Chemistry Major

Major Requirements

The major in chemistry consists of CHEM 111  and CHEM 112  (or CHEM 112  alone or CHEM 115  alone), CHEM 222 , CHEM 211  and CHEM 212 , CHEM 311  and CHEM 312 , CHEM 411  and CHEM 300  (4 semesters); PHYS 226  and PHYS 227 ; MATH 137  and MATH 237 .

The capstone requirement for chemistry majors is satisfied by taking the weekly CHEM 300  seminar during both semesters of the junior and senior years.  Each major must give a public seminar in CHEM 300   during the senior year.  A chemistry major fulfills the capstone requirement with only three semesters of CHEM 300   if he or she either studies away for one semester or graduates one semester early.

The Chemistry Department offers a curriculum which is approved by the Committee on Professional Training of the American Chemical Society (ACS). A student earns an ACS-certified degree if he or she completes the chemistry major described above, takes CHEM 351 , takes at least one additional advanced course in chemistry, and successfully completes the senior honors program in chemistry. In certain cases, an advanced course in mathematics or another science may be substituted for the advanced chemistry course. Students interested in the ACS-certified degree should talk with Professor Kuwata, the department chair.

The Chemistry Department values Macalester’s emphasis on internationalism and encourages its majors to consider studying away for a semester. The chemistry faculty are happy to talk with you about various programs and options. You should begin planning well in advance, so that you can best integrate your academic experience away with your continuing development as a chemist back at Macalester. Here are some suggestions to help guide your thinking.

Advice for those planning to study away in the fall semester of their junior year: If you are not planning on completing the emphasis in biochemistry or taking CHEM 351 - Biochemistry I , then studying away during the fall is probably your best option. The only course required for the chemistry major that you will miss is CHEM 311 - Thermodynamics and Kinetics     Note that CHEM 311  is not a prerequisite for any other courses at Macalester, such as CHEM 312 - Quantum Chemistry and Spectroscopy  or CHEM 411 - Advanced Inorganic Chemistry . Two options are possible:

• Option 1: Take a suitable chemistry course that covers thermodynamics (and kinetics if possible) at the university where you are studying away. If you would like to explore this option, talk with Professor Varberg during the time that you begin preparing your study away application to Macalester (or earlier). The Chemistry Depart­ment needs to certify in advance if you would like a course taken at another institution to meet the requirements for CHEM 311 .
• Option 2: Delay taking CHEM 311  until the fall of your senior year. Be sure to take CHEM 312  in the spring of your junior year, as this course is the prerequisite for CHEM 411 .

If you are also completing the biochemistry emphasis, you will miss CHEM 351 - Biochemistry I . In this case, you should plan on taking a suitable course while away to replace either CHEM 311  or CHEM 351 . The Department does not recommend taking CHEM 311 , CHEM 351 , and CHEM 411  all simultaneously in the fall of your senior year.

Advice for those planning to study away in the spring semester of their junior year: Studying away in the spring is a bit more challenging. Here you will miss CHEM 312 - Quantum Chemistry and Spectroscopy , which is required for the chemistry major. CHEM 312  is also a prerequisite for CHEM 411 - Advanced Inorganic Chemistry . Three options are possible:

• Option 1: Take a suitable chemistry course that covers quantum chemistry at the university where you are studying away. If you would like to explore this option, you should talk with Professor Varberg during the time that you begin preparing your study away application to Macalester (or earlier). The Chemistry Depart­ment needs to certify in advance if you would like a course taken away to meet the requirements for CHEM 312 .
• Option 2: Take CHEM 411  in the fall of your senior year without having met the CHEM 312  prerequisite. While Professor Fischer has the discretion to authorize your enrollment in CHEM 411  without CHEM 312 , you need to recognize that it puts you at a significant disadvantage when taking CHEM 411 , because you will not have had prior exposure to quantum chemistry and group theory. These are both important topics in inorganic chemistry, and you will need to spend extra time and effort to learn this material in CHEM 411 . As the last course in the chemistry major sequence, CHEM 411  builds on the foundation presented in CHEM 312 . Students are best equipped to maximize their learning in CHEM 411  by engaging the course content with a strong background that comes from previous study of quantum chemistry.
• Option 3: You could also explore the possibility of taking a course during the summer that meets either the CHEM 312  or CHEM 411  requirement.

As noted above, during their term studying away, chemistry majors are excused from the CHEM 300 - Chemistry Seminar  requirement.

Students interested in secondary school teaching should consult with Professor Ronald Brisbois and the Educational Studies Department.