Major Courses
This elective, pass-fail course is designed for students who want to take CHEM A105 but lack the prerequisites. Students develop and refine their ability to solve arithmetic, algebraic, and dimensional analysis types of problems using examples from the physical sciences, primarily chemistry and physics. Upon successful completion of this course, students have a strong foundation for General Chemistry I, CHEM A105.
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor is required to register for this course.
CHEM A105 General Chemistry I Lecture, 3 crs.
This course is the first half of a one-year course in the fundamental principles of general chemistry. This is the first chemistry course for all science majors and includes the development of modern atomic theory, chemical bonding and structure, and the nature of matter and physical states. Included is an introduction to thermodynamics and kinetics with a more thorough development of equilibria concepts. Descriptive chemistry is liberally sprinkled throughout the course.
Prerequisite: Eligibility to enroll in MATH A257 (completion of MATH A118 or ALEKS score of 76-100) or completion of MATH A257
Corequisite: CHEM A107
CHEM A106 General Chemistry II Lecture, 3 crs.
This course is a continuation of CHEM A105.
Prerequisites: Grade of C- or higher in CHEM A105, or permission from the Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Corequisite: CHEM A108
CHEM A107 General Chemistry I Laboratory, 1 cr.
This lab involves experiments to accompany General Chemistry Lecture. One three-hour laboratory period per week. Lab fee $100.
Prerequisite: CHEM A105 or co-registration in CHEM A105
CHEM A108 General Chemistry II Laboratory, 1 cr.
This lab involves experiments to accompany General Chemistry II Lecture and includes qualitative analysis. Lab fee $100.
Prerequisites: Grade of C- or higher in CHEM A107, or permission from the Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Corequisite: CHEM A106
CHEM A115 Chemistry of the Crime Scene, 3 crs.
Chemistry of the Crime Scene covers basic crime scene protocol (documentation, collection, chain of custody); presumptive testing for drugs, primer (gun shot) residue, and body fluids; and the chemistry of latent print development. No science background is required, but scientific curiosity is expected, and fundamental chemistry concepts will be covered. Course fee $100.
CHEM A300 Organic Chemistry I Lecture, 3 crs.
In this first semester organic course, students learn the concepts and skills necessary to have a strong foundation in organic chemistry. This course includes: drawing, visualizing, and describing in words the bonding motifs and interactions in organic chemistry; showing how acid base chemistry relates to structure and reactions; applying kinetics and thermodynamics to reactions; showing the mechanistic path for reactions and applying these concepts to functional groups.
Prerequisites: CHEM A105 — CHEM A108 or permission of department chair
CHEM A301 Organic Chemistry II Lecture, 3 crs.
In this second semester organic course, students build upon the concepts of Organic 1 (A300) This includes: showing the mechanistic path for more advanced reactions; identifying and suggesting reagents, starting materials, and products for multi-step syntheses of organic compounds; writing about scientific topics; using NMR, IR, and Mass spectroscopy to identify organic compounds and applying all of these concepts to functional groups.
Prerequisite: CHEM A300
CHEM A302 Organic Chemistry I Laboratory for Chemistry Majors, 2 crs.
This two-credit-hour laboratory course for chemistry majors accompanies CHEM A300. Students combine knowledge with practical skills in this course by purifying, synthesizing, and identifing organic compounds. Techniques include: acid/base extraction, recrystallization, distillation, organic reactions, IR spectroscopy, refractive index, melting point and NMR. Students learn to keep a lab notebook and to write a formal lab write-up. There are two, three-hour laboratory periods per week. Lab fee $100.
Corequisite: CHEM A300
CHEM A305 Organic Chemistry Laboratory, 2 crs.
This laboratory course is for non-majors. Students combine knowledge with practical skills in this course by purifying, synthesizing, and identifying organic compounds. Techniques include: acid/base extraction, recrystallization, distillation, organic reactions, IR spectroscopy, refractive index, and melting point. Students learn to keep a lab notebook. There are two, three-hour laboratory periods per week. Lab fee $100.
Prerequisite or Corerequisite: CHEM A301
CHEM A306 Physical Chemistry I Lecture, 3 crs.
This course is a general survey of physical chemistry stressing thermodynamics, phase and chemical equilibria, electrochemistry, and kinetics.
Prerequisites: CHEM A105 — CHEM A108, CHEM A301, MATH A257, MATH A258, or permission of instructor
CHEM A307 Physical Chemistry II Lecture, 3 crs.
This is an advanced course in physical chemistry treating elementary quantum theory and spectroscopy with an introduction to statistical thermodynamics.
Prerequisites: CHEM A105 — CHEM A108, CHEM A301, MATH A257, MATH A258, PHYS A101, PHYS A102, or permission of instructor
CHEM A308 Physical Chemistry I Lab, 1 cr.
