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DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS

Gerard Blanchard, Department Head

 

The Department of Chemistry and Physics offers four-year curricula in both Chemistry and Physics. Since the Chemistry Department is approved by the American Chemical Society (ACS), chemistry graduates may receive diplomas certified by the ACS. Pre-professional programs in engineering, medicine, dentistry, optometry, and pharmacy are also offered.

 

Chemistry Safety Policy

Laboratories are an integral part of all curricula in the Department. A copy of the safety regulations is provided to every student during the first lab class. Any student who violates the safety policy of the Department is subject to dismissal from the laboratory and withdrawal from the course in which the violation occurred. Departmental policy also requires that any student who drops the lecture must also drop the corresponding laboratory.

 

Chemistry

Chemistry is the study of the composition and interaction of all substances. Areas of study range from chemical and instrumental analysis of mixtures to synthesis and characterization of polymers to molecular modeling to the chemistry of the human body and to computational chemistry. The degree program in chemistry at Southeastern is designed to offer the student comprehensive training in modern chemical principles in preparation for a career in industry or the health professions or for graduate study in chemistry or related fields. The study of chemistry is also important for fostering the scientific literacy of students in other disciplines, such as environmental science, law, education, and business.

A Major in Chemistry will be granted upon satisfactory completion of 33-49 hours of Chemistry. Candidates for a Major in Chemistry must obtain a minimum grade of "C" (or better) in the Chemistry core curriculum which includes CHEM 121, CHEM 122, CHEM 251, CHEM 265, CHEM 266, CLAB 123, CLAB 124, CLAB 254, CLAB 267 and CLAB 268.

A Minor in Chemistry may be obtained by completing 21 semester hours of chemistry with a GPA of 2.0 in those courses. Applicable courses for the minor are as follows: Chemistry 121-123, Chemistry 122-124, Chemistry 251-254, Chemistry 265-267, Chemistry 266-268, Chemistry 395/391, Chemistry 396/392, Chemistry 471/474, Chemistry 481/485, and Chemistry 482/486.

In order to better meet the needs of the diverse student population, five concentration areas are offered in chemistry. They differ primarily in the balance between the number of hours of chemistry and the number of elective hours required. Which one a given student should choose will depend on his/her career goals. Even if it is not a degree requirement, all students should consider the benefits of their involvement in supervised undergraduate research (CLAB 411) sometime during their Junior or Senior years.

 

Chemistry Progression Policy

Students pursuing the degree of Bachelor of Science in Chemistry must meet both of the following progression standards:

 

  1. Students may not repeat any of the following courses more than once: CHEM 121, CHEM 122, CLAB 123, CLAB 124, and MATH 200.
  2. Students must successfully complete CHEM 121, CHEM 122, CLAB 123, CLAB 124, and MATH 200 with a grade of "C" or better by the end of the 4th regular semester following the declaration of a major in chemistry.

 

Students with exceptional circumstances must have an alternative progression plan approved by the Department Head. Students who do not meet these standards will not be allowed to continue in the chemistry major.

 

Honors Diploma in Chemistry

For the Honors Diploma in Chemistry, majors must complete the following requirements:

English 210H or 291H or 292H1 3 hours
History 101H, 102H, 201H, or 202H 3 hours
Communications 211H 3 hours
General Biology 151H or 153H 3 hours
Honors 1912 3 hours
Senior Thesis 0 hours
Chemistry 251, 265, 266, 395, 396, 452, 471, 4813 9 hours
Chemistry Laboratory 254, 267, 268, 391, 392, 453, 474, 4853 3 hours
Chemistry 411 1 hour
Total 27 hours

 

Physics

The notion that all matter from subatomic particles to galactic clusters obeys a small set of principles that can be modeled mathematically is the fundamental premise of physics. The degree program in physics offers comprehensive training in all four major fields of physics: mechanics, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics, and quantum mechanics. When combined with the numerous opportunities for undergraduate research in physics, the degree program produces students who are well prepared for a career in industry or for graduate study in physics or engineering.

A major in Physics in the College of Science and Technology will be given upon satisfactory completion of 46 semester hours of Physics.

A minor in physics will be granted upon satisfactory completion of 20 semester hours in physics at the 200 level or above, eight hours of which must be Physics 221-223 and Physics 222-224.

 

Physics Progression Policy

Students pursuing the degree of Bachelor of Science in Physics must meet both of the following progression standards:

 

  1. Students must make successful progress every regular semester in the sequence of courses starting with the mathematics course determined by the “Placement in Mathematics” policy and culminating in MATH 200 and PHYS 221/PLAB 223. Students will be permitted to repeat only one of these courses one time.
  2. Students must complete PHYS 221 and PLAB 223 by the end of the 4th regular semester following the declaration of a major in physics.

 

Students with exceptional circumstances must have an alternative progression plan approved by the Department Head. Students who do not meet these standards will not be allowed to continue in the physics major.

 

Honors Diploma in Physics

For the Honors Diploma in Physics, majors must complete the following requirements:

English 210H or 291H or 292H1 3 hours
History 101H, 102H, 201H, or 202H 3 hours
Communications 211H 3 hours
General Biology 151H or 153H 3 hours
Honors 1912 3 hours
Senior Thesis 0 hours
Physics 301, 312, 321, 331, 351, 401, 402, 421, 4223 9 hours
Physics Laboratory 303, 314, 4253 3 hours
Physics 411 1 hour
Total 28 hours

 

1May be substituted for English 230, 231, or 232.
2Satisfies Art Elective or Art/Music/Theatre/Dance requirement.
3These courses must be completed as an H-option.