Minoring in Chemistry
BGSU

last update: October 13, 2000

• If you are a chemistry major and are looking for the requirements for your minor, that information is located at the Minors for Chemistry Majors Web page.
  
• This page is specifically for students majoring in other departments, seeking a minor in Chemistry.
  
• Students not in the College of Arts and Sciences should consult an advisor in your college, since graduation requirements are different in other colleges.

• an undergraduate MAJOR
  • this is the department in which you concentrate your studies
  • you will generally be required to complete a minimum of 40 hr. of courses in your major department
  • the college catalog also lists specific rules for each major
    • usually specific courses are required
    • some courses in your major may not be counted towards a major.
    • the major often requires that you meet specific requirements in other departments like Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics or Biological Science.
• You are also required to have an undergraduate MINOR in another department such as chemistry
  • This is a second area of concentration
  • Typically you will be required to complete 20 hr. of course work in that department
    • Again, there may be specific course requirements or there may be specific courses you may not count towards the minor.
• If you complete a double minor, you automatically count the other major towards the minor.

• You are required to take 20 hr. of Chemistry Courses
  • This almost always includes General Chemistry 125-127-128 (10 hr.) or 135-137-138 (10 hr.)
  • Most students with Chemistry minors complete a year of Organic Chemistry, Chem 341-342 (10 hr.)
    • this is sufficient for a chemistry minor
  • Some students take the one semester Organic Chemistry Course, Chem 306 (4 hr.)
    • Such students will need additional hours, generally two or three additional courses
    • the most common choices are
      • Biochemistry, Chem 308 (3 hr) and Biochemistry Lab, Chem 309 (1 hr)
      • Quantitative Chemical Analysis, Chem 201 (3 hr)
      • Instrumental Chemical Analysis, Chem 321 (3 hrs )
      • Physical Chemistry, Chem 352 (3 hrs.)
    • Special Topics courses (Chem 313), Workshops (Chem 395), Advanced Topics (Chem 483) and Independent Research (Chem 413) may not be counted towards the required 20 hr. in Chemistry. Several introductory level courses may not be counted towards a chemistry minor: Chem_100,Chem_109-110, 117-118
  • Older catalogs specifically require Chem. 201; that requirement was dropped (1999) and no longer applies
  • If you are completing a Biology degree in areas like Molecular Biology with a strong chemistry emphasis you may take additional chemistry courses or you may select more rigorous courses.
    • Biochemistry 445-446-447 rather than Chem 308-309

• If you are majoring, for example, in Biological Sciences
  • Your major will require specific chemistry courses.
  • Those course may be counted towards a Chemistry MINOR.
  • Those courses in Chemistry will not count towards your Biology major.

• This allows you to combine courses in a number of science and mathematics areas to constitute a minor.
• Check the catalog for details
  • You need a minimum of 53 hr. in Group III (Mathematics and Natural Sciences)
  • you can count a maximum of 33 hours in your major.
  • Therefore you need 20 hr. in other Group III courses.
  • Often, the required courses in other departments complete a general science minor or come very close to completing it.