This is an archived copy of the 2021-2022 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.valdosta.edu.

Dr. Kurt Winkelmann, Head
3025 Bailey Science Center

Students who complete the major in chemistry will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree. The program in chemistry is approved by the Committee on Professional Training of the American Chemical Society. Students who complete the approved major will have their degree certified by the American Chemical Society.

All chemistry majors complete the general chemistry sequence and a common forty-hour sequence of major courses. These courses, plus the prerequisite hours in physics and mathematics, provide each student with a solid background in analytical, inorganic, organic, physical, and biochemistry.

Each student is required to select 6 hours of advanced chemistry courses as part of the major. The selection, made with the assistance of a departmental advisor, will be made with the postgraduate needs of the student in mind. Students who wish to pursue graduate study in chemistry should select all chemistry courses, while those who wish to accept positions in industrial or government laboratories may wish to select some chemistry and some biology courses to complete the major. Those who plan to attend professional school (medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, law, or business) will select courses to satisfy entry requirements in the particular program of interest.

The chemistry major is designed for students to develop the critical thinking skills needed for problem solving. Students will be able to state a problem succinctly, outline methods of solving the problem, and proceed to solve the problem after choosing a suitable method. Mastery of problem solving techniques is especially apparent in students who participate in an undergraduate research project. Although the research problems chosen for solution by students are taken from the chemical sciences, the methods developed for problem solving are applicable to other fields.

The core curriculum provides opportunity for every student in the University to obtain the skills necessary for effective written and oral communication. The department requires chemistry majors to demonstrate mastery of those skills by preparing and presenting papers in advanced chemistry courses. Each senior must present a departmental seminar on a topic which is generally not covered in courses in the department. Successful completion of the departmental seminar will demonstrate that the student is able to search the literature on an unfamiliar topic, prepare a pertinent outline and abstract of the topic, present the material in a clear oral presentation, and answer questions on the topic from both faculty and student colleagues. Majors may satisfy the requirement for the senior seminar by completing CHEM 4210.

Selected Educational Outcomes

The major in chemistry is designed to prepare graduates to enter professional school, to attend graduate school, or to join the work force in a government, industrial, or commercial setting. Among the anticipated educational outcomes of the department are that each graduate will:

  1. understand, speak, and write in the language used by professional chemists;
  2. demonstrate proficiency in problem solving and experimental design and show proficiency in laboratory procedure and the skills of measurement, analysis, data treatment, and interpretation;
  3. demonstrate an understanding of professional ethics in terms of data collection, evaluation, and reporting and an understanding of environmental issues concerning handling and disposal of chemicals and chemical wastes; and understand the importance of chemistry in its impact on society;
  4. demonstrate proficiency in the principles and theories that govern chemistry and appreciate the fact that chemistry is a changing discipline which requires a commitment to life-long learning.

Examples of Outcome Assessments

In order to follow the success with which the educational outcomes are fulfilled, the chemistry department has developed a number of assessment techniques, both formal and informal. The formal assessment techniques include the following:

  1. The department will maintain a portfolio of each chemistry major that will contain the following materials:
    1. results of discipline-related American Chemical Society Examinations.
    2. samples of written assignments (papers and laboratory reports) from upper division classes.
    3. faculty evaluation of the student’s senior seminar and abstract.
  2. Each student will present a seminar on a subject related to chemistry in the senior year. The student will gather and organize the necessary information, develop appropriate visual media, and write an abstract of the talk.
  3. A formal alumni interview will be used to evaluate the program.