2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
    Apr 20, 2024  
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog

Chemistry, B.S.


STEM Designation: This program is STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math)-designated by the Department of Homeland Security. For more information, please see https://www.newhaven.edu/admissions/stem-designated-programs.php

The B.S. in Chemistry program includes most of the courses recommended by the American Chemical Society (ACS) and provides a rigorous background well-suited to those students who will enter the workforce upon graduation or pursue graduate studies in chemistry.  The program contains four free electives and three technical electives. By careful selection of courses, these electives allow the student to develop a cluster in a related field such as biotechnology, biochemistry, computer science, environmental studies, or an engineering field. The chemistry program also offers three concentrations: Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Environmental and Sustainability Chemistry, and Computational and AI Chemistry. The concentration in Pharmaceutical Chemistry is highly recommended for premedical students.

Program Outcomes

  1. Apply chemical theory and knowledge to the study of chemical systems.
  2. Conduct experiments utilizing modern techniques and instrumentation.
  3. Evaluate experimental results from chemical experiment.
  4. Communicate chemical knowledge.
  5. Communicate experimental results.
  6. Utilize existing chemical literature for information retrieval.
  7. Anticipate the hazards associated with chemical experimentation.
  8. Analyze chemical systems using linear algebra and computational software (Computational and AI Chemistry concentration).
  9. Assess the impact of existing chemical practices on the natural world and environment (Environmental and Sustainability Chemistry concentration).
  10. Describe the action of a drug structure through a combination of cross-disciplinary knowledge in pharmacology, pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, structural biology, and organic chemistry (Pharmaceutical Chemistry concentration).

Required Courses


Students pursuing a B.S. in Chemistry with a concentration in computational and AI chemistry will take CHEM 4615  Introduction to Computational Chemistry and CHEM 4710  Computational Chemistry in place of two advanced chemistry electives.

Students pursuing a B.S. in Chemistry with a concentration in pharmaceutical chemistry will take BIOL 4501  Protein Biochemistry and Enzymology or BIOL 4503  Nucleic Acid Biochemistry, CHEM 4550  Medicinal Chemistry, and CHEM 4555  Pharmacology in place of one technical elective and two advanced chemistry electives.

Students pursuing a B.S. in Chemistry with a concentration in environmental and sustainability chemistry will take CHEM 2215  Environmental Chemistry, ENVS 1101  Introduction to Environmental Science, and ENVS 4500  Environmental Geoscience with Laboratory or CHME 4521  Fundamentals of Pollution in place of one technical elective and two electives.

Students majoring in chemistry must complete the following courses for a total of 121 or 122 (for ACS certified degree) credits:

Junior Year


Senior Year


Dual Degree Graduate Programs for B.S. Chemistry


The Master of Science in chemistry prepares students for industry job positions and for continuing education in chemistry. This program will equip students with a unique integrative approach in advanced chemistry study, i.e., combining theoretical, computational, and experimental chemistry methods, for the purpose of attacking important chemistry challenges such as molecular drug discovery, polymer materials design, catalyst design, and chemical analysis for sustainable environment. Students will apply their chemistry knowledge and skills through engaging in research projects, graduate thesis, or research-based internships, under the guidance of research mentors. Graduates of the program may pursue career paths as scientists in the chemical, energy, pharmaceutical, materials, biomedical, environmental, computational analysis, and data science industries, and as researchers in academic institutions and government laboratories.

 

Pathway Program for B.S. Chemistry/M.S. Chemistry


Qualified students in the B.S. Chemistry program have the opportunity to gain early acceptance into the M.S. programs at the University of New Haven. The Dual Degree: Pathway program allows students to take several graduate courses during their senior year and thus complete the M.S. program with one additional year of full-time study. Already matriculated students with a cumulative major GPA of 3.0 or higher would apply for the Pathway program in their junior year. To remain in the program, students must maintain a GPA of 3.0. 

 

Direct Entry B.S. Chemistry/M.S. Chemistry


The Dual Degree: Direct Entry combines the B.S. Chemistry/M.S. Chemistry degree program allowing incoming students direct entry into the graduate program upon completion of the undergraduate degree. The program is available to qualified students with a minimum 3.5 high school GPA, 1100 or higher on the SAT. Students work with their advisor to choose appropriate chemistry courses for undergraduate requirements and, in their senior year, begin working with a graduate advisor on the master's degree requirements. Direct entry students do not have to apply for admission to the graduate program as long as they maintain the cumulative 3.0 GPA requirement throughout their undergraduate coursework. Students graduate with a B.S. in Chemistry at the end of the fourth year and take the remaining graduate-level courses in the fifth year to complete the M.S. in Chemistry.