHEM 303 and CHEZ 303 Physical Chemistry and Laboratory I
CHEM 304 Physical Chemistry
CHEM 320 Inorganic Chemistry I
CHEM 398 Professional Practices and Perspectives Seminar
Junior/senior year
Approved chemistry electives (three credits minimum) selected from the following courses or any CHEM 500-level class for which prerequisites have been met:
CHEZ 304 Physical Chemistry Laboratory II
CHEM/EGRC 306 Industrial Applications of Inorganic Chemistry
CHEM/MEDC 310 Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Design
CHEM 401 Applications of Instrumental Techniques in Organic and Forensic Chemistry
CHEM 403 Biochemistry I or CHEM 404 Biochemistry II
CHEM 406 and CHEZ 406 Inorganic Chemistry II and Laboratory
CHEM 409 and CHEZ 409 Instrumental Analysis and Laboratory
CHEM 492 Independent Study
CHEM 493 Chemistry Internship
CHEM 510 Atomic and Molecular Structure
* Students’ readiness for CHEM 101 is determined by a satisfactory combination of math SAT score and high school GPA, including high school chemistry. CHEM 100 is offered for students who need further preparation and does not count toward the 37 credits needed for the chemistry degree.
** In preparation for MATH 200, all students must take the Mathematics Placement Test. Depending on the results, a student may be placed in the MATH 151 Precalculus Mathematics prior to enrolling in MATH 200. STAT 210 or 212 is required to meet the general education requirement in statistics.
Professional chemist concentration
(49 credits in chemistry and 21 credits of collateral requirements)
The professional chemist concentration requires a greater number of chemistry courses, and is designed for students whose future studies or career plans involve chemistry as a central theme. With the proper combination of courses, this degree can be certified as meeting the requirements of the American Chemical Society.
Freshman year
CHEM 101 and CHEZ 101 General Chemistry and Laboratory I*
CHEM 102 and CHEZ 102 General Chemistry and Laboratory II
MATH 200 Calculus with Analytic Geometry**
MATH 201 Calculus with Analytic Geometry
Sophomore year
CHEM 301 and CHEZ 301 Organic Chemistry and Laboratory I
CHEM 302 and CHEZ 302 Organic Chemistry and Laboratory II
CHEM 309 and CHEZ 309 Quantitative Analysis and Laboratory
MATH 307 Multivariate Calculus***
PHYS 207 University Physics I
PHYS 208 University Physics II
Junior year
CHEM 303 and CHEZ 303 Physical Chemistry and Laboratory I
CHEM 304 and CHEZ 304 Physical Chemistry and Laboratory II
CHEM 320 Inorganic Chemistry I
CHEM 398 Professional Practices and Perspectives Seminar
Junior/senior year
Approved chemistry electives; 13 credits minimum including at least two credits of laboratory selected from the following courses or any CHEM 500-level class for which the prerequisites have been met:
CHEM/EGRC 306 Industrial Applications of Inorganic Chemistry
CHEM/MEDC 310 Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Design
CHEM 401 Applications of Instrumental Techniques in Organic and Forensic Chemistry
CHEM 403 Biochemistry I
CHEM 404 Biochemistry II
CHEM 406 and CHEZ 406 Inorganic Chemistry II and Laboratory***
CHEM 409 and CHEZ 409 Instrumental Analysis and Laboratory***
CHEM 492 Independent Study
CHEM 493 Chemistry Internship
CHEM 510 Atomic and Molecular Structure
* Students’ readiness for CHEM 101 is determined by a satisfactory combination of math SAT score and high school GPA, including high school chemistry. CHEM 100 is offered for students who need further preparation and does not count toward the 49 credits needed for the chemistry degree.
** In preparation for MATH 200, all students must take the Mathematics Placement Test. Depending on the results, a student may be placed in the MATH 151 Precalculus Mathematics prior to enrolling in MATH 200.
*** Both of these courses are required to satisfy the requirements for the American Chemical Society certification of the professional chemist concentration. MATH 307 also is required for the American Chemical Society certification. Chemistry majors in the professional chemist concentration meet their statistics general education requirements by taking the required chemistry classes.
