About the Program

UC Berkeley currently offers two Bachelors degrees in Chemistry: a Bachelor of Science (BS) through the College of Chemistry and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) through the College of Letters and Science. For specific information regarding degree requirements for each, please refer to the information below, and the appropriate Major Requirements and College Requirements tabs on this page.

BS in Chemistry, College of Chemistry

The BS in Chemistry is intended for students who are primarily interested in careers as professional chemists or wish to have a thorough grounding in chemistry in preparation for professional or graduate school in chemistry and related disciplines. Students in the BS program may also choose to pursue the Materials Chemistry Concentration.

Students interested in subsequent graduate studies in chemistry will receive a better preparation by pursuing the BS in Chemistry. 

BA in Chemistry, College of Letters & Science

The BA in Chemistry includes a greater number of humanities and social science courses than the Bachelor of Science Degree and is intended for those interested in careers in teaching, medicine, or other sciences in which a basic understanding of chemical processes is necessary.

Students who want to pursue the BA degree should apply for admission to the College of Letters and Science.

Honors Program

To be eligible to receive honors in Chemistry at graduation, candidates for the BA degree must earn a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.5 in upper division courses in the major and at least 3.3 overall at UC Berkeley; and complete at least three units of Chemistry H194 or another advanced chemistry course as approved by the department.

Minor Program

The College of Chemistry offers a minor program in Chemistry. Chemical Biology majors are not eligible to pursue this minor. Students must submit a notification of completion of the minor to the College of Chemistry Undergraduate Advising Office.

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Major Requirements, BS Degree

In addition to the University, campus, and college requirements, listed on the College Requirements tab, students must fulfill the below requirements specific to their major program.

General Guidelines

1. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 must be maintained in all courses undertaken at UC Berkeley, including those from UC Summer Sessions, UC Education Abroad Program, UC Berkeley in Washington Program, and XB courses from University Extension.
2. A minimum GPA of 2.0 in all courses taken in the college is required in order to advance and continue in the upper-division.
3. A minimum GPA of 2.0 in all upper-division courses taken at the University is required to satisfy major requirements.
4. Students in the College of Chemistry who receive a grade of D+ or lower in a Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering or Chemistry course for which a grade of C- or higher is required must repeat the course at UC Berkeley.

For information regarding grade requirements in specific courses, please see the notes sections below.

For information regarding residence requirements and unit requirements, please see the College Requirements tab.

Lower-division Requirements

CHEM 4A	General Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis	4
CHEM 4B	General Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis	4
CHEM 112A	Organic Chemistry	5
CHEM 112B	Organic Chemistry	5
MATH 1A	Calculus	4
MATH 1B	Calculus	4
MATH 53	Multivariable Calculus	4
MATH 54	Linear Algebra and Differential Equations	4
PHYSICS 7A	Physics for Scientists and Engineers	4
PHYSICS 7B	Physics for Scientists and Engineers	4

Notes

1. Students should take CHEM 4A and CHEM 4B during their freshman year, and CHEM 112A and CHEM 112B during their sophomore year.
2. A grade of C- or better is required in CHEM 4A before taking CHEM 4B, in CHEM 4B before taking more advanced courses, and in CHEM 112A before taking CHEM 112B.
3. A grade of C- or better is required in CHEM 112A before taking BIOLOGY 1A.
4. Students who join the program after completing a general chemistry sequence that does not include quantitative analysis are required to take CHEM 4B, CHEM 15, or CHEM 105.
5. Students who join the program after completing CHEM 3A plus CHEM 3AL and CHEM 3B plus CHEM 3BL at Berkeley are allowed to substitute those courses for CHEM 112A and CHEM 112B. Students who join the program after completing only CHEM 3A plus CHEM 3AL at Berkeley are recommended to take CHEM 112B.
6. Students should start MATH 1A in the first semester of their freshman year.
7. Students should start PHYSICS 7A in the second semester of their freshman year.

Upper-division Requirements

For information regarding the upper-division requirements for the Materials Chemistry concentration, see below.

