Chemistry (American Chemical Society Certified)

The Chemistry Department is in the midst of redesigning and reinvigorating its curriculum to accurately reflect the interdisciplinary nature of the subject. Overall content will remain largely the same, but reorganized. This will allow for modern topics such as polymers, chemical biology, chemometrics, computational chemistry to be covered more fully and allow students more choice in upper level electives. The redesign will maintain the department's ACS certified designation, which it has held continuously since 1969.

The process of updating the curriculum centered around the learning outcomes the Department developed for the major, as seen here.  A student who has completed a degree in Chemistry from Saint Anselm College:

1. Has a solid foundation in chemical principles and theories;
2. Communicates chemical and/or biochemical information with clarity and coherence through writing and speaking;
3. Understands the theory behind and effectively utilizes state–of–the–art laboratory equipment and technology;
4. Develops research ideas in chemistry or biochemistry, and designs experiments to examine those ideas;
5. Recognizes and endeavors to solve challenges facing the discipline;
6. Applies chemical principles to phenomena of the natural world.

Students entering in the fall of 2018, as members of the Class of 2022, will begin with this new curriculum. 

• In the fall semester, students should register for CH130: General Chemistry I (and its associated laboratory) and MA170: Calculus I, as well as HU103: Conversatio I and another core requirement. 
• For the spring semester, students should register for CH150: Special Topics: Structure and Reactivity (and its associated laboratory) and MA180: Calculus II, as well as HU104: Conversatio II and a core requirement. 

You will discuss your course schedules with your departmental advisors during pre-registration week each semester.

For students in the Classes of 2018 - 2021 the following sequence will pertain:

In the sophomore year: Chemistry majors generally take Organic Chemistry and Physics. Depending on initial placement, students will complete the modern or classical language requirement. The remainder of the schedule is filled by chemistry electives, other core requirements, general electives, or courses for a minor or double major.

In the junior year: Chemistry majors generally take Analytical Chemistry and Physical Chemistry sequences, and complete the Research and Seminar I requirement in the fall semester. Students also take CH370 and CH402 (Synthesis and Characterization revised as of Fall 2017 as 2 - 2 credit courses) or an Advanced Chemistry elective. Students will choose core requirements, general electives or courses for a minor or double major to complete the schedule.

In the senior year: Chemistry majors generally take Inorganic Chemistry I & II as well as Research and Seminar II courses in the fall. Students also take CH370 and CH402 (Synthesis and Characterization revised as of Fall 2017 as 2 - 2 credit courses) or an Advanced Chemistry elective. Students finish any core requirements, general electives or courses for a minor or double major to complete the schedule.