Pictured | Grace Merrill | Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry | Mishawaka, Indiana (hometown)
Honors Program
Volunteer Activities| Titans Feeding Titans, Ronald McDonald House
Club Affiliations | Botany Club, American Red Cross Club

Chemistry and Biochemistry

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry offers the (NEW!) Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Biochemistry, the Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Chemistry, the Bachelor of Science (BS) in Biochemistry, and the Bachelor of Science (BS) in Chemistry. The Bachelor of Science in Chemistry degree is certified by the American Chemical Society.

A person with a chemistry or biochemistry major could work as an industrial chemist; enter a professional school (medical, dental, optometry, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, law) or a medical technology program; enter graduate school in chemistry or in a related field such as anatomy, biochemistry, biophysics, chemical physics, computer science, chemical engineering, medical biophysics, medicinal chemistry, microbiology, pharmacology, physiology, toxicology, materials science, or biotechnology.

Introductory Courses

General interest courses offered for students in programs requiring only one semester of chemistry:

• CHEM-N 190 The Natural World
• CHEM-C 120 Chemistry Laboratory (2 cr.)

Courses offered for students required to complete two semesters of chemistry:

• CHEM-C 101 Elementary Chemistry 1
• CHEM-C 102 Elementary Chemistry 2
• CHEM-C 121 Elementary Chemistry Laboratory 1 (2 cr.)

Courses offered for students needing basic courses that provide the foundation for advanced work in scientific fields:

• CHEM-C 105 Principles of Chemistry I
• CHEM-C 106 Principles of Chemistry II
• CHEM-C 125 Experimental Chemistry I (2 cr.)
• CHEM-C 126 Experimental Chemistry II (2 cr.)

Placement Examination

Most students will start their study of chemistry by taking the lecture course CHEM-C 101 with its accompanying laboratory course CHEM-C 121. Students who have sufficient transfer credit from another institute, ACP high school course credit, AP test credit, or pass our ALEKS chemistry placement exam may skip these two courses and directly enroll in either (i) lecture CHEM-C 102 with no laboratory or (ii) lecture CHEM-C 105 with its accompanying laboratory CHEM-C 125, depending on the requirements of their major.

Please note that CHEM-C 101, CHEM-C 102, and CHEM-C 105 have the mathematics prerequisite of MATH-M 107. This prerequisite can be also be met by scoring at least 51 on the ALEKS mathematics placement exam. The chemistry and mathematics placements exams are both ALEKS exams, but they are separate exams.