This course is the accompanying lab for CHEM A306 which includes a survey of physical chemistry stressing thermodynamics, phase and chemical equilibria, electrochemistry, and kinetics.
Prerequisite or Corequisite: CHEM A306 or permission of instructor
CHEM A309 Physical Chemistry II Lab, 1 cr.
This course is the accompanying lab for CHEM A307 which is an advanced course in physical chemistry treating elementary quantum theory and spectroscopy with an introduction to statistical thermodynamics
Prerequisite or Corequisite: CHEM A307 or permission of instructor
CHEM A310 Organic Chemistry I Laboratory, 1 cr.
This laboratory course accompanies CHEM A300, and is only taught in the summer. Loyola Chemistry majors must complete CHEM A310 and CHEM A311 to fulfill the CHEM A302 or CHEM A305 requirement.
In this course, students combine knowledge with practical skills by purifying, synthesizing, and identifying organic compounds. Techniques include: acid/base extraction, recrystallization, distillation, and melting point. Students also learn how to keep a lab notebook. There are three-hour laboratory periods four days per week. Lab fee $100.
Corequisite: CHEM A300
CHEM A311 Organic Chemistry II Laboratory, 1 cr.
This one-credit-hour laboratory course accompanies CHEM A301, and is only taught in the summer. Loyola Chemistry majors must complete CHEM A310 and CHEM A311 to fulfill the CHEM A302 or CHEM A305 requirement.
In this course, students combine knowledge with practical skills in this course by purifying, synthesizing, and identifying organic compounds. Techniques include: organic reactions, recrystallization, IR spectroscopy, refractive index, and melting point. Students also learn how to keep a lab notebook. There are three-hour laboratory periods four days per week. Lab fee $100.
Corequisite: CHEM A301
CHEM A314 (Advanced) Synthesis & Characterization, 2 crs.
This advanced laboratory in organic chemistry for chemistry majors allows students to use modern spectroscopic methods in conjunction with synthesis to identify and/or determine the structure of organic compounds. The overall goal of this lab-based course is to increase students’ skills in modern structure determination using IR-, NMR-, UV-Vis- and Mass-spectroscopy. Students also employ column chromatography for purification, and gas chromatography for identification. Lab Fee $100.
Prerequisites: CHEM A300 AND A302 OR A305
CHEM A315 Introduction to Forensic Methods, 3 crs.
This course is an introduction to instrumental and chemical analysis techniques used in forensic investigations. Topics covered may include: serological analysis, fingerprint analysis, soil and glass analysis, hair and fiber analysis, arson/explosive analysis, document analysis, and drug/toxicological analysis. Lab fee $100.
Prerequisite: CHEM A300
CHEM A322 Analytical Chemistry Lab, 3 crs.
This is an advanced laboratory with one hour of recitation each week for all chemistry majors. The lecture and experiments may cover a wide range of techniques and topics including chemical literature, inorganic synthesis and characterization, photochemistry, titrations, kinetics, extractions, UV-Vis, and chromatography. This laboratory is project-based and requires students to plan and execute experiments involving concepts and techniques from several subdisciplines. Lab fee $100.
Prerequisites: CHEM-A314 or permission of the instructor
CHEM A332 Advanced Integrated Chemistry Laboratory, 2 crs.
This course is an advanced chemistry laboratory that may involve synthesis, structural analysis, thermodynamics, chemical separations, electrochemistry, advanced kinetics, or spectroscopy. Lab fee $100.
Prerequisites: CHEM-A322
CHEM A350 Inorganic I Chemistry, 3 crs.
This lecture course introduces students to various topics in inorganic chemistry. The topics covered include atomic structure, symmetry and group theory, introduction to ionic and covalent bonding models in coordination complexes, acid-base theories, aqueous chemistry, electrochemistry, and an introduction to bioinorganic chemistry.
Prerequisite: CHEM A301
CHEM A400 Biochemistry I Lecture, 3 crs.
This course is a detailed study of the structure and function of the major classes of biological macromolecules: proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and sugars. Physical, chemical, experimental, and mechanistic aspects of macromolecules and their behavior are emphasized based on an understanding of the underlying principles of bonding, equilibria, thermodynamics, and kinetics. Topics covered include protein structure and folding, experimental methods used to characterize and manipulate proteins and DNA, allostery and other types of regulation, molecular disease, enzyme mechanism and inhibition, and membranes. This course is cross-listed with BIOL-A405: Students only receive credit for successfully completing the first instance of the course/s.
Prerequisite: CHEM A301
CHEM A401 Biochemistry II Lecture, 3 crs.
