Chemistry and Biochemistry
| Contact Information Kim Pamplin, Chair ACU Box 28132 Abilene, Texas 79699-8132 Foster Science Building, Room 256
Majors:Biochemistry (BA)
Minor: Chemistry
Other Page Link: | Faculty T. Brian Cavitt, Assistant Professor Alvie Davis, Senior Faculty Eric Hardegree, Professor Kim Pamplin, Associate Professor Cynthia Powell, Instructor Gregory Powell, Professor Perry Reeves, Professor Autumn Sutherlin, Assistant Professor
Course Descriptions Please see the Course Descriptions
|
The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry offers Bachelor of Science degrees in chemistry and biochemistry. A Bachelor of Arts degree in biochemistry is also offered. The department works with the Department of Curriculum and Instruction to offer teacher certification in chemistry and in physical science. A “fast-track” cooperative degree in biochemistry is available for students who wish to enter professional school after three years at ACU (see the Interdisciplinary section of the catalog). A minor in chemistry may be added to other majors.
Introduction
The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry has the finest facilities, including more than a dozen undergraduate and research laboratories, and an outstanding faculty. The undergraduate program has been approved by the American Chemical Society (ACS) since 1971.
A major in chemistry or biochemistry prepares a student for a wide variety of work opportunities. Advancing the frontiers of chemical and biochemical knowledge through research can be accomplished in an academic or industrial setting. Alumni teach chemistry and other sciences
at any level from grade school through university. Chemists and biochemists work in areas of biotechnology, polymers, forensics, environmental monitoring and remediation, as well as in the petroleum, pharmaceutical and manufacturing industries.
Health professions such as medicine and dentistry require an understanding of chemistry and biochemistry as a basis for advanced study. More than 100 practicing doctors and dentists majored in chemistry or biochemistry at ACU as a part of their pre-professional training. In addition, law schools and business schools readily admit individuals with strong science backgrounds to their graduate programs.
To help students better tailor their undergraduate program to eventual career goals, the department offers eight degree programs. Bachelor of Science programs in chemistry (ACS track) or biochemistry (ACS or standard tracks) are designed for students who plan a career as a professional chemist or biochemist, or those who intend to work toward a graduate degree. The BS degrees in chemistry and biochemistry (ACS tracks) are designed to comply with ACS guidelines. The BS degree in chemistry (teaching track) is designed to lead to certification as a secondary chemistry teacher. The BS degree leading to physical science certification is designed to prepare students to teach physics, chemistry, and related subjects in grades 8-12. The BA degree in biochemistry and the BS degree in biochemistry (health science track) are designed for students who are preparing to enter professional schools of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy or optometry, or for those who wish to enter the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industries. A “fast-track” cooperative degree in biochemistry allows students to enter professional schools after three years at ACU.
Study Abroad Expectations
All students are encouraged to participate in ACU’s Study Abroad program. Classes offered at Study Abroad sites vary depending on the site. Academic advisors can assist students in planning ahead for their Study Abroad experience and should be consulted during the freshman year.
Bachelor of Science Degrees (BS)
Admission Requirements
Before being admitted to the program in chemistry or biochemistry, a student must satisfy the requirements listed in the ACT/SAT Placement Information section of this catalog.