Professional chemist with honors concentration
(49 credits and 21 credits of collateral requirements)
The professional chemist with honors concentration is an intensive, research-based option for students interested in developing a research focus. This option requires a 3.0 GPA in chemistry to be maintained after completing eight credits of chemistry courses. As part of the requirement for completing this concentration, an honors thesis is written and the work is presented as a seminar in the Department of Chemistry. With the proper combination of courses, this degree can be certified as meeting the requirements of the American Chemical Society.
Freshman year
CHEM 101 and CHEZ 101 General Chemistry and Laboratory I*
CHEM 102 and CHEZ 102 General Chemistry and Laboratory II
MATH 200 Calculus with Analytic Geometry**
MATH 201 Calculus with Analytic Geometry
Sophomore year
CHEM 301 and CHEZ 301 Organic Chemistry and Laboratory I
CHEM 302 and CHEZ 302 Organic Chemistry and Laboratory II
CHEM 309 and CHEZ 309 Quantitative Analysis and Laboratory
MATH 307 Multivariate Calculus***
PHYS 207 University Physics I
PHYS 208 University Physics II
Junior year
CHEM 303 and CHEZ 303 Physical Chemistry and Laboratory I
CHEM 304 and CHEZ 304 Physical Chemistry and Laboratory II
CHEM 320 Inorganic Chemistry I
CHEM 398 Professional Practices and Perspectives Seminar
CHEM 492 Independent Study (at least two credits)
Approved elective (three credits minimum selected from the following list):
CHEM/EGRC 306 Industrial Applications of Inorganic Chemistry
CHEM/MEDC 310 Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Design
CHEM 401 Applications of Instrumental Techniques in Organic and Forensic Chemistry
CHEM 403 Biochemistry I
CHEM 404 Biochemistry II
Senior year
CHEM 492 Independent Study (minimum of four credits)
CHEM 498 Honors Thesis (minimum of one credit)
Approved elective (three credits minimum) selected from the following list:
CHEM/EGRC 306 Industrial Applications of Inorganic Chemistry
CHEM/MEDC 310 Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Design
CHEM 401 Applications of Instrumental Techniques in Organic and Forensic Chemistry
CHEM 403 Biochemistry I
CHEM 404 Biochemistry II
CHEM 406 and CHEZ 406 Inorganic Chemistry II and Laboratory***
CHEM 409 and CHEZ 409 Instrumental Analysis and Laboratory***
CHEM 493 Chemistry Internship
CHEM 510 Atomic and Molecular Structure
* Students’ readiness for CHEM 101 is determined by a satisfactory combination of math SAT score and high school GPA, including high school chemistry. CHEM 100 is offered for students who need further preparation and does not count toward the 49 credits needed for the chemistry degree.
** In preparation for MATH 200, all students must take the Mathematics Placement Test. Depending on the results, a student may be placed in the MATH 151 Precalculus Mathematics prior to enrolling in MATH 200.
*** Both of these courses are required to satisfy the requirements for the American Chemical Society certification of the professional chemist concentration. MATH 307 also is required for the American Chemical Society certification. Chemistry majors in the professional chemist concentration meet their statistics general education requirements by taking the required chemistry classes.
Biochemistry concentration
(43 credits in chemistry and related courses and 27 to 29 credits of collateral requirements)
The biochemistry concentration focuses on the biological aspects of chemistry, including molecular genetics and molecular biotechnology. This degree is another option for students planning to study medicine or dentistry.
