Bachelor of Science: 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'.
Mission
The BS in Chemistry is designed to offer comprehensive preparation in all major areas of chemistry (including general, organic, analytical, physical, inorganic and biochemistry). Graduates with a BS in Chemistry will have the core chemistry knowledge, analytical capacity, and laboratory skills necessary for collaborative work in hard science environments. This is achieved through hands-on laboratory and instrumentation training and rigorous coursework. The degree provides a foundation for those interested in pursuing careers in the pharmaceutical, government, industrial and academic sectors, as well as for those who wish to pursue studies towards advanced degrees (MS or Ph.D.) in various areas of chemistry and molecular sciences.
Program Goals
The goals of the Chemistry BS program are to produce graduates who:
- Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the basic areas of chemistry and a set of problem-solving skills sufficient to allow students to pursue advanced chemistry degrees or succeed as chemists in an industrial setting.
- Demonstrate a breadth of knowledge of experimental techniques, instrumentation, and laboratory safety.
- Demonstrate professionalism, including the ability to work in teams, communicate effectively, and apply basic ethical principles.
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.
- Analyze and solve scientific problems, both individually and as part of a team.
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
The Chemistry Department bachelor of science degree is certified by the American Chemical Society (ACS) and requires the 44 credit hours in chemistry listed below, specifically the 2 credit hours of CHEM 382, 3 credit hours of CHEM 367 or LS-BIOC 341, CHEM 471, and an upper division elective which may be chosen from selected departments1.
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 | ||
| 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 | |
| CHEM 442R | Analytical Chemistry II: Instrumental Analysis | 3 |
| Physical Chemistry | ||
| CHEM 431 | Physical Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM 432 | Physical Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM 437WI | Experimental Physical Chemistry I | 3 |
| or CHEM 437 | Experimental Physical Chemistry I | |
| Chemical Literature | ||
| CHEM 410 | Chemical Literature | 1 |
| Inorganic Chemistry | ||
| CHEM 451R | Inorganic Chemistry | 3 |
| Advanced Work | ||
| One of the following: 1 | 3 | |
MATH course higher than 250 with 220 as a prerequisite | ||
300- or 400- level BIOLOGY Course | ||
300- or 400- level PHYSICS Course | ||
400- level STAT Course | ||
| Math | ||
| MATH 120 | Precalculus (satisfies Math Pathway) | 5 |
| MATH 210 | Calculus I | 4 |
| MATH 220 | Calculus II | 4 |
| MATH 250 | Calculus III | 4 |
| Engineering Physics | ||
| PHYSICS 240 | Physics For Scientists and Engineers I | 5 |
| or PHYSICS 210 | General Physics I | |
| PHYSICS 250 | Physics For Scientists and Engineers II | 5 |
| or PHYSICS 220 | General Physics II | |
| ACS Requirements 1 | ||
| CHEM 382 | Inorganic And Organic Synthesis | 2 |
| CHEM 367 | Bioorganic Chemistry | 3 |
| or BIOLOGY 441 | Biochemistry | |
| CHEM 471 | Introduction To Polymer Chemistry | 3 |
| Total Credits | 76 | |
| 1 | On rare occasions, a student may need more flexibility than the ACS-certified B.S. degree allows. In this case, course substitutions may be selected and approved by a chemistry advisor so that the student may still complete the bachelor of science degree in chemistry as a non-ACS-certified degree. |
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 | 14 | |
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).
