Department of Chemistry

Bruce Armitage, Department Head

Karen H. Stump, Director of Undergraduate Studies

Location: Doherty Hall 1316
www.chem.cmu.edu

Mission Statement

Chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University is committed to making advances in the molecular sciences with lasting impact on foundational knowledge while tackling critical global challenges including sustainability, health, and quality of life.

Chemistry is an area of science involved with the study of the properties and reactions of substances ranging from living cells to subatomic particles. It is at the center of many scientific and technical fields, providing the fundamental knowledge and tools needed to address many of society's needs and to explore the unknown. Fields as diverse as genetic engineering, materials science and nanotechnology look to chemistry when they look to the future, for that is where the ultimate in understanding — the molecular level — resides.

Flexible Career Options

The chemistry profession is extraordinarily diverse, with career opportunities available in the chemical, petroleum, renewable energy, nuclear power, novel polymeric materials, metals, personal care and pharmaceutical industries, among many others. Chemistry plays an increasingly important role in the rapidly expanding biomedical and biotechnology industries. In addition to careers in industry and academia, many chemists find rewarding careers in the public sector in the laboratories of the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Department of Energy as well as in consulting. Chemistry graduates also find employment in technical fields unrelated to science but where their problem solving and communication skills are highly valued.

Chemistry is a particularly suitable major for pre-medical and other pre-health profession students. Medical schools look favorably on the rigorous reasoning skills chemists develop, as evidenced by an excellent record for student admission to advanced education in these areas. An increasing number of our graduates are seeking careers in dentistry, pharmacy or pharmacology in addition to medicine. The Health Professions Program advises all Carnegie Mellon students considering careers in health fields. (See Health Professions Program description in this catalog for more information.) Chemistry is also excellent preparation for careers in law, especially for those with an interest in specializing in patent, intellectual property or environmental law. The curriculum has the flexibility to allow these students to participate in the CMU Washington Semester Program with the possibility of an internship in science policy should they desire. Students interested in industrial careers often combine their chemistry program with undergraduate courses in business administration or eventually go on to study for an M.B.A.

Any graduating class in chemistry reflects this diversity in career paths.  Some recent examples from the class of 2020 are alums working as software engineers for Bloomberg in London and at MasterCard, in Healthcare Technical Services at Epic Systems, as a Research Scientist at Eli Lilly and as a Clinical Research Assistant at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.  Others are finishing an M.S. degree in Colloids, Polymers and Surfaces at Carnegie Mellon University and working with CityYear through Americorps while applying to law school.  Many are attending PhD programs in areas like biomaterials, nuclear engineering, polymer science and chemistry at top institutions including Stanford, UC Berkeley, Yale and the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.  Chemistry majors often comment with enthusiasm regarding the close-knit community, which includes the opportunity to network with alums through the Undergraduate Seminar program in chemistry.

Degree Pathways

The Department offers three Bachelor's degrees: the B.S. in Chemistry, The B.S. in Chemistry/Biological Chemistry Track and the B.A. in Chemistry. One third of the courses for the B.A. degree are free electives that may be taken in any of the departments of the University and therefore offers a high degree of flexibility. For the B.S. degrees, electives are often technical courses in chemistry or related fields of science, technology and engineering, such as biology, physics, mathematics, chemical, biomedical or materials science engineering or computer science, although they can be in other non-technical areas as well. It is possible to have all of the technical requirements completed after the junior year in the B.S. and B.A. degree programs, allowing students the flexibility to combine electives in the senior year into a focused program of specialization or to allow for additional breadth in their undergraduate experience. Students interested in graduate studies in chemistry may enroll in graduate courses. Those desiring immediate job placement may be interested in one or more of the formal options that supplement the chemistry B.S. degree. These are described in detail later in this section of the catalog. Carnegie Mellon has one of the strongest polymer science programs in the world and the undergraduate polymer science, materials chemistry or colloids, polymers and sciences options offer training that is particularly valuable for an industrial career. The Computational Chemistry option provides students with expertise in scientific computing that is highly sought after by employers in the pharmaceutical industry.  Throughout the curriculum the use of computational tools is emphasized and students have access to state-of-the-art instrumentation in their courses and through undergraduate research as described below.

The overlap between the fields of chemistry and biological sciences continues to grow, with increased emphasis on synthetic chemicals that are used as probes or reporters of biological function and diagnostic and/or therapeutic agents. In addition, the application of sophisticated spectroscopic, structural and scanning probe/force methods on scales as low as single molecules is driving innovation and education at the chemistry/biology interface. Based on these trends the department offers the B.S. in Chemistry/Biological Chemistry Track to better prepare students for advanced studies and a job market that values knowledge and skills from both disciplines. A combination of advanced research-focused lecture course offerings and a novel laboratory course in bioorganic chemistry allows students to build the strong foundation typical of a successful chemistry major, while expanding out into applications of chemistry in the biological sciences. Students who complete the track will have been exposed to the latest research accomplishments and unanswered questions in biological chemistry while also gaining experience in experimental methods unique to research at this interface.

Honors Programs with Strong Research Focus

An honors program is offered for highly motivated undergraduates. It is designed primarily for students who wish to undertake a strong research-intensive program of study in contemporary chemistry. The program B.S. in Chemistry with Departmental Honors requires the completion of at least one graduate level course in chemistry, a research project, and the writing and defense of a bachelor's level honors thesis. An advanced track leading to the B.S. in Chemistry with Departmental Honors together with a Master of Science degree in chemistry involves completion of five graduate level courses and a more extensive thesis research project. This degree path is especially attractive to students who plan to pursue an industrial career. With enough advanced placement credit or by carrying heavier than usual course loads, students can complete the Honors/M.S. degree program in 8 semesters, with research during one to two summers.  The majority of openings in the chemical industry presently are at the Bachelors and Masters degree levels.

Additional majors (double majors) are available with nearly all other departments in the university provided the student can fit the required courses into the schedule. Generally, all the requirements for both departments must be met for an additional major (except for some courses with similar content). Programs are also available that lead to the degree B.S. in Chemistry with a minor in another discipline. Requirements for most minor programs are described by individual departments in this catalog. However, it is recommended that students who are interested in pursuing a minor as part of their degree consult with the department involved for the current requirements and further guidance about scheduling. Dual degree programs are available in which students receive two separate undergraduate degrees from two different departments in the University. These require students to complete at least 90 units of work per additional degree in addition to the units required for the first degree and the core curriculum from both colleges if the programs are in different units. Several five-year programs have been developed to allow a Carnegie Mellon undergraduate student to earn both a B.S. in Chemistry and a Master of Science degree in fields such as Health Care Policy and Management, Materials Science Engineering, Colloids, Polymers and Surfaces or Biomedical Engineering.

Study Abroad

Study abroad programs are available for chemistry majors and programs of one to two semesters can generally be accommodated without delaying time to graduation beyond 8 semesters. One example of a formal exchange program is spending two semesters at École Polytechnique Féderále de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland. Students can also study at the Carnegie Mellon campus in Qatar.  Study abroad is encouraged by the chemistry department and can be arranged on an individual basis at universities throughout the world including Europe, Asia, Africa, New Zealand, and Australia during the academic year, the summer and winter or spring breaks. Students interested in study abroad should consult with their academic advisor and the MCS Study Abroad Advisor in the Office of International Education.  

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

One of the most attractive features of the Department of Chemistry is the opportunity for students to interact with prominent research scientists in entry-level as well as advanced courses and in research. Undergraduate laboratory instruction takes place in a state-of-the-art facility located in Doherty Hall. Participation in undergraduate research is encouraged and qualified students may begin projects as early as their first year through research shadowing experiences.  Chemistry majors interested in beginning research should consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies to begin the process of identifying a research mentor.  Approximately 90 to 98% of the graduating chemistry majors during the past ten years have taken part in research either for pay or for credit as part of their undergraduate training. Chemistry majors have been very successful in obtaining Small Undergraduate Research Grants (SURG) and Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) from the University to help support their research projects. Several students each summer obtain iSURF support, International Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships, to work with research collaborators abroad. 

Faculty in the Department of Chemistry are leading the way in the use of computer-controlled instrumentation for synthesis and analysis of chemical compounds.  In addition to automated science capabilities in individual labs, our faculty are engaged in the design and construction of the very first Academic Cloud Lab that will be housed at Carnegie Mellon University and is scheduled to open in the spring of 2023.  This facility will allow graduate and undergraduate researchers to design and run experiments remotely, with the work carried out by robots and trained technicians according to computer code written by the researchers. In addition to use in research, our faculty have developed experiments within existing courses and created stand-alone courses utilizing the Emerald Cloud Lab; this coursework will transition to the Carnegie Mellon facility once it is opened. 

Program Outcomes

The faculty members of the Department of Chemistry have approved the following as a statement of our learning outcomes for recipients of an undergraduate degree in chemistry.

Upon graduation recipients of the BS or BA degree in Chemistry will:

Foundational knowledge/theory
  • Have a firm foundation in the quantitative and computational thinking that underlies chemistry, including use of modern computational tools.
  • Have a firm foundation in the theories and models that form the basis for reasoning about molecular systems.
  • Understand how the different subdisciplines of chemistry relate to and complement one another.
  • Be able to apply chemical reasoning across disciplines, such as biology, environmental science, materials science, nanotechnology, and engineering.
Practical/Experimental
  • Understand that chemistry is fundamentally an experimental science, and be able to identify or create an appropriate model, formulate a hypothesis, choose an appropriate set of tools and techniques, and design an experiment that tests the hypothesis and analyze the results from that experiment drawing sound scientific conclusions from the results obtained.
  • Be proficient in the use of both classical and modern tools for analysis of chemical systems.
  • Be able to design and carry out synthesis of both organic and inorganic systems.
  • Be able to use experience and knowledge gained through theoretical and practical design projects to conduct further research.
  • Know and follow the proper procedures and regulations for safe handling and use of chemicals and chemical equipment.
Communication
  • Be able to convey information, both orally and in writing, to a range of audience levels and for a variety of purposes.
  • Understand how scientific information is shared between peers in modern science, including responsible conduct for acknowledging prior and current contributions.
  • Be able to locate, identify, understand and critically evaluate the chemical literature.
  • Develop the interpersonal skills to function cooperatively in a team setting.
Society and ethics
  • Understand the opportunities and consequences of chemistry for the environment and society for both the short term and for long-term sustainability.
  • Understand and apply ethics and values to all professional activities.
Professional development
  • Develop an understanding of career opportunities both within and outside of chemistry, including through contacts with faculty, the career and professional development center and alumni.
  • Be prepared to pursue a life and career that builds on their experiences at Carnegie Mellon to achieve their personal goals and to contribute positively to society.

B.S. in Chemistry (and requirements for additional major in chemistry)

The majority of undergraduate degrees awarded by the Department of Chemistry are Bachelor of Science degrees.  This degree program provides the most appropriate preparation for further graduate study and for industrial positions in research and development or analytical chemistry. The curriculum provides a strong foundation in the fundamental areas of study in chemistry: organic, physical, inorganic and analytical chemistry, along with a rich set of research-focused, instrumentation intensive laboratory experiences aligned with those areas. Students interested in less technical areas of employment or graduate study in areas such as business, policy or law may find the Bachelor of Arts degree a more suitable alternative.

The suggested curriculum recommends that the required technical courses be completed at the earliest opportunity, however students have considerable flexibility to postpone these courses in favor of electives, allowing compatibility with the programs of other departments. In designing such programs for a minor or additional major with chemistry, students should note that certain required chemistry courses only are offered in specific semesters, not both. These include the Fall-only courses , 09-219 Modern Organic Chemistry,  09-321 Laboratory III: Molecular Design and Synthesis and 09-323 Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory and 09-344 Physical Chemistry (Quantum): Microscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry as well as the Spring-only courses 09-331 Modern Analytical Instrumentation09-220 Modern Organic Chemistry II09-345 Physical Chemistry (Thermo): Macroscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry and 09-348 Inorganic Chemistry. Also, in some cases, a course that is normally scheduled for the fall may be changed to a spring course (or the inverse) due to a departmental curriculum change or faculty availability.

Curriculum in B.S. in Chemistry and Requirements for an Additional Major in Chemistry

This catalog and the sample schedules presented are intended to be used by students in the first year class entering in the fall of 2023.  Upperclass students should refer to the appropriate previous version of the catalog published during their first year for the requirements that are specific to them.

The technical breadth requirement of the MCS core curriculum requires a minimum of four technical courses outside of the student's primary major. Chemistry majors must at minimum take the following non-chemistry technical courses:

Technical Breadth Requirements Units
33-121Physics I for Science Students12
33-122Physics II for Biological Sciences & Chemistry Students9
03-121Modern Biology9
or 03-231 Honors Biochemistry
or 03-232 Biochemistry I
15-110Principles of Computing - or other approved programming course10
or 15-112 Fundamentals of Programming and Computer Science
21-120Differential and Integral Calculus10
21-122Integration and Approximation10
or 21-124 Calculus II for Biologists and Chemists

Students should complete this technical core as early as possible and preferably by the end of their fifth semester. AP credit cannot be used to fulfill the technical breadth requirements for the core though AP classes can be used to fulfill prerequisites for chemistry classes. 

The non-technical breadth requirements for MCS students includes Interpretation and Argument (76-101, 9 units), four courses with a minimum of 36 units from the arts, humanities or social sciences and a course of at least 9 units from an approved list in the category of Cultural/Global understanding, a course in the Science and Society category of at least 6 units, a total of five ENGAGE courses including three ENGAGE in Wellness courses, ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Inward (38-230, 1 units), ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Outward (38-330, 1 units) and ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Forward (38-430, 1 units), as well as ENGAGE in Service (38-110, 1 units) and  ENGAGE in the Arts (38-220, 2 units) plus EUREKA!: Discovery and Its Impact (38-101, 6 units) the MCS first-year seminar for a minimum of 72 units.

The Science and Society requirement as well as the ENGAGE courses must be finished prior to your final semester at CMU (no later than your penultimate semester). The Science and Society requirement can be fulfilled in numerous ways via MCS classes and other disciplinary courses that can also fulfill other requirements for your degree (but can NOT double count within the general education categories i.e. a course used to fulfill Science and Society cannot also fulfill your Cultural Analysis requirement or count towards your 36 units of non-technical electives). In the chemistry department courses currently approved to fulfill the Science and Society requirement that can also count as a chemistry elective are 09-510 Chemistry and Sustainability , 09-291 Environmental Systems on a Changing Planet with 09-381 Environmental Systems on a Changing Planet: Science & Engineering Addendum and 09-403 Hooked: The Chemical Basis of Drug Addiction. A more expanded listing will be maintained by the MCS Dean's Office (https://www.cmu.edu/mcs/undergrad/advising/hss-finearts/index.html).

For more information on allowed courses in the arts, humanities and social sciences and electives in the Cultural/Global Understanding category refer to the MCS section of this catalog.

The following are only meant to represent sample schedules.  Students should always consult with their academic advisor to discuss an individualized plan to meet their academic goals.

Freshman Year
Fall Units
09-105Introduction to Modern Chemistry I10
or 09-107 Honors Chemistry: Fundamentals, Concepts and Applications
21-120Differential and Integral Calculus10
33-121Physics I for Science Students12
76-101Interpretation and Argument9
38-101EUREKA!: Discovery and Its Impact6
99-101Computing @ Carnegie Mellon3
 50

Students interested in majoring in chemistry who have a strong chemistry background, should enroll in 09-107 rather than 09-105.  Students who complete 09-107 with an A grade will be exempted from the requirement to take 09-106 Modern Chemistry II.

There are some elective laboratory courses offered for MCS students in the first year.  These include 03-117 Frontiers, Analysis, and Discovery in Biological Sciences or 09-115 Introduction to Undergraduate Research in Chemistry.  The maximum units allowed during the first semester is 54; therefore, students wishing to take a lab should take an alternate technical course to Physics I such as 15-110 or 03-121 so that their unit total is lower.

Spring Units
09-106Modern Chemistry II
Chemistry majors who place out of 09-106 can take 09-348 Inorganic Chemistry, 09-510 Chemistry and Sustainability as a chemistry elective or 09-116 a course that will allow you to shadow upperclass mentors in undergraduate research in chemistry. Chemistry majors who feel they are ready for an undergraduate research experience should meet with the Director of Undergraduate Studies. These opportunities are more prevalent in the summer after your first year or sophomore year.
10
21-122Integration and Approximation10
or 21-124 Calculus II for Biologists and Chemists
33-121Physics I for Science Students12
or 03-121 Modern Biology
or 15-110 Principles of Computing
xx-xxxArts, Humanities and Social Sciences Course 19
xx-xxxFree Elective9.0
 50
Sophomore Year
Fall Units
09-201Undergraduate Seminar I1
09-219Modern Organic Chemistry10
09-221Laboratory I: Introduction to Chemical Analysis12
33-122Physics II for Biological Sciences & Chemistry Students
Course is a prerequisite for 09-331, normally taken in the spring of the junior year
9
xx-xxxArts, Humanities and Social Sciences Course 29
 41
Spring Units
09-202Undergraduate Seminar II: Safety and Environmental Issues for Chemists1
09-220Modern Organic Chemistry II10
09-222Laboratory II: Organic Synthesis and Analysis12
09-348Inorganic Chemistry
(Students wishing to pursue careers in the health professions or are pursuing the Biological Chemistry Track may wish to take biochemistry, 03-232, and delay inorganic until the junior or senior year spring semester)
10
38-230ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Inward1
xx-xxxArts, Humanities and Social Sciences Course 39
 43

Reminder about Flexible Scheduling: Student feedback indicates that the junior year BS schedule can feel quite intense as you move into the more mathematical and physical chemistry oriented curriculum, especially if you are also engaged in undergraduate research.  Remember that the senior year in chemistry is essentially open for free electives.  You may use this flexibility to spread out your junior year requirements over four semesters rather than two; though you should be careful about moving too many courses to the senior year as that may create additional stress at a time when you are preparing to move forward from CMU.  You should consult with your academic advisor to explore alternative schedules if you are interested.

Junior Year

Fall Units
09-301Undergraduate Seminar III1
09-231Mathematical Methods for Chemists
Math methods is a co-requisite for 09-344 and a prerequisite for 09-345 (spring). If you move math methods to the fall of your senior year, you must also move 09-344, 09-345 and 09-322 to the senior year.
9
09-321Laboratory III: Molecular Design and Synthesis
This lab class is not a prerequisite for 09-322; it can be moved to the fall of your senior year without impacting the spring junior year courses.
12
or 09-323 Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory
09-344Physical Chemistry (Quantum): Microscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry
Quantum is a prerequisite for Lab IV. If you move Quantum to the fall of the senior year, you must move Lab IV to the spring of the senior year. 09-344 is not a prerequisite for 09-345 (spring).
9
38-330ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Outward1
xx-xxxArts, Humanities and Social Sciences Course 49
 41
Spring Units
09-302Undergraduate Seminar IV1
09-322Laboratory IV: Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics12
09-345Physical Chemistry (Thermo): Macroscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry
This course is a co-requisite of Lab IV. If you move it to the senior year, you must also move Lab IV.
9
09-331Modern Analytical Instrumentation
This course is a co-requisite of Lab IV. If you move it to the senior year, you must also move Lab IV.
9
xx-xxxCultural/Global Understanding Requirement9
xx-xxxApproved Science and Society elective. This course can be scheduled at any point during your studies but prior to your final semester..6-9
 46-49
Senior Year
Fall Units
09-401Undergraduate Seminar V1
09-xxxChemistry Elective (see notes on electives)9
38-110ENGAGE in Service1
38-220ENGAGE in the Arts2
38-430ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Forward1
xx-xxxFree Electives30
 44
Spring Units
09-402Undergraduate Seminar VI3
09-xxxChemistry Elective (see notes on electives)9
xx-xxxFree Electives27
 39

Distribution of Units for B.S. in Chemistry and Requirements for An Additional Major in Chemistry

Minimum Total Chemistry Units 160; See distribution below

Required Chemistry Courses* Units
09-105Introduction to Modern Chemistry I10
or 09-107 Honors Chemistry: Fundamentals, Concepts and Applications
09-106Modern Chemistry II10
09-219Modern Organic Chemistry10
09-220Modern Organic Chemistry II10
09-231Mathematical Methods for Chemists9
09-331Modern Analytical Instrumentation9
09-344Physical Chemistry (Quantum): Microscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry9
09-345Physical Chemistry (Thermo): Macroscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry9
09-348Inorganic Chemistry10
09-221Laboratory I: Introduction to Chemical Analysis12
09-222Laboratory II: Organic Synthesis and Analysis12
09-321Laboratory III: Molecular Design and Synthesis12
or 09-323 Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory
09-322Laboratory IV: Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics12
09-xxxChemistry Seminars8
09-xxxChemistry Electives18

* These, plus 33-121 Physics I for Science Students and 33-122 Physics II for Biological Sciences & Chemistry Students, are the required courses for students earning an additional major in chemistry.

Students who transfer into the department and have taken 09-217 Organic Chemistry I and/or 09-218 Organic Chemistry II, will be required to complete units of 09-435 Independent Study Chemistry, 1 unit per course, under the supervision of the instructor(s) for 09-219 and/or 09-220 in order to master the course content missed in this course sequence.

Students who transfer into the department and have taken 09-207 Techniques in Quantitative Analysis and/or 09-208 Techniques for Organic Synthesis and Analysis will be required to take a 3 unit transition course (09-215 Chemistry Tech I to Lab I Transition for 09-207 and/or 09-216 Chemistry Tech II to Lab II Transition for 09-208) to fulfill the major requirements for 09-221 and/or 09-222.

Chemistry courses required for the BS degree and the additional major in chemistry that are numbered 09-2xx or higher must be taken at Carnegie Mellon University.  Exceptions must be requested of and approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies.  In general such requests will be approved only under unusual or extenuating circumstances.

Other RequirementsUnits
Biology (Modern Biology or Biochemistry)9
Computer Science10
Mathematics20
Physics21
Interpretation and Argument9
Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Courses36
Cultural/Global Understanding9
EUREKA! (First-year seminar)6
Science and Society requirement6
ENGAGE in Service1
ENGAGE in Wellness Courses (three courses)3
ENGAGE in the Arts2
Computing @ Carnegie Mellon3
Free Electives65
Minimum number of units required for the degree:360

The above B.S. curriculum recommends a range of 41–50 units per semester to meet the minimum degree requirement of 360 units. Students are strongly encouraged to take extra elective courses (except in the first year) in whatever subjects they wish in order to enrich their backgrounds and enhance their educational experience.

Some students may need to earn more than 360 units to complete their degree. Usually this happens when students earn AP Credit for a course (for example 09-105) and then take a class with the same or similar content (take 09-105 at CMU or 09-107). You cannot count 20 units towards a 10-unit requirement so this student would need to earn 370 total units.

Notes on Electives

Chemistry Electives

A minimum of 18 units of chemical electives is required.

Chemical electives can be satisfied by 09-445 Undergraduate Research, or by most other chemistry courses 09-3xx or higher, undergraduate or graduate, for which the student has the necessary prerequisites, or by 03-231/03-232 Biochemistry I. Biochemistry also fulfills the Life Sciences requirement for the MCS technical breadth requirement. 09-435 Independent Study Chemistry, may only be used to fulfill this requirement with permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Certain interdisciplinary courses (e.g. 39-xxx) relating to chemistry can also be used with permission by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Chemistry electives are intended to enhance a student's technical knowledge in chemistry.  Some chemistry courses are more interdisciplinary in nature and/or less technical in content.  This applies to 09-510 Chemistry and Sustainability and 09-291 Environmental Systems on a Changing Planet plus 09-381 Environmental Systems on a Changing Planet: Science & Engineering Addendum.  (Note: 09-291 without the addendum cannot count as a chemistry elective.) Only one of these two courses may be counted towards fulfillment of 18 units of chemistry electives.

The scheduling of these electives can vary and students should check with the department offering the course to see which courses are offered in any given year or semester and with the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Chemistry to ascertain whether the course is an acceptable chemistry elective.

