Pre-Professional Programs in Chemistry

Pre-Dentistry: 34 units recommended

Entrance into dental school requires from two to four years of pre-dental training. Ordinarily a pre-dental student should plan on pursuing a bachelor's degree program. It is not necessary that this degree be in one of the sciences.

Details about entrance requirements differ considerably from one dental school to another. Further information should be sought from one of the pre-dental advisors and from the booklet entitled, Entrance Requirements of American Dental Schools.

The following list represents the California State University equivalent of the requirements and recommendations common to practically all of the American Dental Schools.

Recommended Courses

SUBJ NUM	Title	Sustainable	Units	Semester Offered	Course Flags
BIOL 151	Principles of Cellular and Molecular Biology		4.0	FS	GE
Prerequisites: Recommend CHEM 111 or concurrent enrollment. Introduction to biological molecules, bioenergetics, cellular structure and function, elements of molecular biology and genetics, and mechanisms of macroevolution and systematics. 3 hours lecture, 3 hours laboratory. This is an approved General Education course. (001122)
BIOL 152	Principles of Ecological, Evolutionary, and Organismal Biology		4.0	FS	GE
Prerequisites: BIOL 151 or faculty permission; recommend CHEM 112 or concurrent enrollment. Introduction to evolutionary history and biological diversity, microbes and protists, invertebrates, vertebrates, and plants. Form and function of plants and animals. Ecological principles. 3 hours lecture, 3 hours laboratory. This is an approved General Education course. (001123)
CHEM 111	General Chemistry		4.0	FS	GE
Prerequisites: Completion of ELM requirement; second-year high school algebra; one year high school chemistry. (One year of high school physics and one year of high school mathematics past Algebra II are recommended.) Principles of chemistry for students in science and engineering programs. Topics include atoms, molecules and ions, reactions, stoichiometry, the periodic table, bonding, chemical energy, gases, and solution chemistry. The laboratory sequence supports the above topics including both qualitative and quantitative experiments, analysis of data, and error propagation. 3 hours lecture, 3 hours laboratory. This is an approved General Education course. (001816)
CHEM 112	General Chemistry		4.0	FS
Prerequisites: CHEM 111 with a grade of C- or better. A continuation of CHEM 111. Topics include kinetics, equilibrium, acid-base chemistry, electrochemistry, chemical thermodynamics, coordination chemistry, and nuclear chemistry. The laboratory sequence supports the above topics including both qualitative and quantitative experiments, analysis of data, and error propagation. 3 hours lecture, 3 hours laboratory. (001817)
CHEM 270	Organic Chemistry		4.0	FS
Prerequisites: CHEM 112. A study of the fundamental principles of organic chemistry: the chemistry of carbon compounds. Lecture topics include structure, bonding, nomenclature, physical properties of organic compounds, stereochemistry, basic spectroscopy, and basic chemical reactions and their mechanisms. Laboratory topics include the discussion and application of organic laboratory techniques, reactions, and an introduction to organic synthesis. 3 hours lecture, 3 hours laboratory. (001840)
CHEM 370	Organic Chemistry		3.0	FS
Prerequisites: CHEM 270 with a grade of C- or higher. A continuation of CHEM 270. Topics include properties and reactions of ethers, conjugated systems, aromatic compounds, aldehydes and ketones, amines, carboxylic acids and derivatives, and biologically relevant molecules. 3 hours discussion. (001852)
ENGL 130I	Academic Writing		3.0	FS	GE  WI
Prerequisites: English Placement Test. Instruction and practice in writing university-level expository prose. 3 hours discussion.This is an approved Writing Intensive course. This is an approved General Education course. (003383)
PHYS 202A	General Physics I		4.0	FS	GE
Prerequisites: High school physics or faculty permission. High school trigonometry and second-year high school algebra or equivalent (MATH 051 and MATH 118 at CSU, Chico). Mechanics, properties of matter, wave motion, sound, heat. Science majors are encouraged to take PHYS 204A instead of this course. 3 hours discussion, 3 hours laboratory. This is an approved General Education course. (007394)
PHYS 202B	General Physics II		4.0	FS
Prerequisites: PHYS 202A with a grade of C- or higher. Light, electricity, magnetism, selected topics in modern physics. Science majors are encouraged to take PHYS 204B instead of this course. Algebra and trigonometry are used. 3 hours discussion, 3 hours laboratory. (007395)

Pre-Medicine

It is recommended that pre-medical students plan to obtain a degree in a field of science, such as chemistry or biology. While students may apply for admission to medical school any time after their junior year, the majority of those admitted have completed a four-year degree, and a sizable number are admitted only after additional graduate work. The bachelors degree in Chemistry or Biochemistry, therefore, is also appropriate for those seeking advanced training in graduate schools or employment in fields related to medicine. See also the Pre-Medicine program under Biological Sciences.

