Bachelor of Science in Chemistry (Environmental Chemistry)
Environmental Chemistry is a study of the roles of chemical species in natural places such as water, air, and soil and the effects of human and biological activities on these roles and the effects these roles have on human and biological activities. The B.S. in Environmental Chemistry is a 120 semester credit hour (SCH) degree program that includes 70 SCH in chemistry and allied fields. Due to its multidisciplinary approach, a degree in Environmental chemistry can lead to a wide variety of jobs in chemical industry, toxicology, environmental health and safety, environmental analysis, and biogeochemistry, to name just a few.
Marketable Skills
Defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's 60x30 Strategic Plan as, "Those skills valued by employers that can be applied in a variety of work settings, including interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skills areas. These skills can be either primary or complementary to a major and are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities."
- As a member of an undergraduate teaching lab team and research team, you will learn how to work and communicate with diverse team members.
- By writing laboratory reports, papers, senior theses coupled with presenting your work to your peers, at conferences, or to the general public, you will gain valuable verbal and written communication skills.
- With our departmental focus on civic engagement and laboratory safety as our first priority, you will understand social and personal responsibility.
- Finally, since earning a degree in any field of chemistry naturally requires excellent problem solving and critical thinking skills related to chemistry, these skills can also be used to address other issues and solve other problems.
Degree Requirements
Total Semester Credit Hours (SCH): 120
Major: 63 SCH
Program Code: CHEMISTRY.BS.ENVR; CIP Code: 40.0501.00
Texas Core Curriculum
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 1013 | Composition I | 3 |
| ENG 1023 | Composition II | 3 |
| Mathematics | 3 | |
| Life & Physical Sciences | 6 | |
| Language, Philosophy, & Culture | 3 | |
| Creative Arts | 3 | |
| HIST 1013 | History of the United States, 1492-1865 | 3 |
| HIST 1023 | History of the United States, 1865 to the Present | 3 |
| POLS 2013 | U.S. National Government | 3 |
| POLS 2023 | Texas Government | 3 |
| Social & Behavioral Sciences | 3 | |
| CAO: Women's Studies | 3 | |
| CAO: First Year Seminar, Wellness or Mathematics | 3 | |
| Total SCHs | 42 | |
Courses Required for Major
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 1001 | Horizons of Chemistry and Biochemistry I: Career Possibilities | 1 |
| CHEM 1101 | Horizons of Chemistry and Biochemistry II: Current Applications | 1 |
| CHEM 1213 & CHEM 1211 | Principles of Chemistry I and Principles of Chemistry Laboratory I | 4 |
| CHEM 1223 & CHEM 1121 | Principles of Chemistry II and General Chemistry Laboratory II | 4 |
| CHEM 2213 & CHEM 2211 | Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry Laboratory I | 4 |
| CHEM 3223 & CHEM 3221 | Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry Laboratory II | 4 |
| CHEM 3313 | Physical Chemistry for the Life Sciences | 3 |
| CHEM 3333 & CHEM 3331 | Quantitative Chemical Analysis and Quantitative Chemical Analysis Laboratory | 4 |
| CHEM 3633 & CHEM 3632 | Biochemistry I and Biochemistry I Laboratory | 5 |
| CHEM 3713 & CHEM 3711 | Environmental Chemistry I and Environmental Chemistry Laboratory I | 4 |
| CHEM 4001 | Research Presentations in Chemistry and Biochemistry | 1 |
| CHEM 3413 & CHEM 3411 | Physical Chemistry I and Physical Chemistry Laboratory I | 4 |
| CHEM 3423 & CHEM 3421 | Physical Chemistry II and Physical Chemistry Laboratory II | 4 |
| CHEM 4513 & CHEM 4511 | Inorganic Chemistry and Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory | 4 |
| CHEM 4983 | Undergraduate Research (may be taken twice) | 3 |
| CHEM 4991 | Senior Thesis | 1 |
| MATH 2024 | Calculus II | 4 |