Free Electives

Free electives are defined as including any course offered by Carnegie Mellon except those in science or engineering fields that are primarily intended for non-majors. A maximum of 9 units total of Physical Education, StuCo and/or ROTC courses combined can be counted as free elective units. The Chemistry Department does not require technical electives.

B.A. in Chemistry

The curriculum for the B.A. degree provides students with the opportunity to take a substantial number of elective and non-technical courses. Certain chemistry, math, and other technical courses required for the B.S. degree are replaced by free electives, making this degree an ideal choice for those who wish to earn an additional major with one of the departments in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Fine Arts, or with the Business Administration program, though this is not a requirement. It is also attractive for students wishing to pursue careers in dentistry or pharmacy, career paths that require a broader preparation at the undergraduate level and hence more coursework outside of chemistry. Students may earn one or more of the options as described for B.S. degree candidates, providing they complete the courses listed.

The suggested curriculum recommends that the required technical courses be completed at the earliest opportunity, however students have considerable flexibility to postpone these courses in favor of electives, allowing compatibility with the programs of other departments. In designing such programs for a minor or additional major with chemistry, students should note that certain required chemistry courses only are offered in specific semesters, not both. These include the Fall-only courses , 09-219 Modern Organic Chemistry09-321 Laboratory III: Molecular Design and Synthesis and 09-323 Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory and the Spring-only courses 09-331 Modern Analytical Instrumentation09-220 Modern Organic Chemistry II and 09-348 Inorganic Chemistry. Also, in some cases, a course that is normally scheduled for the fall may be changed to a spring course (or the inverse) due to a departmental curriculum change or faculty availability.
 

Curriculum

This catalog and the sample schedules presented are intended to be used by students in the first year class entering in the fall of 2023.  Upperclass students should refer to the appropriate previous version of the catalog published during their first year for the requirements that are specific to them.

The technical breadth requirement of the MCS core curriculum requires a minimum of four technical courses outside of the student's primary major. Chemistry majors must at minimum take the following non-chemistry technical courses: 

Technical Breadth Requirements Units
33-121Physics I for Science Students12
33-122Physics II for Biological Sciences & Chemistry Students9
03-121Modern Biology9
or 03-231 Honors Biochemistry
or 03-232 Biochemistry I
15-110Principles of Computing10
or 15-112 Fundamentals of Programming and Computer Science
21-120Differential and Integral Calculus10
21-122Integration and Approximation10
or 21-124 Calculus II for Biologists and Chemists

Students should complete this technical core as early as possible and preferably by the end of their fifth semester. AP credit cannot be used to fulfill the technical breadth requirements for the core though AP classes can be used to fulfill prerequisites for chemistry classes. 

The non-technical breadth requirements for MCS students includes Interpretation and Argument (76-101, 9 units), four courses with a minimum of 36 units from the arts, humanities or social sciences and a course of at least 9 units from an approved list in the category of Cultural/Global understanding, a course in the Science and Society category, a total of five ENGAGE courses including three ENGAGE in Wellness courses, ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Inward (38-230, 1 units)ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Outward (38-330, 1 units) and ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Forward (38-430, 1 units), as well as ENGAGE in Service (38-110, 1 units) and  ENGAGE in the Arts (38-220, 2 units) plus EUREKA!: Discovery and Its Impact (38-101, 6 units) the MCS first-year seminar for a minimum of 72 units.

The Science and Society requirement as well as the ENGAGE courses must be finished prior to your final semester at CMU (no later than your penultimate semester). The Science and Society requirement can be fulfilled in numerous ways via MCS classes and other disciplinary courses that can also fulfill other requirements for your degree (but can NOT double count within the general education categories i.e. a course used to fulfill Science and Society cannot also fulfill your Cultural Analysis requirement or count towards your 36 units of non-technical electives). In the chemistry department courses currently approved to fulfill the Science and Society requirement that can also count as a chemistry elective are 09-510 Chemistry and Sustainability , 09-291 Environmental Systems on a Changing Planet with 09-381 Environmental Systems on a Changing Planet: Science & Engineering Addendumand 09-403 Hooked: The Chemical Basis of Drug Addiction. A more expanded listing will be maintained by the MCS Dean's Office (https://www.cmu.edu/mcs/propel/requirements.html).

For more information on allowed courses in the arts, humanities and social sciences and electives in the Cultural/Global Understanding category refer to the MCS section of this catalog.

The following are only meant to represent sample schedules.  Students should always consult with their academic advisor to discuss an individualized plan to meet their academic goals.

First Year
Fall Units
09-105Introduction to Modern Chemistry I10
or 09-107 Honors Chemistry: Fundamentals, Concepts and Applications
21-120Differential and Integral Calculus10
33-121Physics I for Science Students12
76-101Interpretation and Argument9
38-101EUREKA!: Discovery and Its Impact6
99-101Computing @ Carnegie Mellon3
 50

Students interested in majoring in chemistry who have a strong chemistry background, should enroll in 09-107 rather than 09-105.  Students who complete 09-107 with an A grade will be exempted from the requirement to take 09-106 Modern Chemistry II.

There are some elective laboratory courses offered for MCS students in the first year. These include 03-117 Frontiers, Analysis, and Discovery in Biological Sciences and 09-115 Introduction to Undergraduate Research in Chemistry. The maximum units allowed during the first semester is 54; therefore, students wishing to take a lab should take an alternate technical course to Physics I such as 15-110 or 03-121 so that their unit total is lower.

Spring Units
09-106Modern Chemistry II *10
21-122Integration and Approximation10
or 21-124 Calculus II for Biologists and Chemists
15-110Principles of Computing10
or 33-121 Physics I for Science Students
or 03-121 Modern Biology
xx-xxxArts, Humanities and Social Sciences Course 19
xx-xxxFree Elective9
 48
*

Chemistry majors who place out of 09-106 can take 09-348 Inorganic Chemistry, 09-510 Chemistry and Sustainability as a chemistry elective, or other courses yet to be announced. Chemistry majors who feel they are ready for an undergraduate research experience should meet with the Director of Undergraduate Studies.  These opportunities are more prevalent in the summer after your first year or sophomore year.

Sophomore Year
Fall Units
09-201Undergraduate Seminar I1
09-219Modern Organic Chemistry10
09-221Laboratory I: Introduction to Chemical Analysis12
33-122Physics II for Biological Sciences & Chemistry Students
This course is required before graduation but need not be taken this semester.
9
xx-xxxArts, Humanities and Social Sciences Course 29
 41
Spring Units
09-202Undergraduate Seminar II: Safety and Environmental Issues for Chemists1
09-220Modern Organic Chemistry II10
09-222Laboratory II: Organic Synthesis and Analysis12
38-230ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Inward1
xx-xxxArts, Humanities and Social Sciences Course 3 9
xx-xxxFree Elective9
 42
Junior Year
Fall Units
09-301Undergraduate Seminar III1
09-321Laboratory III: Molecular Design and Synthesis12
or 09-323 Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory
03-121Modern Biology9
or 15-110 Principles of Computing
38-330ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Outward1
xx-xxxArts, Humanities and Social Sciences Course 49
xx-xxxFree Elective9
 41
Spring Units
09-302Undergraduate Seminar IV1
09-348Inorganic Chemistry10
09-331Modern Analytical Instrumentation9
xx-xxxCultural/Global Understanding Requirement9
xx-xxxApproved Science and Society elective. This course can be scheduled at any point during your studies but prior to your final semester.6-9
xx-xxxFree Elective9
 44-47
Senior Year
Fall Units
09-401Undergraduate Seminar V1
09-xxxChemistry Elective9
38-430ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Forward1
38-110ENGAGE in Service1
38-220ENGAGE in the Arts2
xx-xxxFree Electives28
 42
Spring Units
09-402Undergraduate Seminar VI3
09-xxxChemistry Elective9
xx-xxxFree Electives40
 52

Distribution of Units

Minimum Total Chemistry Units 121; See distribution below:

Required Chemistry Courses Units
09-105Introduction to Modern Chemistry I10
or 09-107 Honors Chemistry: Fundamentals, Concepts and Applications
09-106Modern Chemistry II10
09-219Modern Organic Chemistry10
09-220Modern Organic Chemistry II10
09-331Modern Analytical Instrumentation9
09-348Inorganic Chemistry10
09-221Laboratory I: Introduction to Chemical Analysis12
09-222Laboratory II: Organic Synthesis and Analysis12
09-321Laboratory III: Molecular Design and Synthesis12
or 09-323 Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory
09-xxxChemistry Seminars8
09-xxxChemistry Electives18


09-322 Laboratory IV: Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics may be taken in lieu of 09-321 Laboratory III: Molecular Design and Synthesis or 09-323 Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory.  However the student must complete the necessary pre- and co-requisites of 09-231, 09-344,and 09-345.  In this case 09-345 and 09-344 will count as chemistry electives towards the B.A. degree.

Students who transfer into the department and have taken 09-217 Organic Chemistry I, and/or 09-218 Organic Chemistry II, will be required to complete units of 09-435 Independent Study Chemistry, 1 unit per course, under the supervision of the instructor(s) for 09-219 and/or 09-220 in order to master the course content missed in this course sequence.

Students who transfer into the department and have taken 09-207 Techniques in Quantitative Analysis and/or 09-208 Techniques for Organic Synthesis and Analysis will be required to take a 3 unit transition course (09-215 Chemistry Tech I to Lab I Transition for 09-207 and/or 09-216 Chemistry Tech II to Lab II Transition for 09-208) to fulfill the major requirements for 09-221 and/or 09-222.

Chemistry courses required for the B.A. degree that are numbered 09-2xx or higher must be taken at Carnegie Mellon University. Exceptions must be requested of and approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. In general such requests will be approved only under unusual or extenuating circumstances.

Other RequirementsUnits
Biology (either Modern Biology or Biochemistry)9
Computer Science10
Mathematics20
Physics21
Interpretation and Argument9
Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences courses36
Cultural/Global Understanding9
EUREKA! (First year seminar)6
Science and Society Elective6
ENGAGE in Wellness (3 courses)3
ENGAGE in Service1
ENGAGE in the Arts2
Computing @ Carnegie Mellon3
Free Electives104
Minimum number of units for the degree360

The above B.A. curriculum recommends a range of 40–50 units per semester. The total units actually taken  may exceed the 360 unit minimum, but students are strongly encouraged to take the extra elective courses in whatever subjects they wish in order to enrich their backgrounds and enhance their educational experience.

Some students may need to earn more than 360 units to complete their degree. Usually this happens when students earn AP Credit for a course (for example 09-105) and then take a class with the same or similar content (take 09-105 at CMU or 09-107). You cannot count 20 units towards a 10-unit requirement so this student would need to earn 370 total units.

Notes on Electives

Chemistry Electives

A minimum of 18 units of chemical electives is required.

Chemical electives can be satisfied by 09-445 Undergraduate Research, or by most other chemistry courses 09-3xx or higher, undergraduate or graduate, for which the student has the necessary prerequisites, or by 03-231/03-232 Biochemistry I. Biochemistry also fulfills the Life Sciences requirement for the MCS technical breadth requirement. 09-435 Independent Study Chemistry, may only be used to fulfill this requirement with permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Certain interdisciplinary courses (e.g. 39-xxx) relating to chemistry can also be used with permission by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Chemistry electives are intended to enhance a student's technical knowledge in chemistry.  Some chemistry courses are more interdisciplinary in nature and/or less technical in content.  This applies to 09-510 Chemistry and Sustainability and 09-291 Environmental Systems on a Changing Planet plus 09-381 Environmental Systems on a Changing Planet: Science & Engineering Addendum.  (Note: 09-291 without the addendum cannot count as a chemistry elective.) Only one of these two courses may be counted towards fulfillment of 18 units of chemistry electives.

The scheduling of these electives can vary and students should check with the department offering the course to see which courses are offered in any given year or semester and with the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Chemistry to ascertain whether the course is an acceptable chemistry elective.

Free Electives

Free electives are defined as including any course offered by Carnegie Mellon except those in science or engineering fields that are primarily intended for non-majors. A maximum of 9 units total of Physical Education and/or ROTC courses combined can be counted as free elective units. The Chemistry Department does not require technical electives.

B.S. in Chemistry/Biological Chemistry Track

This degree is ideal for students who wish to better prepare themselves for advanced studies in biological chemistry or biomedical fields and a job market that values knowledge and skills from both disciplines. A combination of advanced research-focused lecture course offerings and a novel laboratory course modeling the drug discovery process will allow students to build the strong foundation typical of a successful chemistry major, while expanding out into applications of chemistry in the biological sciences. 

The suggested curriculum recommends that the required technical courses be completed at the earliest opportunity, however students have considerable flexibility to postpone these courses in favor of electives, allowing compatibility with the programs of other departments. In designing such programs for a minor or additional major with chemistry, students should note that certain required chemistry courses only are offered in specific semesters, not both. These include the Fall-only courses , 09-219 Modern Organic Chemistry,  09-321 Laboratory III: Molecular Design and Synthesis and 09-323 Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory and 09-344 Physical Chemistry (Quantum): Microscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry as well as the Spring-only courses 09-331 Modern Analytical Instrumentation09-220 Modern Organic Chemistry II09-345 Physical Chemistry (Thermo): Macroscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry and 09-348 Inorganic Chemistry. Also, in some cases, a course that is normally scheduled for the fall may be changed to a spring course (or the inverse) due to a departmental curriculum change or faculty availability.

Curriculum

This catalog and the sample schedules presented are intended to be used by students in the first year class entering in the fall of 2023.  Upperclass students should refer to the appropriate previous version of the catalog published during their first year for the requirements that are specific to them.

The technical breadth requirement of the MCS core curriculum requires a minimum of four technical courses outside of the student's primary major. Chemistry majors in the Biological Chemistry Track must at minimum take the following non-chemistry technical courses:  Physics I for Science Students (33-121, 12 units), Physics II for Biological Sciences & Chemistry Students (33-122, 9 units), Modern Biology (03-121, 9 units),  Principles of Computing (15-110, 10 units) (or other approved programming course), 21-120 Differential and Integral Calculus (10 units) and Integration and Approximation (21-122, 10 units) or Calculus II for Biologists and Chemists (21-124, 10 units). Students should complete this technical core as early as possible and preferably by the end of their fifth semester. AP credit cannot be used to fulfill the technical breadth requirements for the core though AP classes can be used to fulfill prerequisites for chemistry classes. 

The non-technical breadth requirements for MCS students includes Interpretation and Argument (76-101, 9 units), four courses with a minimum of 36 units from the arts, humanities or social sciences and a course of at least 9 units from an approved list in the category of Cultural/Global understanding, a course in the Science and Society category, a total of five ENGAGE courses including three ENGAGE in Wellness courses, ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Inward (38-230, 1 units)ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Outward (38-330, 1 units) and ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Forward (38-430, 1 units), as well as ENGAGE in Service (38-110, 1 units) and  ENGAGE in the Arts (38-220, 2 units) plus EUREKA!: Discovery and Its Impact (38-101, 6 units) the MCS first-year seminar for a minimum of 72 units.

The Science and Society requirement as well as the ENGAGE courses must be finished prior to your final semester at CMU (no later than your penultimate semester). The Science and Society requirement can be fulfilled in numerous ways via MCS classes and other disciplinary courses that can also fulfill other requirements for your degree (but can NOT double count within the general education categories i.e. a course used to fulfill Science and Society cannot also fulfill your Cultural Analysis requirement or count towards your 36 units of non-technical electives). In the chemistry department courses currently approved to fulfill the Science and Society requirement that can also count as a chemistry elective are 09-510 Chemistry and Sustainability , 09-291 Environmental Systems on a Changing Planet with 09-381 Environmental Systems on a Changing Planet: Science & Engineering Addendumand 09-403 Hooked: The Chemical Basis of Drug Addiction. A more expanded listing will be maintained by the MCS Dean's Office (https://www.cmu.edu/mcs/undergrad/advising/hss-finearts/index.html).

For more information on allowed courses in the arts, humanities and social sciences and electives in the Cultural/Global Understanding category refer to the MCS section of this catalog.

The following are only meant to represent sample schedules.  Students should always consult with their academic advisor to discuss an individualized plan to meet their academic goals.

Freshman Year
Fall Units
09-105Introduction to Modern Chemistry I10
or 09-107 Honors Chemistry: Fundamentals, Concepts and Applications
21-120Differential and Integral Calculus10
33-121Physics I for Science Students12
76-101Interpretation and Argument9
38-101EUREKA!: Discovery and Its Impact6
99-101Computing @ Carnegie Mellon3
 50

Students interested in majoring in chemistry who have a strong chemistry background, should enroll in 09-107 rather than 09-105.  Students who complete 09-107 with an A grade will be exempted from the requirement to take 09-106 Modern Chemistry II.

There are some elective laboratory courses offered for MCS students in the first year. These include 03-117 Frontiers, Analysis, and Discovery in Biological Sciences or 09-115 Introduction to Undergraduate Research in Chemistry. The maximum units allowed during the first semester is 54; therefore, students wishing to take a lab should take an alternate technical course to Physics I such as 15-110 or 03-121 so that their unit total is lower.

Spring Units
09-106Modern Chemistry II *10
21-122Integration and Approximation10
or 21-124 Calculus II for Biologists and Chemists
03-121Modern Biology9
or 33-121 Physics I for Science Students
or 15-110 Principles of Computing
xx-xxxArts, Humanities and Social Sciences Course 19
xx-xxxFree Elective5
 43
*

Chemistry majors who place out of 09-106 can take 09-348 Inorganic Chemistry, 09-510 Chemistry and Sustainability as a chemistry elective, or other courses yet to be announced. Chemistry majors who feel they are ready for an undergraduate research experience should meet with the Director of Undergraduate Studies.  These opportunities are more prevalent in the summer after your first year or sophomore year.

Sophomore Year
Fall Units
09-201Undergraduate Seminar I1
09-219Modern Organic Chemistry10
09-221Laboratory I: Introduction to Chemical Analysis12
33-122Physics II for Biological Sciences & Chemistry Students
Course is a prerequisite for 09-331, normally taken in the spring of the junior year
9
03-220Genetics
or other biological chemistry elective.
9
xx-xxxArts, Humanities and Social Sciences Course 29
 50
Spring Units
09-202Undergraduate Seminar II: Safety and Environmental Issues for Chemists1
09-220Modern Organic Chemistry II10
09-222Laboratory II: Organic Synthesis and Analysis12
03-232Biochemistry I9
38-230ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Inward1
xx-xxxArts, Humanities and Social Sciences Course 39
 42

Reminder about Flexible Scheduling: Student feedback indicates that the junior year BS schedule can feel quite intense as you move into the more mathematical and physical chemistry oriented curriculum, especially if you are also engaged in undergraduate research. Remember that the senior year in chemistry is essentially open for free electives. You may use this flexibility to spread out your junior year requirements over four semesters rather than two.  You should consult with your academic advisor to explore alternative schedules if you are interested.

Junior Year
Fall Units
09-301Undergraduate Seminar III1
09-231Mathematical Methods for Chemists
Math methods is a co-requisite for 09-344 and a prerequisite for 09-345 (spring). If you move math methods to the fall of your senior year, you must also move 09-344, 09-345 and 09-322 to the senior year.
9
09-344Physical Chemistry (Quantum): Microscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry
Quantum is a prerequisite for Lab IV. If you move Quantum to the fall of the senior year, you must move Lab IV to the spring of the senior year. 09-344 is not a prerequisite for 09-345 (spring).
9
09-323Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory
This lab class is not a prerequisite for 09-322; it can be moved to the fall of your senior year without impacting the spring junior year courses.
12
38-330ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Outward1
xx-xxxArts, Humanities and Social Sciences Course 49
 41
Spring Units
09-302Undergraduate Seminar IV1
09-322Laboratory IV: Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics12
09-345Physical Chemistry (Thermo): Macroscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry
This course is a co-requisite of Lab IV. If you move it to the senior year, you must also move Lab IV.
9
09-331Modern Analytical Instrumentation
This course is a co-requisite of Lab IV. If you move it to the senior year, you must also move Lab IV.
9
xx-xxxCultural/Global Understanding Requirement9
xx-xxxApproved Science and Society elective. This course can be scheduled at any point during your studies but prior to your final semester.6-9
 46-49
Senior Year
Fall Units
09-401Undergraduate Seminar V1
09-xxxBiological Chemistry Elective 1 (see notes on electives)9
09-518Bioorganic Chemistry: Nucleic Acids and Carbohydrates
09-718::or 09-719 will also fulfill this requirement.
9
or 09-519 Bioorganic Chemistry: Peptides, Proteins and Combinatorial Chemistry
38-110ENGAGE in Service1
38-430ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Forward1
38-220ENGAGE in the Arts2
xx-xxxFree Electives21
 44
Spring Units
09-402Undergraduate Seminar VI3
09-348Inorganic Chemistry10
xx-xxxBiological Chemistry Elective 29
xx-xxxBiological Chemistry Elective 39
xx-xxxFree Electives18
 49

Distribution of Units

 Minimum Total Chemistry Units 187; See distribution below.

Required Chemistry Courses* Units
09-105Introduction to Modern Chemistry I10
or 09-107 Honors Chemistry: Fundamentals, Concepts and Applications
09-106Modern Chemistry II10
09-219Modern Organic Chemistry10
09-220Modern Organic Chemistry II10
03-231Honors Biochemistry9
or 03-232 Biochemistry I
09-231Mathematical Methods for Chemists9
09-331Modern Analytical Instrumentation9
09-344Physical Chemistry (Quantum): Microscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry9
09-345Physical Chemistry (Thermo): Macroscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry9
09-518Bioorganic Chemistry: Nucleic Acids and Carbohydrates9
or 09-519 Bioorganic Chemistry: Peptides, Proteins and Combinatorial Chemistry
09-348Inorganic Chemistry10
09-221Laboratory I: Introduction to Chemical Analysis12
09-222Laboratory II: Organic Synthesis and Analysis12
09-323Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory12
09-322Laboratory IV: Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics12
09-xxxChemistry Seminars8
09-xxxBiological Chemistry Electives27

Students who transfer into the department and have taken 09-217 Organic Chemistry I and/or 09-218 Organic Chemistry II, will be required to complete units of 09-435 Independent Study Chemistry, 1 unit per course, under the supervision of the instructor(s) for 09-219 and/or 09-220 in order to master the course content missed in this course sequence.

Students who transfer into the department and have taken 09-207 Techniques in Quantitative Analysis and/or 09-208 Techniques for Organic Synthesis and Analysis will be required to take a 3 unit transition course (09-215 Chemistry Tech I to Lab I Transition for 09-207 and/or 09-216 Chemistry Tech II to Lab II Transition for 09-208) to fulfill the major requirements for 09-221 and/or 09-222.

Chemistry courses required for the BS degrees that are numbered 09-2xx or higher must be taken at Carnegie Mellon University.  Exceptions must be requested of and approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies.  In general such requests will be approved only under unusual or extenuating circumstances.

Other RequirementsUnits
Modern Biology9
Computer Science10
Mathematics20
Physics21
Interpretation and Argument9
Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences courses36
Cultural/Global Understandling9
EUREKA! (First Year Seminar)6
Science and Society Elective6
ENGAGE in Wellness (3 courses)3
ENGAGE in Service1
ENGAGE in the Arts2
Computing @ Carnegie Mellon3
Free Electives38
Minimum number of units required for the degree:360

The above B.S. curriculum recommends a range of 41–50 units/semester to meet the minimum degree requirement. Students are strongly encouraged to take extra elective courses (except in the first year) in whatever subjects they wish in order to enrich their backgrounds and enhance their educational experience.

Some students may need to earn more than 360 units to complete their degree. Usually this happens when students earn AP Credit for a course (for example 09-105) and then take a class with the same or similar content (take 09-105 at CMU or 09-107). You cannot count 20 units towards a 10-unit requirement so this student would need to earn 370 total units.

NOTES ON ELECTIVES

Biological Chemistry Electives

A minimum of three biological chemistry electives for a total of 27 units or more is required.

A list of currently approved electives is provided below.  Of the three elective courses at least two should be chemistry courses and a maximum of one can be taken in biology or physics.  Exceptions can be granted by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. One semester of 09-445 for 9 units may be used for one biological chemistry elective with the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies. It must be part of a longer term experience ensuring depth of knowledge in the area.