Lower-Division Courses

SUBJ NUM	Title	Sustainable	Units	Semester Offered	Course Flags
BIOL 151	Principles of Cellular and Molecular Biology		4.0	FS	GE
Prerequisites: Recommend CHEM 111 or concurrent enrollment. Introduction to biological molecules, bioenergetics, cellular structure and function, elements of molecular biology and genetics, and mechanisms of macroevolution and systematics. 3 hours lecture, 3 hours laboratory. This is an approved General Education course. (001122)
BIOL 152	Principles of Ecological, Evolutionary, and Organismal Biology		4.0	FS	GE
Prerequisites: BIOL 151 or faculty permission; recommend CHEM 112 or concurrent enrollment. Introduction to evolutionary history and biological diversity, microbes and protists, invertebrates, vertebrates, and plants. Form and function of plants and animals. Ecological principles. 3 hours lecture, 3 hours laboratory. This is an approved General Education course. (001123)
CHEM 111	General Chemistry		4.0	FS	GE
Prerequisites: Completion of ELM requirement; second-year high school algebra; one year high school chemistry. (One year of high school physics and one year of high school mathematics past Algebra II are recommended.) Principles of chemistry for students in science and engineering programs. Topics include atoms, molecules and ions, reactions, stoichiometry, the periodic table, bonding, chemical energy, gases, and solution chemistry. The laboratory sequence supports the above topics including both qualitative and quantitative experiments, analysis of data, and error propagation. 3 hours lecture, 3 hours laboratory. This is an approved General Education course. (001816)
CHEM 112	General Chemistry		4.0	FS
Prerequisites: CHEM 111 with a grade of C- or better. A continuation of CHEM 111. Topics include kinetics, equilibrium, acid-base chemistry, electrochemistry, chemical thermodynamics, coordination chemistry, and nuclear chemistry. The laboratory sequence supports the above topics including both qualitative and quantitative experiments, analysis of data, and error propagation. 3 hours lecture, 3 hours laboratory. (001817)
CHEM 270	Organic Chemistry		4.0	FS
Prerequisites: CHEM 112. A study of the fundamental principles of organic chemistry: the chemistry of carbon compounds. Lecture topics include structure, bonding, nomenclature, physical properties of organic compounds, stereochemistry, basic spectroscopy, and basic chemical reactions and their mechanisms. Laboratory topics include the discussion and application of organic laboratory techniques, reactions, and an introduction to organic synthesis. 3 hours lecture, 3 hours laboratory. (001840)
MATH 120	Analytic Geometry and Calculus		4.0	FS	GE
Prerequisites: Completion of ELM requirement; both MATH 118 and MATH 119 (or college equivalent); first-year freshmen who successfully completed trigonometry and precalculus in high school can meet this prerequisite by achieving a score that meets department guidelines on a department administered calculus readiness exam. Limits and continuity. The derivative and applications to related rates, maxma and minima, and curve sketching. Transcendental functions. An introduction to the definite integral and area. 4 hours discussion. This is an approved General Education course. (005506)
MATH 121	Analytic Geometry and Calculus		4.0	FS
Prerequisites: MATH 120. The definite integral and applications to area, volume, work, differential equations, etc. Sequences and series, vectors and analytic geometry in 2 and 3-space, polar coordinates, and parametric equations. 4 hours discussion. (005507)
PHYS 202A	General Physics I		4.0	FS	GE
Prerequisites: High school physics or faculty permission. High school trigonometry and second-year high school algebra or equivalent (MATH 051 and MATH 118 at CSU, Chico). Mechanics, properties of matter, wave motion, sound, heat. Science majors are encouraged to take PHYS 204A instead of this course. 3 hours discussion, 3 hours laboratory. This is an approved General Education course. (007394)
PHYS 202B	General Physics II		4.0	FS
Prerequisites: PHYS 202A with a grade of C- or higher. Light, electricity, magnetism, selected topics in modern physics. Science majors are encouraged to take PHYS 204B instead of this course. Algebra and trigonometry are used. 3 hours discussion, 3 hours laboratory. (007395)

Upper-Division Courses

Recommended Upper-Division Electives

Pre-Optometry

The requirements for optometry schools vary widely. The student should see the pre-optometry advisor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the catalog of the school of his/her choice. The prospective student is encouraged to consult the Department Chair for further information.

Pre-Pharmacy

The requirements for pharmacy schools vary widely. The student should see the pre-pharmacy advisor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the catalog of the school of his/her choice. The prospective student is encouraged to consult the Department Chair for further information.

Pre-Physical Therapy

See the listings under Biological Sciences.

Forensic Science and Graduate Programs in Criminalistics

Entry-level employment and graduate programs in criminalistics commonly require a major in one of the physical or biological sciences, including a year of general chemistry and a course in quantitative analysis. Please see the Anthropology section for a program in Forensic Identification.