The Major
Quicklinks
Obtaining an Advisor in Chemistry
Advising - Junior Year
Advising - Senior Year
Career Information
Communication skills
Graduation with Distinction
Majors Handbook
Registration Information
Changes in Major Declaration
Requirements for the various chemistry degrees, scheduling of courses taking into account prerequisites for courses can be obtained from the section on prospective majors.
Chemistry Majors Union - Information regarding the Chemistry Majors Union can be found at their website.
Obtaining an Advisor in Chemistry. Once your major has been processed, you will receive a welcome letter from the chemistry department notifying you of your major advisor.
Advising Junior Year. Prior to the end of drop/add in the fall of the junior year, majors will meet with a faculty advisor to discuss their course selections in their long range plan and undergraduate scholarships and the Faculty Scholar Award. The course discussion will include career goals, selection of degree, concentration, tracts, and the selection of a physical chemistry course. All these topics are described in the section on prospective majors.
The discussion will also include discussions of the scheduling of the following.
Analytical Chemistry
Chemistry 131 is usually taken fall of the senior year and Chemistry 133L, the laboratory course associated with Chem 131, may be taken either fall of the senior year or spring semester of the senior year.
Independent Study
Chemistry 191A or 191B. Available any semester.
Majors who wish to begin independent study in the Spring semester, should consult the listings of research directors and their areas of research here.Students who are continuing with Independent Study in this department or who want to start Independent Study this semester in this Department should fill out this form. You should turn in the completed form to Dr. Roy in room 1222. Dr. Roy will provide you with a permission number to add independent study to your ACES schedule. Note that the first semester of Independent study (Chem 191) is divided into Chem 191A for 0.5 cc or Chem 191B for 1 cc. Be sure to request the permission number for the course having the proper number of credits. Unless you and the research director have specifically agreed to 0.5 course credits, you should sign up for Chem 191B. If the project is with a faculty member outside the Chemistry Department, you must obtain from that faculty member the course number, section number, and a permission number for his/her independent study. You then add the independent study using ACES. We also recommend that you also enroll in Chemistry 197, the Introduction to Research Independent Study, which is required for for certification of the BS degree.
Chemistry 197 Introduction to Independent Study, will be offered for all majors who are enrolling in their first semester of independent study in chemistry (Chemistry 191B) or a related area. The catalog description for the course follows.
Chemistry 197. Introduction to Research Independent Study. NS. Includes research methodology, retrieval techniques for, and use of, the chemical literature, safety in the research laboratory, and the ethical conduct of research. Co-requisite: registration for a first course in research independent study in chemistry (191B) or a related area. Lecture/discussion. Pass/fail
grading only. Half course. Instructors: Bonk and Langley.Since the portion of the course dealing with the retrieval of chemical information parallels that of Chemistry 110, we have scheduled Chemistry 110 to coincide with Chemistry 197. The two classes will meet together for part of each class period while our chemistry librarian, Anne Langley, covers systematic methods for retrieving research articles on your independent study project from the over 85 million exisiting chemical publications. For the remainder of each class period, Dr. Bonk will cover additional aspects of doing research.
Since Chemistry 110 and 197 are meeting together, we can also offer the option of taking the equivalent of Chem 197 as a regular graded course (A, B....) and also receiving 0.5 cc of writing credit (W) by enrolling in Chem 110 instead of Chemistry 197. These students will attend Chem 197 and do individual writing assignment(s) for Chem 110 that apply directly to their independent study research problem such as writing a research proposal, a progress report, a review, etc. Contact Dr. Bonk if the Chemistry 110 as an equivalent option is of interest to you.
Chemistry 192, 193, or 194. Available any semester.
Majors who wish to sign up for a continuing Independent Study course must fill out the independent study form and turn it in at the Undergraduate Studies Office, room 1222 of French Family Science Center. If the project is with a faculty member in the Chemistry Department, Dr. Roy will provide you with a permission number so that you can add the course to your ACES schedule. If the project is with a faculty member outside the Chemistry Department, you must obtain from that faculty member the course number, section number, and a permission number for his/her independent study. You then add the independent study using ACES.
Requesting Writing Credit (W) for Independent Study. May be requested only once and that should be your final semester of independent study when you will write your research thesis. The procedure for W-credit for Independent Study is as follows. Prior to the end of Drop/Add of your final semester of participation in independent study, you can print this form for requesting W-credit for one Independent Study course. Fill out the form, have your research mentor and DUS sign it, and deliver the completed form to room 011 Allen Building prior to the end of Drop/Add.
Other Advanced Courses
Chemistry 117, inorganic chemistry, is usually taken the spring semester of the senior year.
Chemistry 180L is the advanced laboratory techniques course which is usually taken concurrently with Chem 117 in the spring semester of the senior year.
Chemistry 275 (1 course) and 276 (half-course) are Advanced Studies courses that are usually taken in the senior year. They provide a mechanism by which highly qualified undergraduates may take a graduate level course. Undergraduates interested in pursuing this option should see Dr. Bonk for information concerning the availability of graduate courses, contents and scheduling of these courses. Permission of the course instructor and of the Director of Undergraduate Studies is required in order to enroll in these courses.
Biochemistry 227. Historically, during summer session, Term I, the department of Biochemistry offers Biochemistry 227. This is an excellent way to lighten a fall course load for those who need to take both physical chemistry and biochemistry.
Pharmacology. Historically PHR 150 has been offered both fall and spring semesters, while PHR 160 has been offered in spring semester only.
Advising Senior Year. In the fall of the senior year, majors will meet with a faculty advisor to discuss Graduation with Distinction, other awards, careers, and post-graduation awards and plans.
Graduation with Distinction. The requirements for Graduation with Distinction are found in the Duke University Bulletin of Undergraduate Instruction 2008-2009 following the descriptions of the majors.
Careers in Chemistry (graduate school and employment in industry)
Careers in Medicine (getting into medical school, MCAT preparation)
Other Opportunities - A listing of internships, summer research opportunities, and graduate schools that the Chemistry Department maintains.
Communication skills. No matter what career you pursue, skill in oral and written communication will be an important component. Below are links to information on these skills.
Written: Research Thesis and Scientific Writing
Oral: Presentations (seminar, meetings), Poster Sessions
Other Information for Majors.