09-403Hooked: The Chemical Basis of Drug Addiction9
09-518Bioorganic Chemistry: Nucleic Acids and Carbohydrates
(One of these two courses is required for the degree. The other can be used as a Biological Chemistry elective.)
9
or 09-519 Bioorganic Chemistry: Peptides, Proteins and Combinatorial Chemistry
09-521Metals in Biology: Function and Reactivity6
09-522Kinetics and Mechanisms of Chemical and Enzymatic Reactions9
09-538Exposure and Risk Assessment for Environmental Pollutants9
09-621Welcome to the Future Lab - Science in the Cloud
Must be taken with 09-623
6
09-623Future Lab- DNA Science in the Cloud6
09-737Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Development12
09-803Chemistry of Gene Expression12
03-220Genetics9
03-221Genomes, Evolution, and Disease: Introduction to Quantitative Genetic Analysis9
03-320Cell Biology9
03-327Evolutionary Bioinformatics: Trees, Sequences and the Comparative Method9
03-344Experimental Biochemistry12
03-362Cellular Neuroscience9
03-366Neuropharmacology: Drugs, Brain and Behavior9
03-390Molecular and Cellular Immunology9
03-391Microbiology9
03-435Cancer Biology9
03-439Introduction to Biophysics10
03-442Molecular Biology9
03-729Entrepreneurship and protein-based drug development6
03-871Structural Biophysics12
33-441Introduction to Biophysics10
Free Electives

Free electives are defined as including any course offered by Carnegie Mellon except those in science or engineering fields that are primarily intended for non-majors. A maximum of 9 units total of Physical Education, StuCo and/or ROTC courses combined can be counted as free elective units. The Chemistry Department does not require technical electives.

Options for the Bachelor's Degrees in Chemistry

The curriculum for the degree Bachelor of Science in Chemistry permits students to take a number of elective courses in chemistry and other fields, particularly in the junior and senior years. Students may wish to complete a group of elective courses from several specialty areas, called “options,” to complement their technical education. Each option will complement the Bachelor's degree in Chemistry and will provide students with expertise in a specific area not covered by the normal undergraduate curriculum. Options are noted on the student's transcript but not on the diploma.

For each of the following options, the student should refer to the previous description of the curriculum for the B.S.or B.A. degrees in chemistry. Required courses are unchanged, and the courses that should be taken as electives for each option are listed below. Chemistry courses within an option also count towards fulfillment of the chemistry elective requirement for the B.S. degree. The courses can fulfill MCS technical core requirements (and in some cases non-technical core requirements i.e the management option) but there is very limited ability to count a course for an option and also for a minor or additional major/degree in a related area. You will need to consult with the appropriate advisors about double counting issues.

A student who completes the recommended courses for any of these options will receive a certificate from the Department of Chemistry at Commencement as formal evidence of the accomplishment and a notation of this will be made on the student's transcript.

BIOCHEMISTRY OPTION Units
03-231/232Honors Biochemistry
(or Biochemistry)
9
09-518/718Bioorganic Chemistry: Nucleic Acids and Carbohydrates9
or 09-718 Bioorganic Chemistry: Nucleic Acids and Carbohydrates
or 09-519 Bioorganic Chemistry: Peptides, Proteins and Combinatorial Chemistry
or 09-719 Bioorganic Chemistry: Peptides, Proteins and Combinatorial Chemistry
xx-xxx2 Electives in Biochemistry
Elective courses may be chosen from the following list. (Other courses listed as electives for the Biological Chemistry Track may be possible with permission.)
03-344Experimental Biochemistry12
09-737Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Development12
09-803Chemistry of Gene Expression12
03-439Introduction to Biophysics10
09-519/719Bioorganic Chemistry: Peptides, Proteins and Combinatorial Chemistry9
or 09-518 Bioorganic Chemistry: Nucleic Acids and Carbohydrates
or 09-718 Bioorganic Chemistry: Nucleic Acids and Carbohydrates
POLYMER SCIENCE OPTION Units
09-502/741Organic Chemistry of Polymers9
09-760The Molecular Basis of Polymer Mechanics12
Two Electives in Polymer Science9
Elective courses may be chosen from the following list
09-445Undergraduate Research
(in a polymer area as approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies and generally part of a longer term project)
9
09-509/715Physical Chemistry of Macromolecules9
09-736Transition Metal Catalysis for Organic and Polymer Synthesis12
27-477Introduction to Polymer Science and Engineering9
Other upper level courses in chemistry, biomedical engineering, materials science engineering or the colloids, polymers and surfaces program may be used with permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY OPTION Units
27-100Engineering the Materials of the Future12
27-201Structure of Materials9
Two Elective Courses of at least 9 units each from the list below
27-202Defects in Materials9
09-445Undergraduate Research
(in a materials area as approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies and generally part of a longer term project)
9
09-502/741Organic Chemistry of Polymers9
09-507/707Nanoparticles9
09-509/715Physical Chemistry of Macromolecules9
09-723Proximal Probe Techniques: New Tools for Nanoscience & Nanotechnology12
27-xxxMSE course approved by Director of Undergraduate Studies
ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY OPTION Units
09-510/710Chemistry and Sustainability
09-291::must be taken with 09-381 in order to count towards this requirement.
9
or 09-291 Environmental Systems on a Changing Planet
09-524Environmental Chemistry9
Two elective courses of at least 9 units each from the list below
09-445Undergraduate Research
9 units of 09-445 can count towards this option if part of a longer term immersion and approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies
Var.
09-225Climate Change: Chemistry, Physics and Planetary Science9
09-529/729Introduction to Sustainable Energy Science9
09-538Exposure and Risk Assessment for Environmental Pollutants9
or 09-738 Exposure and Risk Assessment for Environmental Pollutants
19-440Combustion and Air Pollution Control9
12-651Air Quality Engineering9
12-657Water Resource Systems Engineering9
12-702Fundamentals of Water Quality Engineering12
MANAGEMENT OPTION Units
70-100Global Business
Global Business is intended for first-year and sophomore students only. Juniors and seniors interested in pursuing the management option must replace the course with a constrained elective as defined for the Minor in Business Administration.
9
73-102Principles of Microeconomics9
70-122Introduction to Accounting9
Tepper Constrained Elective: As defined in the 2022-23 Undergraduate Catalog these must be one of the following courses: 70-311, 70-371, 70-381, or 70-3919
COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY OPTION Units
15-112Fundamentals of Programming and Computer Science12
15-122Principles of Imperative Computation12
or 15-150 Principles of Functional Programming
21-127Concepts of Mathematics12
09-563/763Molecular Modeling and Computational Chemistry9
xx-xxxOne Upper Level Computational Elective Course of at least 9 units from the list below
09-621Welcome to the Future Lab - Science in the Cloud
Must be taken with 09-623
6
15-210Parallel and Sequential Data Structures and Algorithms12
15-213Introduction to Computer Systems12
15-214Principles of Software Construction: Objects, Design, and Concurrency12
33-241Introduction to Computational Physics9

B.S. in Chemistry with Departmental Honors

Outstanding students with an interest in research are encouraged to consider the Honors program by the beginning of the junior year. The program combines a slightly modified B.S. curriculum with close faculty-student contact in an individual research project, concluding with the student's presentation and defense of a Bachelor's degree honors thesis to a Thesis Committee.

The B.S. in Chemistry with Departmental Honors curriculum follows the general sequence of courses that is listed for the B.S. degree. The honors program specifies that one of the two chemistry electives be a 12-unit graduate course, numbered 09-7xx or higher, and that of the remaining free electives required to reach the minimum 360 units for the degree, at least two be undergraduate research (totaling at least 18 units) and one be 09-455 Honors Thesis (taken for 6 units). Students will be encouraged to do more than the minimum amount of research, so stipends from the research advisor or other sources such as a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship are sometimes available for summer B.S. honors research.

By the end of the penultimate semester, candidates for the B.S. in chemistry may apply to be admitted for candidacy to the Honors B.S. program. Applications are available on the department Canvas site for chemistry majors. To be accepted, students will be expected to have shown excellent performance in class work – normally at least a 3.2 average QPA- and outstanding progress in undergraduate research. A statement of support from their research advisor is also required. Upon acceptance into the program, a Thesis Committee must be identified, which will monitor the progress of the student. The committee shall consist of at least one member of the Undergraduate Program Committee to be appointed by the Director of Undergraduate Studies, the student's research advisor and a third faculty member agreed upon by the student and advisor. This third member can be from another department or institution and can be tenure track, teaching track or research track faculty. It is the student's responsibility to contact the proposed third member of their committee and confirm their participation.

A Box folder will be created for each degree candidate.  Information relevant to their candidacy that includes for example the completed application and written work products including documents and slides should be uploaded to this folder.  The folder will be accessible to the student, members of the Undergraduate Program Committee and the student's thesis committee.

A written thesis suitable for an Honors B.S. degree is required and should be a clear exposition in proper scientific format of a research project done for at least 18 units of credit in 09-445 Undergraduate Research. The thesis should describe a substantive new contribution to a particular field of research. This could include, but is not limited to, the discovery of a new phenomenon, studies that enhance our understanding of a previously reported phenomenon, or the development of a new method or technique. The student's Thesis Committee will evaluate the thesis via a public oral presentation followed by a private defense of the thesis before it approves the Honors degree. The written thesis must be supplied to the members of the student's Thesis Committee no later than 1 week prior to the scheduled public defense.  The defense is usually scheduled to take place during April or early May of the senior year (for a May graduation date but will change accordingly fo an August or December graduation) and the Director of Undergraduate Studies will coordinate the selection of a suitable date. Students completing the B.S. with Departmental Honors in Chemistry will receive MCS College Honors as well.

The designations of MCS College Honors and Departmental Honors are noted on the transcript but not on the diploma.  Only University Honors are noted on the diploma.

Honors B.S. - M.S. Program in Chemistry

Overview

Outstanding students seeking an advanced degree are encouraged to apply for admission to the B.S./M.S. Honors program as early as they can but only after having made some progress on a research project that could eventually be suitable for production of a Master's level thesis. Please note that this degree is available only with the B.S. in chemistry or the B.S. in Chemistry/Biological Chemistry Track and cannot be obtained by students pursuing a B.A. degree in chemistry. Typically, applications are submitted during the second half of the sophomore year but no later than the first semester of the junior year. (Later applications would only be considered in exceptional circumstances and would generally involve staying for a fifth year of study.) Participants will have the opportunity to earn in four years not only the degree B.S. in Chemistry with Departmental Honors, but also the degree Master of Science in Chemistry. This program is highly research intensive and is not appropriate for all students. Requirements include completing five graduate level courses as electives. (See notes on Honors B.S./M.S. electives.)

The schedule of courses for the B.S./M.S. program generally moves as many courses as possible forward in the curriculum, though this is not a requirement. This gives the student the following advantages: 1) greater perspective in selection of a research advisor, 2) greater maturity in performing independent research, and 3) the possibility of initiating the graduate course sequence in the junior year. 

Application Process

A completed application, finished in collaboration with their thesis advisor, must be submitted to the Director of Undergraduate Studies who will then arrange for an application meeting with the student, research advisor and representatives of the department Undergraduate Program Committee. (The application is available on the Canvas site for undergraduate chemistry majors.) At this meeting the student is expected to give an oral presentation with visual aids that presents relevant background, a summary of work completed to date and a detailed plan for their thesis project including a projected timeline for completion of the thesis research and the thesis itself. The presentation generally lasts around 15 minutes.  The committee may have questions for the candidate and/or advisor .

Thesis Committee

Upon acceptance into the program, a Thesis Committee must be identified, which will monitor the progress of the student. The Director of Undergraduate Studies generally initiates this process. The committee shall consist of at least one member of the Undergraduate Program Committee appointed by the Director of Undergraduate Studies, the student's research advisor and a third faculty member agreed upon by the student and advisor. This third member can be from another department or institution and can be tenure track, teaching track or research track faculty. It is the student's responsibility to contact the third member of their committee, confirm their participation and notify the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

A Box folder will be created for each degree candidate.  Information relevant to their candidacy that includes for example the completed application and written work products including documents and slides should be uploaded to this folder.  The folder will be accessible to the student, members of the Undergraduate Program Committee and the student's thesis committee.

Research Engagement

The student is expected to keep the research advisor selected for the duration of the thesis project. Summer thesis research for 10 weeks in each summer following the sophomore and junior years is strongly suggested to assist the student in completing research of sufficient quantity and quality to complete their thesis. Students normally will be given stipends for their summer work either by their research advisor or by competing for a summer fellowship such as a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship available through the Undergraduate Research Office. A minimum of 30 units of 09-445 Undergraduate Research is required though this is rarely sufficient as the sole research experience. Participation in group seminars during the junior and senior years is expected. Students must present their research at least once at the Sigma Xi competition at Meeting of the Minds, the annual Carnegie Mellon undergraduate research symposium, typically at the end of the junior year. In addition, students must meet with their Thesis Committee at minimum each fall, though additional meetings may be required by the Thesis Committee, to update the committee on their progress and in the fall of the senior year must prepare a written summary of their research progress to date (5 pages) and their plans for the academic year (1 page). This report must state clearly what stage the work is in; it must be clear what work is complete and ready for publication.

Failure to maintain what the committee deems as suitable progress towards degree in either research or graduate coursework may result in release from the program. The final decision rests with the Director of Undergraduate Studies in consultation with the thesis committee.

A meeting with the thesis committee should occur during the first two weeks of the final semester. The purpose of this meeting is to determine whether the candidate has made sufficient progress in research to warrant the production of a suitably rigorous thesis towards an M.S. degree according to the planned upon schedule. If the student has not made appropriate progress, they may have the option of extending their time to degree or pursuing Departmental Honors through writing and defense of a senior honors thesis as described elsewhere in this catalog.

Preparation for Writing the Thesis and the Thesis Defense

By the end of the penultimate semester (normally fall of the senior year) the student should complete a thorough literature review to begin preparation for the introduction of their thesis.

At the start of the spring semester of the senior year (or their final semester if different), the student must submit a draft of the introduction for their thesis and a detailed outline of their methods, results and discussion sections to the Director of Undergraduate Studies who also chairs the Honors Committee. This will be distributed via Box and reviewed by the student's Thesis Committee.

Each student is required to submit a formal Masters Degree dissertation to the Chemistry Department in April of the senior year (for a May graduation date) or at least one week prior to the date set for the thesis defense. The thesis usually has an abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion and conclusion sections with acknowledgements. It is common for a Masters dissertations to contain multiple chapters describing various aspects of the project.  The student's Thesis Committee will evaluate the thesis via a public oral presentation followed by a private defense of the thesis before the Thesis Committee. The defense is usually scheduled to take place during April or early May of the senior year and the Director of Undergraduate Studies will coordinate the selection of a suitable date. The defense presentation generally lasts around 30-40 minutes.

The dissertation, written in proper scientific format, should describe the research project in considerable detail and must withstand the scrutiny of the Thesis Committee with respect to completeness. It need not be as extensive nor contain the element of student originality characteristic of a Ph.D. thesis; however it must contain results and conclusions that are of a high enough quality to be accepted as a publication in a respected research journal, though publication of the work is not a requirement of the degree program. The student should refer to the ACS Style Guide for recommendations on appropriate presentation and formatting of written text, tables, graphs, and figures. As for all M.S. degree candidates in the Department, the dissertation must be approved first by the research advisor before it can be distributed to the rest of the committee.  Thus, it is essential to give the complete thesis or individual chapters to the advisor for feedback well before the one-week deadline for submission to the full committee.

Research productivity is the most important criterion for success at the evaluation points, but QPA is a strong secondary criterion. A minimum of 3.2 and strong progress in research are required to remain in the program. Candidates must also maintain a QPA of at least 3.0 in the five graduate level courses required for the degree.

Students who complete this program will receive the designations of Departmental Honors and MCS College Honors.  These are designated on the transcript, not on the diploma.  Only University Honors are denoted on the diploma.

Students completing the requirements for this degree receive two diplomas, one for the B.S. degree and another for the M.S. degree.  Since this is a combined degree program both degrees are awarded at the same time; the awarding of the two degrees cannot be separated in time.  It is not uncommon for students to extend their time to degree through the summer following their planned May graduation in order to finish writing and defense of their M.S. thesis. There students are able to walk with their graduating class in May, though they will not receive their diplomas until after their thesis defense and submission of their grade for 09-455.

Failure to make progress in research or coursework of sufficient quality and quantity in a timely fashion can result in a student being removed from this degree program (removal of the M.S. degree from their record).  The decision will be made by the thesis committee and the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Violations of professional ethical standards can also result in a student's removal from the B.S.-M.S. program. This will not interfere with the student earning a B.S. degree, the BS with the Biological Chemistry Track or the B.S. degree with Departmental Honors, provided the appropriate requirements are met. 

Notes on Honors B.S. - M.S. Graduate Level Electives

The B.S. - M.S. Honors degree requires the completion of five graduate level courses. Graduate courses in chemistry are typically those numbered 09-7xx or 09-8xx. Some courses numbered 09-6xx are remedial graduate level courses and not acceptable towards the degree requirements as the content overlaps extensively with required chemistry courses at the undergraduate level (an example is 09-611 Chemical Thermodynamics). Others are part of established M.S programs in the college and may be possible candidates for fulfillment of this requirement (examples being 09-615 Computational Modeling, Statistical Analysis and Machine Learning in Science and  09-621 Welcome to the Future Lab - Science in the Cloud that must be taken with 09-623 Future Lab- DNA Science in the Cloud). Graduate classes in chemistry are normally 12-unit courses (or two six unit minis numbered 09-7xx or 09-8xx counting as one graduate level course). However, in order not to penalize interdisciplinary studies which may be essential to a good thesis, up to three of the five required graduate chemistry courses may be at the advanced undergraduate level (the 9 unit 09-5xx versions), though the 09-7xx course is generally preferred as the additional 3-units of work often target work or skills important to graduate-level work. All advanced undergraduate level courses used to satisfy this requirement must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Students must earn a grade of C or better in each of the five graduate or upper level undergraduate courses fulfilling the requirements for this degree and also in 09-455, Honors Thesis.  In addition students must earn a minimum of a  3.0 average combined for the five graduate or upper level undergraduate courses, 09-445 Undergraduate Research and 09-455 Honors Thesis in order to fulfill their degree requirements.


Curriculum for Students Pursuing the Honors B.S. - M.S. in Chemistry

This catalog and the sample schedules presented are intended to be used by students in the first year class entering in the fall of 2023.  Upperclass students should refer to the appropriate previous version of the catalog published during their first year for the requirements that are specific to them.

The technical breadth requirement of the MCS core curriculum requires a minimum of four technical courses outside of the student's primary major. Chemistry majors must at minimum take the following non-chemistry technical courses: 33-121 Physics I for Science Students, 33-122 Physics II for Biological Sciences & Chemistry Students, either 03-121 Modern Biology or 03-231 Honors Biochemistry or 03-232 Biochemistry I, 15-110 Principles of Computing (or other approved programming course), 21-120 Differential and Integral Calculus and 21-122 Integration and Approximation or 21-124 Calculus II for Biologists and Chemists. Students should complete this technical core as early as possible and preferably by the end of their fifth semester. AP credit cannot be used to fulfill the technical breadth requirements for the core though AP classes can be used to fulfill prerequisites for chemistry classes. 

The non-technical breadth requirements for MCS students includes Interpretation and Argument (76-101, 9 units), four courses with a minimum of 36 units from the arts, humanities or social sciences and a course of at least 9 units from an approved list in the category of Cultural/Global understanding, a course in the Science and Society category, a total of five ENGAGE courses including three ENGAGE in Wellness courses, ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Inward (38-230, 1 units)ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Outward (38-330, 1 units) and ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Forward (38-430, 1 units), as well as ENGAGE in Service (38-110, 1 units) and  ENGAGE in the Arts (38-220, 2 units) plus EUREKA!: Discovery and Its Impact (38-101, 6 units) the MCS first-year seminar for a minimum of 72 units.

The Science and Society requirement as well as the ENGAGE courses must be finished prior to your final semester at CMU (no later than your penultimate semester). The Science and Society requirement can be fulfilled in numerous ways via MCS classes and other disciplinary courses that can also fulfill other requirements for your degree (but can NOT double count within the general education categories i.e. a course used to fulfill Science and Society cannot also fulfill your Cultural Analysis requirement or count towards your 36 units of non-technical electives). In the chemistry department courses currently approved to fulfill the Science and Society requirement that can also count as a chemistry elective are 09-510 Chemistry and Sustainability , 09-291 Environmental Systems on a Changing Planet with 09-381 Environmental Systems on a Changing Planet: Science & Engineering Addendumand 09-403 Hooked: The Chemical Basis of Drug Addiction. A more expanded listing will be maintained by the MCS Dean's Office (https://www.cmu.edu/mcs/undergrad/advising/hss-finearts/index.html).

For more information on allowed courses in the arts, humanities and social sciences and electives in the Cultural/Global Understanding category refer to the MCS section of this catalog.

The suggested curriculum recommends that the required technical courses be completed at the earliest opportunity, however students have considerable flexibility to postpone these courses in favor of electives, allowing compatibility with the programs of other departments. In designing such programs for a minor or additional major with chemistry, students should note that certain required chemistry courses only are offered in specific semesters, not both. These include the Fall-only courses , 09-219 Modern Organic Chemistry,  09-321 Laboratory III: Molecular Design and Synthesis and 09-323 Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory and 09-344 Physical Chemistry (Quantum): Microscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry as well as the Spring-only courses 09-331 Modern Analytical Instrumentation09-220 Modern Organic Chemistry II09-345 Physical Chemistry (Thermo): Macroscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry and 09-348 Inorganic Chemistry. Also, in some cases, a course that is normally scheduled for the fall may be changed to a spring course (or the inverse) due to a departmental curriculum change or faculty availability.

The following are only meant to represent sample schedules.  Students should always consult with their academic advisor to discuss an individualized plan to meet their academic goals.

Fall Units
09-105Introduction to Modern Chemistry I10
or 09-107 Honors Chemistry: Fundamentals, Concepts and Applications
21-120Differential and Integral Calculus10
33-121Physics I for Science Students12
38-101EUREKA!: Discovery and Its Impact6
76-101Interpretation and Argument9
99-101Computing @ Carnegie Mellon3
 50

Students interested in majoring in chemistry who have a strong chemistry background, should enroll in 09-107 rather than 09-105.  Students who complete 09-107 with an A grade will be exempted from the requirement to take 09-106 Modern Chemistry II.

There are some elective laboratory courses offered for MCS students in the first year. These include03-117 Frontiers, Analysis, and Discovery in Biological Sciences and 09-115 Introduction to Undergraduate Research in Chemistry., which can serve as the prerequisite for the research shadowing course 09-116 Undergraduate Research Shadowing in Chemistry in the spring semester. The maximum units allowed during the first semester is 54; therefore, students wishing to take a lab should take an alternate technical course to Physics I such as 15-110 or 03-121 so that their unit total is lower.

Spring Units
09-106Modern Chemistry II
Chemistry majors who place out of 09-106 can take 09-348 Inorganic Chemistry, 09-510 Chemistry and Sustainability as a chemistry elective or inquire with the Director of Undergraduate Studies about a suitable research placement.
10
21-122Integration and Approximation10
or 21-124 Calculus II for Biologists and Chemists
15-110Principles of Computing10
or 33-121 Physics I for Science Students
or 03-121 Modern Biology
xx-xxxArts, Humanities and Social Sciences Course 19
xx-xxxFree Elective9
 48
Sophomore Year
Fall Units
09-219Modern Organic Chemistry10
09-221Laboratory I: Introduction to Chemical Analysis12
09-201Undergraduate Seminar I1
33-122Physics II for Biological Sciences & Chemistry Students
This course is a prerequisite for 09-331, normally taken in the spring of the junior year.
9
09-445Undergraduate Research9
xx-xxxArts, Humanities and Social Sciences Course 29
 50
Spring Units
09-202Undergraduate Seminar II: Safety and Environmental Issues for Chemists1
09-222Laboratory II: Organic Synthesis and Analysis12
09-220Modern Organic Chemistry II10
09-348Inorganic Chemistry10
38-230ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Inward1
xx-xxxArts, Humanities and Social Sciences Course 39
 43
Summer
10 weeks Honors Research recommended

Reminder about Flexible Scheduling: Student feedback indicates that the junior year BS schedule can feel quite intense as you move into the more mathematical and physical chemistry oriented curriculum, especially if you are also engaged in undergraduate research. Remember that the senior year in chemistry is essentially open for free electives. You may use this flexibility to spread out your junior year requirements over four semesters rather than two.  You should consult with your academic advisor to explore alternative schedules if you are interested.

