Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry
High school preparation for the chemistry and biochemistry degree programs should include two years of algebra, one year of geometry, one-half year of trigonometry, one year of chemistry, and one year of physics. Calculus is highly recommended.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate an understanding of key concepts and an ability to solve problems in the five chemistry sub-disciplines: analytical chemistry, biochemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, and physical chemistry.
- Perform basic chemistry laboratory procedures, including the use of modern instrumentation, for the synthesis, separation, isolation, analysis, and characterization of molecules.
- Effectively communicate the results of scientific experiments in oral reports, technical graphics, and written reports.
- Demonstrate the retention and synthesis of prior learning in advanced classes.
- Search the chemical literature for published work relevant to a project of interest, read and understand technical literature related to the discipline.
- Draw on classroom knowledge to contribute to solutions to problems encountered in a laboratory.
- Articulate an understanding of the relationship between chemistry and related disciplines such as biological science, materials science, and environmental science.
- Contribute to solving problems encountered in chemistry as part of a team.
- Understand the key experiments that led to the development of chemical theories and models.
Chemistry (B.A.) — 54 units minimum
- All courses used in the major program must be completed with letter grades (CR/NC not allowed) and a minimum GPA of 2.0 (SF State Major GPA).
- Grades of C or better are required in Chemistry prerequisite courses.
Lower-Division Requirements (29 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 115 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM 215 | General Chemistry II | 4 |
| CHEM 233 & CHEM 234 | Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry I Laboratory | 5 |
| MATH 226 | Calculus I | 4 |
| MATH 227 | Calculus II | 4 |
| Select one: | 8 | |
| General Physics I and General Physics I Laboratory and General Physics II and General Physics II Laboratory | ||
| General Physics with Calculus I and General Physics with Calculus I Laboratory and General Physics with Calculus II and General Physics with Calculus II Laboratory | ||
| General Physics with Calculus I and General Physics with Calculus I Laboratory and General Physics with Calculus III and General Physics with Calculus III Laboratory | ||
Upper-Division Requirements (22 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Select One: | 3 | |
| Physical Chemistry for Life Sciences I | ||
| Physical Chemistry I: Thermodynamics and Kinetics | ||
| CHEM 321 | Quantitative Chemical Analysis | 3 |
| CHEM 322 | Quantitative Chemical Analysis Laboratory | 2 |
| CHEM 325 | Inorganic Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 335 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM 336 | Organic Chemistry II Laboratory | 2 |
| Select One: | 3 | |
| Biochemistry I | ||
| General Biochemistry | ||
| CHEM 390GW | Contemporary Chemistry and Biochemistry Research - GWAR | 3 |
Upper-Division Electives (3 units minimum)
Students must complete at least 3 units of upper-division electives selected from the list below. Courses from community colleges cannot be substituted for the courses on the list below. Consult with an advisor regarding selection of elective courses and check course co- and prerequisites before enrolling. Graduate-level courses in chemistry or appropriate courses in biology, physics, geosciences, and computer science may be substituted upon prior approval of an advisor. Students should keep in mind that non-Chemistry courses may require additional prerequisites that are not met in the Chemistry degree or permission of the instructor.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 343 | Biochemistry I Laboratory 1 | 3 |
| CHEM 370 | Computer Applications in Chemistry and Biochemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 420 | Environmental Analysis | 3 |
| CHEM 422 | Instrumental Analysis | 4 |
| CHEM 426 | Advanced Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory | 2 |
| CHEM 451 | Experimental Physical Chemistry Laboratory | 2 |
| CHEM 667 | Optical Engineering for the Biological Sciences | 3 |
| CHEM 685 | Projects in the Teaching of Chemistry and Biochemistry | 1 |
| CHEM 686 | Experiences in Teaching Chemistry and Biochemistry 2 | 1 |
| CHEM 699 | Independent Study 3 | 2-3 |
| Select One: | 3 | |
| An Interdisciplinary Approach to Computer Programming | ||
| Machine Learning and Data Science for Personalized Medicine | ||
| Data Science and Machine Learning for Medical Image Analysis | ||
Note: A minimum of 30 upper-division units must be completed for the degree (including upper-division units required for the major, General Education, electives, etc.). A student can complete this major yet not attain the necessary number of upper-division units required for graduation. In this case, additional upper-division courses will be needed to reach the required total.
- 1
For students who pursue a double major in the BA Chemistry and BS Biochemistry programs, CHEM 343 cannot be used to meet the elective requirement for the BA Chemistry. Students must take a different approved elective list to meet this requirement.
- 2
May be repeated and up to 2 units used towards Elective requirement.
- 3
By petition only. Units must be taken in the same semester to be used as an upper division elective.
Complementary Studies
Students in the B.A. Chemistry program will satisfy the Complementary Studies requirement with the completion of courses in Physics and Mathematics that are required for the major.
Students who have earned AA-T or AS-T degrees and are pursuing a similar B.A. degree at SF State are required to fulfill the Complementary Studies requirement as defined by the major department. Students should consult with a major advisor about how transfer units and/or SF State units can best be applied to this requirement in order to ensure degree completion within 60 units.