CHEM 104A	Advanced Inorganic Chemistry	3
CHEM 104B	Advanced Inorganic Chemistry	3
CHEM 120A	Physical Chemistry	3
CHEM 120B	Physical Chemistry	3
CHEM 125	Physical Chemistry Laboratory 1	3
Select one of the following:		4
CHEM 105	Instrumental Methods in Analytical Chemistry
CHEM 108	Inorganic Synthesis and Reactions
CHEM 115	Organic Chemistry--Advanced Laboratory Methods
CHEM 146	Radiochemical Methods in Nuclear Technology and Forensics
Select 15 units of upper-division Chemistry and Allied Subjects courses (see below) 2		15
One course must be an additional lecture course (or lab/lecture course) as approved by the student's staff adviser

1	CHEM C182 may be substituted for CHEM 125
2	Advanced Placement, Advanced Level, and International Baccalaureate credit cannot be applied to this requirement. If a course is used to satisfy another requirement, the course cannot also be used to satisfy the upper-division Chemistry and Allied Subjects requirement. No more than 4 units of research may be used to satisfy this requirement.

Allied Subjects Courses

ASTRON C162	Planetary Astrophysics	4
BIO ENG 100	Ethics in Science and Engineering	3
BIO ENG 104	Biological Transport Phenomena	4
BIO ENG C105B	Course Not Available
BIO ENG 111	Functional Biomaterials Development and Characterization	4
BIO ENG 112	Molecular Cell Biomechanics	4
BIO ENG C112	Molecular Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of the Cell	4
BIO ENG 115	Cell Biology for Engineers	4
BIO ENG 116	Cell and Tissue Engineering	4
BIO ENG C117	Structural Aspects of Biomaterials	4
BIO ENG C118	Biological Performance of Materials	4
BIO ENG C119	Orthopedic Biomechanics	4
BIO ENG 121	BioMEMS and Medical Devices	4
BIO ENG 131	Introduction to Computational Molecular and Cell Biology	4
BIO ENG 132	Genetic Devices	4
BIO ENG C141	Course Not Available
BIO ENG 143	Computational Methods in Biology	4
BIO ENG C144	Introduction to Protein Informatics	4
BIO ENG C144L	Protein Informatics Laboratory	3
BIO ENG 147	Principles of Synthetic Biology	4
BIO ENG 150	Introduction of Bionanoscience and Bionanotechnology	4
BIO ENG 151	Micro/Nanofluidics for Bioengineering and Lab-On-A-Chip	4
BIO ENG 163	Principles of Molecular and Cellular Biophotonics	4
BIO ENG 174	Course Not Available
BIO ENG C181	The Berkeley Lectures on Energy: Energy from Biomass	3
CHM ENG 140	Introduction to Chemical Process Analysis	4
CHM ENG 141	Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics	4
CHM ENG 142	Chemical Kinetics and Reaction Engineering	4
CHM ENG 150A	Transport Processes	4
CHM ENG 150B	Transport and Separation Processes	4
CHM ENG 154	Chemical Engineering Laboratory	4
CHM ENG 160	Chemical Process Design	4
CHM ENG 162	Dynamics and Control of Chemical Processes	4
CHM ENG 170A	Biochemical Engineering	3
CHM ENG 170B	Biochemical Engineering	3
CHM ENG C170L	Biochemical Engineering Laboratory	3
CHM ENG 171	Transport Phenomena	3
CHM ENG 176	Principles of Electrochemical Processes	3
CHM ENG C178	Polymer Science and Technology	3
CHM ENG 179	Process Technology of Solid-State Materials Devices	3
CHM ENG 180	Chemical Engineering Economics	3
CHM ENG 185	Technical Communication for Chemical Engineers	3
CHM ENG H194	Research for Advanced Undergraduates	2-4
CHM ENG 195	Special Topics	2-4