Junior Year
Fall Units
09-301Undergraduate Seminar III1
09-231Mathematical Methods for Chemists9
09-321Laboratory III: Molecular Design and Synthesis12
or 09-323 Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory
09-344Physical Chemistry (Quantum): Microscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry9
09-445Undergraduate Research9
38-330ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Outward1
xx-xxxArts, Humanities and Social Sciences Course 49
 50
Spring Units
09-302Undergraduate Seminar IV1
09-322Laboratory IV: Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics12
09-445Undergraduate Research6
09-xxxGraduate Chemistry Course 1 of 5 (see notes on Honors B.S. - M.S. electives in the generalized program description)9
09-345Physical Chemistry (Thermo): Macroscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry9
09-331Modern Analytical Instrumentation9
xx-xxxApproved Science and Society elective. This course can be scheduled at any point during your studies but prior to your final semester.6-9
 52-55
Summer
10 weeks Honors Research recommended
Senior Year
Fall Units
09-401Undergraduate Seminar V1
09-445Undergraduate Research9
09-xxxGraduate Chemistry Course 2 of 512
09-xxxGraduate Chemistry Course 3 of 512
xx-xxxCultural/Global Understanding9
38-430ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Forward1
38-110ENGAGE in Service1
 45
Spring Units
09-402Undergraduate Seminar VI3
09-455Honors Thesis15
09-xxxGraduate Chemistry Course 4 of 59
09-xxxGraduate Chemistry Course 5 of 59
38-220ENGAGE in the Arts2
xx-xxxFree Elective9
 47

Distribution of Units

Minimum Total Chemistry Units (238, See distribution below)

Required Chemistry Courses Units
09-105Introduction to Modern Chemistry I10
or 09-107 Honors Chemistry: Fundamentals, Concepts and Applications
09-106Modern Chemistry II10
09-219Modern Organic Chemistry10
09-220Modern Organic Chemistry II10
09-231Mathematical Methods for Chemists9
09-331Modern Analytical Instrumentation9
09-344Physical Chemistry (Quantum): Microscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry9
09-345Physical Chemistry (Thermo): Macroscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry9
09-348Inorganic Chemistry10
09-221Laboratory I: Introduction to Chemical Analysis12
09-222Laboratory II: Organic Synthesis and Analysis12
09-321Laboratory III: Molecular Design and Synthesis12
09-322Laboratory IV: Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics12
09-xxxChemistry Seminars8
09-445Undergraduate Research
(in addition 2 summers recommended)
30
09-xxxGraduate chemistry courses (see Notes on B.S./M.S. Electives) 51-60
09-455Honors Thesis15

Students who transfer into the department and have taken 09-217 Organic Chemistry I, and/or 09-218 Organic Chemistry II, will be required to complete units of 09-435 Independent Study Chemistry, 1 unit per course, under the supervision of the instructor(s) for 09-219 and/or 09-220 in order to master the course content missed in this course sequence.

Students who transfer into the department and have taken 09-207 Techniques in Quantitative Analysis and/or 09-208 Techniques for Organic Synthesis and Analysis will be required to take a 3 unit transition course (09-215 Chemistry Tech I to Lab I Transition for 09-207 and/or 09-216 Chemistry Tech II to Lab II Transition for 09-208) to fulfill the major requirements for 09-221 and/or 09-222.

Chemistry courses required for the B.S. - M.S. degree that are numbered 09-2xx or higher must be taken at Carnegie Mellon University.  Exceptions must be requested of and approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies.  In general such requests will be approved only under unusual or extenuating circumstances.

Other RequirementsUnits
Biology9
Computer Science10
Mathematics20
Physics21
Interpretation and Argument 9
Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences courses36
Cultural/Global Understanding9
EUREKA! (first year seminar)6
Science and Society Elective6
ENGAGE in Wellness (3 courses)3
ENGAGE in Service1
ENGAGE in the Arts2
Computing @ Carnegie Mellon3
Free Electives6-15
Minimum number of units required for degrees:388

The above B.S. curriculum recommends a range of 41–55 units per semester to meet the minimum degree requirement of 388 units. Students are strongly encouraged to take extra elective courses (except in the first year) in whatever subjects they wish in order to enrich their backgrounds and enhance their educational experience.

Some students may need to earn more than 388 units to complete their degree. Usually this happens when students earn AP Credit for a course (for example 09-105) and then take a class with the same or similar content (take 09-105 at CMU or 09-107). You cannot count 20 units towards a 10-unit requirement so this student would need to earn 398 total units.

Free Electives

Free electives are defined as including any course offered by Carnegie Mellon except those in science or engineering fields that are primarily intended for non-majors. A maximum of 9 units total of Physical Education, StuCo and/or ROTC courses combined can be counted as free elective units. The Chemistry Department does not require technical electives.

Curriculum for Students Pursuing the B.S. in Chemistry/ Biological Chemistry Track-M.S. Degree in Chemistry

This catalog and the sample schedules presented are intended to be used by students in the first year class entering in the fall of 2023.  Upperclass students should refer to the appropriate previous version of the catalog published during their first year for the requirements that are specific to them.

The technical breadth requirement of the MCS core curriculum requires a minimum of four technical courses outside of the student's primary major. Chemistry majors must at minimum take the following non-chemistry technical courses: 33-121 Physics I for Science Students33-122 Physics II for Biological Sciences & Chemistry Students, either 03-121 Modern Biology or 03-231 Honors Biochemistry or 03-232 Biochemistry I15-110 Principles of Computing (or other approved programming course), 21-120 Differential and Integral Calculus and 21-122 Integration and Approximation or 21-124 Calculus II for Biologists and Chemists. Students should complete this technical core as early as possible and preferably by the end of their fifth semester.

The non-technical breadth requirements for MCS students includes Interpretation and Argument (76-101, 9 units), four courses with a minimum of 36 units from the arts, humanities or social sciences and a course of at least 9 units from an approved list in the category of Cultural/Global understanding, a course in the Science and Society category, a total of five ENGAGE courses including three ENGAGE in Wellness courses, ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Inward (38-230, 1 units)ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Outward (38-330, 1 units) and ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Forward (38-430, 1 units), as well as ENGAGE in Service (38-110, 1 units) and  ENGAGE in the Arts (38-220, 2 units) plus EUREKA!: Discovery and Its Impact (38-101, 6 units) the MCS first-year seminar for a minimum of 72 units.

The Science and Society requirement as well as the ENGAGE courses must be finished prior to your final semester at CMU (no later than your penultimate semester). The Science and Society requirement can be fulfilled in numerous ways via MCS classes and other disciplinary courses that can also fulfill other requirements for your degree (but can NOT double count within the general education categories i.e. a course used to fulfill Science and Society cannot also fulfill your Cultural Analysis requirement or count towards your 36 units of non-technical electives). In the chemistry department courses currently approved to fulfill the Science and Society requirement that can also count as a chemistry elective are 09-510 Chemistry and Sustainability , 09-291 Environmental Systems on a Changing Planet with 09-381 Environmental Systems on a Changing Planet: Science & Engineering Addendumand 09-403 Hooked: The Chemical Basis of Drug Addiction. A more expanded listing will be maintained by the MCS Dean's Office (https://www.cmu.edu/mcs/undergrad/advising/hss-finearts/index.html).

For more information on allowed courses in the arts, humanities and social sciences and electives in the Cultural/Global Understanding category refer to the MCS section of this catalog.

The suggested curriculum recommends that the required technical courses be completed at the earliest opportunity, however students have considerable flexibility to postpone these courses in favor of electives, allowing compatibility with the programs of other departments. In designing such programs for a minor or additional major with chemistry, students should note that certain required chemistry courses only are offered in specific semesters, not both. These include the Fall-only courses , 09-219 Modern Organic Chemistry,  09-321 Laboratory III: Molecular Design and Synthesis and 09-323 Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory and 09-344 Physical Chemistry (Quantum): Microscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry as well as the Spring-only courses 09-331 Modern Analytical Instrumentation09-220 Modern Organic Chemistry II09-345 Physical Chemistry (Thermo): Macroscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry and 09-348 Inorganic Chemistry. Also, in some cases, a course that is normally scheduled for the fall may be changed to a spring course (or the inverse) due to a departmental curriculum change or faculty availability.

The following are only meant to represent sample schedules.  Students should always consult with their academic advisor to discuss an individualized plan to meet their academic goals.

Freshman Year
Fall Units
09-105Introduction to Modern Chemistry I10
or 09-107 Honors Chemistry: Fundamentals, Concepts and Applications
21-120Differential and Integral Calculus10
33-121Physics I for Science Students12
or 03-121 Modern Biology
76-101Interpretation and Argument9
38-101EUREKA!: Discovery and Its Impact6
99-101Computing @ Carnegie Mellon3
 50

Students interested in majoring in chemistry who have a strong chemistry background, should enroll in 09-107 rather than 09-105.  Students who complete 09-107 with an A grade will be exempted from the requirement to take 09-106 Modern Chemistry II.

There are some elective laboratory courses offered for MCS students in the first year. These include 03-117 Frontiers, Analysis, and Discovery in Biological Sciences or 09-115 Introduction to Undergraduate Research in Chemistry. The maximum units allowed during the first semester is 54; therefore, students wishing to take a lab should take an alternate technical course to Physics I such as 15-110 or 03-121 so that their unit total is lower.

Spring Units
09-106Modern Chemistry II *10
21-122Integration and Approximation10
or 21-124 Calculus II for Biologists and Chemists
03-121Modern Biology9
or 33-121 Physics I for Science Students
or 15-110 Principles of Computing
xx-xxxArts, Humanities and Social Sciences Course 19
xx-xxxFree Elective5
 43
*

Chemistry majors who place out of 09-106 can take 09-348 Inorganic Chemistry, 09-510 Chemistry and Sustainability as a chemistry elective, or other courses yet to be announced. Chemistry majors who feel they are ready for an undergraduate research experience should meet with the Director of Undergraduate Studies.  These opportunities are more prevalent in the summer after your first year or sophomore year.

Sophomore Year
Fall Units
09-201Undergraduate Seminar I1
09-219Modern Organic Chemistry10
09-221Laboratory I: Introduction to Chemical Analysis12
33-122Physics II for Biological Sciences & Chemistry Students
Course is a prerequisite for 09-331, normally taken in the spring of the junior year. This ourse can be delayed until a subsequent semester in order to better manage workload.
9
03-220Genetics
or other biological chemistry elective.
9
xx-xxxArts, Humanities and Social Sciences Course 29
 50
Spring Units
09-202Undergraduate Seminar II: Safety and Environmental Issues for Chemists1
09-220Modern Organic Chemistry II10
09-222Laboratory II: Organic Synthesis and Analysis12
03-232Biochemistry I9
38-230ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Inward1
xx-xxxArts, Humanities and Social Sciences Course 39
 42

Summer Research: 10 weeks of summer research is recommended

Reminder about Flexible Scheduling: Student feedback indicates that the junior year BS schedule can feel quite intense as you move into the more mathematical and physical chemistry oriented curriculum, especially if you are also engaged in undergraduate research. Remember that the senior year in chemistry is essentially open for free electives. You may use this flexibility to spread out your junior year requirements over four semesters rather than two.  You should consult with your academic advisor to explore alternative schedules if you are interested.

Junior Year
Fall Units
09-301Undergraduate Seminar III1
09-231Mathematical Methods for Chemists
Math methods is a co-requisite for 09-344 and a prerequisite for 09-345 (spring). If you move math methods to the fall of your senior year, you must also move 09-344, 09-345 and 09-322 to the senior year.
9
09-344Physical Chemistry (Quantum): Microscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry
Quantum is a prerequisite for Lab IV. If you move Quantum to the fall of the senior year, you must move Lab IV to the spring of the senior year. 09-344 is not a prerequisite for 09-345 (spring).
9
09-323Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory
This lab class is not a prerequisite for 09-322; it can be moved to the fall of your senior year without impacting the spring junior year courses.
12
09-518Bioorganic Chemistry: Nucleic Acids and Carbohydrates
One course from the set 09-518, 718, 519, 719 is required for the track.
9
38-330ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Outward1
xx-xxxArts, Humanities and Social Sciences Course 49
 50
Spring Units
09-302Undergraduate Seminar IV1
09-322Laboratory IV: Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics12
09-345Physical Chemistry (Thermo): Macroscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry
This course is a co-requisite of Lab IV. If you move it to the senior year, you must also move Lab IV.
9
09-331Modern Analytical Instrumentation
This course is a co-requisite of Lab IV. If you move it to the senior year, you must also move Lab IV.
9
xx-xxxCultural/Global Understanding Requirement9
xx-xxxTrack Elective #2 (if you choose a class at the 09-5xx, 7xx or 8xx level it can double count for the track and the graduate classes for the MS degree.**)
xx-xxxApproved Science and Society elective. This course can be scheduled at any point during your studies but prior to your final semester.6-9
 46-49
** Double counting: One of the required bioorganic courses and an appropriate, upper level undergraduate or graduate level chemistry class can double count towards the three track electives and the five required graduate courses for the MS degree. This is reflected in the schedule below.

Summer Research:10 weeks of summer research is recommended

Senior Year
Fall Units
09-401Undergraduate Seminar V1
09-xxxBiological Chemistry Elective 3 (see notes on Biological Chemistry electives)9
xx-xxxGraduate Course 1 (see notes in general description of BS-MS degrees)9-12
xx-xxxGraduate Course 29-12
38-110ENGAGE in Service1
38-430ENGAGE in Wellness: Looking Forward1
38-220ENGAGE in the Arts2
xx-xxxFree Electives16-23
 48-61
Spring Units
09-402Undergraduate Seminar VI3
09-348Inorganic Chemistry10
xx-xxxGraduate Course 39-12
09-455Honors Thesis15
xx-xxxFree Electives9
 46-49

DISTRIBUTION OF UNITS

 Minimum Total Chemistry Units 271; See distribution below

Required Chemistry Courses* Units
09-105Introduction to Modern Chemistry I10
or 09-107 Honors Chemistry: Fundamentals, Concepts and Applications
09-106Modern Chemistry II10
09-219Modern Organic Chemistry10
09-220Modern Organic Chemistry II10
03-231Honors Biochemistry9
or 03-232 Biochemistry I
09-231Mathematical Methods for Chemists9
09-331Modern Analytical Instrumentation9
09-344Physical Chemistry (Quantum): Microscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry9
09-345Physical Chemistry (Thermo): Macroscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry9
09-518Bioorganic Chemistry: Nucleic Acids and Carbohydrates
either 09-718 or 09-719 can also fulfill this requirement
9
or 09-519 Bioorganic Chemistry: Peptides, Proteins and Combinatorial Chemistry
09-348Inorganic Chemistry10
09-221Laboratory I: Introduction to Chemical Analysis12
09-222Laboratory II: Organic Synthesis and Analysis12
09-323Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory12
09-322Laboratory IV: Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics12
09-xxxChemistry Seminars8
09-xxxBiological Chemistry Electives27
09-445Undergraduate Research30
09-455Honors Thesis15
09-5xx/7xx graduate classes for the MS (3-4 required depending upon double counting)27-48

Students who transfer into the department and have taken 09-217 Organic Chemistry I and/or 09-218 Organic Chemistry II, will be required to complete units of 09-435 Independent Study Chemistry, 1 unit per course, under the supervision of the instructor(s) for 09-219 and/or 09-220 in order to master the course content missed in this course sequence.

Students who transfer into the department and have taken 09-207 Techniques in Quantitative Analysis and/or 09-208 Techniques for Organic Synthesis and Analysis will be required to take a 3 unit transition course (09-215 Chemistry Tech I to Lab I Transition for 09-207 and/or 09-216 Chemistry Tech II to Lab II Transition for 09-208) to fulfill the major requirements for 09-221 and/or 09-222.

Chemistry courses required for the B.S. degrees that are numbered 09-2xx or higher must be taken at Carnegie Mellon University.  Exceptions must be requested of and approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies.  In general such requests will be approved only under unusual or extenuating circumstances.

** Double counting: A maximum of one of the required bioorganic courses and an appropriate, upper level undergraduate or graduate level chemistry class can double count towards the three track electives and the five required graduate courses for the MS degree.
Other RequirementsUnits
Modern Biology9
Computer Science10
Mathematics20
Physics21
Interpretation and Argument9
Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences courses36
Cultural/Global Understandling9
EUREKA! (First Year Seminar)6
Science and Society Elective6
ENGAGE in Wellness (3 courses)3
ENGAGE in Service1
ENGAGE in the Arts2
Computing @ Carnegie Mellon3
Free Electives15
Minimum number of units required for the degree:388

The above B.S. curriculum recommends a range of 41–50 units/semester to meet the minimum degree requirement. Students are strongly encouraged to take extra elective courses (except in the first year) in whatever subjects they wish in order to enrich their backgrounds and enhance their educational experience.

Some students may need to earn more than 388 units to complete their degree. Usually this happens when students earn AP Credit for a course (for example 09-105) and then take a class with the same or similar content (take 09-105 at CMU or 09-107). You cannot count 20 units towards a 10-unit requirement so this student would need to earn 398 total units.

NOTES ON ELECTIVES

Biological Chemistry Electives

A minimum of three biological chemistry electives for a total of 27 units or more is required.

A list of currently approved electives is provided below.  Of the three elective courses at least two should be chemistry courses and a maximum of one can be taken in biology or physics.  Exceptions can be granted by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. One semester of 09-445 for 9 units may be used for one biological chemistry elective with the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies. It must be part of a longer term experience ensuring depth of knowledge in the area.

09-403Hooked: The Chemical Basis of Drug Addiction9
09-518Bioorganic Chemistry: Nucleic Acids and Carbohydrates
(One of these two courses is required for the degree. The other can be used as a Biological Chemistry elective.)
9
or 09-519 Bioorganic Chemistry: Peptides, Proteins and Combinatorial Chemistry
09-538Exposure and Risk Assessment for Environmental Pollutants9
or 09-738 Exposure and Risk Assessment for Environmental Pollutants
09-521Metals in Biology: Function and Reactivity6
09-737Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Development12
09-803Chemistry of Gene Expression12
03-220Genetics9
03-221Genomes, Evolution, and Disease: Introduction to Quantitative Genetic Analysis9
03-320Cell Biology9
03-327Evolutionary Bioinformatics: Trees, Sequences and the Comparative Method9
03-344Experimental Biochemistry12
03-362Cellular Neuroscience9
03-366Neuropharmacology: Drugs, Brain and Behavior9
03-390Molecular and Cellular Immunology9
03-435Cancer Biology9
03-391Microbiology9
03-439Introduction to Biophysics10
03-442Molecular Biology9
03-729Entrepreneurship and protein-based drug development6
03-871Structural Biophysics12
33-441Introduction to Biophysics10
Free Electives

Free electives are defined as including any course offered by Carnegie Mellon except those in science or engineering fields that are primarily intended for non-majors. A maximum of 9 units total of Physical Education, StuCo and/or ROTC courses combined can be counted as free elective units. The Chemistry Department does not require technical electives.

Minor in Chemistry 

In order for a student to receive a minor in Chemistry in conjunction with a B.S. or B.A. degree from another (primary) department, the successful completion of six courses as distributed below is required. Students pursuing the minor must inform the Chemistry Department of their intentions in writing using the MCS form for declaration of a minor so that the minor designation can be approved prior to graduation. The form may be obtained from the MCS undergraduate webpage at www.cmu.edu/mcs/undergrad/advising/forms. It should be completed and submitted to the department office, DH 1317 (or keishawd@andrew.cmu.edu),  no later than the end of the course add period of the final semester prior to graduation.  If you decide at a later date not to complete the minor, it would be helpful to notify the Director of Undergraduate Studies, ks01@andrew.cmu.edu, so that it can be removed from your record. Minors are listed on the transcript but not on the diploma.

Note: An introductory chemistry class equivalent to either 09-105 Introduction to Modern Chemistry I or 09-107 Honors Chemistry: Fundamentals, Concepts and Applications is a presumed prerequisite to beginning the minor in chemistry.

Course Requirements

A. Four Required Core Courses
09-106Modern Chemistry II10
09-221Laboratory I: Introduction to Chemical Analysis9-12
or 09-207 Techniques in Quantitative Analysis
09-217Organic Chemistry I9-10
or 09-219 Modern Organic Chemistry
Choice of one of the following courses:
09-331Modern Analytical Instrumentation9
09-344Physical Chemistry (Quantum): Microscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry9
09-345Physical Chemistry (Thermo): Macroscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry9
09-348Inorganic Chemistry10
09-507Nanoparticles9
09-529Introduction to Sustainable Energy Science9

Courses in this group that are not used to satisfy Part A core courses may be used to satisfy elective course requirements in part B below, provided they are not required by the student's primary department. A single course cannot count as a requirement and one of two electives.

B. Two Elective Courses from the following list.

09-344Physical Chemistry (Quantum): Microscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry9
09-345Physical Chemistry (Thermo): Macroscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry9
09-348Inorganic Chemistry10
09-222Laboratory II: Organic Synthesis and Analysis9-12
or 09-208 Techniques for Organic Synthesis and Analysis
09-218Organic Chemistry II9-10
or 09-220 Modern Organic Chemistry II
03-231/232Honors Biochemistry9
09-403Hooked: The Chemical Basis of Drug Addiction9
09-502Organic Chemistry of Polymers9
09-507Nanoparticles9
09-510Chemistry and Sustainability
09-291::must be taken with 09-381 in order to count as a chemistry elective. Chemistry electives are intended to enhance a student's technical knowledge in chemistry. Some chemistry courses are more interdisciplinary in nature and/or less technical in content. This applies to 09-510 Chemistry and Sustainability and 09-291 Environmental Systems on a Changing Planet plus 09-381 Environmental Systems on a Changing Planet: Science & Engineering Addendum. Only one of these two courses may be counted towards this requirement.
9
or 09-291 Environmental Systems on a Changing Planet
09-524Environmental Chemistry9
09-525Transition Metal Chemistry9
09-538Exposure and Risk Assessment for Environmental Pollutants9
09-563Molecular Modeling and Computational Chemistry9
09-621Welcome to the Future Lab - Science in the Cloud
must be taken with 09-623
6
09-714Advanced Organic Chemistry12
09-737Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Development12
09-760The Molecular Basis of Polymer Mechanics12
09-xxxApproved Upper Level Chemistry Course (must be 09-3xx or higher but see exclusions noted below)

Courses in this section (part B above) can not be counted toward the minor if they are required in any way by the student's primary department or towards an additional major or minor other than as a free elective. For example, students majoring in Biological Sciences can not double count 03-231 (or 03-232), 09-208 (or 09-222), or 09-218 (or 09-220) toward the elective courses for the minor in chemistry. Chemical engineering majors can not count 03-231 (or 03-232) or a chemistry course that is used to satisfy that department's required chemistry or advanced chem/biochem elective. 

09-231 Mathematical Methods for Chemists, does not count towards the minor in chemistry. The undergraduate research course 09-445 Undergraduate Research and 09-435 Independent Study Chemistry cannot be used for the minor.

Transfer credit will be accepted only for the prerequisite 09-105, or  09-106 and 09-217.  All other classes towards the chemistry minor must be completed at Carnegie Mellon University.

