Additional Admission Requirements

Students are eligible to declare a Major in Chemistry upon passing MATH 1242 , PHYS 2102 , and PHYS 2102L , and earning a grade of C or above in CHEM 2132  or CHEM 3111 .  Transfer students may declare the major if these requirements were met at their previous institution(s). 

Degree Requirements

The B. S. in Chemistry with  Concentration in Biochemistry requires a total of 120 credit hours.  Students may choose from the ACS-certified degree or the non-certified degree.  A Major in Chemistry leading to the ACS-certified B.S. degree with a Concentration in Biochemistry requires a minimum of 48 credit hours of chemistry courses, 12 credit hours of mathematics courses, and 8 credit hours of physics courses.

The non-certified B.S. degree with a Concentration in Biochemistry follows the same requirements as the ACS-certified degree with the following exceptions: (1) a minimum of 44 credit hours in chemistry are required, and (2) CHEM 4121  is not required.  

Degree Total = 120 Credit Hours

Cooperative Education Program

Students majoring in Chemistry may obtain practical work experience in chemistry before graduation by participating in the Chemistry Cooperative Education Experience any time after the completion of Sophomore year and CHEM 2132 .  A minimum GPA of 2.5 overall and 2.5 in chemistry is required.  At least two semesters of full-time work assignments on alternating semesters must be completed concurrent with enrollment in CHEM 3500 . Advisors will assist students to design a schedule that accommodates both work assignments and the upper-division chemistry courses which are normally offered on alternate semesters. Experiences are arranged in coordination with the University Career Center.

Grade and Course Progression Requirements

Students who have declared a major in Chemistry remain in good academic standing within the department if the following criteria are met:

• The Chemistry GPA remains at or above 2.0
• Progression through CHEM 1251 , CHEM 1251L , CHEM 1252 , CHEM 1252L , CHEM 2131 , CHEM 2131L , CHEM 2132 , CHEM 2132L , and CHEM 3111  occurs in no more than two attempts per course

A student whose Chemistry GPA is below 2.0 is placed on provisional continuation status.  Should the Chemistry GPA remain below the required level after three successive semesters, the student is ineligible for continuation in bachelor degree programs in Chemistry.  Students may declare the Chemistry major again if their Chemistry GPA rises to the requisite level if they were previously dropped from the major.

Students attempting CHEM 1251 , CHEM 1251L , CHEM 1252 , CHEM 1252L , CHEM 2131 , CHEM 2131L , CHEM 2132 , CHEM 2132L , and CHEM 3111  for the third time are placed on provisional continuation status.  Students who earn a grade of D, F or W in the third attempt are ineligible for continuation in bachelor degree programs in Chemistry.

Additionally, students must earn a C or above in all required chemistry courses for the major, including the chemistry elective course required for the B.A. degree.  A student may petition for a one-time exemption to this requirement.

A minimum chemistry GPA of 2.0 is required to graduate.  

Honors Program

For details about the Honors Program in Chemistry, visit the program page .

Suggested Curriculum

For the suggested course sequence toward completing the major, please see the Academic Plan of Study available online at academics.uncc.edu.  Consultation with an advisor is required each semester.