Department of Chemistry

Information for Prospective Majors

 

Quick Links to material in this section.

Advising and Contact Information
Discipline of Chemistry
Degrees Offered
Concentrations and Degree Tracts
Statistics on Majors
Long Range Planning
Course Requirements for the various degrees
Scheduling Courses
Career Information
Declaration of a Chemistry Major

The Discipline of Chemistry. (The following description is taken from the undergraduate homepage.)

Chemistry is typically described in introductory texts as the study of the properties and behavior of matter.  A more modern definition might take the microscopic view and describe chemistry as the science of atoms, molecules, and their interactions.  As such, chemistry crosses scales from isolated, individual atoms and molecules to complex interacting collections of molecules such as those found in the cell, and disciplines from biology and medicine to materials science and engineering.  This broad range of applicability is why chemistry is often referred to as the central science.

The field has traditionally been divided into sub-disciplines including analytical, biological, inorganic, organic, physical and theoretical chemistry, but the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of chemistry makes such categorizations limiting (although they largely persist within the undergraduate chemistry curriculum).  Indeed some would describe chemistry in terms of what chemists do, for example designing and synthesizing new molecules and materials, developing new experimental methods and instrumentation to probe, characterize and manipulate molecules, and developing new theories and computational methods to understand and predict molecular behavior.  Current interdisciplinary applications of chemistry at Duke range from elucidating and controlling signaling in biological systems, to designing chemical separation and identification technologies for genomics and proteomics, to developing new chemical contrast agents and imaging methods in biomedicine, to the synthesis, assembly, and theory of nanoscale materials and devices.  Training in the discipline must then go beyond the traditional areas of chemistry and provide sufficiently general skills and a sufficiently broad understanding of molecular science that the power of chemical thinking can be brought to bear on complex scientific and technological problems for the betterment of society.

Degrees offered: AB and BS.

Concentrations Offered. "A concentration is a detailed study within a major that focuses on a particular and readily defined sub-discipline or area related to the primary major." Concentrations "will be recorded at an appropriate place on the transcript of undergraduates who have satisfied the requirments thereof as certified by the relevant Directors of Undergraduate Studies." (Committee on Curriculum of the Arts and Sciences Council, January 24, 1997.)

Chemistry offers three concentrations in both the AB and the BS degree: Biochemistry, Pharmacology, and Environment. Each concentration requires two advanced courses with appropriate prerequisites and research independent study.

Degree Tracts Offered. A degree tract is similar to a concentration, but does not require research independent study in the area of the emphasis, and is not recognized on the transcript. Chemistry offers three degree tracts in the AB degree: Biology, Physics, and Mathematics.

Statistics on Chemistry Majors

 On average, betrween 40 and 50 majors graduate with degrees in chemistry annually. In 2008, 80% of our graduates earned BS degrees, about 60% completed the biochemistry concentration, 20% completed the pharmacology concentration, 10% completed the environment concentration, and 2% completed a tract.

In terms of academic achievements, about half of our graduates have earned Graduation with Distinction honors, 20% have been elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and 10% have graduated summa cum laude. 

With regard to post-graduate plans at graduation, roughly 40% go on to medical school, 30% to graduate school in chemistry or a related area, and most of the rest are employed in a wide range of jobs. A number of those with jobs go on to graduate or professional training within 2 years of their graduation.

Long Range Planning.

Selecting a Degree in Chemistry

BS Degree. A BS degree is particularly recommended (but not absolutely required) for majors who plan to go to graduate school in chemistry or a related area and/or who plan to pursue immediate employment in the chemical industry.

BS Degree certified by the American Chemical Society.  A BS degree certified by the American Chemical Society is recommended (but not absolutely required) for majors who plan to go directly into the chemical industry, or plan to go to graduate school in chemistry, or those who plan to pursue a MD/Ph.D degree. Certification offers little advantage for those going to graduate schools in other areas than chemistry or those who plan to pursue a MD degree, but not a Ph.D.