Transfer Credit for Chemistry Courses

  1. Requests for transfer credit for chemistry classes taken at other institutions should be made to Dr. Len Vuocolo, Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Chemistry. Students making such requests should follow the policies and procedures in place within their home colleges in assembling materials for such requests. Consult with your advisor on the appropriate steps.  
  2. Requests should be placed before paying tuition for a class in case transfer credit is denied.  Allow 1-2 weeks for approval.
  3. At minimum requests must be accompanied by a complete syllabus including the textbook that will be used, a detailed list of topic areas and an indication of whether or not the course is part of the curriculum for science majors at the other institution.  Check to ensure that the institution is on a semester system.  Most schools on a quarter system (many in the UC system of schools) teach general chemistry and organic chemistry over three quarters each; therefore one of these classes would not be equivalent to one CMU class.

  4. The department no longer accepts fully online courses.

  5. No transfer credit will be awarded for the laboratory classes required for the chemistry or biology major at Carnegie Mellon University, 09-20709-221, 09-208, 09-222, 09-321, 09-323 and 09-322. Requests for transfer credit for 09-101, Introduction to Experimental Chemistry, will be accepted with the appropriate documentation.

  6. In assessing the suitability of courses for transfer credit, the following factors are considered:

    • The rigor of the course must be comparable to that offered at Carnegie Mellon. This is usually assessed via the quality of the institution and its chemistry program,  the textbook used and the amount of time spent on topic areas.  In general, the rate of approval is significantly higher for four-year institutions with science majors as opposed to community colleges.
    • The topic areas should match to a degree of at least 80% those covered in the comparable course at Carnegie Mellon University.
  7. 09-105 Introduction to Modern Chemistry I focuses primarily on structure, bonding, interactions (and their influence on properties), and reactions (including quantitative relationships among substances in them). Detailed topics include the following:
  • Radiation and Its Interaction with Matter
  • Quantum Mechanics (wave-particle duality of matter, Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle)
  • Atomic Structure (Schrodinger Model, quantum numbers, interpretation of orbitals and their relative energies)
  • Interpretation of Periodic Table, including the writing of electron configurations, Aufbau Principle, and Hund’s Rule
  • Periodic Table Trends in Elemental Properties
  • Photoelectron Spectroscopy
  • Bonding models and their explanation of properties (types of solids, bond polarity, bond energies, and bond lengths)
  • Lewis Structures (octet rule and exceptions; formal charge)
  • Resonance Structures
  • Molecular shapes (including deviations from ideal bond angles)
  • Molecular Polarity (greenhouse gases as application)
  • Interparticle (intermolecular) forces and comparing or predicting relative physical properties from them (chromatography as application)
  • Valence Bond (Localized Electron) and Molecular Orbital Theory
  • Pi Molecular Orbitals (and energy diagrams) of Conjugated Organic Molecules
  • Band Theory of Metals, Semiconductors, and Insulators
  • Determining number of moles and chemical formulas
  • Writing and balancing chemical equations (in particular completing combustion and double displacement reactions – including acid-base and precipitation reactions)
  • Stoichiometry and thermochemical equations (heat evolved in combustion of fuels as application)
  • Stoichiometry – limiting reactant and percentage yield
  • Gases (mainly ideal) and stoichiometric applications involving them
  • Phase transitions 
  • Solutions (determining concentrations, dilution problems, stoichiometric applications, application of solubility rules to determine if a precipitate forms)
  • Acid-base reactions, titrations and other stoichiometric applications of acid-base reactions
  • Oxidation Numbers, Redox Reactions/Titrations, and other stoichiometric applications of redox reactions​

​8. ​​09-106 Modern Chemistry II focuses primarily on thermodynamics, kinetics and equilibrium. Detailed topic areas include the following.

  • Thermochemistry and Thermodynamics (First, Second, and Third Laws, with gas expansion/compression applications, including reversible, adiabatic processes)
  • Internal energy, enthalpy, entropy, Gibbs Free energy, and determination of spontaneity
  • Kinetics : Determination of rate, order, rate laws (including application of pseudo-rate laws, application of integrated rate law to determine order, relationship between time and amount in a reaction, and half-life
  • Reaction mechanisms – applying fast equilibrium and steady-state approximations to determine rate law consistent with mechanism
  • Chemical Equilibrium : determination of Q and K expressions, determination of direction in which reaction proceeds to achieve equilibrium (using Q and Le Chatelier’s principles, quantitative calculations to determine K or amounts at various stages, dependence of K on temperature, relationship between Gibbs Free energy, Q, and K)
  • Acid-Base Equilibria: writing dissociation equilibrium reactions and acid-base “neutralization” reactions, autoionization of water (determination of pH and pOH, use of Kw), writing Ka and Kb expressions from dissociation equilibria, quantitative equilibrium calculations for weak acids and bases, titrations between strong species, strong-weak species, and weak-weak species, buffers (calculations of pH and amounts, including how to make a buffer), polyprotic species (quantitative applications and titrations), solubility and precipitation equilibria, determination of Ksp expressions and quantitative applications of those expressions, complex ion formation equilibria, emphasis is placed on equilibrium problems that involve multiple types of simultaneous equilibria
  • Electrochemistry: Electrochemical cell notation and writing half-reactions from it, Faraday constant to connect number of moles of electrons / reaction amounts with current, connection  of Gibbs Free Energy to cell voltage (potential) at equilibrium and non-equilibrium conditions, determination of K’s (acid-base, solubility constants) or amounts using Nernst equation in concentration cells (K for cell reaction)

​9. 09-111 Nanolegos: Chemical Building Blocks  takes an applications or systems approach to exploring current significant research and technology, as well as to explaining phenomena and problems in the world around us.  The major contexts and phenomena that it explore in applying and connecting chemical concepts are: (1) sustainable energy, (2) charge motion in materials, (3) natural versus engineered catalysts, (4) polymeric materials, and (5) reversible reactions in environmental and biological chemistry.

The chemical concepts used to promote an integrated understanding of the above applications and systems are:

  • Radiation and Its Interaction with Matter
  • Atomic Structure (Schrodinger Model, quantum numbers, interpretation of orbitals and their relative energies)
  • Interpretation of Periodic Table, including the writing of electron configurations, Aufbau Principle, and Hund’s Rule
  • Periodic Table Trends in Elemental Properties
  • Photoelectron Spectroscopy
  • Bonding models and their explanation of properties (types of solids, bond polarity, bond energies, and bond lengths)
  • molecular structures of organic and inorganic compounds
  • Resonance Structures
  • Molecular shapes
  • Molecular Polarity
  • Interparticle (intermolecular) forces and comparing or predicting relative physical properties from them
  • Multiphase Reaction Stoichiometry (including limiting reactants and percent yield)
  • Thermodynamics (First, Second, and Third Laws – applications more toward chemical reactions)
  • Acid-Base Chemistry
  • Kinetics (phenomenological and mechanistic)
  • Electrochemistry (redox reactions; battery technology)
  • o   Equilibrium

10. 09-101 Introduction to Experimental Chemistry is a seven week (mini) laboratory course that is designed to introduce students to some basic laboratory skills, techniques, and equipment commonly used in experimental chemical investigations. The experiments will apply concepts in organic and inorganic synthesis, quantitative analysis using  visible spectrophotometry, kinetics, acid-base chemistry, thermochemistry, and transition metal coordination chemistry.

The chemical concepts applied or discovered in the course are:

  •  molecular polarity and interparticle (intermolecular) forces
  •  synthesis of substances (empirical formulas, stoichiometry, and percent yield),
  •   spectrophotometric analysis (dilution and Beer-Lambert Law)
  •   kinetics (integrated rate laws and Arrhenius equation)
  •   equilibrium (Law of Mass Action, LeChâtelier’s Principle)
  •   acid-base equilibria
  •   redox reactions
  •    thermochemistry (enthalpy, thermochemical equations)
  •    coordination chemistry
  • The Laboratory Skills/Techniques involved are:
  • safe lab practices, waste disposal, and chemical hygiene
  • data/observation recording in lab notebook
  • graphing, analyzing, and interpreting experimental data
  • use of top-loading balance
  • chromatography (paper or silica plate)
  • filtration (gravity and vacuum)
  • recrystallization of solids
  • titrations (redox and acid-base; use of pH meter)
  • making of and dilution of solutions (including quantitative transfer of solute)
  • use of volumetric pipet
  • use of spectrophotometer
  • developing experimental procedures

Academic Advising

"I really love how close-knit the Department becomes over the course of four years. We are a relatively small department, so we get to truly become a family by the end of our time here. I actually think that experiencing college during a pandemic has made us even closer. Everyone in the Department is so supportive of each other rather than being cutthroat, which I really loved. I also really loved getting to perform in Murder Mystery for three years, because it really connected me with the students from the other years within the Department. " ~ 2022 Chemistry B.S.

Building meaningful relationships related to your personal, academic and professional development should be a key component of your undergraduate experience.  In the Department of Chemistry we believe that strong academic advising is key in facilitating this process.  The Director of Undergraduate Studies is a Teaching Professor of Chemistry who acts as the academic advisor for all students with majors, additional majors and minors in chemistry.  MCS students transition from their first year advisors in the Dean’s Office to their department advisor once they declare their majors, generally in the spring of their first year. 

In the Department of Chemistry we are committed to the MCS philosophy that holistic advising with attention to the development of the whole person in all dimensions is key to success at CMU.  Your academic advisor is certainly available for the more transactional processes such as developing a course schedule that allows you to make appropriate progress towards your degree.  However more importantly she is also available to both be a resource and to point you towards additional connections to enable success in all aspects of your experience.  You are encouraged to connect with your advisor early and build this relationship through scheduled and impromptu visits and e-mail, social events throughout the year as well as in the classroom.  You will engage with your advisor in classes and seminars throughout your time as a major, facilitating a strong working relationship that will promote discussions of your successes, challenges and areas related to your health and well-being.

"It was such a welcoming place. I never felt competition or animosity among students. Since it was so small, it felt close-knit and like the professors really knew you.​" ~ 2022 Chemistry B.S.

In the Department of Chemistry most students find additional faculty mentors in small, personalized classroom experiences but even more significantly through undergraduate research where participation generally exceeds 95% in any given graduating class.

Course Descriptions

About Course Numbers:

Each Carnegie Mellon course number begins with a two-digit prefix that designates the department offering the course (i.e., 76-xxx courses are offered by the Department of English). Although each department maintains its own course numbering practices, typically, the first digit after the prefix indicates the class level: xx-1xx courses are freshmen-level, xx-2xx courses are sophomore level, etc. Depending on the department, xx-6xx courses may be either undergraduate senior-level or graduate-level, and xx-7xx courses and higher are graduate-level. Consult the Schedule of Classes each semester for course offerings and for any necessary pre-requisites or co-requisites.


09-052 Summer Internship
Summer: 3 units
The Department of Chemistry considers experiential learning opportunities important educational options for its undergraduate students. One such option is an internship, normally completed during the summer. Students do not need to officially register for an internship unless they want it listed on their official transcripts. The Director of Undergraduate Studies (or designee) will add the course to the student's schedule, and the student will be assessed tuition for 3 units. Upon completion of the internship, students must submit a 1-2 page report on their work experience to the Director of Undergraduate Studies (or other designated faculty member). Verification by the internship supervisor must be received prior to a grade being awarded. After the reports have been reviewed and approved, and verification received, a "P" grade will be assigned. Special permission of Instructor is required to register for this course.
09-101 Introduction to Experimental Chemistry
All Semesters: 3 units
This is a seven week chemistry laboratory course that is designed to introduce students to some basic laboratory skills, techniques, and equipment commonly used in experimental chemical investigations. The experiments will apply concepts in organic synthesis, quantitative analysis using visible spectrophotometry, kinetics, acid-base chemistry, thermochemistry, transition metal chemistry, and chromatography. 1 hr. lec., 3 hrs. lab.
09-103 Atoms, Molecules and Chemical Change
Fall: 9 units
Atoms, Molecules and Chemical Change is a self-contained one-semester introductory college chemistry course for students who have a high-school background in science and mathematics but who have decided not to major in a STEM field (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics). Students will develop fundamental chemical knowledge in topics such as stoichiometry, atomic theory, molecular bonding and structure, chemical reactions, thermodynamics, and electrochemistry. This knowledge will be applied to a variety of topics, including biological, industrial, environmental, agricultural, and culinary applications, helping students to understand how chemistry affects environmental, social, political, and economic issues. Through this course, students will develop both qualitative understanding and quantitative skills in chemistry. Students with credit for 09-105 or other more advanced chemistry courses are not permitted to enroll in this course. 3 hrs. lec., 1 hr. rec.
09-105 Introduction to Modern Chemistry I
Fall and Spring: 10 units
This course first investigates the establishment of some fundamental principles of chemistry and then progresses through the presentation of chemically interesting applications and sophisticated problems. It explores an understanding of matter and the energy changes associated with it, beginning with the atom. It then overviews how atoms interact and react to form the more complicated structures of molecules and ionic compounds. How the structure of elements and compounds affects their properties, function, and reactivity will then be explored. Finally, the quantification of the changes during the reactivity of substances through bond breaking and forming will be investigated in single and multiple phase reactions, such as acid-base and redox reactions. Topics will be presented to promote mastery of "depth over breadth of topics" and "conceptual understanding before using applicable equations". The course covers the major principles of atomic structure, chemical bonding, , molecular structures of organic and inorganic compounds (including some transition metal complexes), interaction of substances, multiphase reaction stoichiometry, acid-base reactions, and redox reactions. Relevant examples will be drawn from such areas as environmental, materials, and biological chemistry.
09-106 Modern Chemistry II
Fall and Spring: 10 units
This course provides an overview of thermodynamics, kinetics and chemical equilibrium. Topics include the flow of energy in chemical systems; the spontaneity of chemical processes, i.e. entropy and free energy; the mechanisms and rates of chemical reactions; and the use of chemical equilibrium to reason about acid-base chemistry, solubility and electrochemistry. Applications include the energy economy, biological systems and environmental chemistry. 3 hrs. lec., 2 hrs. rec.
Prerequisites: 09-105 or 09-107
09-107 Honors Chemistry: Fundamentals, Concepts and Applications
Fall: 10 units
This is an honors introductory course designed to provide students with a rigorous coverage of general chemistry in the context of grand challenges in the field. Traditional topics, such as equilibrium, kinetics, acid-base chemistry, and quantum chemistry, will be discussed through current research on nucleic acid-based therapeutics, atmospheric chemistry of pollutants, and catalysts for the production of solar fuels. The approach will integrate traditional lectures and readings from the textbook with discussions of journal articles, on-line content on research methods, and guest lectures from CMU faculty in these areas. This course assumes strong preparation in chemistry (AP Chemistry score of 3 or greater; IB Chemistry score of 5 or greater; SAT II Chemistry exam with a score of 700 or greater) and will be offered at an accelerated pace. The goal is to teach core principles of chemistry while exposing students to the diversity of modern chemical research and how it is addressing grand challenges facing society. 3 hrs. lec., 2 hrs. rec.
09-108 The Illusion and Magic of Food
Fall: 6 units
Have you ever wondered about your food? Why the freshly squeezed orange juice spoils after few hours while the one from the market lasts so much longer without apparent alteration? Why roasted food is so delicious? What is the nutritional value of milk and honey? Why soft drinks are damaging the teeth? What is the Impossible Burger? These and many more questions will be answered in this course, not only by the instructor but also through the student's research and curiosity. This course will introduce chemistry concepts on an as-needed basis, but it will remain at a simple level. We expect to help the student understand what food is made of, its nutritional value, how it is processed to offer longer shelf life, and how elaboration and preservation procedures may affect critical components. The topics will vary depending on the student's motivation in learning about different concepts related to the food industry, from processing to analysis, to packaging, and appearance. We plan to discuss interesting things in every class and finish the course with a broad knowledge of what is on our table and a better criteria to select our food. 3 hrs. lectures per week.
09-109 Kitchen Chemistry Sessions
Intermittent: 3 units
Ever wanted to boil water in ice? Cook an egg so the yolk is set but the white still runny? Lick a lemon or drink vinegar but have it taste?sweet? Make "caviar" from fruit juice and noodles from yogurt? Explore the science of molecular gastronomy through the lectures and demonstrations that reveal the chemistry and biochemistry of food ingredients and their preparation. Then use a kitchen as your "laboratory" to test hypotheses and delve into molecular cooking - you may just get to eat your lab results. For this course high school background in chemistry would help but nothing more advanced is required. Concepts will be discussed on a need to know basis. Students with stronger chemistry backgrounds should enroll in 09-209. 3 hrs. lec. and lab
09-110 The Design and Making of Skin and Hair Products
Spring: 3 units
This hands-on course targets students from across the CMU community who are interested in learning how chemistry applies to their everyday life. We will focus on students gaining knowledge of the chemical components in cosmetic products and on the methods for preparing them (from shampoos and conditioners to lotions, soaps, and creams). We will emphasize good laboratory practices and safety as well as the fundamental chemical and physical concepts that govern the product behavior and use. The overarching goal is that the students have a hands-on laboratory experience and develop a full understanding of the science behind the products that they use every day. No human or animal testing will take place as part of the curriculum.
09-111 Nanolegos: Chemical Building Blocks
Fall: 9 units
How does chemistry provide the foundation and building blocks in science, engineering, and technology? How does activity on the particle and molecular level that we cannot see cause things to happen and function on a level we CAN observe? What basic chemical concepts are needed as tools to understand current significant research and technology, as well as to understand phenomena and problems in the world around us? This course will emphasize answering these questions by presenting "problem- or context-first", then applicable chemical concepts on an as-needed basis. It is structured around phenomena relevant to modern society, research, and technology rather than the conceptual tools (i.e. systems- or application-, rather than content-driven). Many of the conceptual tools (e.g. structure, interaction between energy and matter, interparticle forces, reaction stoichiometry, thermodynamics and kinetics) are used throughout the course, to help reinforce these ideas and promote an integrated understanding. The major contexts and phenomena that we will explore in applying and connecting chemical concepts are: (1) sustainable energy, (2) charge motion in materials, (3) natural versus engineered catalysts, (4) polymeric materials, and (5) reversible reactions in environmental and biological chemistry
09-114 Basics of Food Science
All Semesters: 3 units
Food is essential for life and the maintenance of health. As consumers we know little about its constitution and processing. This course will shed light upon the main nutrients found in food and their properties. We will discuss the importance of different processing techniques and about the ingredients added to food that extend its shelf life, or that improve its mouthfeel, and appearance. Overall, this course aims to make students aware of the intrinsic value of food, and how its manipulation and eventual reconstitution leads to an acceptable final product found in the supermarket.
09-115 Introduction to Undergraduate Research in Chemistry
Fall: 2 units
Undergraduate research is an important activity in the training of undergraduate chemistry majors. This course is intended for students who are planning to declare a major in chemistry who are novices to research at the university level and have an interest in being better informed about strategies and skills that contribute to success. It is intended that this course will lead to an opportunity to participate in a series of shadowing opportunities through a second course in the spring semester where students will be mentored by upperclass students or PhD candidates in faculty laboratories. Spaces will be reserved for MCS students. Students from other colleges with a strong interest in a chemistry major or additional major should contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Chemistry Department.
09-116 Undergraduate Research Shadowing in Chemistry
Spring: 2 units
This is a follow-up course to 09-115, Introduction to Undergraduate Research in Chemistry, which is intended to provide laboratory training for first-year MCS students who want to participate in research in chemistry as soon as their first year, but have not been through the teaching labs yet. Near the end of the fall mini for 09-115, students will be asked to rank their faculty/group interests for possible shadowing. Based on those rankings and faculty/mentor availability, in 09-116, students will be paired with mentors from research labs for seven-week shadowing experiences. Mentors may be graduate students or advanced undergraduate students carrying out research. At the beginning of each mini, the students and mentors will identify blocks of time each week for shadowing based on their schedules. If scheduling allows, students will also be encouraged to attend group meetings (this would count toward lab time). Shadowing will continue for seven weeks, at which time the students may rotate to a second group for another shadowing experience. We request a dedicated lecture room to ensure there is adequate space for the initial pairing and for an overview on assessments, and to allow for possible additional meetings as the course develops.
Prerequisite: 09-115 Min. grade C
09-122 Molecular Tools for Biological and Chemical Studies
Spring: 6 units
Fluorescent dyes are applied in numerous fields to aid in tasks such as mapping the course of water underground, examining the eye, and detecting biological events. This course is aimed at offering a hands-on laboratory experience in the interface of chemistry and biology, also known as bioorganic chemistry. In this lab students will learn about fluorescence and fluorescent compounds. They will prepare a dye and will measure its fluorescent properties in presence of different media. This behavior will be compared and contrasted with that of another dye that will be provided. A former student in the course says: "Molecular Tools for Biological and Chemical Studies was one of the highlights of my time at CMU! Taking this course during my freshman year allowed me to gain skill and confidence in the lab, and the concepts I learned helped me to excel in many other courses I took at CMU (including: Organic Chemistry I and amp; II, Laboratory I: Introduction to Chemical Analysis, Laboratory II: Organic Synthesis and Analysis, Biochemistry, and Modern Analytical Instrumentation). Since graduating from CMU, I have been working on a Ph.D. in chemical biology. I still use many of the skills that I learned in Molecular Tools on a daily basis." Maddie Balzarini
09-201 Undergraduate Seminar I
Fall: 1 unit
Issues and topics of importance to beginning chemistry majors are discussed in this course. It provides a general introduction to the facilities, faculty and programs of the Department of Chemistry and introduces students to career and research opportunities in the field of chemistry. Enrollment limited to students majoring in chemistry. 1 hr.
09-202 Undergraduate Seminar II: Safety and Environmental Issues for Chemists
Spring: 1 unit
Issues and topics focused on laboratory safety are discussed in this class. The topics are selected to supplement information covered in 09-221, Laboratory I. This course is intended to provide the necessary safety training for students wishing to undertake undergraduate research projects in the laboratory and is taught in collaboration with the Office of Environmental Health and Safety. Enrollment is limited to chemistry majors. 1 hr.
09-204 Professional Communication Skills in Chemistry
Spring: 3 units
This required course for chemistry majors promotes development of written and oral communication skills in various formats within the discipline. Students are expected to develop these skills by becoming more familiar with the style and format of the chemical literature, current topics in chemistry, and research projects in the Department. Other learning outcomes include developing critical reading skills, providing effective feedback to peers' written and oral communication, demonstrating the ability to revise written work, and using chemical structure drawing software. 1 hr. lec.
Prerequisite: 09-221
09-207 Techniques in Quantitative Analysis
Fall: 9 units
09-207 is the first of two chemistry lab courses required for the BS and BA degrees in biological sciences and the intercollege major in biological sciences and psychology. It is also suitable for fulfilling the requirement for two general chemistry labs for admission to programs in the health professions. The experimental work emphasizes the techniques of quantitative chemical analysis. Included are projects dealing with a variety of instrumental and wet chemical techniques. A mixture of individual and partner experiments are conducted during the semester. In addition to laboratory techniques, safety, and written communication skills are emphasized.
Prerequisites: 09-106 or 09-107 Min. grade A
09-208 Techniques for Organic Synthesis and Analysis
Intermittent: 9 units
09-208 is the second of two chemistry laboratory courses required for the BS in biological sciences and the intercollege major in psychology and biological sciences. It is also suitable for fulfilling the requirement for the laboratory experience for application to programs in the health professions. The course emphasizes experimental work in separations, synthesis, and analysis of organic compounds, including chromatography and spectroscopy. Written communication skills will be developed by means of laboratory reports and essays. 1 hr lec, 5 hrs lab
Prerequisites: (09-217 or 09-219) and (09-223 or 09-221 or 09-207)
09-209 Kitchen Chemistry Sessions
Intermittent: 3 units
Ever wanted to boil water in ice? Cook an egg so the yolk is set but the white still runny? Lick a lemon or drink vinegar but have it taste?sweet? Make "caviar" from fruit juice and noodles from yogurt? Explore the science of molecular gastronomy through the lectures and demonstrations that reveal the chemistry and biochemistry of food ingredients and their preparation. Then use a kitchen as your "laboratory" to test hypotheses and delve into molecular cooking - you may just get to eat your lab results. Students enrolling in this course are assumed to have a college level background in chemistry including introductory organic chemistry. Students without a solid chemistry background should take the lower level 09-109. 3 hrs. lec. and lab
Prerequisites: 09-219 or 09-217
09-214 Physical Chemistry
Spring: 9 units
This is a one-semester course intended primarily for students majoring in Biological Sciences, students pursuing a B.A. degree program in Chemistry, and students in the B.S.A.program with a concentration in chemistry. The course focuses on thermodynamics, transport and reaction rates and their application to chemical and biological systems. Emphasis is given to attaining a good fundamental understanding of entropy and free energy. This is more a concepts than skills building course. Topics include applications of thermodynamics to chemical and biochemical equilibria, electrochemistry, solutions, and chemical kinetics. 3 hrs. lec.
Prerequisites: 09-106 and (21-122 or 21-124) and (33-106 or 33-111 or 33-121 or 33-141)
09-215 Chemistry Tech I to Lab I Transition
Fall and Spring: 3 units
09-215 is a 3-unit course intended for students who have taken 09-207, Techniques in Quantitative Analysis, who decide later in their academic experience that they wish to pursue a degree or an additional major in chemistry. The chemistry major requires a 12-unit lab class, 09-221 Laboratory I: Introduction to Chemical Analysis. This course will utilize self-study and problem solving to introduce or reinforce key concepts covered in 09-221 that are not introduced or are de-emphasized in 09-207. Students will also propose an idea for an independent lab-based project and carry it through all stages of development but not perform the actual lab work. The project development will require written work products as well as an oral presentation. The course must be completed before the last semester of the students degree program.
Prerequisite: 09-207 Min. grade C
09-216 Chemistry Tech II to Lab II Transition
Fall: 3 units
09-216 is a 3-unit course intended for students who have taken 09-208, Techniques in Organic Synthesis and Analysis, who decide later in their academic experience that they wish to pursue a degree or an additional major in chemistry. The chemistry major requires a 12-unit lab class, 09-222 Laboratory II: Organic Synthesis and Analysis. This course will utilize self-study and problem solving to introduce or reinforce key concepts covered in 09-222 that are not introduced or are de-emphasized in 09-208.
09-217 Organic Chemistry I
Fall: 9 units
This course presents an overview of structure and bonding as it pertains to organic molecules. Selected topics include: introduction to functional group chemistry, stereochemistry, conformational analysis, reaction mechanisms and use of retrosynthetic analysis in the development of multistep syntheses. Methods for structure determination of organic compounds by modern spectroscopic techniques are introduced. 3 hrs. lec., 1 hr. rec.
Prerequisites: 09-105 or 09-107
09-218 Organic Chemistry II
Spring: 9 units
This course further develops many of the concepts introduced in Organic Chemistry I, 09-217. Emphasis is placed on the utilization of reaction mechanisms for understanding the outcome of chemical transformations, and the employment of a wide variety of functional groups and reaction types in the synthesis of organic molecules. Also included in the course will be special topics selected from the following; polymers and advanced materials, biomolecules such as carbohydrates, proteins and nucleic acids, and drug design. 3 hrs. lec., 1 hr. rec.
Prerequisites: 09-217 or 09-219
09-219 Modern Organic Chemistry
Fall: 10 units
Traditional introductory organic chemistry courses present structure, reactivity, mechanisms and synthesis of organic compounds. Students taking 09-219 will be exposed to the same topics, but presented in greater depth and broader context, with applications to allied fields such as (1) polymer and materials science, (2) environmental science and (3) biological sciences and medicine. This will be accomplished through an extra 50 minute lecture period, where more advanced topics and applications will be discussed. Topics will include computational chemistry, green chemistry, chiral separations, photochemistry, reaction kinetics, controlled radical polymerizations and petroleum cracking. Students who complete 09-219 will have a strong foundation in organic chemistry as well as a sophisticated understanding of how organic chemistry is currently practiced. 4 hrs. lec., 1 hr. rec.
Prerequisites: 09-107 Min. grade A or 09-106
09-220 Modern Organic Chemistry II
Spring: 10 units
This course builds on 09-219 by introducing students to additional functional groups, chemical reaction mechanisms and synthetic strategies commonly used in the practice of organic chemistry. Advanced topics to be presented during the extra lecture will include multidimensional NMR spectroscopy, enantioselective synthesis, ionic polymerization, bioorganic and medicinal chemistry, natural products chemistry and toxicology. Students who complete 09-220 will have a strong foundation in synthetic, mechanistic and structural organic chemistry and will understand how this applies to human health and the environment. 4 hrs. lec, 1 hr. rec.
Prerequisite: 09-219
09-221 Laboratory I: Introduction to Chemical Analysis
Fall and Spring: 12 units
This course is the first in a sequence of four laboratory courses on experimental aspects of chemistry required for the B.S. and B.A. degrees in chemistry. The experimental work emphasizes the techniques of quantitative chemical analysis. Included are projects dealing with a variety of instrumental and wet chemical techniques. The course is project-oriented with the experiments becoming more complex, requiring greater student input into the experimental design as the semester progresses. A mixture of individual and team experiments are conducted during the semester. In addition to techniques, safety, written and oral communication skills, and effective teamwork are emphasized. 2 hrs. lec., 6 hrs. lab.
Prerequisites: 09-107 Min. grade A or 09-106
09-222 Laboratory II: Organic Synthesis and Analysis
Fall and Spring: 12 units
In this second course in the laboratory sequence, students acquire laboratory skills relevant to synthesis and purification of organic compounds, as well as the practical use of chromatography and spectroscopy. Students will also further develop technical writing skills through preparation of lab reports. 2 hrs. lec., 6 hrs. lab.
Prerequisites: (09-217 or 09-219) and (09-223 or 09-221)
09-224 Supramolecular Chemistry
Intermittent: 3 units
Supramolecular chemistry involves the use of noncovalent bonding interactions to assemble molecules into stable, well-defined structures. This course will provide students with an introduction to this exciting field of research, which is finding increasing applications in the biological and materials sciences, nanotechnology and medicine. Students will be introduced to essential background concepts such as types of noncovalent bonding and strategies for the design of supramolecular assemblies. Readings from monographs and classroom lectures by the instructor will cover this material. Students will then begin to read about applications of supramolecular chemistry from the scientific literature, learning to compare articles, to evaluate the quality of the data and interpretations reached by the authors, to use the knowledge gained from these readings and discussions to predict the outcomes of related experiments, and to ultimately be able to design their own experiments to answer research questions. Meeting hours set by instructor, enrollment limited with priority given to sophomore chemistry majors.
Prerequisites: 09-219 Min. grade C or 09-217 Min. grade C
09-225 Climate Change: Chemistry, Physics and Planetary Science
Fall: 9 units
Understanding the essential features of climate and climate change is a critical tool for modern citizens and modern scientists. In addition, the prevalence of climate skepticism in modern political discourse requires of citizens that they be able to think critically about a technical subject and also be able to distinguish reliable scientific experts from advocates. In this course we shall examine the climate of terrestrial planets (specifically Earth and Venus) through geological time and to the present, considering geochemical methods used to determine atmospheric composition over Earths history (specifically the onset of oxygen in the atmosphere as well as the relationship between carbon dioxide and global temperature over geological timescales. The shorter climate history of Venus will be considered as a counter example, where the brightening dim young sun overwhelmed negative feedbacks in the weathering cycle, leading to a runaway greenhouse amplified by complete evaporation of the onetime Venus ocean. Throughout the course, we will consider climate change driven by human activity since the industrial revolution as a unifying theme.
Prerequisites: (09-105 or 09-107) and (33-121 or 33-151 or 33-141)
09-227 The Culture of Color: Dyes, Chemistry, and Sustainability
All Semesters: 9 units
ne of the earliest forms of proto-chemistry, dyeing textiles has a long history of rich cultural traditions and technical innovations - which we will explore and practice. In this course students will focus on color through working with dyes for textiles scientifically, artistically, and culturally. You will learn the chemical science of color and techniques to isolate natural pigment for dyes as well as how to produce dyes synthetically. Students learn a variety of methods to apply our dyes to textiles to create beautiful patterns: immersion dyeing, resist and folding techniques, and printing. You will be exposed to the use of laboratory equipment and will be trained in good laboratory practices and safety. In preparation for your final project, throughout the course, we will discuss the cultural significance of colors, the origin of pigments, their production impact on the economy of the area, sustainability, and environmental impact of the waste produced by the textile dyeing industry.