CHM ENG C195A	The Berkeley Lectures on Energy: Energy from Biomass	3
CHM ENG 196	Special Laboratory Study	2-4
CHEM 100	Communicating Chemistry (limited to 2 units)	2
CHEM 103	Inorganic Chemistry in Living Systems	3
CHEM 104A	Advanced Inorganic Chemistry	3
CHEM 104B	Advanced Inorganic Chemistry	3
CHEM 105	Instrumental Methods in Analytical Chemistry	4
CHEM 108	Inorganic Synthesis and Reactions	4
CHEM C110L	General Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Laboratory	4
CHEM 113	Advanced Mechanistic Organic Chemistry	3
CHEM 114	Advanced Synthetic Organic Chemistry	3
CHEM 115	Organic Chemistry--Advanced Laboratory Methods	4
CHEM 122	Quantum Mechanics and Spectroscopy	3
CHEM 125	Physical Chemistry Laboratory	3
CHEM C130	Biophysical Chemistry: Physical Principles and the Molecules of Life	4
CHEM 130B	Biophysical Chemistry (2 units)	3
CHEM 135	Chemical Biology	3
CHEM C138	The Berkeley Lectures on Energy: Energy from Biomass	3
CHEM 143	Nuclear Chemistry	2
CHEM 146	Radiochemical Methods in Nuclear Technology and Forensics	3
CHEM C150	Introduction to Materials Chemistry	3
CHEM C170L	Biochemical Engineering Laboratory	3
CHEM C178	Polymer Science and Technology	3
CHEM C182	Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Laboratory	3
CHEM C191	Quantum Information Science and Technology	3
CHEM 192	Individual Study for Advanced Undergraduates	1-3
CHEM H194	Research for Advanced Undergraduates	2-4
CHEM 195	Special Topics	3
CHEM 196	Special Laboratory Study	2-4
CIV ENG C106	Air Pollution	3
CIV ENG 108	Course Not Available
CIV ENG 111	Environmental Engineering	3
CIV ENG 112	Environmental Engineering Design	3
CIV ENG 114	Environmental Microbiology	3
CIV ENG 115	Water Chemistry	3
CIV ENG C116	Chemistry of Soils	3
CIV ENG C133	Engineering Analysis Using the Finite Element Method	3
COMPSCI 160	User Interface Design and Development	4
COMPSCI 162	Operating Systems and System Programming	4
COMPSCI 164	Programming Languages and Compilers	4
COMPSCI 170	Efficient Algorithms and Intractable Problems	4
COMPSCI 174	Combinatorics and Discrete Probability	4
COMPSCI 184	Foundations of Computer Graphics	4
COMPSCI C191	Quantum Information Science and Technology	3
EPS 103	Introduction to Aquatic and Marine Geochemistry	4
EPS 105	Course Not Available
EPS 111	Petroleum Geology	3
EPS C129	Biometeorology	3
EPS 131	Geochemistry	4
EPS C162	Planetary Astrophysics	4
EPS C180	Air Pollution	3
EPS C183	Carbon Cycle Dynamics	3
EPS C182	Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Laboratory	3
EPS 185	Marine Geobiology	2
ECON C103	Introduction to Mathematical Economics	4
EDUC 223B	Special Problems in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education (graduate-level; requires consent of instructor)	2-6
EDUC 224A	Mathematical Thinking and Problem Solving (graduate-level; requires consent of instructor)	3
EL ENG 100	Electronic Techniques for Engineering	4
ENE,RES 102	Quantitative Aspects of Global Environmental Problems	4
ENGIN 117	Methods of Engineering Analysis	3
ENGIN 128	Advanced Engineering Design Graphics	3
ESPM 119	Chemical Ecology	2
ESPM 120	Soil Characteristics	3
ESPM C128	Chemistry of Soils	3
ESPM C129	Biometeorology	3
ESPM C138	Introduction to Comparative Virology	4
ESPM C148	Pesticide Chemistry and Toxicology	3
ESPM C180	Air Pollution	3
