A concentration in chemistry consists of eight courses: 120 or 125; 190; 255; one additional 200-level course; 321 or 322; 371; one additional 300- or 400-level course; and 551. In addition, two semesters of calculus and two semesters of physics (calculus-based physics recommended) are prerequisites for 321 and 322. Students who are considering a concentration in chemistry are strongly encouraged to enroll in 120 or 125 in their first semester.
Students who plan to pursue graduate work or employment in chemistry or a related science are encouraged to satisfy the requirements for a degree certified by the American Chemical Society (ACS). In order to qualify for an ACS certified degree, students must take 270 and either 265 or 423 and must take an additional elective course at the 300- or 400-level, in addition to satisfying all other concentration requirements. Students who plan to attend graduate school in chemistry or chemically related fields are advised to take both 321 and 322. We invite all interested students to attend the departmental seminar series, which is a part of 551 and 552. Departmental honors are determined on the basis of distinguished coursework in chemistry and in the Senior Thesis.
A minor in chemistry consists of five courses: 120 or 125; 190; 255; 321 or 322; and one additional course at the 200-level or above. The minimum requirement in chemistry for preparation for medical school consists of 120 or 125; 190 and 255; and one additional course at the 200 level.
120F Principles of Chemistry.
Exploration of the central principles and theories of chemistry including stoichiometry, thermodynamics, equilibrium, reaction kinetics, and molecular structure and bonding.
(Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning.)
Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory. Lecture offered in three sections. Cotten and Nellutla.
125F Principles of Chemistry in the Context of Health and Environmental Chemistry.
Intended for students with strong preparation in chemistry and high motivation, the course explores central principles in the context of current issues, including health, the environment and public policy. A discovery-based lab component addresses analytical and chemical approaches to environmental chemistry.
(Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning.)
Discussion-based course centered on the unifying concepts in chemistry and the use of those concepts to develop critical-thinking skills. Three hours of class and three hours of laboratory.
Maximum enrollment, 24.
Elgren.
190S Organic Chemistry I.
Structure and bonding of organic compounds and their acid-base properties, stereochemistry, introduction to reactions and reaction mechanisms of carbon compounds and the relationship of reactivity and structure. Three hours of class and four hours of laboratory. Prerequisite, 120 or 125. Hershberger and Rosenstein.
255F Organic Chemistry II.
Chemistry of conjugated alkenes and aromatic and carbonyl compounds, emphasizing mechanism and synthesis; introduction to carbohydrate and amino acid chemistry. Three hours of class and four hours of laboratory.
(Oral Presentations.)
Prerequisite, 190. Hershberger and Rosenstein.
265S Inorganic Chemistry and Materials.
Topics in inorganic chemistry, including atomic structure and periodicity of the elements, bonding and properties of solid state materials, coordination chemistry and electrochemistry. Laboratories emphasize synthesis and characterization of inorganic coordination compounds, electrochemistry and inorganic materials. Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory. Prerequisite, 120 or 125. Ning.
270S Biological Chemistry.
A survey of the chemical and physical nature of biological macromolecules, including nucleic acids, proteins, lipids and carbohydrates; biochemistry of enzyme catalysis; bioenergetics and regulatory mechanisms. Principles and techniques of experimental biochemistry, focusing on isolation methods and techniques for analyzing structure and function. Three hours of class and three hours of laboratory.
(Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning.)
Prerequisite, 190.
(Same as Biochemistry/Molecular Biology 270 and Biology 270.)
Cotten.
298F,S Chemistry Research.
Independent work in the research laboratory under supervision of a faculty member. Prerequisite, instructor’s signature. May be repeated for credit, but not counted toward concentration requirements. Students may count up to one credit of chemistry research toward graduation. One-quarter, one-half or one credit per semester. No senior concentrators. The Department.
320S Biophysical Chemistry.
A study of the fundamental concepts and principles of physical chemistry applied to biological systems. Topics include the spectroscopy, thermodynamics and kinetics of proteins and other biomolecules, and the use of this knowledge to explain the physical basis of biochemical properties. Prerequisite, 270 and Mathematics 114. Physics 105, 195 or 205 is recommended.
(Same as Biochemistry/Molecular Biology 320.)
Cotten.
321F Physical Chemistry I.