Course Website: http://www.chem.cmu.edu/
09-231 Mathematical Methods for Chemists
Fall: 9 units
This course uses mathematical approaches to develop models for chemical systems and materials from the bottom up, i.e. from atoms and molecules to substances. This course focuses on statistical mechanics and does not cover quantum mechanics basics. Math will be covered in the context of chemical phenomena, and combine topics from probability theory and statistics, 3-dimensional calculus, differential equations, and linear algebra. 3 hrs. lec.
Prerequisites: (09-107 Min. grade A or 09-106) and (21-124 or 21-122)
09-291 Environmental Systems on a Changing Planet
Fall: 9 units
This course introduces the interconnected environmental systems that regulate our climate and ecosystems, providing the resources required to sustain all life, including human societies. These systems are the fascinating connections between the oceans, atmosphere, continents, ecosystems, and people that provide our planet with resources that all life depends on. Human activities disrupt these natural systems, posing critical threats to the sustainable functioning of environmental systems. We will explore how solar and biochemical energy moves through the Earths interconnected systems, recycling nutrients; how complex environmental systems function to produce critical resources such as food and water; and how human activities interfere with these systems. Case studies include the interplay between climate change feedbacks, wildfires, and forest ecosystems; the hazards that everyday chemical toxins pose to ecosystems and human health and reproduction; and growing threats to ecosystem health and biodiversity. We will also develop the relevant information literacy required to understand current issues that are frequently debated in the public sphere, and connect these to environmental justice. This course draws on principles learned in high school science and serves as the foundational Earth and amp; Environmental Science requirement for both the Minor and Additional Major in Environmental and Sustainability Studies. 09-291 is intended for both non-STEM majors from any program as well as STEM majors from any program in CIT, MCS, and SCS. In addition, STEM majors are strongly encouraged to take the connected 09-381 3-unit course that provides a more technical and quantitative framework for understanding the course content. 24-381 is often required for this course to count as a technical elective for STEM programs, and is required for students from CIT, MCS, and SCS in the Environmental and Sustainability Studies programs.
09-301 Undergraduate Seminar III
Fall: 1 unit
Students attend seminars on current topics in chemistry. Students are sent a menu of choices for each week of the semester and may select topics of interest. Enrollment is restricted to students majoring in chemistry. 1 hr.
09-302 Undergraduate Seminar IV
Spring: 1 unit
Students attend seminars presented by senior chemistry majors. Students provide peer evaluations of the seminars and through the process students become familiar with special topics in chemistry. The course establishes what should be included in a good seminar. This seminar courses is one of 6 required for the chemistry major. If a schedule conflict exists, students may, with permission of the instructor, attend other chemistry seminars or make other arrangements to fulfill the requirement. 1 hr.
09-303 Hooked: The Molecular Basis of Addiction
Fall: 6 units
What makes us need something so much that it eclipses the most important aspects of our lives, such as family, friends, work, hobbies, health and wellness? There are many different types of addiction; this course will focus on molecular addictions, with an emphasis on those involving members of the opioid class of narcotics. The ongoing epidemic of opioid addiction, arising both from over-prescription of pain killers and recreational use of heroin, has been widely reported and continues to rise at alarming rates, ravaging our urban and rural communities. In this course, we will explore the complicated role of chemistry in this epidemic, including the good (elucidating mechanisms of action, developing clinically useful and safe opioids and non-opioids) and the bad (design and synthesis of increasingly addictive opioids). We will also discuss ethical questions faced by the pharmaceutical industry that develops, markets and sells these drugs, the medical community that prescribes them, the government agencies charged with regulating these activities and law enforcement agencies that attempt to stop the flow of drugs into and within the United States. The second half of the semester will focus on addiction to other drugs, including cocaine, marijuana, amphetamines, alcohol and nicotine. We will also discuss chemical approaches to treating addiction. Students who complete this course will emerge with a broad understanding and perspective on an issue that is of great scientific and societal importance. The course will be organized in units that begin with a historical/societal "big picture" overview, followed by technical discussions of the underlying chemistry and biochemistry, concluding with consideration of the societal implications of addiction to each particular substance.
09-321 Laboratory III: Molecular Design and Synthesis
Fall: 12 units
In this third course in the laboratory sequence, students will learn a variety of more advanced techniques for organic synthesis and characterization, and will gain experience with developing and designing synthetic procedures. Student writing skills are further reinforced through preparation of detailed lab reports. 2 hrs. lec., 6 hrs. lab.
Prerequisites: (09-218 or 09-220) and 09-222
09-322 Laboratory IV: Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics
Spring: 12 units
This laboratory course is devoted to physical chemistry experiments, which involve the use of modern spectroscopic instrumentation to probe the optical and magnetic properties of molecules. The experiments include the use of high-resolution infrared, laser Raman, NMR, EPR, fluorescence, and UV-visible spectroscopies. Additional experiments demonstrate methods for measuring enzyme-catalyzed reaction rate constants, and the use of scanning probe microscopy for imaging and characterization of biological macromolecules.Throughout the course the students will learn how to use computer algebra packages for rigorous data analysis and modeling and will develop the skills in basic electronics, and vacuum techniques. 2 hrs. lec., 6 hrs. lab.
Prerequisites: (09-223 or 09-221) and 09-344
09-323 Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory
12 units
Bioorganic chemistry is concerned with the action of synthesized compounds on biological systems. In order to maximize the likelihood of identifying a biologically active compound, synthetic libraries are often employed, requiring extensive familiarity with simple, efficient chemical coupling steps and protecting group chemistry. In this inquiry based laboratory course, using a process that mimics the current practice in drug discovery by pharmaceutical companies, students will rationally design a compound library in hopes of finding a compound active against a selected biological target, search for active compounds in the library, and then quantitatively characterize any identified compounds for activity. Working in small groups, students will develop proposals for and execute the target assay selected, the library synthesis, and the screening approach. Students will write reports summarizing the results in each phase of the course. Throughout the course, students will be introduced to concepts relevant to industrial scientific research, including regulatory compliance, quality control and assurance, and intellectual property.
Prerequisites: (09-220 or 09-218) and 09-222
09-325 Special Topics in Chemistry: Environmental Systems on A Changing Planet
All Semesters: 9 units
This course introduces the interconnected Earth systems that regulate our climate and ecosystems, providing the resources required to sustain all life, including human societies. Environmental systems are the fascinating connections between the oceans, atmosphere, continents, ecosystems, and people that provide our planet with resources that all life depends on. Human activities disrupt these natural systems, posing critical threats to the sustainable functioning of environmental systems. The course will explore how solar and biochemical energy moves through the Earth's interconnected systems, recycling nutrients; how complex environmental systems function to produce critical resources such as food and water; and how human activities interfere with environmental systems. Case studies include the interplay between climate change feedbacks, wildfires, and forest ecosystems; the hazards that everyday chemical toxins pose to ecosystems and human health and reproduction; and growing threats to ecosystem health and biodiversity. We will also develop the environmental, scientific, and information literacy required to understand current environmental issues that are frequently debated in the public sphere. This course draws on principles learned in high school science and satisfies the science requirement for the interdisciplinary Minor in Environmental and Sustainability Studies.
09-331 Modern Analytical Instrumentation
Fall: 9 units
This course will cover all aspects of analytical instrumentation and its application to problems in materials, environmental, and biological chemistry. Topics covered will include mass spectrometry, optical spectroscopies and NMR. In addition, the course will emphasize how to select an analytical method appropriate to the problem at hand, how to optimize the signal to noise obtained by a measurement, and the quantitative analysis of experimental data. Some basic electronics will be covered as well. 3 hrs. lec.
Prerequisites: (09-223 or 09-221 or 09-207) and (33-141 or 33-121 or 33-151)
09-344 Physical Chemistry (Quantum): Microscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry
Fall: 9 units
We will connect your qualitative understanding of atoms and molecules to a more quantitative treatment, so that each of you can independently assess the extent to which chemistry is based on fundamental principles. To do this we must study the basic principles of quantum theory, because atoms and molecules are quantum particles. These principles influence every aspect of how you think of chemistry and the course will challenge you to think in different ways about the stuff around you. Throughout the course we shall apply quantum principles to develop an understanding of molecular and atomic spectroscopy, and a concurrent understanding of how spectroscopy can be used to learn about the microscopic properties of atoms and molecules. 3 hrs. lec., 1 hr. rec.
Prerequisites: (09-107 or 09-105) and (33-151 or 33-121 or 33-106 or 33-111 or 33-141)
09-345 Physical Chemistry (Thermo): Macroscopic Principles of Physical Chemistry
Spring: 9 units
The measurement and theoretical descriptions of the equilibrium properties of chemical systems are presented. Chemical thermodynamics is introduced at the upper division level. The phases of matter are discussed. The quantitative treatment of mixtures is developed. The detailed description of chemical equilibrium is elaborated. The measurement and theoretical description of the nonequilibrium properties of chemical systems are presented. Elementary transport properties are introduced. The principles of classical chemical kinetics are developed in great detail. 3 hrs. lec., 1 hr. rec.
Prerequisites: (09-107 or 09-106) and (21-259 or 09-231)
09-348 Inorganic Chemistry
Spring: 10 units
The focus of this class is understanding the properties of the elements and of the inorganic compounds. The electronic structure of elements is discussed as the basis for the element's organization in the Periodic Table and for their properties. We will discuss atomic structure, and bonding of diatomic and polyatomic molecules using different models such as Lewis structures, VSEPR and Molecular Orbital Theory (including group theory and linear combination of atomic orbitals). We will study the structure, spectroscopy, and reactivity of coordination complexes and their application in bioinorganic and organometallic chemistry. 3 hrs. lec., 1 hr. rec.
Prerequisites: (09-105 or 09-107) and 21-120
09-381 Environmental Systems on a Changing Planet: Science & Engineering Addendum
Fall: 3 units
This is 3-unit addendum to the co-requisite 09-291: Environmental Systems on a Changing Planet. These courses introduce the interconnected Earth systems that regulate our climate and ecosystems, providing the resources required to sustain all life and human societies. Please refer to the course description for 09-291 for more information. While 09-291 is designed to be accessible to students from all Colleges and majors, this addendum allows students to engage with the material with more technical depth and quantitative understanding of the function and feedbacks of complex environmental systems. The additional 3-units of 09-381 provides students with an additional weekly meeting time for further material development and discussion, and with additional assignments and exercises on top of 09-291. 09-381 is intended for students from STEM majors in CIT, MCS, and SCS, but can be taken by any student interested in exploring the environmental science topics with greater depth. Science and engineering fundamentals will be further developed and applied to develop the quantitative understanding of the function and feedbacks of complex environmental systems. A background in the natural sciences or engineering (such as introductory-level courses) is strongly recommended for students considering taking 09-381. When taken with 09-291, 09-381 will count as a technical elective for most programs in these STEM colleges, while 09-291 on its own is not considered a technical elective. 09-381 with 09-281 is the correct course for students whose home colleges are CIT, MCS, or SCS. 09-291 is the recommended course for students whose home colleges are CFA, DC, or TBS. 09-381 with 09-291 serve as the foundational Earth and amp; Environmental Science requirement for STEM majors for both the interdisciplinary Minor and Additional Major in Environmental and Sustainability Studies.
09-401 Undergraduate Seminar V
Fall: 1 unit
Students attend seminars on current topics in chemistry. Students are sent a menu of choices for each week of the semester and may select topics of interest. Enrollment is restricted to students majoring in chemistry. 1 hr.
09-402 Undergraduate Seminar VI
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Students enrolled in this course present a 20 - 30 minute oral report on a current topic in chemistry. This may be from the student's research work or a special chemistry topic of general interest. Presentations or papers prepared for other courses are not acceptable for this purpose. Thoroughness in the use of the chemical literature is emphasized. The use of presentation aids such as PowerPoint is required. Other students in the class submit written evaluations of the presentation. Talks are recorded for viewing by the student and instructor as a means of providing individualized feedback about presentation skills. A seminar presentation is required of all chemistry majors. No exceptions possible. Enrollment is limited to students majoring in chemistry. 1 hr.
09-403 Hooked: The Chemical Basis of Drug Addiction
Fall: 9 units
What makes us need something so much that it eclipses other important aspects of our lives, such as family, friends, work, hobbies, health and wellness? There are many different types of addiction; this course will focus on molecular addictions, specifically those involving members of the opiate class of narcotics. The ongoing epidemic of opiate addiction, arising both from over-prescription of pain killers and recreational use of heroin, has been widely reported and continues to rise at alarming rates, ravaging our urban and rural communities. In this course, we will explore the complicated role of chemistry in this epidemic, including the good (elucidating mechanisms of action, development of clinically useful and safe opiates and non-opiate pain killers) and the bad (design and synthesis of increasingly addictive opiates). We will also discuss ethical questions faced by the pharmaceutical industry that develops, markets and sells opiates, the medical community that prescribes opiates, and the government agencies charged with regulating these activities. Students who complete this course will emerge with a broad understanding and perspective on an issue that is of great scientific and societal importance. 3 hrs. lec.
Prerequisites: 09-220 or 09-218
09-425 Special Topics in Chemistry:Environmental Exposure and Risk Assessment
All Semesters: 9 units
Our world is full of synthetic and naturally occurring toxic chemicals, presenting an imminent but difficult-to-quantify threat for human and ecosystem health. In this papers-based course we will ask the question, "How do we decide what's 'safe'?" in the context of exposure and risk assessment for toxic environmental pollutants. We will complete a series of case studies featuring current and seminal literature, in-class activities, and project-based assignments. Each case study will focus on a distinct contaminant exposure scenario and will be linked back to the common theme of using chemistry to understand how external exposure leads to internal dose and subsequent health impacts for diverse environmental pollutants. We will discuss how knowledge generated in the laboratory can be translated and used to inform regulatory decisions. The first half of the course will focus on contaminant bioavailability, exposure, and toxic effects in aquatic organisms. In the second half of the course, we will discuss human exposure to toxic pollutants and strategies to assess risks in the human population, including the human exposome concept, -omics-based research, and strategies for discovering novel harmful contaminants.
Prerequisites: (09-107 or 09-106) and (03-231 or 03-232 or 09-217 or 09-219)
09-435 Independent Study Chemistry
All Semesters
The course allows students to earn academic credit for concentrated study in a topic area developed in conjunction with and monitored by a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry. These topics are distinct from projects that would rise to the level of undergraduate research either because they are in unrelated areas distinct from the faculty member's research interests or may constitute the investigation and compilation of existing information from a variety of resources and may not be expected to result in the generation of new information as is a reasonable expected outcome in undergraduate research (likely is not publishable).
09-445 Undergraduate Research
Fall and Spring
Properly qualified students may undertake research projects under the direction of members of the faculty, normally 6 to 12 hrs/week. A written, detailed report describing the project and results is required. Course may be taken only with the consent of a faculty research advisor in chemistry or on occasion in another department provided that the project is chemical in nature and with permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies. The number of units taken generally corresponds to the actual number of hours the student actually spends in the lab doing research during the week. Maximum number of units taken per semester is 18.
09-455 Honors Thesis
Fall and Spring
Students enrolled in the departmental honors program (B.S. with Departmental Honors or combined 4-year B.S./M.S. degree) are required to enroll in this course to complete the honors degree requirements. A thesis written in an acceptable style describing an original research project, and a successful oral defense of the thesis topic before a THesis Committee are required. Limited to students accepted into the honors program. (B.S. Honors candidates normally enroll for 6 units; B.S./M.S. candidates enroll for 15 units.)
09-502 Organic Chemistry of Polymers
Spring: 9 units
A study of the synthesis and reactions of high polymers. Emphasis is on practical polymer preparation and on the fundamental kinetics and mechanisms of polymerization reactions. Topics include: relationship of synthesis and structure, step-growth polymerization, chain-growth polymerization via radical, ionic and coordination intermediates, copolymerization, discussions of specialty polymers and reactions of polymers. 09-509, Physical Chemistry of Macromolecules, is excellent preparation for this course but is not required. 3-6 hrs. lec. (Graduate Course: 12 units, 09-741)
Prerequisites: 09-218 or 09-220
09-507 Nanoparticles
Intermittent: 9 units
This course discusses the chemistry, physics, and biology aspects of several major types of nanoparticles, including metal, semiconductor, magnetic, carbon, and polymer nanostructures. For each type of nanoparticles, we select pedagogical examples (e.g. Au, Ag, CdSe, etc.) and introduce their synthetic methods, physical and chemical properties, self assembly, and various applications. Apart from the nanoparticle materials, other topics to be briefly covered include microscopy and spectroscopy techniques for nanoparticle characterization, and nanolithography techniques for fabricating nano-arrays. The course is primarily descriptive with a focus on understanding major concepts (such as plasmon, exciton, polaron, etc.). The lectures are power point presentation style with sufficient graphical materials to aid students to better understand the course materials. Overall, this course is intended to provide an introduction to the new frontiers of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Students will gain an understanding of the important concepts and research themes of nanoscience and nanotechnology, and develop their abilities to pursue highly disciplinary nanoscience research. The course should be of interest and accessible to advanced undergraduates and graduate students in fields of chemistry, materials science, and biology. 3 hrs. lec.
09-509 Physical Chemistry of Macromolecules
Fall: 9 units
This course develops fundamental principles of polymer science. Emphasis is placed on physio-chemical concepts associated with the macromolecular nature of polymeric materials. Engineering aspects of the physical, mechanical and chemical properties of these materials are discussed in relation to chain microstructure. Topics include an introduction to polymer science and a general discussion of commercially important polymers; molecular weight; condensation and addition synthesis mechanisms with emphasis on molecular weight distribution; solution thermodynamics and molecular conformation; rubber elasticity; and the rheological and mechanical properties of polymeric systems. (This course is also listed as 06-609. Graduate Course: 12 units, 09-715) 3 hrs. lec.
Prerequisites: 09-345 or 09-347
09-510 Chemistry and Sustainability
Spring: 9 units
This course aims to educate students in the foundations of systematic leadership for building a sustainable world. Many sustainability challenges are associated with commercial chemicals and with operational modes of the chemical enterprise. For scientists, effectiveness in solving the technical challenges and redirecting cultural behavior is the defining substance of sustainability leadership. The course aims to challenge students to analyze and understand the root causes of unsustainability, especially in the technological dimension, to imagine a more sustainable world and to begin to define personal leadership missions. Students will be introduced to sustainability ethics as the foundation stone of transformative sustainability leadership, to the Collins Sustainability Compass and Code of Sustainability Ethics and to the Rob and #233;rt/Broman Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD) as powerful guiding tools. The Collins Bookcase of Green Science Challenges organizes the technical content. It systematizes the major chemical sustainability challenges of our time: clean synthesis, renewable feed-stocks, safe energy, elemental pollutants, persistent molecular toxicants and endocrine disruptors. Focal areas will be the technical, toxicological and cultural histories of elemental and molecular pollutants and endocrine disruptor (ED) science EDs represent the single greatest sustainability challenge of everyday chemicals. The graded substance will take the form of take-home work. Students will primarily read key books and articles and will summarize and personally evaluate the material in essay assignments. The course is intended for upper level undergraduates and graduates. There are no other prerequisites. The class is limited to 25 students. The assignments are common to both undergraduate and graduate classes offerings. (Graduate course 12 units 09-710) 3 hrs. lec.
Prerequisites: 09-105 or 09-107
09-517 Organotransition Metal Chemistry
Intermittent: 9 units
The first half of this course focuses on the fundamentals of structure and bonding in organotransition metal complexes and how the results can be used to explain, and predict, chemical reactivity. The latter half of the course covers applications, and more specifically, homogeneous catalysts for industrial processes and organic synthesis. (Graduate Course: 12 units, 09-717)
Prerequisite: 09-348
09-518 Bioorganic Chemistry: Nucleic Acids and Carbohydrates
Fall: 9 units
This course will introduce students to new developments in chemistry and biology, with emphasis on the synthesis, structural and functional aspects of nucleic acids and carbohydrates, and their applications in chemistry, biology and medicine. Later in the course, students will have the opportunity to explore cutting-edge research in this exciting new field that bridges chemistry with biology. Students will be required to keep abreast of the current literature. In addition to standard homework assignments and examinations, students will have the opportunity to work in teams to tackle contemporary problems at the forefront of chemistry and biology. The difference between the 09-518 (9-unit) and 09-718 (12-unit) is that the latter is a graduate level course. Students signed up for 09-718 will be required to turn in an original research proposal at the end of the course, in addition to all the other assignments. (Graduate Course: 12 units, 09-718) 3 hrs. lec.
Prerequisites: (03-151 or 03-121) and (09-218 or 09-220)
09-519 Bioorganic Chemistry: Peptides, Proteins and Combinatorial Chemistry
Spring: 9 units
This course will introduce students to new developments in chemistry and biology, with emphasis on the synthesis, structural and functional aspects of peptides, proteins and small molecules. Basic concepts of bioorganic chemistry will be presented in the context of the current literature and students will have the opportunity to learn about the experimental methods used in various research labs. An introduction to combinatorial chemistry in the context of drug design and drug discovery will also be presented. Students will be required to keep abreast of the current literature. Homeworks and team projects will be assigned on a regular basis. The homework assignments will require data interpretation and experimental design; and team projects will give students the opportunity to work in teams to tackle contemporary problems at the interface of chemistry and biology. Students enrolled in the graduate level course (09-719) will be required to turn in an original research proposal at the end of the course, in addition to the homework assignments, midterm, and final exam that are required for the undergraduate course. (Graduate Course: 12 units 09-719) 3 hrs. lec.
Prerequisites: (03-121 or 03-151) and (09-218 or 09-220)
09-521 Metals in Biology: Function and Reactivity
Intermittent: 6 units
Metal ions play important roles in many biological processes, including photosynthesis, respiration, global nitrogen cycle, carbon cycle, antibiotics biosynthesis, gene regulation, bio-signal sensing, and DNA/RNA repair, just to name a few. Usually, metal ions are embedded in protein scaffold to form active centers of proteins in order to catalyze a broad array of chemical transformations, which are essential in supporting the biological processes mentioned above. These metal containing proteins, or metalloproteins, account for half of all proteins discovered so far. In this course, the relation between the chemical reactivity and the structure of metalloproteins will be discussed in detail. The main focus is to illustrate the geometric and electronic structure of metal centers and their interactions with the protein environment in governing the chemical reactivity of metalloproteins. The applications of these principles in designing biomimetic/bioinspried inorganic catalysts and in engineering metalloproteins bearing novel chemical reactivity will also be discussed. The basic principles of the frequently utilized physical methods in this research area will also be introduced, which include optical absorption spectroscopy, Infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopies, M and #246;ssbauer spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), X-ray absorption and diffraction techniques.
Prerequisites: (09-347 or 09-345 or 09-214 or 09-344) and 09-348
09-522 Kinetics and Mechanisms of Chemical and Enzymatic Reactions
Intermittent: 9 units
This is a practical course aimed at learning the major modern tools which are essential for investigation of mechanisms of homogeneous chemical and enzymatic reactions. Rules of formal chemical kinetics in solution are first considered followed by basic principles of kinetics of enzymatic processes including inhibition, which is a key factor in the up-to-date drug design. The relationships between electronic structures, catalytic properties, and reactivity of biologically relevant metal complexes will be provided. Electrochemical and redox features of metal complexes will be reviewed. The course includes such hot topics as Fenton chemistry, Marcus's electron transfer concept, catalysis by Collins' TAML activators of peroxides, specific and general acid/base, proximal and micellar catalysis. Mechanistic pathways of action of hydrolases, kinases, hydrogenases, oxidases, peroxidases, cytochrome P-450, and other metalloenzymes will be described. The course is supplied by the recently published text (A. D. Ryabov "Practical Kinetics and Mechanisms of Chemical and Enzymatic Reactions" Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 2PA, UK) which includes all the above mentioned themes (Graduate course: 09-722, 12-units) 3 hrs. lec. Prerequisite: 09-348
Prerequisite: 09-348
09-524 Environmental Chemistry
Spring: 9 units
Environmental pollutants are common consequences of human activities. These chemicals have a wide range of deleterious effects on the environment and people. This course will introduce students to a range of major environmental pollutants, with a particular focus on persistent organic pollutants. We will use chemical principles including thermodynamics, kinetics, photochemistry, organic reaction mechanisms, and structure-activity relationships to understand the environmental fate of major classes of pollutants. The transport of chemicals through the environment and their partitioning between air, water, soil, and people will be described. The major environmental reaction pathways (oxidation, photolysis, hydrolysis, reduction, metabolism) of common pollutants will be explored. This will provide students with the necessary knowledge to predict the chemical fate of environmental pollutants, and improve their understanding of the environmental impacts of their everyday chemical use and exposure. Specific topics include water quality, photochemical smog, organic aerosols, atmospheric chemistry and global climate change, toxicity of pesticides, and heterogeneous and multiphase atmospheric chemistry. The 12-unit course is intended for graduate students that want to explore aspects of the course more deeply. This includes additional requirements including a final term paper and in-class presentation, and additional advanced questions on the homework assignments.
Prerequisites: 09-219 or 09-217
09-525 Transition Metal Chemistry
Intermittent: 9 units
This class is focused understanding the structure, spectroscopy and reactivity of 3d metal complexes. Based on ligand field theory, we will analyze the electronic structure of these metal complexes and we will briefly describe the main spectroscopic techniques that will allow for studying this topic (X-ray diffraction analysis, UV-vis, EPR, NMR, EXAFS and Mossbauer). The main focus of the course will be on analyzing the reactivity of 3d metal complexes in the context of metalloenzymes and small-molecule bioinspired complexes. The natural and synthetic metal complexes involved in O2 reduction, H2O oxidation, N2 reduction, H2 formation and functionalization of organic molecules (e.g. hydroxylation of C-H bonds, dehydrogenation of alcohols, etc.), and the reaction pathways by which these important processes take place will be studied in detail. (Graduate Course: 12 units, 09-725) 3 hrs. lec.
Prerequisite: 09-348
09-529 Introduction to Sustainable Energy Science
Fall: 9 units
This course focuses on the chemistry aspects of sustainable energy science. It introduces the major types of inorganic and molecular materials for various important processes of energy conversion and storage, such as photovoltaics, fuel cells, water splitting, solar fuels, batteries, and CO2 reduction. All the energy processes heavily rely on innovations in materials. This course is intended to offer perspectives on the materials/physical chemistry that are of importance in energy processes, in particular, how the atomic and electronic structures of materials impact the energy harvesting and conversion. In current energy research, intense efforts are focused on developing new strategies for achieving sustainable energy through renewable resources as opposed to the traditional oil/coal/gas compositions. This course offers students an introduction to the current energy research frontiers with a focus on solar energy conversion/ storage, electrocatalysis and artificial photosynthesis. The major types of materials to be covered include metals, semiconductors, two-dimensional materials, and hybrid perovskites, etc. The material functions in catalysis, solar cells, fuel cells, batteries, supercapacitors, hydrogen production and storage are also discussed in the course. The lectures are power-point presentation style with sufficient graphical materials to aid students to better understand the course materials. Demo experiments are designed to facilitate student learning.
Prerequisites: (09-105 or 09-107) and (33-151 or 33-121 or 33-141)
09-531 Polymer Science
Fall: 9 units
Polymer science is a vibrant multidisciplinary activity. It uses the methods of chemistry, physics, chemical engineering, materials science and biology to create a coherent picture of the macromolecular world. This course is a survey of this field of endeavor suitable for Senior chemistry majors, or other students with a desire for a broad knowledge of the science and engineering of polymers. It covers a thorough description of the field, the synthetic chemistry of macromolecules, the physical chemistry of macromolecules, and the principles of polymer engineering and processing.
Prerequisites: (09-219 or 09-217) and (09-214 or 09-345 or 09-347)
09-534 Environmental Chemistry
Spring: 9 units