| BS: CHEMISTRY DEGREE PLAN (CHEM) ______________________________________________________________________ | |
|---|---|
| UNIVERSITY CORE | |
| Bible | |
BIBL 101 Life and Teachings of Jesus ..................................................................... BIBL 102 Acts-Revelation ...................................................................................... BIBL 211 Message of the Old Testament ................................................................. BIBL 212 Christianity in Culture ............................................................................. Advanced Bible .................................................................................................... | 3 3 3 3 3 |
| English | |
ENGL 111 Composition and Rhetoric ...................................................................... Sophomore Literature .......................................................................................... | 3 3 |
| Speech | |
| COMS 111 Fundamentals of Communication ........................................................... | 3 |
| History | |
| HIST 100-299 ..................................................................................................... | 3 |
| Science | |
CHEM 133 General Chemistry I ............................................................................. PHYS 120 Engineering Physics I (CHMT may substitute PHYS 110) ............................ | 3 3 |
| Mathematics | |
MATH 185 Calculus I (CHMT may substitute MATH 131) ........................................... | 3 |
| Exercise Science | |
| EXSC 100 + 3 activities ........................................................................................ | 4 |
| University Seminar | |
| UNIV 100 ............................................................................................................ | 1 |
| TOTAL UNIVERSITY CORE ....................................................................................... | 41 |
| BS DEGREE CORE | |
| English | |
| ENGL 112 Composition and Literature .................................................................... | 3 |
| Social Sciences/Humanities | |
| Choose from: anthropology, economics (also AGRB 261), geography, history, philosophy, political science, psychology (also EDUC 221), sociology (maximum one course per area) ...................................................................... |
9 |
| Fine Arts | |
| Choose one: ART 101, MUSM 230, MUSM 231, MUSM 232, MUSM 233, THEA 220 or THEA 250 ..................................................................... | 3 |
| TOTAL BS CORE ...................................................................................................... | 15 |
| MAJOR REQUIREMENTS | |
| Chemistry | |
CHEM 131 General Chemistry I Lab ....................................................................... CHEM 132/134 General Chemistry II Lecture/Lab .................................................... CHEM 221/223 Organic Chemistry I Lecture/Lab ..................................................... CHEM 322/324 Organic Chemistry II Lecture/Lab .................................................... CHEM 323 Chemistry and Biochemistry Seminar (writing-intensive course) .............. CHEM 351 Electrochemistry and Volumetric Analysis ............................................... CHEM 352 General Spectroscopy ........................................................................... CHEM 353 Analytical Separations ........................................................................... CHEM 354 Organic Spectroscopy ........................................................................... CHEM 453 Biochemistry I ...................................................................................... Advanced Chemistry Course ................................................................................. | 1 4 4 4 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 |
| TOTAL ..................................................................................................................... | 28 |
| SUPPLEMENT FOR MAJOR (TRACKS) | |
| ACS Track (CHEM) | |
Chemistry CHEM 334 Physical Chemistry II ............................................................................ CHEM 441/443 Inorganic Chemistry Lecture/Lab ..................................................... | 4 4 4 |
Mathematics MATH 286 Calculus III .......................................................................................... | 3 3 |
Physics PHYS 122/123 Engineering Physics II Lecture/Lab ................................................... | 1 4 |
| TOTAL ..................................................................................................................... | 23 |
| CHEMISTRY EDUCATION Track (CHMT) | |
CHEM 413 Physical Chemistry/Life Sciences ........................................................... PHYS 121 Engineering Physics I Lab and PHYS 122/123 Engineering Physics II EDUC 211 Education Foundations and Multicultural Perspectives ............................... EDUC 221 Educational Psychology (may also fulfill social sciences requirement) ....... EDUC 412 Secondary Curriculum and Media and EDUC 432 Secondary Management and Methods ................................................ EDUC 492 Student Teaching: High School ............................................................... READ 322 Reading in Secondary Content Areas ...................................................... SPED 371 Teaching Students with Special Needs ..................................................... | 3
5 3 3
6 6 3 3 |
| TOTAL ..................................................................................................................... | 29-32 |
| ELECTIVES | |
Minimum (ACS Track) .......................................................................................... Minimum (CHMT Track) ........................................................................................ | 21 12-15 |
| CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION TO TEACHER EDUCATION (FOR CHMT TRACK) | |
Before taking more than 6 hours of any combination of EDUC classes, a student must first be admitted to the Teacher Education Program.
To be admitted to the Teacher Education Program, a students must: 1. Complete and submit an application for admission into the Teacher Education Program; 2. Be enrolled in or have completed the first 45 semester hours of credit; 3. Have a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.7 (2.7 or higher in the content field); 4. Complete 6 hours of University Core English with no grade lower than a “C”; 5. Pass all three sections of the Texas Higher Education assessment (THEA) test, with a score 6. Be enrolled in or successfully complete (“C” or better) EDUC 211 Educational Foundations 7. Receive approval from the Teacher Education Admissions and Review Committee. An interview with the committee may be required.
