The curriculum for the BS in chemistry (either the chemistry or biochemistry option) is approved by the American Chemical Society for the professional training of chemists. It is strongly recommended that students interested in advanced study in chemistry or biochemistry should pursue this degree. Students completing the program receive certification from the American Chemical Society.

In agreement with the American Chemical Society Committee on Professional Training, the chemistry and biochemistry department strongly encourages students studying for the BS degree to select courses in computer science, economics, marketing and business, and to use every opportunity to develop competence in technical writing and oral communication.

Program Requirements

A minimum total of 120 credit hours is required for the BS in chemistry and includes the 82-88 credit hours of major courses that must be completed with a minimum grade point average of 2.000. In addition to meeting the requirements of the WSU General Education Program and the requirements of Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, students in the BS in chemistry must take the following courses:

¹

Required major courses may also count towards General Education and/or LAS Competencies. Students will need to select additional electives to reach 120 credit hours required for graduation with assistance from an advisor.

²

If both CHEM 662 and CHEM 663 are taken, only 1 credit hour of professional electives is required.

Applied Learning

Students in the BS in chemistry program are required to complete an applied learning or research experience to graduate from the program. The requirement can be met by completing at least one semester of undergraduate research, by enrollment in CHEM 690.