Major & Minor Requirements
Note: This page is designed to assist students, faculty, and advisors by providing degree requirements and recommendations in an easy-to-use format. The course catalogue remains the official source of degree requirements -- please report any discrepancies with this page to the department chair.
Major Requirements for Chemistry
The chemistry major at Cornell consists of:
- 10 (or nine if CHE 161 is taken) courses in chemistry, including eight (or seven) of the following required courses:
- Chemical Principles I & II (121 & 122) or Accelerated General Chemistry (161)
- Analytical Chemistry (202)
- Organic Chemistry I & II Lecture (225 & 326)
- Organic Chemistry Lab (327)
- Physical Chemistry I & II (323 & 324)
- Two courses in calculus:
- Calculus of a Single Variable (121) and Calculus of Several Variables (122)
- Three courses in physics:
- General Physics I & 2 (111 & 112) and Laboratory Physics (114)
- Or by permission of the chemistry department, Introductory Physics I & II (101 & 102) and Laboratory Physics (114)
American Chemistry Society (ACS) Certification
A minimum of 12 course credits in Chemistry (11 courses if CHE 161 is taken), which must include:
- CHE 121, 122, 202, 225, 323, 324, 326, 327, 333, 334, and 335
- One additional chemistry course at the 300 level, excluding 380
- A major research experience
- PHY 111, 112, and 114
- Mathematics through MAT 221 (Linear Algebra).
Students seeking certification should confer with the Department chair to make certain that they will satisfy all the requirements
Notes:
- Alternatively, a student might put off the physics courses till the third year and complete the physical chemistry courses the fourth year.
- Cornell also participates in the Oak Ridge Science Semester program sponsored by the ACM (Associated Colleges of the Midwest).
- The Summer Research Program of the Department of Chemistry provides an opportunity to spend a summer at Cornell College working on a research project with a member of the Chemistry faculty. Interested students should consult a faculty member in the Department.
- Students should consult with the Department concerning major programs which lead to graduate work in chemistry, chemical physics, biochemistry, and medicine, or to industrial employment.
Recommended Course Sequence
|
Year 1 |
Year 2 |
Year 3 |
Year 4 |
| CHE 121 CHE 122 MAT 121 MAT 122 |
CHE 225 CHE 326 CHE 327 CHE 202 PHY 111 PHY 112 |
CHE 323 CHE 324 PHY 114 |
Two electives |
Teaching Major Requirements
The requirements for the chemistry major apply. In addition to the foregoing requirements, prospective teachers must also apply for admission to the Teacher Education Program (preferably at the start of their sophomore year) and complete a second major in Secondary Education described under Education. Prospective teachers should request a current list of the specific teaching major course requirements from the Education Office.
Minor Requirements
A minimum of five course credits in chemistry:
