Six degree plans lead to the Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. Focus Areas I, II, III, and IV are intended to prepare students for professional careers, either upon graduation or after graduate study in chemistry or related fields. Focus Area V, Teaching, is intended to prepare students to enter the teaching profession. Focus Area VI, Chemistry Honors, is intended to prepare students for academic or research careers. Students who plan to follow Focus Area VI must be admitted to the Dean’s Scholars Honors Program.
The six degree plans may also serve as the basis for work in many areas outside pure chemistry, such as materials science, medicine and other health-related fields, pharmacology, patent law, business, computation, or environmental science. Supporting work in mathematics and physics is an integral part of the degree programs. Compared to the program leading to the bachelor of arts degree, the Bachelor of Science in Chemistry degree programs are more thorough and demanding and potentially more rewarding to the student planning a career in chemistry.
In the process of fulfilling degree requirements, all students must complete:
This focus area is designed to fulfill the course requirements for certification as a middle grade or secondary school science teacher in Texas; the student chooses one of the following areas: composite science certification with chemistry as the primary teaching field; physical sciences certification; or physical science, mathematics, and engineering certification. However, completion of the course requirements does not guarantee the student’s certification. Information about additional teacher certification requirements is available from the UTeach-Natural Sciences academic advisor.
Students in all Focus Areas must fulfill both the University's General Requirements for graduation and the college requirements. They must also earn a grade of at least C- in each mathematics and science course required for the degree, and a University grade point average in these courses of at least 2.00. More information about grades and the grade point average is given in the General Information Catalog.
To graduate and be recommended for certification, students who follow the teaching focus area must have a University grade point average of at least 2.50. They must earn a grade of at least C- in the supporting course in requirement 8, and each of the professional development courses listed in requirement 11 and must pass the final teaching portfolio review; those seeking middle grades certification must also earn a grade of at least C- in each of the courses listed in requirement 12. For information about the portfolio review and additional teacher certification requirements, consult the UTeach-Natural Sciences academic advisor.
To graduate under Focus Area VI, students must remain in good standing in the Dean’s Scholars Honors Program, must submit an honors thesis approved by the departmental honors advisor, and present their research in an approved public forum, such as the college’s annual Undergraduate Research Forum. More information about the Undergraduate Research Forum is available at https://cns.utexas.edu
Students begin the Bachelor of Science in Chemistry degree program with nine hours of introductory chemistry for science majors ( Chemistry 301 , 302 , and 317 ), as well as Mathematics 408C or 408N . Students should consult with their academic advisors about planning to choose a chemistry degree focus area, appropriate course in mathematics and physical sciences, and about course load and balance between laboratory and lecture courses. Most students will select a degree focus area by the end of the second year and take at least 21 hours of upper-division coursework in the major requirements in the third and fourth years.
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