Freshman year
BIOL 151 and BIOZ 151 Introduction to Biological Science and Laboratory I
BIOL 152 and BIOZ 152 Introduction to Biological Science and Laboratory II
CHEM 101 and CHEZ 101 General Chemistry and Laboratory I*
CHEM 102 and CHEZ 102 General Chemistry and Laboratory II
MATH 200 Calculus with Analytic Geometry**
MATH 201 Calculus with Analytic Geometry
Sophomore year
BIOL 218 Cell Biology or BIOL/FRSC 314 Introduction to Molecular Biology
CHEM 301 and CHEZ 301 Organic Chemistry and Laboratory I
CHEM 302 and CHEZ 302 Organic Chemistry and Laboratory II
CHEM 309 and CHEZ 309 Quantitative Analysis and Laboratory
PHYS 207 University Physics I or 201 General Physics
PHYS 208 University Physics II or 202 General Physics
Junior year
CHEM 303 and CHEZ 303 Physical Chemistry and Laboratory I
CHEM 304 Physical Chemistry
CHEM 320 Inorganic Chemistry I
CHEM 398 Professional Practices and Perspectives Seminar
Junior/senior year
CHEM 403 Biochemistry I
CHEM 404 Biochemistry II
Approved elective (three credits minimum) selected from:
BIOL 310 Genetics (note: prerequisite is BIOL 218)
CHEM/MEDC 310 Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Design
CHEM 406 Inorganic Chemistry II
CHEM 409 and CHEZ 409 Instrumental Analysis and Laboratory
CHEM 492 Independent Study
* Students’ readiness for CHEM 101 is determined by a satisfactory combination of math SAT score and high school GPA, including high school chemistry. CHEM 100 is offered for students who need further preparation and does not count toward the 43 credits needed for the chemistry degree.
** In preparation for MATH 200, all students must take the Mathematics Placement Test. Depending on the results, a student may be placed in the MATH 151 Precalculus Mathematics prior to enrolling in MATH 200. STAT 210 or 212 is required to meet the general education requirement in statistics.
Chemical modeling concentration
(44 credits in chemistry and related major courses and 27 credits of collateral requirements)
The chemical modeling concentration emphasizes areas of overlap between chemistry and the mathematical sciences and computer science. Students in this concentration will focus on learning the chemistry and computer technology for modeling the structure, properties and reactivity of molecules.
Freshman year
CHEM 101 and CHEZ 101 General Chemistry and Laboratory I*
CHEM 102 and CHEZ 102 General Chemistry and Laboratory II
MATH 200 Calculus with Analytic Geometry**
MATH 201 Calculus with Analytic Geometry
One course in programming language selected from:
CMSC 245 Introduction to Programming Using C++
CMSC 255 Introduction to Programming
Sophomore year
CHEM 301 and CHEZ 301 Organic Chemistry and Laboratory I
CHEM 302 and CHEZ 302 Organic Chemistry and Laboratory II
CHEM 309 and CHEZ 309 Quantitative Analysis and Laboratory
MATH 307 Multivariate Calculus
MATH 310 Linear Algebra or MATH 302 Numerical Calculus
PHYS 207 University Physics I
PHYS 208 University Physics II
Junior year
CHEM 303 and CHEZ 303 Physical Chemistry and Laboratory I
CHEM 304 and CHEZ 304 Physical Chemistry and Laboratory II
CHEM/MEDC 310 Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Design
CHEM 320 Inorganic Chemistry I
CHEM 398 Professional Practices and Perspectives Seminar
Approved elective (three credits minimum) selected from:
CHEM 492 Independent Study (computational chemistry project)
MATH 301 Differential Equations
MATH/OPER 327 Mathematical Modeling
STAT 321 Introduction to Statistical Computing (Note: prerequisite is STAT 212 and MATH 211.)
Senior year
CHEM 510 Atomic and Molecular Structure
MEDC 541 Survey of Molecular Modeling Methods
* Students’ readiness for CHEM 101 is determined by a satisfactory combination of math SAT score and high school GPA, including high school chemistry. CHEM 100 is offered for students who need further preparation and does not count toward the 44 credits needed for the chemistry degree.
** In preparation for MATH 200, all students must take the Mathematics Placement Test. Depending on the results, a student may be placed in the MATH 151 Precalculus Mathematics prior to enrolling in MATH 200. STAT 210 or 212 is required to meet the general education requirement in statistics.
Advising notice
The Department of Chemistry places advising holds on the student accounts of all declared chemistry majors. These students must meet with their academic advisers before registering for courses in order to have the hold removed.
Transfer students
Transfer students intending to major in chemistry must satisfy all chemistry major course requirements and complete a minimum of nine credits of VCU chemistry courses at the 300-, 400- or 500-level of which no more than three credits may be CHEM 492 or CHEM 493. This restriction applies to all chemistry degree concentrations.