Chemistry and Biochemistry majors are limited enrollment programs, with admission based upon satisfactory completion chemistry in high school or at the University. Students can request these majors upon application to UMD, or as current UMD students, as described here: https://www.lep.umd.edu/chemistry.html#transfer.
The specific course requirements for Chemistry and Biochemistry majors are given below. These courses, and all UMD graduation requirements ( https://registrar.umd.edu/current/Policies/acadregs.html ) must be completed to be awarded a B.S. degree in Chemistry or Biochemistry. A grade of “C” or better must be earned in each required majors course. A 2.0 cumulative GPA or higher in the required majors courses.
Both Majors Take the Same Introductory Chemistry Sequence (19 credits) #
CHEM146 (3): Principles of General Chemistry *
CHEM 177 (2): Introduction to Laboratory Practices and Research in the Chemical Sciences
CHEM237 (4): Principles of Organic Chemistry I (with integrated laboratory)
CHEM247 (4): Principles of Organic Chemistry II (with integrated laboratory)
CHEM276 (2): General Chemistry & Energetics
CHEM277 (3): Fundamentals of Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry Laboratory
# Students who declare majors later may substitute nonmajors introductory chemistry courses for intro majors courses except for CHEM277
*Exempted for students with AP Chemistry Exam Score of 5
Both Majors Take the Same Supporting Mathematics/Science Courses (20 credits)
MATH 140 (4): Calculus I
MATH 141 (4): Calculus II
Highly Recommended, but not required: MATH 241 (4): Calculus III
PHYS161 (3): General Physics: Mechanics and Particle Dynamics
PHYS260 (3): General Physics: Vibration, Waves, Heat, Electricity and Magnetism. PHYS260 and PHYS261 (lab) must be taken in the same semester.
PHYS261 (3): General Physics: Vibrations, Waves, Heat, Electricity and Magnetism (Laboratory).
BSCI170 (3): Molecular & Cellular Biology I
BSCI171 (1): Molecular & Cellular Biology I Lab
Upper Level Requirements for the CHEMISTRY Major (24 Credits)
CHEM395 (1): Professional Issues in Chemistry
CHEM401 (3): Inorganic Chemistry
CHEM425 (4): Instrumental Methods of Analysis
CHEM481 (3): Physical Chemistry I
CHEM482 (3): Physical Chemistry II
CHEM483 (2): Physical Chemistry I Laboratory
CHEM484 (2): Physical Chemistry II Laboratory
Two required Chemistry Electives (6-credits), selected from:
CHEM399 (1-3): Undergraduate Chemistry Research
CHEM403 (3): Radiochemistry
CHEM433 (3): Atmospheric Chemistry
CHEM441 (3): Advanced Organic Chemistry
CHEM460 (3): Structure Determination by Spectroscopy
CHEM474 (3): Environmental Chemistry
CHEM498 (3): Special Topics in Chemistry
BCHM461 (3): Biochemistry I or BCHM463 (3): Biochemistry of Physiology
BCHM462 (3): Biochemistry II
BCHM465 (3): Biochemistry III
Upper Level Requirements for the BIOCHEMISTRY Major (24 Credits)
CHEM395 (1): Professional Issues in Chemistry
CHEM425 (4): Instrumental Methods of Analysis
CHEM481 (3): Physical Chemistry I
CHEM483 (2): Physical Chemistry I Laboratory
BCHM485 (3): Physical Biochemistry or CHEM482 (3): Physical Chemistry II
BCHM461 (3): Biochemistry I
BCHM462 (3): Biochemistry II
BCHM464 (3): Biochemistry Laboratory
BCHM465 (3): Biochemistry III
One required elective from the following BSCI courses:
BSCI207 (3): Organismal Biology
BSCI222 (4) Principles of Genetics
BSCI223 (4) General Microbiology
BSCI283 (4) Principles of Microbiology
BSCI330 (4) Cell Biology & Physiology
One required elective from the following BSCI courses:
BSCI353 (3): Principles of Neuroscience
BSCI410 (3): Molecular Genetics
BSCI411 (4): Bioinformatics and Integrated Genomics
BSCI420 (3) Cell Biology Lectures
BSCI421 (4) Cell Biology
BSCI422 (4) Principles of Immunology
BSCI426 (3) Membrane Biophysics
BSCI430 (3) Developmental Biology
BSCI433 (3): Biology of Cancer
BSCI434 (4): Mammalian Histology
BSCI437 (3) General Virology
BSCI440 (4): Mammalian Physicology
BSCI442 (4): Plant Physiology
BSCI443 (3): Microbiol Physiology
BSCI447 (3): General Endocrinology
BSCI471 (3): Molecular Evolution