Our Chemistry Major

Learn by doing

Do research alongside your professors as early as your first semester. Graduate with co-authored papers on your resume. Travel to present your research at national conferences.

Get hands-on experience with lasers, fluorescence and NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectrometers—more than $1 million in equipment!

Both in the classroom and out, you'll examine science from multiple perspectives.

Classes are small and emphasize collaboration, giving you teamwork experience that employers value. We designed our building and lab spaces for workshop-style classes, so you'll move seamlessly from lecture to group work to labs.

You'll be well-versed in the fundamentals of general, organic and physical chemistry-and then choose from popular upper level courses on medicinal chemistry, forensics or how to spot scientific mistakes.

Our chemistry students and faculty thrive on close, professional connections with each other as they explore the relationship between chemistry and everyday life.

Prepare for a future with endless possibilities

Whether you see yourself doing research, teaching, practicing medicine or working in law enforcement, a chemistry degree prepares you for a fulfilling career. You'll be ready to step right into a job or a graduate program with experience on a research internship or presenting research at national conferences.

About half of our graduates pursue graduate studies in organic, physical and inorganic chemistry. A chemistry major sets you apart on dental and medical school applications—they know you can easily master challenging material.

Our graduates immediately pursue advanced schooling or careers in:

Medical School
Dental School
Pharmaceuticals
Alternative energy
Biotech fields
Sales
Education
Law enforcement

If you're interested in teaching, we've received a $1.2 million grant to fund special scholarships for students interested in teaching chemistry, physics and math in high-need school districts.

Our students go on to graduate school at:

Albert Einstein School of Medicine
Brown University
Cornell University
Drexel University College of Medicine
Georgetown University
Johns Hopkins University
The Ohio State University
Pennsylvania College of Optometry
Pennsylvania State University
Thomas Jefferson Medical School
University of California, Berkeley
University of Connecticut
Western University of Health Sciences
Yale University

Recent graduates have worked at:

Amgen
Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory
Eli Lilly
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Merck & Co.
National Institutes of Health
Precision Dermatologics
Sanofi

Requirements for the Majors in Chemistry, Biochemistry and Chemical Physics. Susquehanna offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry and Bachelor of Science degrees in chemistry, biochemistry and chemical physics.

Students in the chemistry department may, with department head approval, complete both a major and a minor in the department.

Double-counting restriction: students pursuing a chemistry or biochemistry major in the chemistry department may double-count a maximum of 16 semester hours toward another major or minor.

The Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry requires the following courses, with grades of C- or better:

Semester Hours	View Full Course Catalog >>
4 General Chemistry I - choose from: CHEM-101, CHEM-103 or CHEM-111 4 General Chemistry II - choose from: CHEM-102, CHEM-104 or CHEM-112
4 CHEM-221 Organic Chemistry I
4 CHEM-222 Organic Chemistry II
4 CHEM-231 Quantitative Analysis
4 CHEM-341 Physical Chemistry I
4 CHEM-342 Physical Chemistry II
4 CHEM-450 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry
4 PHYS-203 or PHYS-204 Introductory Physics I (Calculus-based) 4 PHYS-206 Introductory Physics II (Calculus-based) 4 Four semester equivalents of CHEM-505 Seminar 0-8 Mathematics through MATH-112 Calculus II 2 CHEM-400 Research Experience 2 CHEM-500 Problems in Chemistry and Biochemistry Other chemistry courses selected to fulfill career goals.
A student may qualify to graduate as an American Chemical Society certified professional chemist by completing CHEM-430 Instrumental Analysis and CHEM-422 The Biochemistry of Nucleic Acids or CHEM-426 The Biochemistry of Proteins and Enzymes, and one advanced senior course beyond the Bachelor of Arts courses in chemistry.

Requirements for the Majors in Chemistry and Biochemistry. Susquehanna offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry and Bachelor of Science degrees in both chemistry and biochemistry.

The Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry requires a minimum of 49 semester hours in chemistry, including all courses required for the Bachelor of Arts degree, plus CHEM-430 Instrumental Analysis, one elective in chemistry or biochemistry, and an additional four-semester-hour mathematics or computer science course other than MATH-101 or MATH-105. All required courses must be completed with a grade of C- or higher.

The Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry requires the following courses, with grades of C- or better:

Semester Hours	View Full Course Catalog >>
4 CHEM-101 General Chemistry I, or CHEM-103 General Chemistry I Teams or CHEM-111 General Chemistry I Teams WS 4 CHEM-102 General Chemistry II, or CHEM-104 General Chemistry II Teams or CHEM-112 General Chemistry Teams WS
4 CHEM-221 Organic Chemistry I
4 CHEM-222 Organic Chemistry II
4 CHEM-231 Quantitative Analysis
4 CHEM-341 Physical Chemistry I
4 CHEM-342 Physical Chemistry II
4 CHEM-450 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry
4 PHYS-204 Introductory Physics I (Calculus-based) 4 PHYS-205 Introductory Physics II (Calculus-based) 4 Four semester equivalents of CHEM-505 Seminar 0-8 Mathematics through MATH-112 Calculus II Other chemistry courses selected to fulfill career goals.
A student may qualify to graduate as an American Chemical Society certified professional chemist by completing CHEM-430 Instrumental Analysis and CHEM-422 The Biochemistry of Nucleic Acids or CHEM-426 The Biochemistry of Proteins and Enzymes, and one advanced senior course beyond the Bachelor of Arts courses in chemistry.

Minors. Students minoring in chemistry complete five courses: General Chemistry I (CHEM-101, CHEM-103 or CHEM-111) and General Chemistry II (CHEM-102, CHEM-104 or CHEM-112), CHEM-221 Organic Chemistry I, either CHEM-231 Quantitative Analysis or CHEM-311 Analytic Chemistry, and one course chosen from CHEM-222 Organic Chemistry II, CHEM-341 Physical Chemistry I, CHEM-422 The Biochemistry of Nucleic Acids, CHEM-424 The Biochemistry of Metabolism, and CHEM-426 The Biochemistry of Proteins and Enzymes.

Double-counting restriction: students majoring in chemical physics may not double-count courses towards a chemistry or physics minor.

Secondary Teaching Certification. The Chemistry Department offers secondary teaching certification for both chemistry and biochemistry majors.

Coursework required by the state of Pennsylvania for admission to the teacher certification program includes successful completion of ENGL-100 Writing and Thinking or equivalent course, at least 3 semester hours in British or American literature, at least 6 semester hours of mathematics coursework (or other courses which satisfy the Central Curriculum Analytical Thought requirement), and at least one 40-hour externship. Education course requirements for secondary education are EDUC-101 Introduction to Education and Society, EDUC-102 Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Education, EDUC-250 Educational Psychology, EDUC-260 Introduction to Special Education, EDUC-270 Instruction of Exceptional Students, EDUC-330 Technology in Education, EDUC-350 English Language Learners: Theory and Instruction, EDUC-380 Instructional Design, EDUC-424 Methods of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment in Teaching Science, EDUC-479 Principles of Learning and Teaching in Secondary Education, EDUC-483 Differentiated Instruction and Classroom Management in Secondary Education, and the EDUC-500 Student Teaching Package (EDUC-501, EDUC-502, EDUC-503, and EDUC-600).

In addition, secondary education chemistry students complete all of the usual requirements for the chemistry or biochemistry major, except for CHEM-400, and CHEM-500 (which is fulfilled with EDUC-500 Student Teaching Package). While not required, it is recommended that secondary education students complete at least 2 semester hours of CHEM-400.

Geneive Elizabeth Henry, Ph.D.

Department: Chemistry
Professor of Chemistry

henry@susqu.edu
570-372-4222

Swarna Basu, Ph.D.

Department: Dean of Arts and Sciences
Associate Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences

basu@susqu.edu
570-372-4223

Wade Johnson, Ph.D.

Department: Chemistry
Associate Professor of Chemistry

johnsonw@susqu.edu
570-372-4224

Lou Ann Tom, Ph.D.

Department: Chemistry
Associate Professor of Chemistry

toml@susqu.edu
570-372-4540

William G. Dougherty, Jr, Ph.D.

Department: Chemistry
Assistant Professor of Chemistry

doughertyw@susqu.edu
570-372-4255

Elizabeth M. Valentin

Department: Chemistry
Assistant Professor of Chemistry

valentin@susqu.edu
570-372-4249

Michael A. Parra

Department: Chemistry
Assistant Professor of Chemistry

parra@susqu.edu
570-372-4259

Audrey K Eroh

Department: Provost
Academic Assistant

eroh@susqu.edu
570-372-4211

A True College Experience

We know it takes a lot of hard work for chemistry majors to succeed in the classroom. But we want to help you become well-rounded and enjoy all that college has to offer. So get out of the lab and join a club, tune your trombone or hit the gym.

Not every school makes it this easy to pursue multiple interests, but we measure success by the flexibility you have to explore your options and have a life.

Our Facilities Get a Big Reaction

Lasers, spectrometers and a superconducting NMR, oh my!

Contact Us

Department of Chemistry

514 University Ave.
Selinsgrove, Pa. 17870

Get Directions

Location

Natural Sciences Center

Campus Map

Phone & Email

Genieve Henry, department head
570-372-4222
henry@susqu.edu

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