Environmental Chemistry majors typically take the following courses in the fall semester of their first year:
First-Year Experience Learning Community Courses
We will register you in these courses.
- Philosophy (PHIL 201)
- English Composition (ENG 101) OR Theology (TRS 201)
Why am I taking these classes? Honors students take equivalent honors courses.
Major and Elective Courses
You will need to choose and register for these courses.
- General Chemistry lecture & lab (CHEM 103 & 113)
- Calculus for Social-Life Sciences I (MATH 111) or Analytic Geometry & Calculus I (MATH 121) (see placement information below)
- Mechanisms of Life I lecture & lab (BIOL 105 &115)
Math placement
Your major requires you to take the math placement exam to determine what math course is at the right level for you.
About Your First Semester Courses
The first chemistry course in an environmental chemistry major is General Chemistry I (CHEM 103) and its accompanying lab (CHEM 113). This course lays the foundation for all the topics that will be covered in more advanced chemistry courses – physical chemistry, analytical chemistry, inorganic chemistry, and organic & biochemistry.
An environmental chemistry major should also take the first semester of a calculus sequence, MATH 111 or 121 (course dependent on calculus placement). Proficiency in math is required for advanced chemistry topics in physical chemistry. If you do not place into either MATH 111 or 121, you should take the summer pre-calc review course, MATH 11.
The study of the environment is multidisciplinary. An understanding of biological factors in the environment is essential. For a fifth course, a freshman environmental chemistry major should take Mechanisms of Life I, BIOL 105, and its accompanying lab, BIOL 115.
Environmental Chemistry majors cannot typically fit a first-semester foreign language course in their first year schedules, but must satisfy the foreign language requirement before graduation. If you have previously studied a language and can place into an upper-level language course you may be able to find a class that will fit your schedule or test out of your language requirement.
To learn more about the Environmental Chemistry major, consult the Chemistry Department’s website.
Know which courses you want? Get registered.