Chemistry (BS)
To see more about what you will learn in this program, visit the Learning Outcomes website!
Chemistry is a diverse and growing field that is full of academic and career opportunities for undergraduate students. Our two degree programs offer flexibility in choosing the appropriate academic path to fulfill your interest and career goals.
The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Chemistry is built around the core sub-disciplines of chemistry with the addition of elective coursework in a chosen field. This program is designed to train you for a career outside of traditional laboratory work.
The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Chemistry program is certified by the American Chemical Society and trains you for entry in the chemical workforce or graduate school in the chemical sciences.
The Chemistry Honors Program offers students a challenging program of advanced study where they can develop independence, collaborative skills and a deeper understanding of chemistry required for careers in both industry and graduate school.
Outside of the classroom, students in Chemistry actively share their passion for chemistry with others, including the next generation of scientists. Opportunities in this area are possible through participation in our student groups:
- Alpha Chi Sigma – professional co-ed chemistry fraternity; benefits students not only by helping with their studies but also by providing projects and activities that teach the roles of leadership and management
- American Chemical Society – the student chapter of the ACS takes part in activities including tours of local research facilities, trips to national and regional conferences, and presentations by guest speakers
- Cosmetic Chemistry Club - open to all students interested in learning about cosmetics and the industry behind them; connects students to the cosmetic industry through guest speakers, company visits, and other activities
Undergraduate research can be one of the most rewarding aspects of your academic experience at NC State. Research offers opportunities to make pioneering discoveries at the forefront of science, using instrumentation and techniques far more sophisticated than those you would encounter in standard laboratory courses. Students often co-author publications in peer-reviewed journals and present their research at conferences. For more information on getting involved, please contact our Undergraduate Research Coordinator.
For more information about this program, visit our website.
Contact
Dr. Kirsten Kramer
Co-Director of Undergraduate Programs
919.515.6322
kdaykin@ncsu.edu
Dr. Marion Martin
Co-Director of Undergraduate Programs
919.515.3836
mmarti24@ncsu.edu
Ms. Robin Tanner
Undergraduate Programs Coordinator
919.515.2561
robin_tanner@ncsu.edu
Dr. Tatyana Smirnova
Undergraduate Research Coordinator
tismirno@ncsu.edu
Dr. Ana Ison
Chemistry Honors Program Director
aison@ncsu.edu
Plan Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orientation | |||
| COS 100 | Science of Change | 2 | |
| Writing and Speaking | |||
| ENG 101 | Academic Writing and Research 1 | 4 | |
| Advanced Writing | 3 | ||
| Basic Math & Sciences | |||
| PY 205 & PY 206 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists I and Physics for Engineers and Scientists I Laboratory 1 | 4 | |
| PY 208 & PY 209 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists II and Physics for Engineers and Scientists II Laboratory 1 | 4 | |
| MA 141 | Calculus I 1 | 4 | |
| MA 241 | Calculus II 1 | 4 | |
| MA 242 | Calculus III 1 | 4 | |
| MA 341 | Applied Differential Equations I 1 | 3 | |
| BCH 451 | Principles of Biochemistry 1 | 4 | |
| Chemistry | |||
| CH 103 & CH 104 | General Chemistry I for Students in Chemical Sciences and General Chemistry Laboratory I for Students in Chemical Sciences 1 | 4 | |
| CH 203 & CH 204 | General Chemistry II for Students in Chemical Sciences and General Chemistry Laboratory II for Students in Chemical Sciences 1 | 4 | |
| CH 225 & CH 226 | Organic Chemistry I for Students in Chemical Sciences and Organic Chemistry Laboratory I for Students in Chemical Sciences 1 | 4 | |
| CH 227 & CH 228 | Organic Chemistry II for Students in Chemical Sciences and Organic Chemistry Laboratory II for Students in Chemical Sciences 1 | 4 | |
| CH 315 & CH 316 | Quantitative Analysis and Quantitative Analysis Laboratory 1 | 4 | |
| CH 401 | Systematic Inorganic Chemistry I 1 | 3 | |
| CH 415 | Analytical Chemistry II 1 | 3 | |
| CH 431 | Physical Chemistry I 1 | 3 | |
| CH 433 | Physical Chemistry II 1 | 3 | |
| CH 442 | Advanced Synthetic Techniques 1 | 4 | |
| CH 452 | Advanced Measurement Techniques I 1 | 4 | |
| CH 444 | Advanced Synthetic Techniques II 1 | 4 | |
| or CH 454 | Advanced Measurement Techniques II | ||
| Chemistry Elective 1 | 6 | ||
| Advised Electives 2 | 12 | ||
| Advised electives are designed to allow students to concentrate in areas related to their academic goals. Courses used to fulfill this requirement are selected by students after consultation and approval by their advisors or the Coordinator of Advising. | |||
| GEP Courses | |||
| GEP Humanities | 6 | ||
| GEP Social Sciences | 6 | ||
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 2 | ||
| GEP US Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | 3 | ||
| GEP Interdisciplinary Perspectives | 3 | ||
| GEP Global Knowledge (verify requirement) | |||
| Foreign Language Proficiency (verify requirement) | |||
| Free Electives | 2 | ||
| Free electives courses cannot be CH 100, CH 111, MA 100, MA 101, MA 107, MA 108, MA 111, MA 121, MA 131, MA 231, PY 131, PY 211, PY 212, ENG 100. 100-level Foreign Language Courses (FL*, LAT, GRK, PER) can be used if not satisfying the language proficiency requirement. | |||
| Total Hours | 120 | ||
- 1
No grades below a C- are permitted.