Any exemptions or modifications to the above requirements due to special circumstances must be requested through the chair of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. All requests will be reviewed and must be approved by the Teacher Education Admissions and Review Committee. In addition, admission to teacher education is not the final step in the process. In order to remain in the program, the prospective teacher must continue to meet the GPA requirement (2.7). Approval to take Education Block classes (411/412 and 431/432) and to enroll in student teaching must be obtained from the Teacher Education Admissions and Review Committee before enrolling in those classes.
Other Teacher Education Requirements: 1. In order to remain in the Teacher Education Program, an overall GPA of 2.70, 2.70 GPA in 2. A grade of "C" or better is required for all majors courses. 3. Junior and senior transfer students must take the THEA and be admitted to the Teacher | |
| OTHER GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS | |
Minimum GPA for graduation (ACS Track) .............................................................. Minimum GPA for graduation (CHMT Track) ............................................................ Minimum advanced hours ..................................................................................... Minimum total hours ............................................................................................. | 2.00 2.70 33 128 |
Courses numbered 0** do not count in minimum hours required for degree. | |
| BS: BIOCHEMISTRY DEGREE PLAN (BCH) ______________________________________________________________________ | |
|---|---|
| UNIVERSITY CORE | |
| Bible | |
| BIBL 101 Life and Teachings of Jesus ..................................................................... BIBL 102 Acts-Revelation ...................................................................................... BIBL 211 Message of the Old Testament ................................................................. BIBL 212 Christianity in Culture ............................................................................. Advanced Bible .................................................................................................... | 3 3 3 3 3 |
| English | |
| ENGL 111 Composition and Rhetoric ...................................................................... Sophomore Literature .......................................................................................... | 3 3 |
| Speech | |
| COMS 111 Fundamentals of Communication ........................................................... | 3 |
| History | |
| HIST 100-299 ..................................................................................................... | 3 |
| Science | |
BIOL 112 General Biology I .................................................................................. CHEM 133 General Chemistry I ............................................................................. | 3 3 |
| Mathematics | |
| MATH 124 or 185 (BCHS may substitute MATH 131) ................................................ | 3 |
| Exercise Science | |
| EXSC 100 + 3 activities ....................................................................................... | 4 |
| University Seminar | |
| UNIV 100 ............................................................................................................ | 1 |
| TOTAL UNIVERSITY CORE ....................................................................................... | 41 |
| BS DEGREE CORE | |
| English | |
| ENGL 112 Composition and Literature .................................................................... | 3 |
| Social Sciences/Humanities | |
| Choose from: anthropology, economics (also AGRB 261), geography, history, philosophy, political science, psychology (also EDUC 221), sociology (maximum one course per area) ...................................................................... |
9 |
| Fine Arts | |
| Choose one: ART 101, MUSM 230, MUSM 231, MUSM 232, MUSM 233, THEA 220 or THEA 250 ..................................................................... | 3 |
| TOTAL BS CORE ...................................................................................................... | 15 |
| MAJOR REQUIREMENTS | |
| Chemistry | |
CHEM 131 General Chemistry I Lab ....................................................................... CHEM 132/134 General Chemistry II Lecture/Lab .................................................... CHEM 221/223 Organic Chemistry I Lecture/Lab ..................................................... CHEM 322/324 Organic Chemistry II Lecture/Lab .................................................... CHEM 323 Chemistry and Biochemistry Seminar (writing-intensive course) .............. CHEM 352 General Spectroscopy ........................................................................... CHEM 353 Analytical Separations ........................................................................... CHEM 453 Biochemistry I ...................................................................................... CHEM 454 Biochemistry II ..................................................................................... CHEM 463 Biochemistry Lab I ................................................................................ CHEM 464 Biochemistry Lab II ............................................................................... | 1 4 4 4 1 2 2 3 3 1 1 |
| Biology | |
BIOL 114 General Biology I Lab ............................................................................. BIOL 113/115 General Biology II Lecture/Lab ......................................................... | 1 4 3 |
