Undergraduate Advising

Chemistry Major

A chemistry major learns about matter, its properties, and energy transformations associated with matter.  A degree in chemistry can contribute to a wide variety of careers in laboratories, medicine, agriculture, government service, and many more!  Students declaring chemistry as their major embark on an exploration of the substances made from the atoms of the periodic table of the elements, and become well equipped to understand the science of the universe.

Chemistry Courses Required for Chemistry Majors

• CHEM 111/L and CHEM 112/L General Chemistry I and II with Lab
• CHEM 211 and 212 Analytical Chemistry and Lab
• CHEM 307-310 Organic Chemistry I and II with Lab
• CHEM 321, 322, 324 Physical Chemistry I, II and Lab
• CHEM 323 Advanced Synthesis Lab
• CHEM 431 Biochemistry I
• CHEM 495 Undergraduate Chemistry Research
• CHEM 498 Chemistry Seminar

For all required non chemistry courses or prerequisite courses, please view our advising packet.

ACS Professional Emphasis

The ACS Professional emphasis is the true chemistry degree path, and is certified by the American Chemistry Society because it covers all the five subdisciplines of chemistry more in depth then some of the other emphases. It is the most well-rounded chemistry experience out of all the emphases. This emphasis is most commonly selected by students who are interested in going on to further studies in chemistry or obtaining a job in chemistry or a related field.

Courses Specific to the ACS Professional Emphasis

• CHEM 401 Advanced Inorganic
• CHEM 411 Advanced Analytical
• CHEM 412 Advanced Analytical Lab
• CHEM 440/441 or 408 Spec ID or Synthetic Organic

ACS Biochemistry Emphasis

The ACS Biochemistry emphasis is degree pathway that is certified by the American Chemical Society because it covers all five subdisciplines in chemistry while putting a focus on biochemistry. This emphasis is most commonly selected by students who are interested in going on to further studies in biochemistry or a related field, or obtaining a job in biochemistry.

Courses Specific to the ACS Biochemistry Emphasis

• CHEM 401 Advanced Inorganic
• CHEM 411 Advanced Analytical
• CHEM 432 Biochemistry Lab
• CHEM 433 Biochemistry II
• BIOL 310 Genetics
• BIO 320 Cell Biology

Biochemistry Emphasis

The Biochemistry emphasis has students take all core chemistry courses while putting an additional focus on the subdiscipline of biochemistry. This emphasis allows for flexibly for students to take courses of interest or prerequisite courses for pre-health or other future programs. For most pre-health students, this emphasis will cover a large number of courses that are prerequisites for programs or needed for program entrance exams. This emphasis is most commonly selected by students who are on a pre-health or medical studies degree path or looking to get a job in a health or biochemistry related field.

Courses Specific to the Biochemistry Emphasis

• CHEM 432 Biochemistry Lab
• CHEM 433 Biochemistry II
• CHEM 440/441 or CHEM 408 Spec ID or Synthetic Organic
• BIOL 310 Genetics
• BIOL 320 Cell Biology

Forensics Emphasis

The Forensics emphasis is a degree pathway that pairs the knowledge and laboratory skills gained from chemistry courses with criminal justice and forensic related courses. This emphasis gives students the knowledge to understand the science behind forensics and the laboratory and instrumentation experiences, as well as knowledge of the criminal justice system and procedures related to it. This emphasis is most commonly selected by students who are looking to pursue a career in forensics or a related field.

Courses Specific to the Forensics Emphasis

• CHEM 432 Biochemistry Lab
• CHEM 433 Biochemistry II
• CHEM 440/441 Spec ID
• BIOL 310 Genetics
• BIOL 320 Cell Biology
• CJ 101 Intro to Law and Justice
• CJ 375 Law of Criminal Evidence
• BIOL 447 Forensic Biology

Secondary Education Emphasis

The Secondary Education emphasis allows for students to receive a degree in chemistry while also leaving with a secondary education teaching certificate. This emphasis, part of the IDoTeach program at Boise State, will be moved into the Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies (CIFS) department in the College of Education, effective July 1, 2023. You can find more information on the Secondary Education program on the CIFS site.

With this emphasis, students are still qualified to go on to graduate school in chemistry or obtain a job in the field, but they also have the added flexibility of having a secondary education teaching certificate to be able to teach high school. This emphasis is most commonly selected by students who have an interest in being a teacher.

Courses Specific to the Secondary Education Emphasis

• CHEM 401 Advanced Inorganic
• CHEM 411 Advanced Analytical
• CHEM 412 Advanced Analytical Lab
• ED-CIFS 201 Foundations of Education
• STEM-ED  Program Courses (101, 102, 210, 220, 310, 350, 410, 480)

Chemistry Minor

Students declaring chemistry as a minor often use their chemistry knowledge to augment their understanding of another field of science, such as physics, biology, pre-med, geosciences, and so on.  As a central science, an understanding of chemistry principles leads to a deeper understanding of how the world around us functions.

Courses required for the Chemistry Minor:

• • CHEM111 – General Chemistry I
  • CHEM111/L – General Chemistry I Laboratory
  • CHEM112 – General Chemistry II
  • CHEM112/L – General Chemistry II Laboratory
  • CHEM211 – Analytical Chemistry I
  • CHEM212 – Analytical Chemistry I Laboratory
  • CHEM307 – Organic Chemistry I
  • CHEM308 – Organic Chemistry I Laboratory
  • CHEM309 – Organic Chemistry II
  • CHEM310 – Organic Chemistry II Laboratory