Chemistry Courses

CHM005 Preparatory Chemistry

[0–0, 0 cr.]

CHM101 General Chemistry

[3–3, 4 cr.]

This freshman-level course is an introductory course that includes theoretical and applied basic concepts of atomic structure, chemical bonding, chemical reactions, stoichiometry, gases, aqueous solution, chemical kinetics, and chemical equilibrium.

CHM200 Essentials of Chemistry

[3–0, 3 cr.]

This is a one semester course for health science students that introduces basic concepts of general, organic and biochemistry, and basic nuclear chemistry. The course includes basic: stoichiometric chemical calculations, bonding concepts, solution chemistry, acid-base and redox reactions, basic nuclear reactions, properties of organic compounds, structure and reactivity of hydrocarbons, alcohols, ethers, carbonyls, carboxylic acids, amines, carbohydrates, amino acids, lipids, enzymes and biochemical energy.

CHM201 Chemical Principles

[3–0, 3 cr.]

This course covers the principles and theories of atomic structure, chemical bonding, stoichiometry, mass spectrometry, properties of gases, basic thermodynamics, kinetic molecular theory, solids and liquids, solutions, and ionic and chemical equilibrium.

Prerequisite: CHM101 General Chemistry or equivalent

CHM203 Qualitative Analysis

[0–3, 1 cr.]

This course is an introduction to experimental chemistry including stoichiometric application, properties of gases, colligative properties of solution and detailed qualitative chemical analyses of various matrices.

CHM204 Quantitative Analysis

[0–4, 2 cr.]

This course is an introduction to experimental chemistry that involves gravimetric, volumetric, and spectrophotometric methods, and techniques used in quantitative chemical analysis.

Pre- or Co-requisite: CHM201 Chemical Principles

CHM205 Fundamentals of Chemistry

[3–0, 3 cr.]

This course incorporates the principles of stoichiometry, properties of gases, chemical equilibrium, aqueous equilibrium (acids and bases, buffers, titrations), thermodynamics (energy, enthalpy, thermochemistry, spontaneity, entropy, free energy), atomic structure, chemical bonding, rates of reactions, liquids and solutions.

Prerequisite: CHM101 General Chemistry, or equivalent

CHM209 Essentials of Chemistry for Computer Science

[3–0, 3 cr.]

The course includes basic: stoichiometric chemical calculations, bonding concepts, solution chemistry, acid-base and redox reactions, properties of organic compounds, structure and reactivity of hydrocarbons, alcohols, ethers, carbonyls, carboxylic acids, amines, carbohydrates, amino acids, lipids enzymes and biochemical energy. The course includes a short laboratory component that complements the theoretical course material.

CHM301 Analytical Chemistry

[3–0, 3 cr.]

This course introduces the fundamental principles and practices of analytical chemistry. A focus is on the development of a quantitative understanding of homogeneous and heterogeneous equilibria phenomena. Equilibria include acid-base of simple and complex systems, complex ions, solubility products, and the effect of electrolytes. In addition, the course covers fundamentals and applications of titration, electrochemistry, and chemical kinetics.  

Prerequisite: CHM201 Chemical Principles

CHM302 Instrumental Analysis

[2–2, 3 cr.]

This course is an introduction to a variety of analytical methods of analysis covering theoretical concepts of instrumentation as well as research and hands-on applications. Topics include emission and absorption spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, electrochemistry, various mass spectrometry and chromatography techniques. 

Prerequisites: CHM301 Analytical Chemistry and CHM204 Quantitative Analysis

CHM310 Basic Organic Chemistry

[3–0, 3 cr.]

This course is for pre-health professionals. Material covered includes electronic structure and bonding, acid-base reactions in organic chemistry, nomenclature, physical properties, reactions and reactivity of alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, alkyl halides, alcohols, amines, ethers, epoxides, and aromatic compounds. The central role of carbonyl compounds, their reactions, and the chemistry of biomolecules are also covered.

Prerequisite: CHM200 Essentials of Chemistry or CHM201 Chemical Principles

CHM311 Organic Chemistry I

[3–0, 3 cr.]

This course is an introduction to the basic concepts of organic chemistry with an emphasis on the relation between structure and properties. It also includes nomenclature, properties and reactions of aliphatic hydrocarbons, alkyl halides and alcohols with an emphasis on mechanistic and stereochemical aspects of organic reactions and their application in organic synthesis. The concept of aromaticity is introduced.

Perquisite: CHM201 Chemical Principles or CHM205 Fundamentals of Chemistry

CHM312 Organic Chemistry II

[3–0, 3 cr.]

This course  covers in depth organic structure determination by spectroscopic methods, nomenclature, properties, reactions, and synthesis of aromatic hydrocarbons, organometallics, alcohols, thiols, ethers, sulfides, carbonyl compounds (aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids and derivatives), and amines. Emphasis is placed on reaction mechanisms, stereochemistry, and the design of multi-step synthesis.

Prerequisite: CHM311 Organic Chemistry  I, or PHY311 Organic Materials I

CHM313 Organic Chemistry I Lab

[0–3, 1 cr.]