- 2
Consult with your advisor regarding this requirement.
Advanced Writing
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENG 214 | Introduction to Editing | 3 | |
| ENG 281 | Introduction to Creative Nonfiction | 3 | |
| ENG 287 | Explorations in Creative Writing | 3 | |
| ENG 288 | Fiction Writing | 3 | |
| ENG 289 | Poetry Writing | 3 | |
| ENG 316 | Introduction to News and Article Writing | 3 | |
| ENG 323 | Writing in Rhetorical Traditions | 3 | |
| ENG 332 | Communication for Business and Management | 3 | |
| ENG 333 | Communication for Science and Research | 3 | |
| ENG 425 | Analysis of Scientific and Technical Writing | 3 |
Chemistry Electives
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIO 572 | Proteomics | 3 | |
| BIO 727 | Biological Mass Spectrometry | 3 | |
| BIT 572 | Proteomics | 3 | |
| CH 335 | Principles of Green Chemistry | 4 | |
| CH 403 | Systematic Inorganic Chemistry II | 3 | |
| CH 415 | Analytical Chemistry II | 3 | |
| CH 441 | Forensic Chemistry | 3 | |
| CH 463 | Molecular Origins of Life | 3 | |
| CH 563 | Molecular Origins of Life | 3 | |
| CH 572 | Proteomics | 3 | |
| CH 701 | Advanced Inorganic Chemistry I: Structure and Bonding | 3 | |
| CH 703 | Advanced Inorganic Chemistry II: Applications of Group Theory to Bonding and Spectroscopy | 3 | |
| CH 705 | Organometallic and Inorganic Reaction Mechanism | 3 | |
| CH 711 | Advanced Analytical Chemistry I | 3 | |
| CH 713 | 2 | ||
| CH 714 | 1 | ||
| CH 721 | Advanced Organic Chemistry I | 3 | |
| CH 723 | Advanced Organic Chemistry II | 3 | |
| CH 725 | Physical Methods in Organic Chemistry | 3 | |
| CH 727 | Biological Mass Spectrometry | 3 | |
| CH 730 | Advanced Physical Chemistry | 3 | |
| CH 736 | Chemical Spectroscopy | 3 | |
| CH 737 | Quantum Chemistry | 3 | |
| CH 743 | Electrochemistry | 3 | |
| CH 745 | Chemical Separation | 3 | |
| CH 755 | Organic Reaction Mechanisms | 3 | |
| CH 757 | 3 | ||
| CH 759 | 3 | ||
| CH 772 | Solid State Chemistry | 3 | |
| CH 795 | Special Topics in Chemistry | 1-6 | |
| PSE 335 | Principles of Green Chemistry | 4 |
Semester Sequence
This is a sample.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| CH 103 | General Chemistry I for Students in Chemical Sciences 1 | 3 |
| CH 104 | General Chemistry Laboratory I for Students in Chemical Sciences 1 | 1 |
| MA 141 | Calculus I 1 | 4 |
| ENG 101 | Academic Writing and Research 1 | 4 |
| COS 100 | Science of Change | 2 |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CH 203 | General Chemistry II for Students in Chemical Sciences 1 | 3 |
| CH 204 | General Chemistry Laboratory II for Students in Chemical Sciences 1 | 1 |
| MA 241 | Calculus II 1 | 4 |
| PY 205 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists I 1 | 3 |
| PY 206 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists I Laboratory | 1 |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| CH 225 | Organic Chemistry I for Students in Chemical Sciences 1 | 3 |
| CH 226 | Organic Chemistry Laboratory I for Students in Chemical Sciences 1 | 1 |
| PY 208 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists II 1 | 3 |
| PY 209 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists II Laboratory 1 | 1 |
| MA 242 | Calculus III 1 | 4 |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CH 227 | Organic Chemistry II for Students in Chemical Sciences 1 | 3 |
| CH 228 | Organic Chemistry Laboratory II for Students in Chemical Sciences 1 | 1 |
| CH 315 | Quantitative Analysis 1 | 3 |
| CH 316 | Quantitative Analysis Laboratory 1 | 1 |
| MA 341 | Applied Differential Equations I 1 | 3 |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| CH 431 | Physical Chemistry I 1 | 3 |
| CH 401 | Systematic Inorganic Chemistry I 1 | 3 |
| CH 442 | Advanced Synthetic Techniques 1 | 4 |
| Advanced Writing Elective 1 | 3 | |
| Advised Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CH 433 | Physical Chemistry II 1 | 3 |
| CH 415 | Analytical Chemistry II 1 | 3 |
| BCH 451 | Principles of Biochemistry 1 | 4 |
| GEP US Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | 3 | |
| Advised Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| Chemistry Advanced Elective 1 | 3 | |
| CH 452 | Advanced Measurement Techniques I 1 | 4 |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| Advised Elective | 2 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CH 444 | Advanced Synthetic Techniques II 1 | 4 |
| Chemistry Advanced Elective 1 | 3 | |
| GEP Interdisciplinary Perspectives | 3 | |
| Advised Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 13 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
- 1
A grade of C- or higher is required.