| TOTAL ..................................................................................................................... | 34 |
| SUPPLEMENT FOR MAJOR (TRACKS) | |
| ACS Track (BCHC) | |
CHEM 333 Physical Chemistry I ............................................................................ CHEM 334 Physical Chemistry II ........................................................................... CHEM 443 Inorganic Chemistry ............................................................................ MATH 185 Calculus I ............................................................................................ MATH 186 Calculus II ........................................................................................... MATH 286 Calculus III .......................................................................................... PHYS 120/121 Engineering Physics I Lecture/Lab .................................................... PHYS 122/123 Engineering Physics II Lecture/Lab ................................................... | 4 4 3 3 3 3 4 4 |
| TOTAL ..................................................................................................................... | 28 |
| STANDARD Track (BCHE) | |
CHEM 333 Physical Chemistry I ............................................................................. CHEM 334 Physical Chemistry II ............................................................................ CHEM 443 Inorganic Chemistry ............................................................................. MATH 185 Calculus I ............................................................................................ MATH 186 Calculus II ........................................................................................... PHYS 110/111 General Physics I Lecture/Lab .......................................................... PHYS 112/113 General Physics II Lecture/Lab ......................................................... | 4 4 3 3 3 4 4 |
| TOTAL ..................................................................................................................... | 25 |
| HEALTH SCIENCES Track (BCHS) | |
CHEM 413 Physical Chemistry/Life Sciences ........................................................... BIOL 475 Molecular Genetics ................................................................................. Choose 9 hours from: BIOL 221/223, 222/224, 313, 330, 355, 357, 454, 480, 484, 491/493, 495, 498 ........................................................................................... Choose 3 hours from: MATH 131, 185 or BIOL 483 .................................................. PHYS 110/111 General Physics I Lecture/Lab .......................................................... PHYS 112/113 General Physics II Lecture/Lab ......................................................... | 3 3
9 3 4 4 |
| TOTAL ..................................................................................................................... | 26 |
| ELECTIVES | |
Minimum ACS ..................................................................................................... Minimum Standard .............................................................................................. Minimum Health Sciences ..................................................................................... | 10 13 12 |
| OTHER GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS | |
Minimum GPA for graduation ................................................................................ Minimum advanced hours .................................................................................... Minimum total hours ............................................................................................ | 2.00 33 128 |
Courses numbered 0** do not count in minimum hours required for degree. | |
PHYSICAL SCIENCE (ONE-FIELD TEACHER CERTIFICATION GRADES 8-12) (BS)
| BS: HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER CERTIFICATION - PHYSICAL SCIENCE (GRADES 8-12) DEGREE PLAN (CPST) ______________________________________________________________________ | |
|---|---|
| UNIVERSITY CORE | |
| Bible | |
BIBL 101 Life and Teachings of Jesus ................................................................... BIBL 102 Acts-Revelation .................................................................................... BIBL 211 Message of the Old Testament ............................................................... BIBL 212 Christianity in Culture ........................................................................... Advanced Bible (recommend BIBM 390, 430, 434, 438) .......................................... | 3 3 3 3 3 |
| English | |
ENGL 111 Composition and Rhetoric .................................................................... Sophomore Literature - choose one: ENGL 221, 231, 262 ....................................... | 3 3 |
| Speech | |
| COMS 111 Fundamentals of Communication ......................................................... | 3 |
| History | |
| HIST 117 Civilization orHIST 221 American History I ............................................ | 3 |
| Science | |
AENV 130 Environmental and Technological Science .............................................. PHYS 101 Astronomy .......................................................................................... | 3 3 |
| Mathematics | |
MATH 124 Precalculus II ..................................................................................... | 3 |
| Exercise Science | |
| EXSC 100 + 3 activities ...................................................................................... | 4 |
| University Seminar | |
