Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree with a Major in Chemistry

Program Learning Outcomes for the BS Degree with a Major in Chemistry

Upon completing the BS degree with a major in Chemistry, students will be able to:

  1. Explain and apply core concepts in Organic, Inorganic, Physical and Analytical Chemistry.
  2. Design, conduct, record, and interpret chemical experiments in a safe and ethical manner. 
  3. Communicate scientific findings using discipline-specific conventions. 
  4. Evaluate chemical research reported in the scientific literature.
  5. Conduct novel scientific research. 

Requirements for the BS Degree with a Major in Chemistry

For general university requirements, see Graduation Requirements. Students pursuing the BS degree with a major in Chemistry must complete:

The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this major. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the major’s academic advisor or, where applicable, the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the major's Official Certifier.) Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.

Summary

Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Chemisty69
Total Credit Hours Required for the BS Degree with a Major in Chemistry120

Degree Requirements

Core Requirements
Chemistry Foundation Courses
CHEM 121
CHEM 123
GENERAL CHEMISTRY I
and GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY I 1
4
CHEM 122
CHEM 124
GENERAL CHEMISTRY II
and GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY II 1
4
Select 1 from the following:3
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I
and ORGANIC CHEMISTRY DISCUSSION I
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I HONORS
CHEM 301PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY I3
CHEM 302PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY II3
Select 1 from the following:3
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY II
and ORGANIC CHEMISTRY DISCUSSION II
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY II HONORS
CHEM 330ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY3
CHEM 360INORGANIC CHEMISTRY3
BIOS 301BIOCHEMISTRY I 23
Mathematics 3
MATH 101SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS I3
or MATH 105 AP/OTH CREDIT IN CALCULUS I
MATH 102SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS II3
or MATH 106 AP/OTH CREDIT IN CALCULUS II
MATH 211ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS AND LINEAR ALGEBRA 43
Physics
Select 1 from the following: 54
MECHANICS (WITH LAB)
and MECHANICS DISCUSSION
HONORS MECHANICS (WITH LAB)
GENERAL PHYSICS (WITH LAB)
Select 1 from the following: 64
ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM (WITH LAB)
and ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM DISCUSSION
HONORS ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM (WITH LAB)
GENERAL PHYSICS II (WITH LAB)
Advanced Laboratories
Select 3 courses from the following:6
EXPERIMENTAL BIOCHEMISTRY 7
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY LAB
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY LAB
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY LAB
CHEMICAL MEASUREMENT LAB
Research
Select 8 credit hours from the following:8
RESEARCH FOR UNDERGRADUATES 8
RESEARCH FOR UNDERGRADUATES 8
UNDERGRADUATE HONORS RESEARCH 8
UNDERGRADUATE HONORS RESEARCH 8
TEACHING PRACTICUM 9
Area of Specialization
Select 1 from the following Areas of Specialization (see Areas of Specialization below):9
Biological and Medicinal Chemistry
Inorganic Chemistry and Inorganic Materials
Organic Chemistry
Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Chemistry69
Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements *20
University Graduation Requirements *31
Total Credit Hours120

Footnotes and Additional Information 

Areas of Specialization

To fulfill the remaining Chemistry major requirements, students must complete advanced work that satisfies the requirements of one area of specialization as listed below. A student may, working with their chemistry major advisor and with the approval of the Director of the Undergraduate Program, propose a course of study in another specialization. Such proposed areas of specialization must have course and laboratory experiences comparable to those of the areas of specialization listed below.

Additionally, a double specialization can be earned by completing the requirements for two specialties. For double specialization, only two advanced lecture courses may count towards both specializations. The remaining two advanced courses in each specialization must be unique (i.e., double specialization requires six advanced lecture courses, and triple specialization require eight). A NanoChemistry specialization can be added to any of the standard areas of specialization by adding two nanoscience courses.

Area of Specialization: Biological and Medicinal Chemistry

Students must complete a minimum of 3 courses (9 credit hours) as listed below to satisfy the requirements for the area of specialization in Biological and Medicinal Chemistry.