This laboratory course is designed to provide students with the basic skills for conducting organic reactions. The following techniques are learned: melting point determination, boiling  point determination, simple, fractional and steam distillation, gravity and vacuum filtration, drying solids and liquids, extraction, evaporation, reflux, recrystallization, thin-layer and column chromatography, and polarimetry. Students are introduced to ChemDraw software and molecular modeling.

Pre- or Co-requisite: CHM311 Organic Chemistry I or PHY311 Organic Materials I

CHM314 Organic Chemistry II Lab

[0–3, 1 cr.]

This course is an advanced organic chemistry lab course that utilizes the techniques learned in CHM313, in order to synthesize and study the properties and reactivities of functional groups. Experiments conducted include nitration of aromatic compounds, Suzuki coupling, aldol condensation, Diels-Alder reaction and Friedel Crafts acylation. The synthesis of dyes and natural products are also investigated in addition to conducting quantum chemical calculations using Gaussian software.

Pre- or Co-requisite: CHM312 Organic Chemistry II or PHY312 Organic Materials II

CHM330 Physical Chemistry I

[4–0, 4 cr.]

This course covers the basic principles of chemical thermodynamics and chemical dynamics including heat, work and energy, the three laws of thermodynamics and their application to chemical systems and thermodynamic solutions, physical transformations and phase diagrams of pure substances, simple mixtures, kinetic theory of gases, rate law, mechanism, Bodenstein approximation, fast reactions, photochemistry, and reaction rate theories.

Prerequisites: MTH201 Calculus III and CHM201 Chemical Principles

Note: MTH304 Differential Equations is strongly recommended.

CHM332 Physical Chemistry II

[3–0, 3 cr.]

This is a course that covers quantum theory, postulates, particle in a box, Schrödinger equation of hydrogen, harmonic oscillator and vibrational spectroscopy, rigid rotor and rotational spectroscopy, H+2 and H2, atomic and molecular orbitals, approximation methods, many electron atoms, atomic and molecular spectra, and applications in spectroscopy.

Prerequisites: CHM201 Chemical Principles and MTH201 Calculus III

Note: MTH304 Differential Equations is strongly recommended.

CHM334 Physical Chemistry Laboratory

[0–4, 2 cr.]

This is a laboratory course that covers principles and experimental techniques in thermochemistry, kinetics, quantum mechanics, atomic and molecular spectroscopy and electrochemistry.

Pre- or Co-requisites: CHM301 Analytical Chemistry and CHM330 Physical Chemistry I

CHM340 Environmental Chemistry

[3–0, 3 cr.]

This course is an application of chemical principles, chemical equilibrium, and reaction kinetics to the study of environmental science and engineering. It includes natural processes and pollution problems related to air, water, and soil such as air pollution, the ozone hole, indoor air quality, climate change, water quality and pollution, water purification, solid wastes, and toxic metals. Solutions to reduce air pollution such as designing cyclones, and catalytic converters will be discussed.

Prerequisite: CHM200 or CHM201 or CHM205

CHM350 Drug Discovery and Medicinal Chemistry I

[3–0, 3 cr.]

This course provides undergraduates with an insight into the complex process and importance of early drug design and discovery. The course content covers general aspects, methods, and principles within drug design and discovery.

Prerequisite: CHM201 Chemical Principles

CHM351 Drug Discovery Laboratory

[0–1, 1 cr.]

This laboratory course deals with the introduction of different phases in drug development and testing including computational drug design, synthesis and identification of organic and inorganic active substances, analytical methods creation and validation.

Pre- or Co-requisites: CHM302 Instrumental Analysis and CHM350 Drug Discovery and Medicinal Chemistry I

CHM352 Method Validation and Quality Assurance

[3–0, 3 cr.]

This course covers the principles of analytical method development and validation; quality assurance and control; ISO requirements; sampling, preparations and storage of samples and standard solutions; physiochemical characterization; statistical analysis; good laboratory practice (GLP) requirement; and validation, verification, and documentation of analytical testing methods and procedure. In this course, students will learn about method development and assessment for analysis of chemicals, organic compounds, drugs, pharmaceuticals, and biopharmaceuticals.

Prerequisites: CHM302 Instrumental Analysis 

CHM402 Chemistry of Materials

[3–0, 3 cr.]

This course is an introduction to the materials of emerging technologies including metals, alloys, and inter-metallics, ceramics, polymers, composites, nanomaterials and biomaterials, semiconductors, superconductors and dielectrics, as well as the design, preparation, processing, and array of characterization methods for material performance.

Prerequisite: CHM201 Chemical Principles

CHM403 Polymer Science

[3–0, 3 cr.]

This course is an introduction to polymer science involving classification of polymers, preparative methods of polymerization, characterization, mechanical properties, fabrication techniques, thermodynamics and kinetics of polymers, commercial importance and applications.

Pre-requisite: CHM312 Organic Chemistry  II

Note: This course has not been taught since Fall 2020 and will not be taught in the academic year 2023–2024.