AB Degree. An AB degree is recommended for all others including those who plan to attend medical school.

Concentrations and Degree Tracts.

Neither a concentration nor a degree tract is required for a degree in chemistry. They should be pursued out of interest or in preparation for a related graduate program.

Course Requirements. The course requirements for the various degrees, concentrations, degree tracts, and the descriptions of all chemistry courses are available from the current Duke University Bulletin of Undergraduate Instruction 2008-2009. Note that the requirements for the various degree options follow all the course descriptions.

For work sheets for the various types of chemistry majors, please see our Majors Handbook.

Suggested Scheduling of Courses.

The scheduling of core courses for AB majors is available here and that for BS majors here.

Scheduling of advanced courses is complicated not only by required prerequisites, but also by course availability. For chemistry majors the most difficult scheduling is that for physical chemistry.

Math prerequisites: Introductory physics courses and Chem 161 have a math prerequisite of Math 32L. Math 103 is recommended, but not required, for Chemistry 161. Chemistry 165 has a required prerequisite of Math 103.

Physics prerequisites: Phy 61L and 62L,  or Phy 53L and 54L. Majors are strongly encouraged to fulfill this physics prerequisite before taking a P-chem course.

For those majors who started at organic chemistry as first-year students, we recommend you complete physics your sophomore year and delay P-chem until the junior year. The sophomore year is also a good time to pursue any required biology courses and possibly even Biochemistry 227, but you must have permission from the course instructor to enroll.

Physics transfer courses. Course(s) transferred as Phy888 may be substituted for required physics courses: Phy 61L, 62L, 53L, or 54L, in either the A.B. or the B.S. chemistry major, provided the physics course(s) are (1) calculus-based, (2) taken at an institution that is accredited by the American Chemical Society, and (3) are the courses which are required for an ACS-certified degree at that institution.

Those majors who are unable to complete the physics and/or math prerequisite may request permission to take P-chem directly from the P-chem course instructor.

 

Physical Chemistry.

Chemistry 161 vs Chemistry 165
Majors who are candidates for an AB degree with or without any concentration generally take Chem 161 in the fall of the junior year followed by its laboratory, Chem 163L, in the spring semester of the junior year.

Majors who are candidates for a BS degree with or without any concentration must take two semesters of physical chemistry. A candidate for the ACS-certified BS degree generally takes Chemistry 165/167L in the fall semester of their junior year followed by 166/168L in the spring semester of their junior year. BS candidates in any concentration may take either 165/167L in the fall semester of their junior year followed by 166 in the spring semester of their junior year; or Chemistry 161 in the fall semester of their junior year followed by Chemistry 163L and Chemistry 176, Biophysical Chemistry, in the spring semester of their junior year.

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 on the World Wide Web at the following URL: http://www.chem.duke.edu/undergraduates/research/is_reg.php. 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 the form for independent study that is available outside the DUS office or from the web site at http://www.chem.duke.edu/undergraduates/research/isform[1].pdf. 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, is 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 a form available from the chemistry web site http://www.chem.duke.edu/undergraduates/research/isform[1].pdf 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 go to the following URL: http://www.aas.duke.edu/faculty/forms/c2000.html#forms and print a 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 fall semester, while PHR 160 has been offered in spring semester only. In case of scheduling conflicts, other pharmacology courses such as PHR 233 or 254 can be substituted.

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.

 

 

Career Information.

Careers in Chemistry (graduate school and employment in industry)
Careers in Medicine (getting into medical school, MCAT preparation)

Declaration of a Chemistry Major

For students who have not yet declared any major, a chemistry major may be declared by following the procedures outlined on the web site of the Pre-Major Advising Center.

For students who have already declared a major in some field other than chemistry, a change of major to chemistry or the addition of chemistry as a second major may be made, in person, at Student Services, room 101 Allen Building or at the Registrar's Office, 705 Broad Street.

 

Advising and Contact Information. If you have any questions about majoring in chemistry or want an appointment with the DUS, click here.