BIOS 302BIOCHEMISTRY II3
Advanced Coursework in Chemistry
Select 2 courses from the following: 16
Any lecture course between CHEM 400 and CHEM 489
Any lecture course between CHEM 495 and CHEM 699
Total Credit Hours9

Area of Specialization: Inorganic Chemistry and Inorganic Materials

Students must complete a minimum of 3 courses (9 credit hours) as listed below to satisfy the requirements for the area of specialization in Inorganic Chemistry and Inorganic Materials​.

CHEM 475PHYSICAL METHODS IN INORGANIC CHEMISTRY3
CHEM 495TRANSITION METAL CHEMISTRY3
or CHEM 496 ADVANCED INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
Advanced Coursework in Chemistry
Select 1 course from the following: 13
Any lecture course between CHEM 400 and CHEM 489
Any lecture course between CHEM 495 and CHEM 699
Total Credit Hours9

Area of Specialization: Organic Chemistry

Students must complete a minimum of 3 courses (9 credit hours) as listed below to satisfy the requirements for the area of specialization in Organic Chemistry​.

CHEM 401ADVANCED ORGANIC CHEMISTRY3
Advanced Coursework in Chemistry
Select 2 courses from the following: 16
BIOCHEMISTRY II
Any lecture course between CHEM 400 and CHEM 489
Any lecture course between CHEM 495 and CHEM 699
Total Credit Hours9

Area of Specialization: Physical and Theoretical Chemistry

Students must complete a minimum of 3 courses (9 credit hours) as listed below to satisfy the requirements for the area of specialization in Physical and Theoretical Chemistry.

CHEM 420CLASSICAL AND STATISTICAL THERMODYNAMICS3
CHEM 430QUANTUM CHEMISTRY3
Select 1 course from the following:3
CHEMICAL KINETICS AND DYNAMICS
ADVANCED QUANTUM CHEMISTRY
SPECTROSCOPY AT THE SINGLE MOLECULE/PARTICLE LIMIT
Total Credit Hours9
Footnotes and Additional Information

Policies for the BS Degree with a Major in Chemistry 

Program Restrictions and Exclusions

Students pursuing the BS Degree with a Major in Chemistry should be aware of the following program restriction:

  • As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates, under Declaring Majors, Minors and Certificates, students may not obtain both a BA and a BS in the same major. Students pursuing the BS Degree with a Major in Chemistry may not additionally pursue the BA Degree with a Major in Chemistry.

Transfer Credit 

For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the designated transfer credit advisor for the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content). The Office of Academic Advising maintains the university’s official list of transfer credit advisors on their website: https://oaa.rice.edu. Students are encouraged to meet with the applicable transfer credit advisor as well as their academic program director when considering transfer credit possibilities. 

Departmental Transfer Credit Guidelines

Students pursuing the major in Chemistry should be aware of the following departmental transfer credit guideline:

Additional Information 

For additional information, please see the Chemistry website: https://chemistry.rice.edu/.

Opportunities for the BS Degree with a Major in Chemistry 

Academic Honors

The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate’s academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.

Honors Research Program in Chemistry

The Chemistry Honors Research Program is a suite of courses (CHEM 492/CHEM 493) offering the opportunity for a rigorous two-semester “capstone” individual research project in Chemistry. This immersive program is intended to give students a first-hand experience of a career in research. Students interested in graduate school are strongly encouraged to apply. Students having completed previous independent research (as CHEM 391 and/or CHEM 491) in an on-campus laboratory or in an off-campus laboratory in the Texas Medical Center are eligible to apply to perform honors research in that laboratory. The honors research courses (CHEM 492 and CHEM 493) function as a pair and must all be taken in the same academic year. Registration for CHEM 492 requires a commitment to register for CHEM 493.

Students who complete the Chemistry Honors Research Program are given primary consideration for the Distinction in Research and Creative Work, a university honor for select undergraduates, carefully selected by the department and granted at commencement, which appears on the transcript and diploma.

Chemistry Honors Research Program Components
  • CHEM 492: Fall semester, 5 credit hours. For approved students only, requires a formal application and recommendation of a faculty research advisor. Requirements include at least 15 hours of laboratory research per week and regular written and/or oral progress reports.
  • CHEM 493: Spring semester, 5 credit hours. Requirements include at least 15 hours of laboratory research per week and a formal thesis.
  • Applications may be submitted to the course instructor, February 1–August 1. Students are encouraged to apply early.

Additional Information 

For additional information, please see the Chemistry website: https://chemistry.rice.edu/.