| UNIV 100 .......................................................................................................... | 1 |
| TOTAL UNIVERSITY CORE ..................................................................................... | 41 |
| BS DEGREE CORE | |
| English | |
| ENGL 112 Composition and Literature ................................................................... | 3 |
| Social Sciences/Humanities | |
| Choose from: anthropology, economics (also AGRB 261), geography, history, philosophy, political science, psychology (also EDUC 221), sociology (maximum one course per area) .................................................................... |
9 |
| Fine Arts | |
| Choose one: ART 101, MUSM 230, MUSM 231, MUSM 232, MUSM 233, THEA 220 or THEA 250 ..................................................................... | 3 |
| TOTAL BS CORE .................................................................................................... | 15 |
| MAJOR REQUIREMENTS | |
CHEM 131/133 General Chemistry I Lecture/Lab ................................................... CHEM 132/134 General Chemistry II Lecture/Lab .................................................. CHEM 221/223 Organic Chemistry I Lecture/Lab ................................................... CHEM 322/324 Organic Chemistry II Lecture/Lab .................................................. CHEM 351 Electrochemistry and Volumetric Analysis ............................................. CHEM 354 Organic Spectroscopy ......................................................................... GEOL 111 Introduction to Geology ....................................................................... PHYS 102 Physical Science .................................................................................. | 4 4 4 4 2 2 |
| TOTAL .................................................................................................................... | 37 |
| SUPPLEMENT FOR MAJOR | |
Sophomore Literature (choose one - must be a continuation of the university core): SPED 371 Teaching Students with Special Needs (writing-intensive course) .............. | 3 3 3 |
| TOTAL ................................................................................................................... | 9 |
| PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS | |
| EDUC 211 Education Foundations and Multicultural Perspectives ............................. EDUC 221 Educational Psychology (may also fulfill social sciences requirement) ..... EDUC 412 Secondary Curriculum and Media ........................................................ EDUC 432 Secondary Management and Methods ................................................... EDUC 492 Student Teaching: High School ............................................................. | 3 3 3 3 6 |
| TOTAL ................................................................................................................... | 15-18 |
| ELECTIVES | |
Minimum ........................................................................................................... | 9-12 |
| CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION TO TEACHER EDUCATION | |
Before taking more than 6 hours of any combination of EDUC classes, a student must first be admitted to the Teacher Education Program.
To be admitted to the Teacher Education Program, a students must: 1. Complete and submit an application for admission into the Teacher Education Program; 2. Be enrolled in or have completed the first 45 semester hours of credit; 3. Have a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.7 (2.7 or higher in the content field); 4. Complete 6 hours of University Core English with no grade lower than a “C”; 5. Pass all three sections of the Texas Higher Education assessment (THEA) test, with a score 6. Be enrolled in or successfully complete (“C” or better) EDUC 211 Educational Foundations 7. Receive approval from the Teacher Education Admissions and Review Committee. An interview with the committee may be required.
Any exemptions or modifications to the above requirements due to special circumstances must be requested through the chair of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. All requests will be reviewed and must be approved by the Teacher Education Admissions and Review Committee. In addition, admission to teacher education is not the final step in the process. In order to remain in the program, the prospective teacher must continue to meet the GPA requirement (2.7). Approval to take Education Block classes (411/412 and 431/432) and to enroll in student teaching must be obtained from the Teacher Education Admissions and Review Committee before enrolling in those classes.
Other Teacher Education Requirements: 1. In order to remain in the Teacher Education Program, an overall GPA of 2.70, 2.70 GPA in 2. A grade of "C" or better is required for all majors courses. 3. Junior and senior transfer students must take the THEA and be admitted to the Teacher | |
| OTHER GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS | |
Minimum GPA for graduation ............................................................................... Minimum advanced hours ................................................................................... Minimum total hours ........................................................................................... | 2.70 33 129 |
Courses numbered 0** do not count in minimum hours required for degree. | |
Bachelor of Arts Degrees (BA)
Admission Requirements
Before being admitted to the program in chemistry or biochemistry, a student must satisfy the requirements listed in the ACT/SAT Placement Information section of this catalog.