| PHYS 2153 & PHYS 2151 | General Physics I and General Physics Laboratory I | 4 |
| PHYS 2163 & PHYS 2161 | General Physics II and General Physics Laboratory II | 4 |
| Total SCHs | 63 | |
Departmental Requirements
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 1113 & BIOL 1111 | Principles of Biology I and Principles of Biology I Laboratory | 4 |
| BIOL 1123 & BIOL 1121 | Principles of Biology II and Principles of Biology II Laboratory | 4 |
| MATH 2014 | Calculus I | 4 |
| Select 4 SCH from the following | 4 | |
| Water in a Changing Environment | ||
| Climate Change: A Human Perspective | ||
| Ecology and Ecology Laboratory | ||
| Total SCHs | 16 | |
Recommended Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | TCCN | SCHs | |
| CHEM 1001 | Horizons of Chemistry and Biochemistry I: Career Possibilities | 1 | |
| CHEM 1213 & CHEM 1211 | Principles of Chemistry I and Principles of Chemistry Laboratory I | 4 | |
| MATH 2014 | Calculus I | MATH 2413 | 4 |
| ENG 1013 | Composition I | ENGL 1301 | 3 |
| UNIV 1231 | Learning Frameworks: The First Year Experience | EDUC 1100, EDUC 1200, EDUC 1300 | 1 |
| Wellness CAO | 2 | ||
| SCHs | 15 | ||
| Spring | TCCN | ||
| MATH 2024 | Calculus II | MATH 2414 | 4 |
| CHEM 1101 | Horizons of Chemistry and Biochemistry II: Current Applications | 1 | |
| CHEM 1223 & CHEM 1221 | Principles of Chemistry II and Principles of Chemistry Laboratory II | 4 | |
| ENG 1023 | Composition II | ENGL 1302 | 3 |
| BIOL 1113 & BIOL 1111 | Principles of Biology I and Principles of Biology I Laboratory | BIOL 1406 & BIOL 1106 | 4 |
| SCHs | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | TCCN | ||
| CHEM 2213 & CHEM 2211 | Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry Laboratory I | CHEM 2323 & CHEM 2123 | 4 |
| PHYS 2153 & PHYS 2151 | General Physics I and General Physics Laboratory I | PHYS 2325 & PHYS 2125 | 4 |
| POLS 2013 | U.S. National Government | GOVT 2305 | 3 |
| Language, Philosophy, and Culture Core | 3 | ||
| Elective | 2 | ||
| SCHs | 16 | ||
| Spring | TCCN | ||
| CHEM 3223 & CHEM 3221 | Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry Laboratory II | 4 | |
| PHYS 2163 & PHYS 2161 | General Physics II and General Physics Laboratory II | PHYS 2326 & PHYS 2126 | 4 |
| POLS 2023 | Texas Government | GOVT 2306 | 3 |
| CHEM 3333 & CHEM 3331 | Quantitative Chemical Analysis and Quantitative Chemical Analysis Laboratory | 4 | |
| SCHs | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | TCCN | ||
| CHEM 3413 & CHEM 3411 | Physical Chemistry I and Physical Chemistry Laboratory I | 4 | |
| CHEM 3633 & CHEM 3632 | Biochemistry I and Biochemistry I Laboratory | 5 | |
| Social & Behavioral Science Core | 3 | ||
| CHEM 3313 | Physical Chemistry for the Life Sciences | 3 | |
| SCHs | 15 | ||
| Spring | TCCN | ||
| CHEM 3423 & CHEM 3421 | Physical Chemistry II and Physical Chemistry Laboratory II | 4 | |
| CHEM 3643 | Biochemistry II | 3 | |
| CHEM 3713 & CHEM 3711 | Environmental Chemistry I and Environmental Chemistry Laboratory I | 4 | |
| Multicultural Women's Studies CAO | 3 | ||
| SCHs | 14 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | TCCN | ||
| HIST 1013 | History of the United States, 1492-1865 | HIST 1301 | 3 |
| Creative Arts Core | 3 | ||
| CHEM 4513 & CHEM 4511 | Inorganic Chemistry and Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory | 4 | |
| BIOL 1123 & BIOL 1121 | Principles of Biology II and Principles of Biology II Laboratory | BIOL 1407 & BIOL 1107 | 4 |
| CHEM 4983 | Undergraduate Research | 3 | |
| SCHs | 17 | ||
| Spring | TCCN | ||
| CHEM 4001 | Research Presentations in Chemistry and Biochemistry | 1 | |
| HIST 1023 | History of the United States, 1865 to the Present | HIST 1302 | 3 |
| CHEM 4983 | Undergraduate Research | 3 | |
| CHEM 4991 | Senior Thesis | 1 | |
| Select 4 SCH from the following | 4 | ||
| Water in a Changing Environment | |||
| Climate Change: A Human Perspective | |||
| Ecology and Ecology Laboratory | |||
| SCHs | 12 | ||
| Total SCHs: | 120 | ||