This course is a thorough coverage of metabolism and metabolic regulation. It begins with a brief review and expanded treatment of concepts from the first semester course of particular relevance to the study of metabolism such as energetics, membranes and membrane transport, receptors, and enzymes and their regulation. Topics covered include vitamins and cofactors, glycolysis, TCA cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, glycogen metabolism, gluconeogenesis, photosynthesis, and the metabolism of fatty acids, lipids, amino acids, and nucleotides. Emphasis is placed on understanding the chemical conversions involved, the interplay between various metabolic processes, and on understanding a variety of metabolic diseases.
Prerequisite: CHEM A400
CHEM A402 Biochemistry I Lab, 1 cr.
Students perform selected chemical and instrumental techniques based on lecture material covered in CHEM A400. Topics include: Methods to label or sequence proteins, optical methods, NMR spectroscopy, enzyme kinetics and inhibition, column chromatography, introduction to basic molecular biology methods, and acrylamide and agarose gel electrophoresis. Lab fee $100.
Prerequisite: CHEM A302
Prerequisite or Corequisite: CHEM A400 or permission of instructor
CHEM A410 Instrumental Analysis, 4 crs.
This combined lecture/lab course develops the principles of instrumental analysis. Students learn advanced principles of electrochemical, spectrochemical, and chromatographic analysis. Laboratory components provide hands-on training. Topics include instrumentation, sample preparation, data analysis, and recent developments in analytical techniques, with a focus on applications in industry and graduate academic labs. Lab fee $100.
Prerequisite: CHEM A320
CHEM A486 Chemistry Seminar for Majors, credits vary
A seminar is a supervised group of students sharing the results of their research on a common topic.
CHEM A490 Advanced Topics, credits vary
This course focuses on the creative or productive efforts of one or more students. A special project is distinguished from a research project in its lack of the historical or experimental method and perspective characteristics of research.
CHEM A493 Capstone Presentation, 1 cr.
This course is designed to strengthen the student’s oral and writing skills in technical communication. A secondary objective is to practice skills retrieving data from the chemical literature in both written and electronic form. The course requires one paper and one oral presentation at the departmental seminar.
Prerequisite: CHEM A303, CHEM A320, or permission of instructor
CHEM A497 Internship/ Practicum, credits vary
An internship is supervised practical experience. A practicum is supervised practical application of previously studied theory.
CHEM A498 Research, credits vary
All majors are encouraged to, and honors program students must, register for one to three credit hours for each semester starting with the second semester of their sophomore years for a total of four credit hours. Credit is prorated on the basis of one credit hour for four hours devoted to research.
Prerequisite: Permission of chairperson.
CHEM A499 Independent Study, credits vary
Independent work done under professorial supervision.
CHEM H295 Chemistry Honors Seminar, 3 crs.
Topics vary.
University Honors Program
CHEM Y220 Chemistry of Technology, 3 crs.
Knowledge-Values Courses: Natural Science in Context
This course is designed to allow students to explore the chemistry involved in technologies that impact our everyday existence. Participants develop an atomistic view of their universe while simultaneously cultivating an operational appreciation for techniques used by scientists around the world. Experiments include making soap, smelting bronze, and synthesizing renewable fuels. Lab fee $100
Prerequisite: SCIE T129
CHEM Y230 World Food and Nutrition, 3 crs.
Knowledge-Values Courses: Natural Science in Context
This course is an advanced common curriculum lecture course designed for non-science majors. Topics include the basics of nutrition and the chemistry of metabolism as well as discussions pertinent to the problems of feeding the expanding world population. This course is structured on a series of readings and online assignments.
Prerequisite: SCIE T129
CHEM Y245 Chemistry and Art, 3 crs.
Knowledge-Values Courses: Natural Science in Context
This course represents an integration of materials concerning both Fine arts and Chemistry. It discusses the synergistic relationship between the development of chemical processes and their effects on the methods of artistic production. In pursuit of this goal, this course integrates the Chemical principles of matter and energy with the techniques and experiences of Art.
Prerequisite: SCIE T129
CHEM Y246 Chemistry and Art Studio, 3 crs.
Knowledge-Values Courses: Natural Science in Context
This course integrates the chemical and physical principles of matter and energy with the techniques and experiences of art. The studio version of the course offers extensive hands-on learning in a laboratory setting. Projects include foam art, photography, jewelry, ceramics, and much more. Lab fee $100
Prerequisite: SCIE T129
SCIE T129 Investigating Nature, 3 crs.
Foundation Courses: Investigating Nature
This team-taught interdisciplinary course examines how scientists learn about the natural world through the process of scientific discovery. Students learn critical thinking skills in which scientists regularly engage, and demonstrate this through classroom exercises and assignments. Students learn how methods such as mathematical modeling, observation, and field and laboratory experimentation are used to discover new information about a specific scientific topic. Topics covered by the professors may or may not be thematically linked.
This course replaces BIOL T122, CHEM T122, PHYS T122