CU Home

Bulletin
Home » Columbia College Bulletin » Departments of Instruction » Chemistry

Chemistry

Undergraduate Requirements

Regulations for all Chemistry Majors, Concentrators, and Interdepartmental Majors

Students majoring in chemistry or in one of the interdepartmental majors in chemistry should go to the director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Chemistry to discuss their program of study. Chemistry majors and interdepartmental majors usually postpone part of the Core Curriculum beyond the sophomore year.

Chemistry Tracks

All students must take a placement exam. The results of the placement exam are used to advise students which track to pursue. Unless otherwise specified below all students must complete one of the following tracks.

  1. Track 1
  2. Track 2
  3. Track 3

Physics Sequences

Unless otherwise specified below all students must complete one of the following sequences:

  1. Sequence A: for students with limited background in high school physics
    • PHYS C1401 Introduction to mechanics and thermodynamics
    • PHYS C1402 Introduction to electricity, magnetism, and optics
    • PHYS C1403 Introduction to classical and quantum waves
    • One of the following laboratory courses:
  2. Sequence B
    • PHYS C1601 Mechanics and relativity
    • PHYS C1602 Thermodynamics, electricity, and magnetism
    • PHYS C2601 Classical and quantum waves
    • One of the following laboratory courses:
  3. Sequence C: for students with advanced preparation in physics and mathematics

For a Major in Chemistry

Please read Regulations for all Chemistry Majors, Concentrators, and Interdepartmental Majors above.

  1. Chemistry courses
    • One of the chemistry tracks outlined above.
    • CHEM C2408 First-year seminar (recommended by not required)
    • CHEM W3546 Advanced organic chemistry laboratory
    • CHEM C3071 Introduction to inorganic chemistry
    • CHEM C3079-C3080 Physical chemistry
    • CHEM C3085-C3086 Physical and analytical chemistry laboratory
    • CHEM C3920 Senior seminar in chemical research
    • One course selected from CHEM C3098 Supervised independent research (one term taken for at least 4 pts) and chemistry courses numbered CHEM G4000 and above
  2. Physics courses
    • One of the physics sequences outlined above.
  3. Mathematics courses

For a Major in Biochemistry

Please read Regulations for all Chemistry Majors, Concentrators, and Interdepartmental Majors above.

  1. Chemistry courses
    • One of the chemistry tracks outlined above.
    • CHEM C3079-C3080 Physical chemistry
    • CHEM C2408 First-year seminar (recommended by not required)
  2. Biology courses
    • BIOL C2005 Introduction to molecular and cellular biology, I
    • BIOL C2006 Introduction to molecular and cellular biology, II
    • One of the following laboratory courses:
    • BIOL C2908 First-year seminar (recommended but not required)
    • BIOC C3501 Biochemistry: structure and metabolism
    • BIOC C3512 Molecular biology
  3. Physics courses
  4. Mathematics courses
  5. Additional courses

For a Major in Chemical Physics

Please read Regulations for all Chemistry Majors, Concentrators, and Interdepartmental Majors above.

  1. Chemistry courses
  2. Physics courses
  3. Mathematics courses

For a Major in Environmental Chemistry

Please read Regulations for all Chemistry Majors, Concentrators, and Interdepartmental Majors above. The environmental chemistry major meets guidelines set forth by the Committee on Professional Training (CPT) of the American Chemical Society.

  1. Chemistry courses
    • One of the chemistry tracks outlined above.
    • CHEM C2408 First-year seminar (recommended by not required)
    • CHEM C3071 Introduction to inorganic chemistry
    • CHEM C3079 Physical chemistry
    • One of the following laboratory courses:
      • CHEM C3098 Supervised Independent Research (one term taken for at least 4 pts)
      • CHEM C3085 Physical and analytical chemistry laboratory
    • CHEM C3920 Senior seminar in chemical research
  2. Earth and environmental science courses
    • EESC V2100 Earth's environmental systems: climate change
    • EESC V2200 Earth's environmental systems: solid Earth system
    • EESC V2300 Earth's environmental systems: the life system
    • EESC BC3016 environmental measurements
  3. Physics courses
    • One of the physics sequences outlined above without the lab courses.
  4. Mathematics and statistics
  5. Additional courses

For a Concentration in Chemistry

Please read Regulations for all Chemistry Majors, Concentrators, and Interdepartmental Majors above. No more than 4 points of CHEM C3098 may be counted toward the concentration.

  1. One of the following chemistry tracks:
  2. PHYS V1201-V1202 General physics or the equivalent
  3. Two semesters of calculus

Copyright © 2013 The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use