Solar energy and electrical energy from renewable resources need to be stored to resolve intermittency issues. Energy can be stored through charge transfer, changes in chemical bonding, or in electric polarization. This course will introduce students to general aspects of energy-storage technologies using these strategies, integrating scientific and engineering perspectives to discuss thermodynamics, mechanisms of energy storage, and fundamental aspects of efficiency, capacity, and power delivery. Then we will explore current and experimental technologies, covering supercapacitors, batteries, and water-splitting catalysts. By the end of the course, students will be able to apply chemical principles to understand energy-storage technologies and gain knowledge of important classes of these systems. Students enrolled in 09-734 (rather than 09-534) will also be required to write a 15-page NSF style proposal. 3 hrs. lec.
Prerequisites: (09-219 or 09-217) and (33-341 or 27-215 or 24-324 or 09-347 or 09-345)
09-535 Applied topics in Macromolecular and Biophysical Techniques
Fall: 9 units
Applications of physical chemistry are widespread. Physical chemical principles are fundamental to the methods used to sequence human genome, obtain high resolution structures of proteins and complex nucleic acids e.g., ribosome, and further provides the framework to predict how molecules fold in 3-dimension, how the different domains interact (inter- and intra-molecular interactions) to perform biological functions. The principles that were discussed in theory in undergraduate physical chemistry classes, will be applied in order to understand the molecular structures and dynamics in nucleic acids and proteins, and to more advanced molecular motors. In the last decade major advances have been made through single-molecule studies that provide finer details of macromolecules in action. This course aims to teach and apply physical chemistry as related to biological problems.
Prerequisites: (09-345 or 09-347 or 09-214) and (03-121 or 03-232 or 03-231)
09-538 Exposure and Risk Assessment for Environmental Pollutants
All Semesters: 9 units
Our world is full of synthetic and naturally occurring toxic chemicals, presenting an imminent but difficult-to-quantify threat for human and ecosystem health. In this papers-based course we will ask the question, "How do we decide what's 'safe'?" in the context of exposure and risk assessment for toxic environmental pollutants. We will complete a series of case studies featuring current and seminal literature, in-class activities, and project-based assignments. Each case study will focus on a distinct contaminant exposure scenario and will be linked back to the common theme of using chemistry to understand how external exposure leads to internal dose and subsequent health impacts for diverse environmental pollutants. We will discuss how knowledge generated in the laboratory can be translated and used to inform regulatory decisions. The first half of the course will focus on contaminant bioavailability, exposure, and toxic effects in aquatic organisms. In the second half of the course, we will discuss human exposure to toxic pollutants and strategies to assess risks in the human population, including the human exposome concept, -omics-based research, and strategies for discovering novel harmful contaminants.
Prerequisites: 09-106 or 09-105 or 09-107
09-560 Computational Chemistry
Fall: 12 units
Computer modeling is playing an increasingly important role in chemical, biological and materials research. This course provides an overview of computational chemistry techniques including molecular mechanics, molecular dynamics, electronic structure theory and continuum medium approaches. Sufficient theoretical background is provided for students to understand the uses and limitations of each technique. An integral part of the course is hands on experience with state-of-the-art computational chemistry tools running on graphics workstations. This course I can count towards coursework requirements for chemistry PhD candidates. 3 hrs. lec.
Prerequisites: 09-344 or 09-347 or 09-214 or 09-345
09-561 Computational Chemistry
Spring: 9 units
Computer modeling is playing an increasingly important role in chemical, biological and materials research. This course provides an overview of computational chemistry techniques including molecular mechanics, molecular dynamics, electronic structure theory and continuum medium approaches. Sufficient theoretical background is provided for students to understand the uses and limitations of each technique. An integral part of the course is hands on experience with state-of-the-art computational chemistry tools running on graphics workstations. This course I can count towards coursework requirements for chemistry PhD candidates. 3 hrs. lec.
09-563 Molecular Modeling and Computational Chemistry
Spring: 9 units
Computer modeling is playing an increasingly important role in chemical, biological and materials research. This course provides an overview of computational chemistry techniques including molecular mechanics, molecular dynamics, electronic structure theory and continuum medium approaches. Sufficient theoretical background is provided for students to understand the uses and limitations of each technique. An integral part of the course is hands on experience with state-of-the-art computational chemistry tools running on graphics workstations. This course I can count towards coursework requirements for chemistry PhD candidates. 3 hrs. lec.
Prerequisites: 09-345 or 09-347 or 09-344 or 09-214
09-604 Introduction to Chemical Kinetics
Spring: 6 units
Empirical description of the time evolution of chemical reactions. Inductive derivation of kinetic rate laws from actual data. Deductive derivation of kinetic rate laws from proposed mechanisms. Gas phase reactions, catalyzed reactions, enzyme kinetics. Theories of kinetic rate constants for gas phase reactions: unimolecular and bimolecular. Theories of solution phase reactions. Absolute reactions rate theory. Diffusion controlled reactions. Kinetics in highly viscous media. Activation energy and entropy. Volume of activation.
09-611 Chemical Thermodynamics
Fall: 6 units
This course provides an introduction to the general formalism of macroscopic thermodynamics and its applications to chemical systems. The main topics to be covered include: entropy maximum postulate, internal energy minimum postulate, various equilibrium conditions including chemical equilibrium, Legendre transformation and free energies, thermochemistry, phase equilibria and solution systems.
Prerequisites: 09-231 and 09-345
09-614 Spectroscopy
Intermittent: 6 units
This is a course exclusively in optical methods, both time resolved and steady state. In addition to methodology, spectral interpretation in terms of group theory will be discussed. The time-dependent formalism of quantum mechanics will also be introduced. Molecules in gas phase and condensed phase will be discussed. Frequent use will be made of the current literature. Background consisting of undergraduate physical chemistry is assumed. This course has a prerequisite 09-344, Quantum Chemistry or permission of the instructor.
09-615 Computational Modeling, Statistical Analysis and Machine Learning in Science
Fall: 12 units
The purpose of this course is to provide a practical introduction to the core concepts and tools of machine learning in a manner easily understood and intuitive to STEM students. The course begins by covering fundamental concepts in ML, data science, and modern statistics such as the bias-variance tradeoff, overfitting, regularization, and generalization, before moving on to more advanced topics in both supervised and unsupervised learning. Students will choose a large dataset from a selection of biology, chemistry, math, or physics datasets hosted by PSC and use this dataset throughout the MS program. The topics of the course are taught with students analyzing the chosen dataset. An intensive knowledge of Python or another computing language is not a pre-prerequisite since students will be given at first simple scripts that they work with and then expand upon. This course is required for students enrolled in the MS program in Data Analytics for Science.
Prerequisites: (09-344 or 09-231) and (15-110 or 15-112)
09-621 Welcome to the Future Lab - Science in the Cloud
Fall: 6 units
You can be at home or anywhere in the world and still run experiments in a lab. This course is to introduce and train students in the use of an automated and remote cloud lab facility. Operations in the cloud lab are conducted through a computer console and internet access that allows the user to program equipment, set up experiments and analyze data. In this course, students will learn the steps to use the Wolfram language/Mathematica based Cloud Lab Command Center interface to remotely interact with the facilities and laboratory instruments in the cloud lab. Following training exercises, students will be able to select the appropriate equipment and reagents to prepare samples and solutions for laboratory analyses and experiments. (No prior knowledge of Mathematica is required but basic programming skills are helpful)
09-623 Future Lab- DNA Science in the Cloud
Fall: 6 units
This course uses an automated and remote cloud lab facility and will involve learning the steps to handle, manipulate and quantitate solutions of DNA and nucleic acids. Students will set up experiments that automate the dispensing, analysis and purification of nucleic acids and use DNA for biophysical measurements. Students will learn to remotely operate, design and execute experiments on state-of-the-art instrumentation to analyze DNA sequence and structure. Besides learning how to remotely use equipment and instruments for synthesis and analyses by spectroscopy and spectrometry, students will also learn about nucleic acids as part of their experiments. (Prior training in the use of the cloud lab is required)
Prerequisite: 09-621 Min. grade C
09-701 Quantum Chemistry I
Fall: 12 units
The main topics to be covered will include exploration of the Schroedinger equation, operators, particle in the box, harmonic oscillator and hydrogen atom, tunneling, Stern-Gerlach experiment and quantum mechanical postulates, time-independent and time-dependent perturbation theory, matrix diagonalization. The student will learn to master the fundamental concepts and techniques of quantum mechanics. The parallel mini course Mathematical Analysis for Chemistry will provide the necessary mathematical background.
09-702 Statistical Mechanics and Dynamics
Intermittent: 12 units
This course will address the application of statistical mechanics to chemical systems. Topics to be discussed include the calculation of thermodynamic functions, phase transitions and chemical equilibrium, calculation of the transport properties of gases and liquids and the elementary theory of chemical kinetics.
Prerequisites: (09-344 or 09-611) and 09-231 and 09-701
09-705 Chemosensors and Biosensors
Intermittent: 12 units
Chemosensors and biosensors rely on "recognition" and "signaling" elements to transduce a molecular-scale binding event into an observable signal. Students in this course will be introduced to current research and technology for detecting chemical and biological analytes in a variety of contexts, including environmental testing, biological probing and medical diagnostics. Recognition elements ranging from small organic molecules to antibodies will be presented, while various detection modes, including fluorescence, gravimetric and colorimetric, that illustrate different signaling elements will be discussed and compared. Issues to be addressed include sensitivity, selectivity and efficiency. Each sensor will be analyzed in terms of the physical chemistry, organic chemistry and/or biochemistry underlying its function. This is a graduate level course that may also be appropriate for upper level undergraduates in chemistry and the biological sciences. The material in 09-518/09-519 or 09-718/09-719 would be appropriate background material for this course. 3 hrs. lec.
Prerequisites: (03-231 or 03-121 or 03-232) and (09-220 or 09-218)
09-707 Nanoparticles
Intermittent: 12 units
This course discusses the chemistry, physics, and biology aspects of several major types of nanoparticles, including metal, semiconductor, magnetic, carbon, and polymer nanostructures. For each type of nanoparticles, we select pedagogical examples (e.g. Au, Ag, CdSe, etc.) and introduce their synthetic methods, physical and chemical properties, self assembly, and various applications. Apart from the nanoparticle materials, other topics to be briefly covered include microscopy and spectroscopy techniques for nanoparticle characterization, and nanolithography techniques for fabricating nano-arrays. The course is primarily descriptive with a focus on understanding major concepts (such as plasmon, exciton, polaron, etc.). The lectures are power point presentation style with sufficient graphical materials to aid students to better understand the course materials. Overall, this course is intended to provide an introduction to the new frontiers of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Students will gain an understanding of the important concepts and research themes of nanoscience and nanotechnology, and develop their abilities to pursue highly disciplinary nanoscience research. 3 hrs. lec.
09-710 Chemistry and Sustainability
Spring: 12 units
This course aims to educate students in the foundations of systematic leadership through chemistry and more for building a sustainable world. Many sustainability challenges are associated with commercial chemicals and with operational modes of the chemical enterprise. The course aims to challenge students to analyze and understand the root causes of unsustainability, especially in the technological dimension, to imagine a more sustainable world and to begin to define personal leadership missions. Students will be introduced to sustainability ethics as the foundation of transformative sustainability leadership, to a sustainability compass, to a Code of Sustainability Ethics and to various other helpful conceptual material as tools for analyzing the reasons our civilization has been failing to address its own unsustainability. The Collins Bookcase of Green Science Challenges organizes the technical content. It systematizes the major chemical sustainability challenges of our time: clean synthesis, renewable feed-stocks, safe energy, elemental pollutants, persistent molecular toxicants and endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Focal areas will be the technical, toxicological and cultural histories of elemental and molecular pollutants with particular emphasis on EDCs. Students will experience Legacy Lectures from some of the world's leading endocrine disruption scientists. The graded substance will take the form of take-home work. Students will primarily watch classic movies and read key books and articles and will summarize and personally evaluate the material in essay assignments. The course is intended for upper-level undergraduates and graduates although it is open to all students. The class is limited to 30 students. The assignments are common to both undergraduate and graduate classes offerings and 09-710 students will engage in additional projects. 3 hrs. lec.
Prerequisites: 09-105 or 09-107
09-711 Physical Organic Chemistry
Fall: 12 units
This course introduces students to the study of structure and reactivity of organic compounds from a physical and theoretical standpoint. Students will learn the fundamentals of molecular orbital theory along with some practical applications to aromaticity and anti-aromaticity. Methods are described for the study of reaction mechanisms by means of physical methods such as kinetics, isotope effects, substituent effects, and solvent effects. Important reactive intermediates are described, along with detection methods. This course may be suitable for upper level undergraduates in chemistry with the appropriate background in organic chemistry and physical chemistry. 3 hrs. lec.
Prerequisites: (09-218 or 09-220) and (09-347 or 09-344)
09-714 Advanced Organic Chemistry
Spring: 12 units
This course will expose the students to modern methods of organic synthesis including insights into the basis and mechanisms of chemical reactions. Topics include but are not limited to: modern spectroscopic analysis and structure determination, synthetic methods, retrosynthesis, organic reaction mechanisms, and references to separation techniques and some analytical methods. Upon completion of the course students should be able to design reaction schemes using scientific literature sources, evaluate their suitability for use in the lab and develop an aptitude in identifying the use of modern reagents that are more efficient, specific, safer and environmentally friendly. It is assumed that at minimum students will have completed at least two semesters of undergraduate coursework in organic chemistry and suggested that they have completed 09-222 and 09-321, the organic laboratory courses. 3 hrs. lec
Prerequisites: 09-220 or 09-218
09-715 Physical Chemistry of Macromolecules
All Semesters: 12 units
This course addresses the fundamentals of polymer science with the emphasis on physicochemical consequences of chain nature of macromolecules and on the behavior of polymers in condensed state (polymers as soft condense matter). The topics to be covered include: chain structure and molecular weight; molecular weight distribution; step growth and addition polymerization mechanisms; chain conformation and behavior of polymers in solution; concentrated solutions and phase separation behavior; rubber elasticity; introduction to polymer viscoelasticity and rheology; mechanical behavior of polymers; glass transition and crystallization; multicomponent polymeric materials; liquid crystalline polymers; polymers at surfaces and interfaces; self-assembly and nanostructure formation in synthetic and biological systems; conducting and semiconducting polymers. Graduate students taking the course for 12 units will be required to write a term paper on a selected topic. 3 hrs. lec.
Prerequisites: 09-347 or 09-345
09-716 Bioactive Natural Products
Spring: 12 units
This course is aimed at students with an interest in natural products research. Natural products are used as active components in medicinal products, as model compounds for further development into medicinally active drugs, as ingredients in food and for flavor and fragrances, among other very useful and interesting applications. An overview of the structural variety and activity of natural products will be presented along with their isolation and structural determination. Overall, the course will offer an introduction to the work that is customary in natural product research. This course will cover: Strategies to select the plant or marine material for study; main groups of natural products derived from plants; representative natural products derived from marine organisms; preparation of extracts and selection of active fractions, screening strategies; separation and purification of active components; bench-top bioassays and chemical assays and structure elucidation (especially 2D-NMR spectroscopy) Student's performance will be assessed by weekly assignments on the topics discussed in lecture and exams. 3 hrs. lec.
Prerequisites: 09-219 or 09-217
09-718 Bioorganic Chemistry: Nucleic Acids and Carbohydrates
Fall: 12 units
This course will introduce students to new developments in chemistry and biology, with emphasis on the synthesis, structural and functional aspects of nucleic acids and carbohydrates, and their applications in chemistry, biology and medicine. Later in the course, students will have the opportunity to explore cutting-edge research in this exciting new field that bridges chemistry with biology. Students will be required to keep abreast of the current literature. In addition to standard homework assignments and examinations, students will have the opportunity to work in teams to tackle contemporary problems at the forefront of chemistry and biology. The difference between the 09-518 (9-unit) and 09-718 (12-unit) is that this latter is a graduate level course. Students signed up for 09-718 will be required to turn in an original research proposal at the end of the course, in addition to all the other assignments. 3 hrs. lec.
Prerequisites: (03-151 or 03-121) and (09-218 or 09-220)
09-719 Bioorganic Chemistry: Peptides, Proteins and Combinatorial Chemistry
Spring: 12 units
This course will introduce students to new developments in chemistry and biology, with emphasis on the synthesis, structural and functional aspects of peptides, proteins and small molecules. Basic concepts of bioorganic chemistry will be presented in the context of the current literature and students will have the opportunity to learn about the experimental methods used in various research labs. An introduction to combinatorial chemistry in the context of drug design and drug discovery will also be presented. Students will be required to keep abreast of the current literature. Homeworks and team projects will be assigned on a regular basis. The homework assignments will require data interpretation and experimental design; and team projects will give students the opportunity to work in teams to tackle contemporary problems at the interface of chemistry and biology. Students enrolled in the graduate level course (09-719) will be required to turn in an original research proposal at the end of the course, in addition to the homework assignments, midterm, and final exam that are required for the undergraduate course.
Prerequisites: (03-121 or 03-151) and (09-218 or 09-220)
09-720 Physical Inorganic Chemistry
Intermittent: 6 units
This course develops the principles of magnetochemistry and inorganic spectroscopy. Electronic absorption, magnetic circular dichroism, resonance raman, NMR, EPR, Mossbauer, magnetization and x-ray methods will be introduced with application towards the determination of electronic structures of transition metal complexes.
Prerequisites: 09-345 and 09-348 and 09-344
09-721 Metals in Biology: Function and Reactivity
Intermittent: 6 units
Metal ions play important roles in many biological processes, including photosynthesis, respiration, global nitrogen cycle, carbon cycle, antibiotics biosynthesis, gene regulation, bio-signal sensing, and DNA/RNA repair, just to name a few. Usually, metal ions are embedded in protein scaffold to form active centers of proteins in order to catalyze a broad array of chemical transformations, which are essential in supporting the biological processes mentioned above. These metal containing proteins, or metalloproteins, account for half of all proteins discovered so far. In this course, the relation between the chemical reactivity and the structure of metalloproteins will be discussed in detail. The main focus is to illustrate the geometric and electronic structure of metal centers and their interactions with the protein environment in governing the chemical reactivity of metalloproteins. The applications of these principles in designing biomimetic/bioinspried inorganic catalysts and in engineering metalloproteins bearing novel chemical reactivity will also be discussed. The basic principles of the frequently utilized physical methods in this research area will also be introduced, which include optical absorption spectroscopy, Infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopies, M and #246;ssbauer spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), X-ray absorption and diffraction techniques.
Prerequisites: (09-214 or 09-345 or 09-344 or 09-347) and 09-348
09-722 Kinetics and Mechanisms of Chemical and Enzymatic Reactions
Intermittent: 12 units
This is a practical course aimed at learning the major modern tools which are essential for investigation of mechanisms of homogeneous chemical and enzymatic reactions. Rules of formal chemical kinetics in solution are first considered followed by basic principles of kinetics of enzymatic processes including inhibition, which is a key factor in the up-to-date drug design. The relationships between electronic structures, catalytic properties, and reactivity of biologically relevant metal complexes will be provided. Electrochemical and redox features of metal complexes will be reviewed. The course includes such hot topics as Fenton chemistry, Marcus's electron transfer concept, catalysis by Collins' TAML activators of peroxides, specific and general acid/base, proximal and micellar catalysis. Mechanistic pathways of action of hydrolases, kinases, hydrogenases, oxidases, peroxidases, cytochrome P-450, and other metalloenzymes will be described. The course is supplied by the recently published text (A. D. Ryabov "Practical Kinetics and Mechanisms of Chemical and Enzymatic Reactions" Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 2PA, UK) which includes all the above mentioned themes (Graduate course: 09-722, 12-units) 3 hrs. lec. Prerequisite: 09-348
Prerequisites: 09-220 and 09-345 and 09-348
09-723 Proximal Probe Techniques: New Tools for Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Intermittent: 12 units
Proximal probe techniques are revolutionizing physical and biological sciences, owing to their ability to explore and manipulate matter at the nanoscale, and to operate in various environments (including liquids). Proximal probe techniques rely on the use of nanoscale probes, positioned and scanned in the immediate vicinity of the material surface. Their development is often viewed as a first step towards nanotechnology, since they demonstrate the feasibility of building purposeful structures one atom or one (macro)molecule at a time. This course is designed for the students of chemistry, biology physics and engineering, who are interested in the fundamentals of proximal probe techniques and in their applications in various areas, converging into a rapidly developing, interdisciplinary field of nanoscience. It will provide physical background of such basic techniques as Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM), and Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscopy (NSOM) and of their variants. Throughout the course, the working "virtual AFM" computer model will be assembled in classroom by each student and then used extensively to gain thorough understanding of AFM operation principles. Particular emphasis will be placed on modes of operation facilitating chemical contrast and contrast based on other material properties. (No prior experience with computer programming required). 3 hrs. lec.
Prerequisites: (21-122 or 09-231 or 21-124) and (09-344 or 09-331 or 09-322 or 09-345)
09-729 Introduction to Sustainable Energy Science
Fall: 12 units
This course focuses on the chemistry aspects of sustainable energy science. It introduces the major types of inorganic and molecular materials for various important processes of energy conversion and storage, such as photovoltaics, fuel cells, water splitting, solar fuels, batteries, and CO2 reduction. All the energy processes heavily rely on innovations in materials. This course is intended to offer perspectives on the materials/physical chemistry that are of importance in energy processes, in particular, how the atomic and electronic structures of materials impact the energy harvesting and conversion. In current energy research, intense efforts are focused on developing new strategies for achieving sustainable energy through renewable resources as opposed to the traditional oil/coal/gas compositions. This course offers students an introduction to the current energy research frontiers with a focus on solar energy conversion/ storage, electrocatalysis and artificial photosynthesis. The major types of materials to be covered include metals, semiconductors, two-dimensional materials, and hybrid perovskites, etc. The material functions in catalysis, solar cells, fuel cells, batteries, supercapacitors, hydrogen production and storage are also discussed in the course. The lectures are power-point presentation style with sufficient graphical materials to aid students to better understand the course materials. Demo experiments are designed to facilitate student learning.
Prerequisites: (09-107 or 09-105) and (33-121 or 33-141 or 33-151)
09-736 Transition Metal Catalysis for Organic and Polymer Synthesis
Intermittent: 12 units
Transition metal catalysts are invaluable in small molecule and polymer synthesis. The course will begin with a brief overview of organometallic chemistry and a discussion of fundamental organometallic reactions. Following this, a survey of some selected topics for the formation of small molecules and polymers will be presented. Some topics to be highlighted include: (1) Hydrogenation (2) Palladium Catalyzed Cross-Coupling (3) Epoxidation (4) Olefin Metathesis (5) Olefin Polymerization
Prerequisites: (09-220 or 09-218) and 09-348
09-737 Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Development
Spring: 12 units
Organic chemistry is an intimate part of the drug discovery and design processes in areas that include structure determination (NMR, mass spectrometry), synthesis, and determination of mechanisms of action. Once a promising compound (i.e. a ?lead?) has been identified in the laboratory, it is rarely ready to be used in the clinic. Complications include poor bioavailability, rapid degradation, and off-target effects. Students will learn about lead compound optimization through structural variations, cell-specific targeting and pro-drug strategies. Several examples will be presented to illustrate the role played by organic chemistry in the development of drugs used to treat a range of diseases, including cancer, HIV-AIDS, bacterial infections and heart disease.
Prerequisites: 09-218 or 09-220
09-738 Exposure and Risk Assessment for Environmental Pollutants
Intermittent: 12 units
Our world is full of synthetic and naturally occurring toxic chemicals, presenting an imminent but difficult-to-quantify threat for human and ecosystem health. In this papers-based course we will ask the question, "How do we decide what's 'safe'?" in the context of exposure and risk assessment for toxic environmental pollutants. We will complete a series of case studies featuring current and seminal literature, in-class activities, and project-based assignments. Each case study will focus on a distinct contaminant exposure scenario and will be linked back to the common theme of using chemistry to understand how external exposure leads to internal dose and subsequent health impacts for diverse environmental pollutants. We will discuss how knowledge generated in the laboratory can be translated and used to inform regulatory decisions. The first half of the course will focus on contaminant bioavailability, exposure, and toxic effects in aquatic organisms. In the second half of the course, we will discuss human exposure to toxic pollutants and strategies to assess risks in the human population, including the human exposome concept, -omics-based research, and strategies for discovering novel harmful contaminants.
Prerequisites: 09-105 or 09-106 or 09-107
09-741 Organic Chemistry of Polymers
Spring: 12 units
A study of the synthesis and reactions of high polymers. Emphasis is on practical polymer preparation and on the fundamental kinetics and mechanisms of polymerization reactions. Topics include: relationship of synthesis and structure, step-growth polymerization, chain-growth polymerization via radical, ionic and coordination intermediates, copolymerization, discussions of specialty polymers and reactions of polymers. Students in 09-741 will take the same lectures and the same exams as those enrolled in 09-502 but, in addition, will prepare a term paper on the topic of advanced polymeric materials, to be approved by the instructor. 09-509 or 09-715, Physical Chemistry of Macromolecules, is excellent preparation for this course but is not required. 3-6 hrs. lec.
09-760 The Molecular Basis of Polymer Mechanics
Spring: 12 units
This course is a graduate level course designed to prepare students for graduate research in polymer science. Based around a laboratory component, students will learn the lab skills needed to synthesize and fully characterize novel polymer materials. The classroom component will teach the theory behind the measurements made in lab, as well as an understanding of the best experiments to learn about the properties of the material. Emphasis will be placed on current literature and technical communication (written and oral). 3 hrs lec; 3 hrs lab
09-763 Molecular Modeling and Computational Chemistry
Spring: 12 units
Computer modeling is playing an increasingly important role in chemical, biological and materials research. This course provides an overview of computational chemistry techniques including molecular mechanics, molecular dynamics, electronic structure theory and continuum medium approaches. Sufficient theoretical background is provided for students to understand the uses and limitations of each technique. An integral part of the course is hands on experience with state-of-the-art computational chemistry tools running on graphics workstations. This is the graduate equivalent of 09-563. Students enrolled in the graduate level course will complete an additional independent project. 3 hrs. lec.
09-768 Machine Learning for Molecular Sciences
Spring: 12 units
The emergence of contemporary artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) methods has the potential to substantially alter and enhance the role of computers in science. At the heart of ML applications, lie statistical algorithms whose performance, much like that of a scholar, improves with training. There is a growing infrastructure of machine learning tools for generating, testing and refining scientific models. Such techniques are suitable for addressing complex problems that involve vast combinatorial spaces or complex processes, which conventional procedures either cannot solve or can tackle only at great computational cost. The purpose of this course is to provide a practical introduction to the core concepts and tools of machine learning in a manner easily understood and intuitive to STEM students. The course begins by covering fundamental concepts in ML, data science, and modern statistics such as the bias-variance tradeoff, overfitting, regularization, and generalization, before moving on to more advanced topics in both supervised and unsupervised learning. Topics covered in the course also include ensemble models, neural networks, modern deep learning, embedding, clustering and data visualization. Throughout the course, we emphasize application of ML methods to chemical, physical and biological data. A notable aspect of the course is the hands-on use of Python Jupyter notebooks to introduce modern ML/statistical packages.
Prerequisites: (09-231 or 09-344) and (15-110 or 15-112)
09-803 Chemistry of Gene Expression
Intermittent: 12 units
This course examines the chemical basis of biological reactions required for the propagation of genetic information stored in DNA and the organic chemistry principles behind the structure and function of nucleic acids.Main topics of lectures and class discussion will include the chemical and biochemical syntheses, properties and analyses of natural and modified nucleic acids to investigate cellular processes such as transcription, RNA splicing, other RNA regulation and translation; an introduction to the enzymatic strategies that accelerate these chemical reactions and a comparison of protein enzymes, ribozymes and other nucleic acid based enzymes in contemporary chemistry and biology. Students will learn to critically evaluate current scientific efforts that examine various aspects of chemistry and biological chemistry, the relationship between the structure and function of biomolecular systems, propose experiments to examine biological chemistry research problems and communicate these ideas and participate in scientific discussions and debates. 3 hrs. lec.
Prerequisites: (09-218 or 09-220) and (03-231 or 03-232)

