Bachelor of Arts: Chemistry
University Requirements
General Education
UMKC Essentials is the university-wide curriculum that all undergraduate students will complete. The 30-credit hour program includes a First Year Experience course; three critical thinking courses in the areas of Arts & Humanities, Natural & Physical Sciences, and Social & Behavioral Sciences; a Culture and Diversity course; a Civic & Urban Engagement course; two courses in Written Composition and one course in Oral Communication; and a Math Pathway course. Transfer students entering UMKC will elect from the UMKC Essentials General Education Program or the Missouri Core 42 General Education Curriculum. Academic advisors will meet with incoming transfer students to determine which option best serves the student’s educational needs. More information about General Education may be found here: https://catalog.umkc.edu/undergraduate-academic-regulations-information/general-education-requirements/
Constitution Course
Every undergraduate student must take a course covering the United States Constitution and the Missouri State Constitution before graduation. Course options are included in the program requirements section below.
Exit Examinations
Information on exit examinations is available in the Undergraduate Academic Regulations and Information section of the catalog.
Missouri Higher Education Civics Achievement Examination
In accordance with Missouri Senate Bill 807 (section 170.013.1), 'any student entering a public institution of higher education for the first time after July 2019 who is pursuing an associate's or bachelor's degree from such institution shall successfully pass an examination on the provisions and principles of American civics with a score of seventy percent or greater as a condition of graduation from such institution'. To satisfy this requirement at UMKC, students access the exam through the Canvas site. This requirement will be listed in the degree audit system as, 'Take State Mandated Missouri Higher Education Civics Achievement Examination', and listed on the transcript as 'Missouri Civics Examination'.
Program Mission
Graduates with a BA in Chemistry will have the core knowledge (general, organic, and analytical chemistry) and communication skills necessary for graduate work in health-related fields and entry-level positions in the chemical industry. This is achieved through hands-on laboratory training and appropriate coursework. It is well suited for students in preparation of their graduate work in dentistry, medicine, law, and other health-related fields. Students who wish to double major may find the B.A. more amenable to the scheduling and completion of required coursework for two majors.
Program Goals
The goals of the Chemistry BA program are to produce graduates who:
- Demonstrate a functional knowledge of the basic areas of chemistry and a set of problem-solving skills sufficient to prepare students for professional schools or industrial careers.
- Demonstrate a breadth of knowledge of experimental techniques and laboratory safety.
- Demonstrate communication skills and ethical standards.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from this program will:
- Apply chemical concepts to solving theoretical and practical problems.
- Follow general laboratory practice guidelines and demonstrate proper laboratory safety measures.
- Read, analyze, interpret, and cite the chemical literature, and clearly and accurately communicate scientific information in an ethical manner.
Students graduating with a baccalaureate degree in chemistry will be prepared for entry into professional schools (e.g., medical, dental, pharmaceutical, or veterinary), graduate programs, or chemical industries.
Program Requirements
UMKC Essentials
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| First Semester Experience Course (GEFSE) | 3 | |
| Written Communication: | ||
| ENGLISH 110 | Introduction to Academic Prose | 3 |
| ENGLISH 225 | English II: Intermediate Academic Prose | 3 |
| Oral Communication (choose one of the following): | 3 | |
| Fundamentals of Effective Speaking and Listening | ||
| Introduction to Communication | ||
| Argumentation And Debate (offered via dual credit only) | ||
| Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Math Pathway (satisfied in major requirements below) | ||
| Critical Thinking in Arts & Humanities (GECRT-AH) | 3 | |
| Critical Thinking in Natural & Physical Sciences (GECRT-SC) | 3 | |
| Critical Thinking in Social & Behavioral Sciences (GECRT-SS) | 3 | |
| Culture & Diversity Course (GECDV) | 3 | |
| Civic & Urban Engagement Course (GECUE) | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 27 | |
Constitution Course Requirement
Section 170.011.1 of the Missouri Revised Statutes, 2015, states that all candidates for a degree issued by a college or university in the state of Missouri must have “satisfactorily passed an examination on the provisions and principles of the Constitution of the United States and of the state of Missouri, and in American history and American institutions.”
Courses at UMKC that satisfy this state requirement are:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| The Supreme Court And The Criminal Process | ||
| U.S. History to 1877 | ||
| U.S. History Since 1877 | ||
| Honors American Government | ||
| American Government | ||
| Total Credits | 3 | |
There are a few other ways this requirement can be satisfied for students transferring to UMKC:
- Take an equivalent course from the list above at a regionally accredited institution.
- Earn credit for one of the above courses through AP, IB, or CLEP.
- Take a course that directly satisfies the Missouri Constitution Requirement at another Missouri institution.