INTEGBI 106A	Physical and Chemical Environment of the Ocean	4
INTEGBI 115	Introduction to Systems in Biology and Medicine	4
MAT SCI 102	Bonding, Crystallography, and Crystal Defects	3
MAT SCI 103	Phase Transformations and Kinetics	3
MAT SCI 104	Materials Characterization	4
MAT SCI 111	Properties of Electronic Materials	4
MAT SCI 112	Corrosion (Chemical Properties)	3
MAT SCI 113	Mechanical Behavior of Engineering Materials	3
MAT SCI 117	Properties of Dielectric and Magnetic Materials	3
MAT SCI C118	Biological Performance of Materials	4
MAT SCI 120	Materials Production	3
MAT SCI 121	Metals Processing	3
MAT SCI 122	Ceramic Processing	3
MAT SCI 123	Semiconductor Processing	3
MAT SCI 125	Thin-Film Materials Science	3
MAT SCI 130	Experimental Materials Science and Design	3
MAT SCI 140	Nanomaterials for Scientists and Engineers	3
MAT SCI 151	Polymeric Materials	3
MATH C103	Introduction to Mathematical Economics	4
MATH 104	Introduction to Analysis	4
MATH H104	Honors Introduction to Analysis	4
MATH 105	Second Course in Analysis	4
MATH 110	Linear Algebra	4
MATH H110	Honors Linear Algebra	4
MATH 113	Introduction to Abstract Algebra	4
MATH H113	Honors Introduction to Abstract Algebra	4
MATH 114	Second Course in Abstract Algebra	4
MATH 115	Introduction to Number Theory	4
MATH 121A	Mathematical Tools for the Physical Sciences	4
MATH 121B	Mathematical Tools for the Physical Sciences	4
MATH 123	Ordinary Differential Equations	4
MATH 125A	Mathematical Logic	4
MATH 126	Introduction to Partial Differential Equations	4
MATH 128A	Numerical Analysis	4
MATH 128B	Numerical Analysis	4
MATH 130	The Classical Geometries	4
MATH 135	Introduction to the Theory of Sets	4
MATH 136	Incompleteness and Undecidability	4
MATH 140	Metric Differential Geometry	4
MATH 142	Elementary Algebraic Topology	4
MATH 170	Mathematical Methods for Optimization	4
MATH 185	Introduction to Complex Analysis	4
MATH H185	Honors Introduction to Complex Analysis	4
MATH 187	Course Not Available
MATH 189	Mathematical Methods in Classical and Quantum Mechanics	4
MEC ENG
MEC ENG C105B	Course Not Available
MEC ENG 107	Mechanical Engineering Laboratory	3
MEC ENG C115	Molecular Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of the Cell	4
MEC ENG C117	Structural Aspects of Biomaterials	4
MEC ENG 118	Introduction to Nanotechnology and Nanoscience	3
MEC ENG C124	Course Not Available
MEC ENG C176	Orthopedic Biomechanics	4
MEC ENG C180	Engineering Analysis Using the Finite Element Method	3
MCELLBI C100A	Biophysical Chemistry: Physical Principles and the Molecules of Life	4
MCELLBI C103	Bacterial Pathogenesis	3
MCELLBI 104	Genetics, Genomics, and Cell Biology	4
MCELLBI 110	Molecular Biology: Macromolecular Synthesis and Cellular Function	4
MCELLBI C110L	General Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Laboratory	4
MCELLBI 111	Course Not Available
MCELLBI C112	General Microbiology	4
MCELLBI C112L	General Microbiology Laboratory	2
MCELLBI 113	Course Not Available
MCELLBI C114	Introduction to Comparative Virology	4
MCELLBI 115	Course Not Available
MCELLBI C116	Microbial Diversity	3
MCELLBI 118	The Cancer Karyotype: What it is and What it Does	1
MCELLBI 130A	Cell and Systems Biology	4
MCELLBI 130L	Course Not Available
MCELLBI 133L	Physiology and Cell Biology Laboratory	4
MCELLBI 140	General Genetics	4