A study of the fundamental concepts and principles of quantum chemistry. Topics include quantum mechanics and the nature of the chemical bond; applications of molecular quantum mechanics; spectroscopy. Laboratory focuses on experiments that lead to the development of quantum mechanics, on molecular modeling and on spectroscopy. Laboratory includes applications to biochemistry. Three hours of class plus laboratory. Prerequisite, 125 or 190, Mathematics 114, Physics 105, 195 or 205.
(Same as Biochemistry/Molecular Biology 321.)
Sandusky.
322S Physical Chemistry II.
A study of the fundamental concepts and principles of thermodynamics and kinetics. Topics include the laws of thermodynamics, prediction of the direction and extent of chemical reactions, equilibrium, chemical kinetics, catalysis, reaction rate theory and photochemistry. Three hours of class plus laboratory. Prerequisite, 125 or 190, Mathematics 114, Physics 105, 195 or 205. The department recommends that students take 321 prior to 322.
(Same as Biochemistry/Molecular Biology 322.)
Nellutla.
360F Organic Synthesis Toward Improved Human Health.
An investigation into the concepts of organic synthesis as applied to small molecule drug and probe development for the treatment and understanding of human disease. Emphasis will be placed on modern organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry, and chemical biology research aimed toward the realization of personalized therapeutics. The process of developing an original research proposal will be a primary mechanism to reinforce the concepts of this course.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, Chem 255 (Chem 270 or Biology 346 strongly recommended.). Three hours of lecture.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Majireck.
371F,S Research Methods in Chemistry.
Development of research skills in chemistry through a semester-long intensive laboratory project. Emphasis on laboratory work focusing on advanced synthetic techniques and spectroscopic characterization. Scientific writing, oral presentation skills and use of the chemical literature are also stressed. Six hours of laboratory and one hour of class.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Prerequisite, 265 or 270.
Maximum enrollment, 12.
Ning and Rosenstein (Fall); Elgren and Hershberger (Spring).
[380F]
Chemical Immunology and Immunopharmacology.
Study of immunological responses at the molecular level including an introduction to the mechanisms of immunity, methods and techniques to diagnose infections, and treatment of infections diseases with an emphasis on the design and synthesis of immunotherapeutics.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 255 (270 or Biology 346 strongly recommended).
Maximum enrollment, 20.
393F Advanced Organic Chemistry I.
Exploration of a diverse array of organic reactions, with an emphasis on mechanism and how they are used in the synthesis of biologically-active natural products. Examples taken from the primary chemical literature. Prerequisite, 255. Kinnel.
[412S]
Advanced Organic Chemistry II.
Study of the techniques and theoretical framework used to investigate reaction mechanisms. Topics include thermochemistry, kinetics, linear free energy relationships and molecular orbital theory and symmetry. Prerequisite, 255 and 321.
423S Advanced Inorganic Chemistry.
Introduction to the chemical applications of group theory, including molecular structure and spectroscopy. Structure, bonding and reaction mechanisms of coordination compounds with readings in the primary literature. Prerequisite, 321 or 322. Nellutla.
[430S]
Solid State Chemistry.
An advanced laboratory-based physical chemistry course on the design, synthesis and characterization of new and useful materials. Topics include chemical bonding theories, thermodynamics, lattice dynamics, crystallography, ceramics, metallurgy, and computational methods in the context of solid-state structures. Discussions of strategies for designing materials for technological uses lead to student-led design projects involving the synthesis and characterization of novel materials. Scientific writing, use of the chemical literature, teamwork and oral presentation skills also stressed. Prerequisite, 321 or 322, or Physics 290. Two hours of formal discussion and two hours of group project per week.
Maximum enrollment, 12.
551-552F,S Senior Project.
An intensive research project carried out in association with a faculty member, culminating in a thesis. Prerequisite, 371. Attendance at weekly departmental seminars is required. Candidates for honors should elect both 551 and 552. The Department.
(from the Hamilton Course Catalogue)
Chemistry classes at Hamilton are small to facilitate individual mentoring and to give all students research opportunities. Even first-semester general chemistry courses have as few as 16 students. All 100- and 200-level courses include intensive laboratory training where students develop proper techniques and problem-solving skills.
Students and professors in the Chemistry Department have published 17 papers in peer-reviewed journals over a recent five-year period.
In recent years, nine Hamilton chemistry students have won 14 prestigious national awards for their research, including six Goldwater Scholarships, two Fulbrights and a Watson.
