BA Major: Concentration in Organic Chemistry Requirements

The BA program encourages a wide range of elective courses and is particularly suitable for students with interdisciplinary scientific interests in the health professions, biology, physics, geological sciences, engineering, or education. BA students may elect advanced courses in chemistry, including independent research, and can create a curriculum best suited to their individual interests.

Students should speak with a chemistry advisor to tailor their programs specifically to their career goals. Particular electives that are not included in the chemistry curriculum may be required for some graduate programs. Students normally declare their major sometime in their sophomore year.

While the required courses leading to a BA in chemistry may be scheduled with some flexibility, the following programs of study are suggested:

BA Degree Requirements

Students are required to take at least 41 credit-hours in chemistry, and at least 61 credit-hours overall. We require students to maintain at least a 2.0 grade point average (GPA) in the major, excluding allied field courses.

CHEM 210W: Honors Organic Chemistry Lab II partially satisfies requirements for the organic chemistry, upper-level laboratory, and upper level writing requirements.

General Chemistry (Four to Five Credits)

  • CHEM 131: Chemical Concepts I (or equivalent AP credit)

Organic Chemistry (11 Credits)

Students must take four courses from one of the following organic chemistry sequences. 

  • CHEM 203: Organic Chemistry I (four credits)
  • CHEM 204: Organic Chemistry II (four credits)
  • CHEM 207: Organic Chemistry Lab I (one credit)
  • CHEM 210W: Honors Organic Chemistry Lab II (two credits)

Or first-year organic sequence:

  • CHEM 171: First-Year Organic Chemistry I (four credits)
  • CHEM 172: First-Year Organic Chemistry II (four credits)
  • CHEM 173: First-Year Organic Chemistry Lab I (one credit)
  • CHEM 210W: Honors Organic Chemistry Lab II (two credits)

Theory (12-13 Credits)

Three of the following theory courses:

  • CHEM 132: Chemical Concepts II (five credits)
  • CHEM 211: Inorganic Chemistry (four credits)
  • CHEM 251: Physical Chemistry I (four credits)
  • CHEM 252: Physical Chemistry II (four credits)

Upper-Level Laboratory (Six Credits)

The following two laboratory courses:

  • CHEM 210W: Honors Organic Chemistry Lab II (two credits)
  • CHEM 234/234W: Advanced Laboratory Techniques (four credits)

Upper-Level Courses (Eight Credits)

A total of eight credits from the following courses:

  • CHE 276: Polymer Chemistry (four credits)
  • CHEM 262: Biological Chemistry (four credits)
  • CHEM 275: The Chemistry of Poisons (four credits)
  • CHEM 433: Advanced Organic Chemistry I (four credits)
  • CHEM 434: Methods for Mechanistic Elucidation (four credits)
  • CHEM 435: Organic Reactions (four credits)
  • CHEM 440: Bioorganic Chemistry (four credits)

Upper-Level Writing Requirement

All chemistry majors are required to complete two upper-level writing courses ("W" courses). At least one of these courses must be a chemistry department course selected from the following:

  • CHEM 210W: Organic Chemistry Lab II (two credits)
  • CHEM 231W: Chemical Instrumentation Laboratory (four credits)
  • CHEM 232W: Molecular Spectroscopy Laboratory (four credits)
  • CHEM 234W: Advanced Laboratory Techniques (four credits)

Student may select another course from above or a writing course from another department to fulfill the second writing course requirement.

Mathematics Coursework (12-16 Credits)

One of the following math sequences:

  • MATH 141, MATH 142, and MATH 143 (Calculus I, II, and III)
  • MATH 161 and MATH 162 (Calculus IA and IIA)

Plus one of the following:

  • MATH 165: Linear Algebra With Differential Equations
  • MATH 163: Ordinary Differential Equations I
  • CSC 161: Introduction to Programming
  • CSC 171: Introduction to Computer Science
  • STAT 180: Introduction to Applied Statistical Methodology (formerly STAT 211: Applied Statistics for Social Sciences I)
  • STAT 190: Introduction to Statistical Methodology (formerly STAT 212: Applied Statistics for the Biological and Physical Sciences I)
  • STAT 201: Introduction to Probability

Physics Coursework (Eight Credits)

One of the following course sequences:

  • PHYS 113–114 Sequence (General Physics I and II)
  • PHYS 121–122 Sequence (Mechanics and Electricity and Magnetism)
  • Honors Sequence of Mechanics and Electricity & Magnetism, PHYS 141–142

Additional Suggestions

BA candidates considering employment in chemical professions or graduate work in chemistry should include the following courses in their curriculum: CHEM 210W, 211, 231W, 232, 251, and 252.

Please note that BIOL 204: Principles of Human Physiology cannot be used to fulfill chemistry major requirements.

Students who are interested in pursuing pre-med and allied health professions are advised to contact a health professions advisor at URhealthprofessions@rochester.edu.

Students who are interested in pursuing a double major or double degree, are advised to consult the advising website, which outlines the course overlap rules and additional credit requirements.