Chemistry (BA)
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Program Title
Chemistry (BA)
Degree
Bachelor of Arts
Program Description
Susquehanna offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry and Bachelor of Science degrees in chemistry, biochemistry and chemical physics. Four biochemistry tracks are available: an ACS-Certified track, a Biology-Intensive track, a 3+4 Pharmacy track, and an ASBMB-Certified track. The ACS-Certified track includes courses that cover properties of metals, spectroscopic techniques and instrumental methods that will prepare students for careers or graduate programs in the areas of biochemistry or biophysics. The Biology-Intensive track includes courses that will offer a solid foundation in chemical principles in addition to biological systems and will prepare students for careers or graduate programs in the biological sciences or biochemistry, or the healthcare professions. The 3+4 Pharmacy track includes courses that are prerequisites for admission to the cooperative pharmacy programs at Duquesne University and Temple University and will also prepare students for other healthcare careers. The ASBMB-Certified track includes courses that are required for students to receive a certified degree and additional benefits from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and will also prepare students for careers or graduate programs in the biological sciences or biochemistry, or the healthcare professions All required courses must be completed with a grade of C- or higher.
Learning Goals
- Demonstrate the ability to apply appropriate chemical and physical models to make predictions or draw conclusions regarding chemical systems or phenomenon. Examples of chemical systems are compound formation (synthesis), energy transfer, equilibrium composition, various physical properties, chemical reactivity, etc
- Demonstrate mastery of laboratory skills and execute common experimental techniques
- Demonstrate the ability to design, prepare, execute and adjust experiments
- Describe the theoretical and operational principles of common laboratory instrumentation such as NMR, FT- IR, UV-Vis, AA, fluorescence spectrometers, GC-MS, HPLC and electrochemical analysis instrumentation, as well as their typical uses, sensitivities and limitations. Interpret the data collected with such instrumentation
- Find topic-specific chemical literature, interpret and evaluate chemical studies as described in scientific journals, and describe these conclusions through written and oral presentations
- Analyze and interpret data to detect trends, evaluate the quality of data and reach scientifically valid conclusions
Double-counting Restriction
Students may only pursue either a single major or minor offered by the Department of Chemistry.
Departmental honors requirements
The departmental honors program encourages and recognizes superior performance in chemistry. To graduate with honors in chemistry, candidates must do the following:
• Maintain at least a 3.25 cumulative GPA overall and a 3.50 cumulative GPA in chemistry courses (plus biology courses for biochemistry majors),
• Petition the research advisor in writing by the third week of their final semester. The research advisor will make a request on behalf of the honors candidate to the department chair.
• Upon departmental approval, submit an acceptable written thesis based on a minimum of 4 semester hours of CHEM-400, completed during the junior and/or senior years, and CHEM-500 (or BIOL-510 and BIOL-511, if approved by the Chemistry Department), and
• Pass an oral thesis defense.
• Maintain at least a 3.25 cumulative GPA overall and a 3.50 cumulative GPA in chemistry courses (plus biology courses for biochemistry majors),
• Petition the research advisor in writing by the third week of their final semester. The research advisor will make a request on behalf of the honors candidate to the department chair.
• Upon departmental approval, submit an acceptable written thesis based on a minimum of 4 semester hours of CHEM-400, completed during the junior and/or senior years, and CHEM-500 (or BIOL-510 and BIOL-511, if approved by the Chemistry Department), and
• Pass an oral thesis defense.
American Chemical Society Accreditation
The department’s major in chemistry is accredited by the American Chemical Society.