Hamilton has regularly hosted the Molecular Education and Research Consortium in Undergraduate Computational Chemistry (MERCURY). The Chemistry Department houses supercomputers and linux clusters for this National Science Foundation-funded consortium, a group of eight liberal arts colleges from across the nation.
Hamilton graduates 15 to 20 chemistry, biochemistry and chemical physics majors each year. Half of those graduates successfully pursue graduate study; another 25 percent pursue other forms of postgraduate professional training.
Chemistry classes at Hamilton are small to facilitate individual mentoring and to give all students research opportunities. Even first-semester general chemistry courses have as few as 16 students. All 100- and 200-level courses include intensive laboratory training where students develop proper techniques and problem-solving skills.
Students and professors in the Chemistry Department have published 17 papers in peer-reviewed journals over a recent five-year period.
In recent years, nine Hamilton chemistry students have won 14 prestigious national awards for their research, including six Goldwater Scholarships, two Fulbrights and a Watson.
Hamilton has regularly hosted the Molecular Education and Research Consortium in Undergraduate Computational Chemistry (MERCURY). The Chemistry Department houses supercomputers and linux clusters for this National Science Foundation-funded consortium, a group of eight liberal arts colleges from across the nation.
Hamilton graduates 15 to 20 chemistry, biochemistry and chemical physics majors each year. Half of those graduates successfully pursue graduate study; another 25 percent pursue other forms of postgraduate professional training.
Chemistry classes at Hamilton are small to facilitate individual mentoring and to give all students research opportunities. Even first-semester general chemistry courses have as few as 16 students. All 100- and 200-level courses include intensive laboratory training where students develop proper techniques and problem-solving skills.
Students and professors in the Chemistry Department have published 17 papers in peer-reviewed journals over a recent five-year period.
In recent years, nine Hamilton chemistry students have won 14 prestigious national awards for their research, including six Goldwater Scholarships, two Fulbrights and a Watson.
Hamilton has regularly hosted the Molecular Education and Research Consortium in Undergraduate Computational Chemistry (MERCURY). The Chemistry Department houses supercomputers and linux clusters for this National Science Foundation-funded consortium, a group of eight liberal arts colleges from across the nation.
Hamilton graduates 15 to 20 chemistry, biochemistry and chemical physics majors each year. Half of those graduates successfully pursue graduate study; another 25 percent pursue other forms of postgraduate professional training.
Chemistry classes at Hamilton are small to facilitate individual mentoring and to give all students research opportunities. Even first-semester general chemistry courses have as few as 16 students. All 100- and 200-level courses include intensive laboratory training where students develop proper techniques and problem-solving skills.
Students and professors in the Chemistry Department have published 17 papers in peer-reviewed journals over a recent five-year period.
In recent years, nine Hamilton chemistry students have won 14 prestigious national awards for their research, including six Goldwater Scholarships, two Fulbrights and a Watson.
Hamilton has regularly hosted the Molecular Education and Research Consortium in Undergraduate Computational Chemistry (MERCURY). The Chemistry Department houses supercomputers and linux clusters for this National Science Foundation-funded consortium, a group of eight liberal arts colleges from across the nation.
Hamilton graduates 15 to 20 chemistry, biochemistry and chemical physics majors each year. Half of those graduates successfully pursue graduate study; another 25 percent pursue other forms of postgraduate professional training.
Chemistry classes at Hamilton are small to facilitate individual mentoring and to give all students research opportunities. Even first-semester general chemistry courses have as few as 16 students. All 100- and 200-level courses include intensive laboratory training where students develop proper techniques and problem-solving skills.
Students and professors in the Chemistry Department have published 17 papers in peer-reviewed journals over a recent five-year period.
In recent years, nine Hamilton chemistry students have won 14 prestigious national awards for their research, including six Goldwater Scholarships, two Fulbrights and a Watson.
Hamilton has regularly hosted the Molecular Education and Research Consortium in Undergraduate Computational Chemistry (MERCURY). The Chemistry Department houses supercomputers and linux clusters for this National Science Foundation-funded consortium, a group of eight liberal arts colleges from across the nation.
Hamilton graduates 15 to 20 chemistry, biochemistry and chemical physics majors each year. Half of those graduates successfully pursue graduate study; another 25 percent pursue other forms of postgraduate professional training.
