The study of chemistry or biochemistry at Swarthmore College involves the completion of a core curriculum (eight courses) providing the fundamentals of inorganic, organic, analytical, physical and biological chemistry. Whereas only one seminar is needed to meet the minimum requirements for the degree, students are encouraged to enrich their program with additional seminars and/or research courses. A variety of research opportunities exist for students majoring in the department including a number of interdisciplinary projects.
All applications for the major in Chemistry or Biochemistry are reviewed by the department as a whole. We do not base our decision on a minimum grade point average, but we do consider grades in all college-level courses in Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and Physics. Decisions will normally not be made until Chemistry 22 (Organic Chemistry I) is completed and significant progress has been made towards meeting the Physics and Mathematics prerequisite requirements for enrollment in Physical Chemistry. An element in a student's acceptance as a major is our considered judgment of the student's potential for a satisfactory performance in advanced course work, including fulfillment of the comprehensive requirement.
Course students majoring in Chemistry must complete the courses numbered: 10/10H (General Chemistry) or the equivalent, 22 and 32 (Organic Chemistry), 38 (Biological Chemistry), 44 and 45 (Physical Chemistry), 43 (Analytical Methods and Instrumentation) and 46 (Inorganic Chemistry). Other required courses for the major include Physics 3 and 4 (or the equivalent), Math 15, one of Math 25, 25s or 26 and one of Math 33, 34 or 35. These Physics and Math requirements should be completed by the end of the sophomore year. In addition, students selecting the Chemistry course option must satisfactorily complete a minimum of one seminar. For a current list of seminars, see Courses.
FOR ALL STUDENTS: Chemistry 10, 22 and 44 constitute a minimum set of prerequisites for enrollment in any Chemistry Department seminar. These requirements should be completed by the end of the Fall semester of the junior year. Students should also make note of the Physics and Mathematics prerequisites for Chemistry 44 and 45. Individual seminars carry additional prerequisites, as listed under Courses.
The Chemistry Department will offer a Course minor in Chemistry, but not in Biochemistry, with the following requirements:
All fields in Chemistry (except the Research Thesis) will be examined in three hour written examinations prepared by the External Examiners. These exams may be "open book", with one or more of the principal texts used in the seminar available to the student during the examination. Where appropriate, Examiners may be encouraged to assign specific readings (papers from the original literature, sections from advanced texts, etc.) that students will prepare prior to the written exam. The Honors Research Thesis will be only be examined orally by the External Examiner chosen in that field. Honors oral exams will generally be given by individual Examiners, but the exams will be scheduled so that all Chemistry Examiners can observe the Chemistry orals for all Honors students. In the case of team-taught seminars where two Examiners are involved, both will contribute to the oral examination process for that seminar.
To be admitted as a major or minor in the Honors Program in chemistry/biochemistry/chemical physics, a student must present a minimum of two graded courses in chemistry taken at Swarthmore College. In addition, the Department looks for indications that the student will participate actively in seminars and can successfully work in an independent manner. To be eligible, no grade in the department may be below a B- and the minimum GPA in chemistry courses should be 3.0. A student previously accepted into the Honors Program but not maintaining this GPA in chemistry and biochemistry courses, will be, by department decision, asked to withdraw from Honors.
The fields offered by the Department of Chemistry for examination by external examiners as part of the Honors Program are listed below. The Department will offer 3 of these preparations during each academic year.
In addition, a two credit Research Thesis will be offered during each academic year. All Honors majors in Chemistry will be required to include a Research Thesis as one of their three fields of study. Regardless of the fields selected for external examination, all Honors majors in Chemistry are required to meet the requirements for a Chemistry major specified above.
Preparation for a Research Thesis within an Honors program consists of enrollment in two credits of Chemistry 180 during the senior year. Except under extraordinary circumstances, students presenting a thesis for external examination will also spend the summer between their junior and senior years on campus initiating their research project.
Preparations for all other fields consist of completion of the relevant single credit seminar and associated prerequisites. For each of the preparations, these prerequisites include Chemistry 10, 22 and 44; Math 15 and one of Math 25, 25s or 26; Physics 3 and 4. Individual preparations carry additional requirements and prerequisites (as listed for individual seminars in Courses).
All of the fields available to Chemistry and Biochemistry majors are available for students wishing to minor in Chemistry, with the exception of the Research Thesis. All minors must meet the same prerequisite requirements for seminars established by the Department for Chemistry and Biochemistry majors. For "Criteria for Admission", please see the section "The Chemistry Major (Honors Program) above.
Each year the chemistry department brings a number of visitors to campus who give lectures on their research and spend the day interacting with faculty and students. Attendance is a requirement for students doing research in the department as well as those students involved in the department's comprehensive examination program.
The comprehensive requirement in chemistry and biochemistry will consist of a series of short exams administered throughout the academic year to senior majors. These exams will be based on the presentations made by speakers in the Departments's Colloquium Series and the literature readings the speakers suggest. Senior majors are encouraged to (1) attend the "preview" sessions that are held the week before a presentation, (2) study the suggested readings and, (3) attend the colloquium presentations as preparations for the exams.
The following regulations will govern this process:
The Chemistry Department is eager to accommodate the foreign study aspirations of Chemistry and Biochemistry majors. Because of the sequential nature of the curriculum, however, substantial advance planning is required and interested students are encouraged to consult with the Foreign Study advisor and the Department Chair at the earliest possible opportunity. Students should be aware that it is very difficult to complete a Chemistry or Biochemistry major if the foreign study includes the Fall semester of the junior year.