General Education Requirements
| Requirement | Course Level | Units | Area Designation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral Communication | LD | 3 | A1 |
| Written English Communication | LD | 3 | A2 |
| Critical Thinking | LD | 3 | A3 |
| Physical Science | LD | 3 | B1 |
| Life Science | LD | 3 | B2 |
| Lab Science | LD | 1 | B3 |
| Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning | LD | 3 | B4 |
| Arts | LD | 3 | C1 |
| Humanities | LD | 3 | C2 |
| Arts or Humanities | LD | 3 | C1 or C2 |
| Social Sciences | LD | 3 | D1 |
| Social Sciences: US History | LD | 3 | D2 |
| Lifelong Learning and Self-Development (LLD) | LD | 3 | E |
| Ethnic Studies | LD | 3 | F |
| Physical and/or Life Science | UD | 3 | UD-B |
| Arts and/or Humanities | UD | 3 | UD-C |
| Social Sciences | UD | 3 | UD-D |
| SF State Studies | |||
| Courses certified as meeting the SF State Studies requirements may be upper or lower division in General Education (GE), a major or minor, or an elective. | |||
| American Ethnic and Racial Minorities | LD or UD | 3 | AERM |
| Environmental Sustainability | LD or UD | 3 | ES |
| Global Perspectives | LD or UD | 3 | GP |
| Social Justice | LD or UD | 3 | SJ |
Note: LD = Lower-Division; UD = Upper-Division.
First-Time Student Roadmap (4 Year)
The roadmaps presented in this Bulletin are intended as suggested plans of study and do not replace meeting with an advisor. For a more personalized roadmap, please use the Degree Planner tool found in your Student Center.
Transfer Student Roadmap (2 Year)
For students with an AS-T in Chemistry.
This degree program is an approved pathway (“similar” major) for students earning the ADT in Chemistry
California legislation SB 1440 (2009) mandated the creation of the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) to be awarded by the California Community Colleges. Two types of ADTs are awarded: Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) and Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T).
Note: no specific degree is required for admission as an upper-division student. However, the ADT includes specific guarantees related to admission and graduation and is designed to clarify the transfer process and strengthen lower-division preparation for the major.
An ADT totals 60 units and in most cases includes completion of all lower-division General Education requirements and at least 18 units in a specific major. (The Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Science AS-T degrees defer 3 units in lower-division GE area C and 3 units in lower-division GE area D until after transfer.) Students pursuing an ADT are guaranteed admission to the CSU if minimum eligibility requirements are met, though not necessarily to the CSU campus of primary choice.
Upon verification that the ADT has been awarded prior to matriculation at SF State, students are guaranteed B.A. or B.S. completion in 60 units if pursuing a “similar” major after transfer. Determinations about “similar” majors at SF State are made by faculty in the discipline.
Degree completion in 60 units cannot be guaranteed when a student simultaneously pursues an additional major, a minor, certificate, or credential.
A sample advising roadmap for students who have earned an ADT and continue in a "similar" major at SF State is available on the Roadmaps tab on the degree requirements page for the major. The roadmap displays:
- How many lower-division units required for the major have been completed upon entry based on the award of a specific ADT;
- Which lower-division requirements are considered complete upon entry based on the award of a specific ADT;
- How to complete the remaining 60 units for the degree in four semesters.
Students who have earned an ADT should seek advising in the major department during the first semester of attendance.
General Advising Information for Transfer Students
- Before transfer, complete as many lower-division requirements or electives for this major as possible.
- The following courses are not required for admission but are required for graduation. Students are strongly encouraged to complete these units before transfer; doing so will provide more flexibility in course selection after transfer.
- a course in U.S. History
- a course in U.S. & California Government
For information about satisfying the requirements described in (1) and (2) above at a California Community College (CCC), please visit http://www.assist.org. Check any geographically accessible CCCs; sometimes options include more than one college. Use ASSIST to determine:
- Which courses at a CCC satisfy any lower-division major requirements for this major;
- Which courses at a CCC satisfy CSU GE, US History, and US & CA Government requirements.
Remedial courses are not transferable and do not apply to the minimum 60 semester units/90 quarter units required for admission.
Additional units for courses that are repeated do not apply to the minimum 60 units required for upper-division transfer (for example, if a course was not passed on the first attempt or was taken to earn a better grade).
Before leaving the last California Community College of attendance, obtain a summary of completion of lower-division General Education units (IGETC or CSU GE Breadth). This is often referred to as a GE certification worksheet. SF State does not require delivery of this certification to Admissions, but students should retain this document for verifying degree progress after transfer.
Credit for Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or College-Level Examination Program courses: AP/IB/CLEP credit is not automatically transferred from the previous institution. Units are transferred only when an official score report is delivered to SF State. Credit is based on the academic year during which exams were taken. Refer to the University Bulletin in effect during the year of AP/IB/CLEP examination(s) for details regarding the award of credit for AP/IB/CLEP.
Students pursuing majors in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines often defer 6-9 units of lower-division General Education in Areas C and D until after transfer to focus on preparation courses for the major. This advice does not apply to students pursuing associate degree completion before transfer.
Transferring From Institutions Other Than CCCs or CSUs
Review SF State's lower-division General Education requirements. Note that, as described below, the four basic skills courses required for admission meet A1, A2, A3, and B4 in the SF State GE pattern. Courses that fulfill the remaining areas of SF State’s lower-division GE pattern are available at most two-year and four-year colleges and universities.
Of the four required basic skills courses, a course in critical thinking (A3) may not be widely offered outside the CCC and CSU systems. Students should attempt to identify and take an appropriate course no later than the term of application to the CSU. To review more information about the A3 requirement, please visit bulletin.sfsu.edu/undergraduate-education/general-education/lower-division/#AAEL.
Waiting until after transfer to take a single course at SF State that meets both US and CA/local government requirements may be an appropriate option, particularly if transferring from outside of California.