MCELLBI 140L	Genetics Laboratory	4
MCELLBI 141	Developmental Biology	4
MCELLBI 143	Evolution of Genomes, Cells, and Development	3
MCELLBI C148	Microbial Genomics and Genetics	4
MCELLBI 150	Molecular Immunology	4
MCELLBI 150L	Immunology Laboratory	4
MCELLBI C160	Course Not Available
MCELLBI 160L	Neurobiology Laboratory	4
MCELLBI 167	Course Not Available
NUC ENG 101	Nuclear Reactions and Radiation	4
NUC ENG 104	Radiation Detection and Nuclear Instrumentation Laboratory	4
NUC ENG 107	Introduction to Imaging	3
NUC ENG 120	Nuclear Materials	4
NUC ENG 124	Radioactive Waste Management	3
NUC ENG 130	Analytical Methods for Non-proliferation	4
NUC ENG 150	Introduction to Nuclear Reactor Theory	4
NUC ENG 161	Nuclear Power Engineering	4
NUC ENG 162	Radiation Biophysics and Dosimetry	3
NUC ENG 170A	Nuclear Design: Design in Nuclear Power Technology and Instrumentation	3
NUC ENG 170B	Nuclear Design: Design in Bionuclear, Nuclear Medicine, and Radiation Therapy	3
NUC ENG 180	Introduction to Controlled Fusion	3
NUSCTX 103	Nutrient Function and Metabolism	3
NUSCTX 108A	Introduction and Application of Food Science	3
NUSCTX 110	Toxicology	4
NUSCTX C112	Course Not Available
NUSCTX 115	Principles of Drug Action	2
NUSCTX C119	Course Not Available
NUSCTX 120	Course Not Available
NUSCTX 150	Course Not Available
NUSCTX 160	Metabolic Bases of Human Health and Diseases	4
NUSCTX 171	Nutrition and Toxicology Laboratory	4
PHYSICS 7C	Physics for Scientists and Engineers (must be completed with a grade of C- or better)	4
PHYSICS 105	Analytic Mechanics	4
PHYSICS 110A	Electromagnetism and Optics	4
PHYSICS 110B	Electromagnetism and Optics	4
PHYSICS 112	Introduction to Statistical and Thermal Physics	4
PHYSICS 130	Quantum and Nonlinear Optics	3
PHYSICS 137B	Quantum Mechanics	4
PHYSICS 138	Modern Atomic Physics	3
PHYSICS 141A	Solid State Physics	4
PHYSICS 141B	Solid State Physics	3
PHYSICS C191	Quantum Information Science and Technology	3
PLANTBI C103	Bacterial Pathogenesis	3
PLANTBI C112	General Microbiology	4
PLANTBI C112L	General Microbiology Laboratory	2
PLANTBI C114	Introduction to Comparative Virology	4
PLANTBI C116	Microbial Diversity	3
PLANTBI 120	Biology of Algae	2
PLANTBI 120L	Laboratory for Biology of Algae	2
PLANTBI 122	Bioenergy	2
PLANTBI C124	The Berkeley Lectures on Energy: Energy from Biomass	3
PLANTBI 135	Physiology and Biochemistry of Plants	3
PLANTBI 135L	Course Not Available
PLANTBI C144	Introduction to Protein Informatics	4
PLANTBI C144L	Protein Informatics Laboratory	3
PLANTBI C148	Microbial Genomics and Genetics	4
PLANTBI 150	Plant Cell Biology	3
PLANTBI 150L	Course Not Available
PLANTBI 160	Plant Molecular Genetics	3
PLANTBI 160L	Course Not Available
PLANTBI 170	Modern Applications of Plant Biotechnology	2
PLANTBI 180	Environmental Plant Biology	2
PB HLTH C102	Bacterial Pathogenesis	3
PB HLTH 142	Introduction to Probability and Statistics in Biology and Public Health	4
PB HLTH C143	Course Not Available
PB HLTH 162A	Public Health Microbiology	3
PB HLTH 162L	Public Health Microbiology Laboratory	1
PB HLTH C170B	Course Not Available
PB HLTH 172	Course Not Available
PB HLTH C172	Course Not Available
STAT 134	Concepts of Probability	3
STAT 135	Concepts of Statistics	4
STAT C141	Course Not Available
STAT C143	Course Not Available