- Have a previous bachelors degree (or higher) from a regionally accredited institution.
- Have an Associate of Arts degree from a regionally accredited institution.
- Complete the 42 Hour Core at a Missouri institution and have it listed on the official transcript.
Major Requirements
Students must successfully complete the major requirements below with at least 12 hours of the noted upper division (300+) course requirements completed at UMKC.
- All majors must receive a C- or better in all chemistry courses with an overall chemistry GPA of 2.0 for graduation.
- A minimum grade of C- is required for all prerequisite courses (including physics and mathematics courses). In exceptional cases, students may receive written consent by submitting a petition to the Chemistry Undergraduate Curriculum Committee which has to be approved to waive this requirement.
- Each chemistry major must be advised by an Advisor every semester.
- Students must maintain academic standing as determined by the academic unit. Please see https://catalog.umkc.edu/colleges-schools/sbc/chemistry/#undergraduatetext for more information.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Chemistry | ||
| CHEM 211 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| or MOTRCHEM 150 | MOTR Chemistry I | |
| CHEM 211L | Experimental General Chemistry I | 1 |
| CHEM 212R & CHEM 212LR | General Chemistry II and Experimental General Chemistry II | 5 |
| Organic Chemistry 1 | ||
| CHEM 321 & 321L | Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry Laboratory I | 4 |
| CHEM 322R & CHEM 322L | Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry Laboratory II | 4 |
| Analytical Chemistry | ||
| CHEM 341WI | Analytical Chemistry I: Quantitative Analysis | 4 |
| or CHEM 341 | Analytical Chemistry I: Quantitative Analysis | |
| Chemistry Electives 1 | 4 | |
| Physics | ||
| PHYSICS 210 | General Physics I | 4 |
| PHYSICS 220 | General Physics II | 4 |
| Math | ||
| MATH 110 | Precalculus Algebra (Satisfies Math Pathway) | 3 |
| or MATH 120 | Precalculus | |
| Take any MATH or STAT course 200-level or above; MOTRMATH 110; or STAT 115. | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 40 | |
| 1 | Any combination of 300-level and 400-level chemistry courses to bring the total credit hours to 26. Certain biochemistry courses also may be included in this total. Please confer with an advisor. No more than three hours total in CHEM 350, CHEM 395, CHEM 399, CHEM 495 and CHEM 499 may be used in meeting the major course requirements. CHEM 320 and CHEM 321 may not both be counted toward the required number of credit hours. (CHEM 321 + CHEM 322R and CHEM 320 + CHEM 322R are both acceptable combinations for meeting, in part, the bachelor of arts departmental course requirements, although the CHEM 320 + CHEM 322R combination is not preferred. The combinations CHEM 320 + CHEM 321 and CHEM 320 + CHEM 321 + CHEM 322R are not acceptable.) Similarly, either CHEM 330 or the combination CHEM 431 + CHEM 432 is acceptable, but the combination CHEM 330 + CHEM 431 + CHEM 432 is not acceptable. |
General Electives
Students must take elective credit hours to meet the minimum credit hour requirement for their degree, including at least 36 credit hours of coursework at the 300-level or above. The minimum required by the university is 120 credit hours, of which at least 30 credit hours must be taken at UMKC, but some degree programs require more.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Electives | 50 | |
Minimum GPA: 2.0
Total Credit Hours: 120
Tools for Planning and Fulfilling Academic Requirements
UMKC's Major Maps are detailed, semester by semester plans that lead a student to complete all degree requirements within four years. Plans include benchmarks and critical courses by term that assist a student’s evaluation of progress and major “fit”. In order to ensure that the appropriate courses are taken, students are encouraged to consult with the undergraduate advisor for this major. Please see the tab above to view the major map for this program.
UMKC’s Transfer Guides provide detailed guidance on recommended transfer coursework, plans of study, transfer timelines, and transfer contact information. To ensure a seamless transfer experience, students are encouraged to work with both their community college advisor and a UMKC advisor when planning their coursework.
UMKC’s PlanMyDegree ‘Audit’ degree audit system provides an individual evaluation of all degree requirements (General Education, Degree Specific, Major Specific, etc.) for students' officially recorded (Office of the Registrar) and “what if” exploratory plans of study. This evaluation is used to certify all graduation requirements.
UMKC’s PlanMyDegree ‘Plans’ degree planning tool enables students to develop a personalized semester by semester plan of study towards completion of degree requirements for student’s officially recorded (Office of the Registrar) and “what if” exploratory plans of study. Update and edit your full plan to degree completion each term and confirm accuracy each semester with your Academic Advisor(s).