BA: BIOCHEMISTRY DEGREE PLAN (BCHA) ______________________________________________________________________ | |
|---|---|
| UNIVERSITY CORE | |
| Bible | |
| BIBL 101 Life and Teachings of Jesus .................................................................... BIBL 102 Acts-Revelation ..................................................................................... BIBL 211 Message of the Old Testament ................................................................ BIBL 212 Christianity in Culture ............................................................................ Advanced Bible ................................................................................................... | 3 3 3 3 3 |
| English | |
| ENGL 111 Composition and Rhetoric ..................................................................... Sophomore Literature .......................................................................................... | 3 3 |
| Speech | |
| COMS 111 Fundamentals of Communication .......................................................... | 3 |
| History | |
| HIST 100-299 ..................................................................................................... | 3 |
| Science | |
| BIOL 112 General Biology I .................................................................................. CHEM 133 General Chemistry I ............................................................................ | 3 3 |
| Mathematics | |
| MATH 124 or 185 ................................................................................................ | 3 |
| Exercise Science | |
| EXSC 100 + 3 activities ....................................................................................... | 4 |
| University Seminar | |
| UNIV 100 ........................................................................................................... | 1 |
| TOTAL UNIVERSITY CORE ...................................................................................... | 41 |
| BA DEGREE CORE | |
| English | |
ENGL 112 Composition and Literature ................................................................... Sophomore Literature .......................................................................................... | 3 3 |
| Social Sciences/Humanities | |
| Choose from: anthropology, economics (also AGRB 261), geography, history, philosophy, political science, psychology (also EDUC 221), sociology (maximum one course per area) ..................................................................... |
9 |
| Foreign Language | |
| (requirement waived) .......................................................................................... | 0 |
| Fine Arts | |
| Choose one: ART 101, MUSM 231, MUSM 232, MUSM 233, THEA 220 or THEA 250 ..................................................................... | 3 |
| TOTAL BA CORE ..................................................................................................... | 18 |
| MAJOR REQUIREMENTS | |
| Chemistry | |
CHEM 131 General Chemistry I Lab ...................................................................... CHEM 132/134 General Chemistry II Lecture/Lab ................................................... CHEM 221/223 Organic Chemistry I Lecture/Lab .................................................... CHEM 322/324 Organic Chemistry II Lecture/Lab ................................................... CHEM 323 Chemistry and Biochemistry Seminar (writing-intensive course) .............. CHEM 352 General Spectroscopy .......................................................................... CHEM 353 Analytical Separations .......................................................................... CHEM 453 Biochemistry I ..................................................................................... CHEM 454 Biochemistry II .................................................................................... CHEM 463 Biochemistry Lab I ............................................................................... CHEM 464 Biochemistry Lab II ............................................................................. | 1 4 4 4 1 2 2 3 3 1 1 |
| Biology | |
BIOL 114 General Biology I Lab ............................................................................ BIOL 113/115 General Biology II Lecture/Lab ........................................................ BIOL 312 Cell Biology .......................................................................................... | 1 4 3 |
| TOTAL .................................................................................................................... | 34 |
| SUPPLEMENT FOR MAJOR | |
| Chemistry | |
| CHEM 413 Physical Chemistry/Life Sciences .......................................................... | 3 |
| Mathematics | |
| MATH 185 Calculus I ........................................................................................... | 3 |
| Physics | |
PHYS 110/111 General Physics I Lecture/Lab ......................................................... PHYS 112/113 General Physics II Lecture/Lab ........................................................ | 4 4 |
| TOTAL .................................................................................................................... | 14 |
| ELECTIVES | |
| Minimum .............................................................................................................. | 21 |
| OTHER GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS | |
Minimum GPA for graduation ................................................................................. Minimum advanced hours ...................................................................................... Minimum total hours .............................................................................................. | 2.00 33 128 |
Courses numbered 0** do not count in minimum hours required for degree. | |
Cooperative Bachelor of Science Degrees (BS)
ACU awards the bachelor’s degree with a biochemistry track to certain qualified students who have satisfactorily completed three years of prescribed work at ACU (a minimum of 104 hours) plus one year at a recognized professional school. See the Health Professions Cooperative Degree in the Interdisciplinary Programs section of this catalog for complete course requirements.
| MINOR: CHEMISTRY (CHEM) | |
|---|---|
| Chemistry Foundations | |
CHEM 131/133 General Chemistry I Lecture/Lab .................................................... CHEM 132/134 General Chemistry II Lecture/Lab ................................................... CHEM 221/223 Organic Chemistry I Lecture/Lab .................................................... | 4 4 4 |
| Advanced Chemistry | |
| CHEM 322/324 Organic Chemistry II Lecture/Lab ................................................... | 4 |
| Advanced Chemistry selection from: | |
| CHEM 333-375, 413-454 ...................................................................................... | ≥2 |
| TOTAL .................................................................................................................... | ≥18 |
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