Faculty

BRUCE A. ARMITAGE, Professor and Department Head of Chemistry, Co-Director Center for Nucleic Acids Science and Technology – Ph.D., University of Arizona; Carnegie Mellon, 1997–

STEFAN BERNHARD, Professor of Chemistry – Ph.D., University of Fribourg (Switzerland); Carnegie Mellon, 2009–

MARK E. BIER, Research Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Center for Molecular Analysis – Ph.D., Purdue University; Carnegie Mellon, 1996–

EMILE BOMINAAR, Associate Research Professor of Chemistry – Ph.D., University of Amsterdam (The Netherlands); Carnegie Mellon, 1994–

TERRENCE J. COLLINS, Teresa Heinz Professor in Green Chemistry and Director of the Institute for Green Science – Ph.D., University Auckland, (New Zealand); Carnegie Mellon, 1988–

SUBHA R. DAS, Associate Professor of Chemistry – Ph.D., Auburn University; Carnegie Mellon, 2006–

NEIL M. DONAHUE, Thomas Lord University Professor of Chemistry, Professor of Chemical Engineering and Engineering and Public Policy and Director of the Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education and Research – Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Carnegie Mellon, 2000–

SIMON FAULKNER, Assistant Teaching Professor of Chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University- Qatar – Ph.D., University College London (United Kingdom); Carnegie Mellon, 2019–

ISSAAC GARCIA-BOSCH, Associate Professor of Chemistry – Ph.D., University of Girona, Catalonia (Spain); Carnegie Mellon, 2021–

ROBERTO GIL, Research Professor of Chemistry and Director of the NMR Facility – Ph.D., Córdoba National University (Argentina); Carnegie Mellon, 2002–

GABRIEL DOS PASSOS GOMES, Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering – Ph.D., Florida State University; Carnegie Mellon, 2022–

YISONG (ALEX) GUO, Associate Professor of Chemistry – Ph.D., University of California at Davis; Carnegie Mellon, 2014–

MICHAEL P. HENDRICH, Professor of Chemistry – Ph.D., University of Illinois; Carnegie Mellon, 1994–

OLEXANDR ISAYEV, Associate Professor of Chemistry – Ph.D., Jackson State University; Carnegie Mellon, 2020–

RONGCHAO JIN, Professor of Chemistry – Ph.D., Northwestern University; Carnegie Mellon, 2006–

ANNA KIETRYS, Assistant Professor of Chemistry – Ph.D., Polish Academy of Sciences (Poland); Carnegie Mellon, 2020–

HYUNG J. KIM, Professor of Chemistry – Ph.D., State University of New York at Stony Brook; Carnegie Mellon, 1992–

TOMASZ KOWALEWSKI, Professor of Chemistry – Ph.D., Polish Academy of Sciences (Poland); Carnegie Mellon, 2000–

MARIA KURNIKOVA, Professor of Chemistry – Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh; Carnegie Mellon, 2003–

DANITH LY, Professor of Chemistry – Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology; Carnegie Mellon, 2001–

KRZYSZTOF MATYJASZEWSKI, J.C. Warner University Professor of Natural Sciences and Co-Director of the Center for Polymer-Based Protein Engineering and Director of the Center for Macromolecular Engineering – Ph.D., Polish Academy of Sciences (Poland); Carnegie Mellon, 1985–

CARRIE MCDONOUGH, Assistant Professor of Chemistry – Ph.D., University of Rhode Island; Carnegie Mellon, 2022–

NIMER MURSHID, Assistant Teaching Professor – Ph.D. , University of Waterloo; Carnegie Mellon, 2023-–

KEVIN NOONAN, Associate Professor of Chemistry – Ph.D., University of British Columbia (Canada); Carnegie Mellon, 2011–

LINDA A. PETEANU, Professor of Chemistry – Ph.D., University of Chicago; Carnegie Mellon, 1992–

GIZELLE SHERWOOD, Associate Teaching Professor – Ph.D. , Carnegie Mellon University; Carnegie Mellon, 2009–

GLORIA SILVA, Associate Teaching Professor of Chemistry – Ph.D., Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (Argentina); Carnegie Mellon, 2002–

KAREN H. STUMP, Teaching Professor of Chemistry and Director of Undergraduate Studies and Laboratories – M.S., Carnegie Mellon University; Carnegie Mellon, 1983–

RYAN SULLIVAN, Professor of Chemistry and Mechanical Engineering and Associate Director of the Institute for Green Science – Ph.D., University of California at San Diego; Carnegie Mellon, 2012–

STEFANIE SYDLIK, Associate Professor of Chemistry – Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Carnegie Mellon, 2015–

LEONARD VUOCOLO, Associate Teaching Professor – Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University; Carnegie Mellon, 2005–

NEWELL WASHBURN, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering – Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley; Carnegie Mellon, 2004–

DAVID YARON, Professor of Chemistry – Ph.D., Harvard University; Carnegie Mellon, 1992–

Emeriti

GUY C. BERRY, University Professor Emeritus of Chemistry and Polymer Science – Ph.D., University of Michigan; Carnegie Mellon, 1960–

JOSEF DADOK, Professor Emeritus of Chemical Instrumentation – Ph.D., Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences; Carnegie Mellon, 1967–

REA FREELAND – PhD, Carnegie Mellon University; Carnegie Mellon, 1993–

SUSAN T. GRAUL, Associate Teaching Professor Emerita of Chemistry – Ph.D., Purdue University; Carnegie Mellon, 1992–

PAUL J. KAROL, Professor Emeritus of Chemistry – Ph.D., Columbia University; Carnegie Mellon, 1969–

ECKARD MÜNCK, Professor Emeritus of Chemistry – Ph.D., Technical University of Darmstadt (Germany); Carnegie Mellon, 1990–

GARY D. PATTERSON, Professor Emeritus of Chemistry – Ph.D., Stanford University; Carnegie Mellon, 1984-.–

STUART W. STALEY, Professor Emeritus of Chemistry – Ph.D., Yale University; Carnegie Mellon, 1986–

Adjunct Faculty

BERNARD CRIMMINS, Adjunct Associate Professor of Chemistry and Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Clarkson University and President of Academic Environmental/Analytical Consulting Services (AEACS), LLC. – Ph.D., University of Maryland; Carnegie Mellon, 2018–

JOHN PETERSON MYERS, CEO and Chief Scientist of Environmental Health Sciences – Ph.D., University of California at Berkeley; Carnegie Mellon, 2010–

JAMES PETERSON, Adjunct Associate Professor of Chemistry and Associate Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health at the University of Pittsburgh – Ph.D., University of Essex, UK; Carnegie Mellon, 2004–

Courtesy

MICHAEL BOCKSTALLER, Professor of Materials Science Engineering and Faculty of Chemistry – Ph.D., Johannes Gutenberg University (Germany); Carnegie Mellon, 2005–

ANDREW GELLMAN, Lord Professor of Chemical Engineering and Co-Director W.E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation – Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley; Carnegie Mellon, 1992–

NOA MAROM, Assistant Professor of Materials Science Engineering and Faculty of Chemistry – Ph.D., Weizmann Institute of Science (Israel); Carnegie Mellon, 2016–

GORDON RULE, Professor of Biological Sciences and Head of CMU Qatar Biological Sciences Program and Faculty of Chemistry – Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University; Carnegie Mellon, 1995–

ALAN J. RUSSELL, Highmark Distinguished Career Professor of Chemical Engineering and Director of Disruptive Health Technology Institute – Ph.D., Imperial College of London; Carnegie Mellon, 2012–

JAMES SCHNEIDER, Professor of Chemical Engineering and Faculty of Biomedical Engineering and Chemistry – Ph.D., University of Minnesota; Carnegie Mellon, 1999–

LYNN WALKER, Professor of Chemical Engineering and Faculty of Chemistry and Materials Science Engineering – Ph.D., University of Delaware; Carnegie Mellon, 1997–

JOHN L. WOOLFORD JR., Professor of Biological Sciences; Co-Director of Center for Nucleic Acids Science and Technology and Faculty of Chemistry – Ph.D., Duke University; Carnegie Mellon, 1979–

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