CHM404 Forensic Chemistry

[32–0, 3 cr.]

This course is a general overview of the fundamental principles, methods, and instrumentation involved in the forensic analysis of physical evidence such as hair, fiber, bodily fluids, glass, paint, soil, fingerprints, and documents.

Prerequisite: CHM202 Analytical Chemistry or CHM301 Analytical Chemistry

CHM405 Statistical Mechanics

[3–0, 3 cr.]

This course involves probability laws and distribution, statistical mechanics, postulates, fundamental equations, statistical mechanics calculations, Bose-Einstein statistics, transition state theory, as well as isotope effect from a statistical perspective.

Prerequisite: CHM330 Physical Chemistry I

Note: This course has not been taught since Fall 2020 and will not be taught in the academic year 2023–2024.

CHM406 Forensic Chemistry Lab

[0–4, 2 cr.]

This lab is a direct application of the forensic principles that are covered in the course. Physical and biological evidence will be subjected to various extraction methods, spot and color tests, followed by instrumental analysis for the purposes of qualitative and quantitative analysis.

Pre- or Corequisite: CHM404 Forensic Chemistry

Note: This course has not been taught since Fall 2020 and will not be taught in the academic year 2023–2024.

CHM412 Synthesis and Identification of Organic Compounds

[0–4, 2 cr.]

This course is an experimental chemistry course that explores synthetic transformations, separation and identification of organic compounds by wet chemical techniques, spectroscopic tools, elemental analysis, and NMR.

Prerequisite: CHM314 Organic Chemistry II Lab

Note: This course has not been taught since Fall 2020 and will not be taught in the academic year 2023–2024.

CHM421 Inorganic Chemistry I

[3–0, 3 cr.]

This course outlines the fundamental concepts in Inorganic Chemistry with emphasis on coordination compounds. Topics include the atomic theory, chemical bonding and molecular orbital theory, group theory and symmetry, acids and bases in Inorganic Chemistry.

Prerequisite: CHM201 Chemical Principles

CHM422 Inorganic Chemistry II

[3–0, 3 cr.]

This course is an application to modern Inorganic Chemistry. Topics include physical methods in Inorganic Chemistry, metallic elements in the periodic table, structure of ionic solids or crystals, reactions of coordination compounds, organometallics reactions, catalysis and spectroscopy.

Prerequisite: CHM421 Inorganic Chemistry I

CHM423 Synthesis and Identification of Inorganic Compounds

[0–4, 2 cr.]

This course is an experimental chemistry course that explores a wide variety of synthetic methodologies and characterization techniques of inorganic compounds such as main group, transition metals and organometallics. Several characterization techniques are used to analyze the synthesized products such as conventional spectroscopy, magnetic susceptibility and thermal analysis. The special laboratory skills of air-free manipulation of chemicals will also be introduced.

Prerequisite: CHM421 Inorganic Chemistry I

CHM424 Synthesis and Characterization of Nanomaterials

[0–4, 2 cr.]

This course is an experimental course that explores a wide variety of synthetic and characterization techniques for nanomaterials using advanced instrumental techniques such as thermogravimetric analysis, atomic absorption spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Pre- or Corequisites: CHM402 Chemistry of Materials, CHM330 Physical Chemistry I

CHM425 Computational Chemistry

[0–4, 2 cr.]

This course is a hands-on computer laboratory course that covers the practical aspects of computational chemistry as applied in chemical structure and chemical dynamics calculations. Methods cover molecular mechanics, semi-empirical, ab-initio, molecular dynamics, and statistical mechanics. Calculations range from optimizations (ground, excited, and transition state) and conformational searching to structure-property relationships.

Prerequisite: Junior standing

CHM450 Drug Discovery and Medicinal Chemistry II

[3–0, 3 cr.]

This course provides undergraduates with an insight into the complex process and importance of early drug design and discovery. The course content exemplifies important and recent medicinal chemistry developments for a number of specific targets and diseases.

Prerequisite: CHM350 Drug Discovery and Medicinal Chemistry I

CHM451 Chemical Pharmacology

[3–0, 3 cr.]

This course highlights the relation between chemical composition and physiological action by taking into consideration the ADME process. Such an understanding facilitates the reverse engineering of therapeutic agents as part of Drug Design. The course content also covers pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics.

Co-requisite:CHM450 Drug Discovery and Medicinal Chemistry II

CHM488 Topics in Chemistry

[3–0, 3 cr.]

CHM499P Senior Study

[3–0, 3 cr.]

This course is designed to teach research methods. It includes work on acquiring soft skills, scientific writing, researching on a scientific topic and the presentation of a research paper.

Prerequisites: Senior standing and ENG202 Advanced Academic English or concurrently

CHM499R Undergraduate Research

[3–0, 3 cr.]

This course is designed for students to undergo undergraduate research. It includes work on a short, novel research topic, and the presentation of the findings in a research paper.

Prerequisites: Senior standing and ENG202 Advanced Academic English or concurrently