Upper-division Requirements: Materials Chemistry Concentration

CHEM 104A	Advanced Inorganic Chemistry	3
CHEM 104B	Advanced Inorganic Chemistry	3
CHEM 120A	Physical Chemistry	3
CHEM 120B	Physical Chemistry	3
CHEM C150	Introduction to Materials Chemistry	3
Select two laboratory courses from the following:
CHEM 105	Instrumental Methods in Analytical Chemistry
or CHEM 125	Physical Chemistry Laboratory
CHEM 108	Inorganic Synthesis and Reactions
or CHEM 115	Organic Chemistry--Advanced Laboratory Methods
Electives. Select 10 units of the following:		10
BIO ENG C118	Biological Performance of Materials
CHEM C178	Polymer Science and Technology
MAT SCI 104	Materials Characterization
MEC ENG 118	Introduction to Nanotechnology and Nanoscience
PHYSICS 141A	Solid State Physics
PHYSICS 141B	Solid State Physics

Major Requirements, BA Degree

In addition to the University, campus, and college requirements, listed on the College Requirements tab, students must fulfill the below requirements specific to their major program.

General Guidelines

1. All courses taken to fulfill the major requirements below must be taken for graded credit, other than courses listed which are offered on a Pass/Fail basis only. Other exceptions to this requirement are noted as applicable.
2. No more than one upper-division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs, with the exception of minors offered outside of the College of Letters and Science.
3. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 must be maintained in both upper- and lower-division courses used to fulfill the major requirements.

For information regarding residence requirements and unit requirements, please see the College Requirements tab.

Lower-division Requirements

CHEM 4A	General Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis 1, 2	4
CHEM 4B	General Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis 1, 2	4
MATH 1A	Calculus	4
MATH 1B	Calculus	4
MATH 53	Multivariable Calculus	4
MATH 54	Linear Algebra and Differential Equations	4
PHYSICS 7A	Physics for Scientists and Engineers	4
PHYSICS 7B	Physics for Scientists and Engineers	4

1	A grade of C- or better is required in CHEM 4A before taking CHEM 4B, and in CHEM 4B before taking more advanced courses.
2	Students who declare the major after completing a general chemistry sequence that does not include quantitative analysis are required to take CHEM 4B, CHEM 15, or CHEM 105.

Upper-division Requirements

CHEM 104A	Advanced Inorganic Chemistry 1	3
CHEM 104B	Advanced Inorganic Chemistry 1	3
CHEM 112A	Organic Chemistry 2	5
CHEM 112B	Organic Chemistry 2	5
CHEM 120A	Physical Chemistry 3	3
CHEM 120B	Physical Chemistry 3	3
Select one of the following:		4
CHEM 105	Instrumental Methods in Analytical Chemistry
CHEM 108	Inorganic Synthesis and Reactions
CHEM 115	Organic Chemistry--Advanced Laboratory Methods
CHEM 125	Physical Chemistry Laboratory 3
CHEM C170L	Biochemical Engineering Laboratory
CHEM C182	Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Laboratory

1	CHEM 103 and CHEM 135 may be substituted for CHEM 104A and CHEM 104B.
2	A grade of C- or better is required in CHEM 112A before taking CHEM 112B.
3	A grade of C- or higher is required in CHEM 120A and CHEM 120B if taken before CHEM 125.

Minor Requirements

Students who have a strong interest in an area of study outside their major often decide to complete a minor program. These programs have set requirements and are noted officially on the transcript in the memoranda section, but are not noted on diplomas.

General Guidelines

1. All courses taken to fulfill the minor requirements below must be taken for graded credit.
2. A minimum of three of the upper-division courses taken to fulfill the minor requirements must be completed at UC Berkeley.
3. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 is required for courses used to fulfill the minor requirements.
4. Students must consult with their college/school for information regarding overlap of courses between their majors and minors.

Requirements

Select one of the following options:		10
CHEM 3A   & 3AL   & CHEM 3B   & CHEM 3BL	Chemical Structure and Reactivity    and Organic Chemistry Laboratory    and Chemical Structure and Reactivity    and Organic Chemistry Laboratory
CHEM 112A   & CHEM 112B	Organic Chemistry    and Organic Chemistry
Select one of the following:
CHEM 120A   & CHEM 120B	Physical Chemistry    and Physical Chemistry
CHEM C130   & CHEM 130B	Biophysical Chemistry: Physical Principles and the Molecules of Life    and Biophysical Chemistry
Select two additional upper-division Chemistry courses taken at Berkeley, excluding courses numbered 190-199

College Requirements, BS Degree

Undergraduate students in the College of Chemistry must fulfill the following requirements in addition to those required by the major program.  

For detailed lists of courses that fulfill college requirements, please see the College of Chemistry  page in this bulletin. 

Entry Level Writing

All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by fulfilling the Entry Level Writing Requirement. Fulfillment of this requirement is also a prerequisite to enrollment in all reading and composition courses at UC Berkeley.

American History and American Institutions

The American History and Institutions requirements are based on the principle that a U.S. resident graduated from an American university should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.

American Cultures

American Cultures is the one requirement that all undergraduate students at Cal need to take and pass in order to graduate. The requirement offers an exciting intellectual environment centered on the study of race, ethnicity and culture of the United States. AC courses offer students opportunities to be part of research-led, highly accomplished teaching environments, grappling with the complexity of American Culture.

Foreign Language

Applies to Chemistry and Chemical Biology majors only.

