Chemistry

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Chemistry

chemistry

A student majoring in chemistry receives strong background in the core areas of chemistry: analytical, inorganic, organic and physical chemistry. Chemistry graduates have success in industry, graduate school, medical school, engineering school, etc.

Pre-medicine students should seek advice during their first year to decide if they should major in chemistry, biology, both or pre-medicine.
More about Bluffton’s chemistry program...

Major

(52 hours)
Required chemistry courses:
CEM 121 General Inorganic Chemistry 1 (5) satisfies Scientific Inquiry competency
CEM 122 General Inorganic Chemistry 2 (5)
CEM 221 Organic Chemistry 1 (4)
CEM 222 Organic Chemistry 2 (4)
CEM 230 Analytical Chemistry (4)
CEM 311 Advanced Organic Chemistry (2)
CEM 326 Physical Chemistry 1 (5)
CEM 327 Physical Chemistry 2 (5)
CEM 330 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry (4)
CEM 360 Instrumental Analysis (4)

Required physics courses:
PHY 211 Physics for Science and Engineering 1 (5)
PHY 212 Physics for Science and Engineering 2 (5)

In addition, students must take sufficient work in mathematics to ensure a working knowledge of differential and integral calculus. These topics usually comprise the first year of college-level calculus. Therefore, all chemistry majors should take MAT 135 and MAT 136. Students planning careers in physical chemistry or engineering will need more math, typically MAT 225, MAT 230 and MAT 350.

The chemistry major at Bluffton University follows most but not all of the recommendations of the American Chemical Society. Some recommendations in addition to the courses listed above would include: MAT 225, MAT 350, CPS 108, statistics, additional advanced chemistry courses such as CEM 341 and an independent study in chemistry.

Minor

(22-24 hours)
Core requirements:
CEM 121 General Inorganic Chemistry 1 (5)
CEM 122 General Inorganic Chemistry 2 (5)
CEM 221 Organic Chemistry 1 (4)

Select two courses from the following:

CEM 222 Organic Chemistry 2 (4)

CEM 230 Analytical Chemistry (4)

CEM 326 Physical Chemistry 1 (5)

CEM 327 Physical Chemistry 2 (5)

CEM 330 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry (4)

CEM 360 Instrumental Analysis (4)

Note on double-counting: if any or all of the three courses in the core requirements list are required for the student’s major, they can be counted for both the major and the chemistry minor. One from that list can also count for lab-science general education. However, the two courses chosen from the second list cannot be the same as any chemistry courses required for the student’s major or for any other minor.

^{July 2024}