|
Undergraduate Program Overview |
|
|
|
|
The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Oklahoma offers three undergraduate degrees that prepare students for entry into graduate programs or a variety of careers. The fundamental courses in each degree overlap, so it is usually easy for students to switch from one degree to another within the first two to two-and-a-half years of study.
Major Degrees Offered
1905F; Bachelor of Science; Chemistry and Biochemistry (Standard) Major
The Chemistry and Biochemistry (Standard) major is the most flexible degree program offered by the department, as it allows for a variety of courses instead of laying out a specific sequence of courses. It allows students with other interests to develop a curriculum that best suits them. The required credit hours for the Standard Option are 31 hours in chemistry beyond General Chemistry.
1905B: Bachelor of Science in Chemistry; Chemistry (Professional) Major
The Chemistry (Professional) major is most suitable for majors who plan to pursue a graduate degree after obtaining their baccalaureate degree. It is the most rigorous in its chemistry course requirements. The professional degree program also is a good one for students to enroll in initially who begin their chemical studies unsure of their ultimate degree goal. This is because it is much easier to switch from the Professional degree program to either the Chemistry Standard or Biochemistry degree programs, even as late as the senior year, than it is to switch to the professional option from the standard option or biochemistry degree program.
The Chemistry (Professional) degree is certified by the American Chemical Society as appropriate for students wanting to pursue graduate studies. It also provides the best background in chemistry for students planning to pursue a job in chemistry after obtaining the baccalaureate degree. It is not a required degree for graduate study in chemistry or biochemistry, however, and some students prefer to take one of the other degree options so that there is room in their schedules to take additional courses outside chemistry that meet their career goals. For example, students wanting to pursue a research career in pharmaceutical research or biochemistry would probably want to take additional courses in microbiology or zoology. The Professional degree requires a total of 39 credit hours of chemistry courses beyond General Chemistry.
1905E: Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, Biochemistry Major
The Biochemistry major is most appropriate for premedical and predental students or students with a strong interest in biomedical research. It replaces the Biochemistry Option and is more rigorous than the Option in both math and chemistry requirements. It includes an additional semester of math, a second semester of physical chemistry with laboratory, a biochemical methods course, and an additional advanced biochemistry course. It requires 35 credit hours of chemistry courses beyond General Chemistry.
Minor in Chemistry
The Chemistry Minor (1905D) is available to students majoring in other subjects. It can be attained by completing 15 major credit hours of upper-division Chemistry. No more than three of these credit hours may be completed through independent study. At least 6 hours must be earned in courses acceptable for residence credit by Arts and Sciences standards (i.e. excluding transfer, correspondence, and examination credit). Students who are interested in obtaining a chemistry minor should contact their advising college.
|