The Foreign Language requirement may be satisfied with one foreign language, in one of the following ways:

• By completing in high school the third year of one foreign language with minimum grades of C-.

• By completing at Berkeley the second semester of a sequence of courses in one foreign language, or the equivalent at another institution. Only foreign language courses that include reading and composition as well as conversation are accepted in satisfaction of this requirement. Foreign language courses may be taken on a Pass/No Pass basis.

• By demonstrating equivalent knowledge of a foreign language through examination, including a College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) Advanced Placement Examination with a score of 3 or higher (if taken before admission to college), an SAT II: Subject Test with a score of 590 or higher, or a proficiency examination offered by some departments at Berkeley or at another campus of the University of California.

Reading and Composition

In order to provide a solid foundation in reading, writing and critical thinking the College requires lower division work in composition.

• Chemical Engineering majors – A-level R&C course (e.g., English R1A) by end of freshman year

• Chemical Biology and Chemistry majors – A- and B-level courses by end of sophomore year

Breadth Elective Requirement – Chemistry & Chemical Biology majors

• 15 units total; includes Reading & Composition (R1A + R1B) and American Cultures courses

• Remaining units must come from the College of Chemistry’s list of acceptable Humanities and Social Science courses (Group II)

• Breadth elective courses may be taken on a Pass/No Pass basis (excluding R&C)

• AP, IB, and GCE A-level exam credit may be used to satisfy the breadth requirement

Breadth Elective Requirement – Chemical Engineering major

• 19 unit total; includes Reading & Composition (R1A only) and American Cultures courses

• Breadth Series requirement: As part of the 19 units, students must complete two courses, at least one being upper division, in the same or very closely allied humanities or social science department(s).  AP credit may be used to satisfy the lower division aspect of the requirement.

• Breadth Series courses and all remaining units must come from the College of Chemistry’s list of acceptable Humanities and Social Science courses (Group II)

• Breadth elective courses may be taken on a Pass/No Pass basis (excluding R&C)

• AP, IB, and GCE A-level exam credit may be used to satisfy the breadth requirement

Class Schedule Requirements

Minimum units per semester

Maximum units per semester – 19.5

12 units of course work each semester must satisfy degree requirements.

Chemical engineering freshmen and Chemistry majors are required to enroll in a minimum of one chemistry course each semester.

After the freshman year, Chemical Engineering majors must enroll in a minimum of one chemical and biomolecular engineering course each semester.

Semester Limit

• Students who entered as freshmen – 8 semesters

• Chemistry & Chemical Biology majors who entered as transfer students – 4 semesters

• Chemical Engineering majors who entered as transfer students – 5 semester

Summer sessions are excluded when determining the limit on semesters. Students who wish to delay graduation to complete a minor, a double major, or simultaneous degrees must request approval for delay of graduation before what would normally be their final two semesters. The College of Chemistry does not have a rule regarding maximum units that a student can accumulate.

Senior Residence

After 90 units toward the bachelor’s degree have been completed, at least 24 of the remaining units must be completed in residence in the College of Chemistry, in at least two semesters (the semester in which the 90 units are exceeded, plus at least one additional semester).

To count as a semester of residence for this requirement, a program must include at least 4 units of successfully completed courses. A summer session can be credited as a semester in residence if this minimum unit requirement is satisfied.

Juniors and seniors who participate in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP) for a full year may meet a modified senior residence requirement. After 60 units toward the bachelor’s degree have been completed, at least 24 (excluding EAP) of the remaining units must be completed in residence in the College of Chemistry, in at least two semesters. At least 12 of the 24 units must be completed after the student has already completed 90 units. Undergraduate Dean’s approval for the modified senior residence requirement must be obtained before enrollment in the Education Abroad Program.

Minimum Total Units

A student must successfully complete at least 120 semester units in order to graduate.

Minimum Academic Requirements

Grades

A student must earn at least a C average (2.0 GPA) in all courses undertaken at UC, including those from UC Summer Sessions, UC Education Abroad Program, and UC Berkeley Washington Program, as well as XB courses from University Extension.

Minimum Course Grade Requirements

Students in the College of Chemistry who receive a grade of D+ or lower in a chemical and biomolecular engineering or chemistry course for which a grade of C- or higher is required must repeat the course at Berkeley.

