Chemistry

  • CHEM

    What is Chemistry?

    The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry provides American Chemical Society (ACS) approved programs. Students completing a baccalaureate degree that meets the ACS Guidelines will receive an ACS-certified degree. All of the degree concentrations could include the course work and experience necessary to satisfy requirements for ACS certification with proper choice of supporting discipline and elective credits. 

    College of Science and Mathematics

    Learn More about Chemistry

    Admission Requirements

    None. 

    Any student admitted to KSU as a degree-seeking undergraduate may declare this major directly in Owl Express.

    Special General Education Requirements

    Area A2: Students must take MATH 1113 or higher.

    Area D1: Students must take MATH 1190 or higher.

    Area D2: Students must take two four-hour laboratory sciences in Area D2. Students must choose from CHEM 1211/L, CHEM 1212/L, PHYS 1111/L*, PHYS 1112/L, PHYS 2211/L*, PHYS 2212/L, BIOL 1107/L, or BIOL 1108/L.

    *Students cannot take both PHYS 1111/L and PHYS 2211/L nor PHYS 1112/L and PHYS 2212/L.

    Concentrations Available

    • ACS Certified Chemistry Concentration: This concentration is designed to prepare students for graduate school in chemistry or the professional workforce and will satisfy the requirements for American Chemical Society certified Bachelor’s Degree Programs.
    • Integrative Chemistry Concentration: This concentration is designed to allow flexibility in choosing elective credits that support individual career goals and/or a KSU Minor.
    • Forensic Chemistry Concentration: This concentration is designed to prepare students for graduate school or a career in the forensic field. 
    • Pharmaceutical Chemistry Concentration: This concentration is designed to prepare students for pharmacy school while they work towards a degree in Chemistry. Students may also go to graduate school or work in the pharmaceutical industry after completing this concentration. As pharmacy school prerequisites change, students need to be diligent in ensuring they are meeting the requirements of the pharmacy school they wish to attend.

    Double Owl Pathways

    Related Minors or Certificates Available

    Sample Classes

    • This course covers fundamentals of pharmacology such as drug discovery/development and pharmacokinetics, with emphasis given to the role of chemistry and biochemistry in these areas. A main focus of the course will be how drugs function at the molecular level. Examples will be chosen from drugs that target enzymes, receptors, and DNA.

    • This course is a one-semester, lecture-only biochemistry course. Concepts covered include the structure and function of biomolecules, membranes, enzyme kinetics, metabolism and bioenergetics, as well as biological information flow. Intended for chemistry, biology, or biotechnology majors.

    • The primary emphasis of this course is on chemical thermodynamics, reaction kinetics and dynamics, and statistical thermodynamics. The course includes physical and chemical properties of real and ideal gases, the laws of thermodynamics and their application to physical and chemical systems, treatment of phase equilibria and chemical equilibria, and extends the application of quantum mechanics to thermodynamics in the development of statistical thermodynamics.

    • This course covers fundamental topics of forensic analytical chemistry including statistics and data quality, sample preparation, drugs (pharmacology and toxicology), arson and the chemistry of combustion, and trace chemical evidence. Throughout the course, emphasis is placed on modern chemical instrumentation as applied to forensic casework.

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