Students in the College of Chemistry must achieve:

• C- or higher in CHEM 4A General Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis before taking CHEM 4B General Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis

• C- or higher in CHEM 4B General Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis before taking more advanced courses

• C- or higher in CHEM 112A Organic Chemistry before taking CHEM 112B Organic Chemistry GPA of at least 2.0 in all courses taken in the college in order to advance to and continue in the upper division

Chemistry or chemical biology majors must also achieve:

• C- or higher in CHEM 120A Physical Chemistry and CHEM 120B Physical Chemistry if taken before CHEM 125 Physical Chemistry Laboratory or CHEM C182 Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Laboratory

• 2.0 GPA in all upper division courses taken at the University to satisfy major requirements

Chemical engineering students must also achieve:

• C- or higher in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CBE) 140 before taking any other CBE courses

• C- or higher in CHM ENG 150A Transport Processes to be eligible to take any other course in the 150 series

• 2.0 GPA in all upper division courses taken at the University to satisfy major requirements

Chemical engineering students who do not achieve a grade of C- or higher in CHM ENG 140 Introduction to Chemical Process Analysis on their first attempt are advised to change to another major. If the course is not passed with a grade of C- or higher on the second attempt, continuation in the Chemical Engineering program is normally not allowed.

Minimum Progress

To make normal progress toward a degree, undergraduates must successfully complete 30 units of coursework each year. The continued enrollment of students who do not maintain normal progress will be subject to the approval of the Undergraduate Dean. To achieve minimum academic progress, the student must meet two criteria:

1. Completed no fewer units than 15 multiplied by the number of semesters, less one, in which the student has been enrolled at Berkeley. Summer sessions do not count as semesters for this purpose.

2. A student’s class schedule must contain at least 13 units in any term, unless otherwise authorized by the staff adviser or the Undergraduate Dean.

College Requirements, BA Degree

Undergraduate students in the College of Letters and Science must fulfill the following requirements in addition to those required by their major program.

For detailed lists of courses that fulfill college requirements, please see the College of Letters and Sciences  page in this bulletin. 

Entry Level Writing

All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by fulfilling the Entry Level Writing Requirement. Fulfillment of this requirement is also a prerequisite to enrollment in all reading and composition courses at UC Berkeley. 

American History and American Institutions

The American History and Institutions requirements are based on the principle that a U.S. resident graduated from an American university should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.

American Cultures

American Cultures is the one requirement that all undergraduate students at Cal need to take and pass in order to graduate. The requirement offers an exciting intellectual environment centered on the study of race, ethnicity and culture of the United States. AC courses offer students opportunities to be part of research-led, highly accomplished teaching environments, grappling with the complexity of American Culture.

Quantitative Reasoning

The Quantitative Reasoning requirement is designed to ensure that students graduate with basic understanding and competency in math, statistics, or computer science. The requirement may be satisfied by exam or by taking an approved course.

Foreign Language

The Foreign Language requirement may be satisfied by demonstrating proficiency in reading comprehension, writing, and conversation in a foreign language equivalent to the second semester college level, either by passing an exam or by completing approved course work.

Reading and Composition

In order to provide a solid foundation in reading, writing and critical thinking the College requires two semesters of lower division work in composition. Students must complete a first-level reading and composition course by the end of their second semester and a second-level course by the end of their fourth semester.

Breadth Requirements

The undergraduate breadth requirements provide Berkeley students with a rich and varied educational experience outside of their major program. As the foundation of a liberal arts education, breadth courses give students a view into the intellectual life of the University while introducing them to a multitude of perspectives and approaches to research and scholarship.  Engaging students in new disciplines and with peers from other majors, the breadth experience strengthens interdisciplinary connections and context that prepares Berkeley graduates to understand and solve the complex issues of their day.

Unit Requirements

• 120 total units, including at least 60 L&S units

• Of the 120 units, 36 must be upper division units

• Of the 36 upper division units, 6 must be taken in courses offered outside your major department

Residence Requirements

For units to be considered in "residence," you must be registered in courses on the Berkeley campus as a student in the College of Letters and Science. Most students automatically fulfill the residence requirement by attending classes here for four years. In general, there is no need to be concerned about this requirement, unless you go abroad for a semester or year or want to take courses at another institution or through University Extension during your senior year. In these cases, you should make an appointment to see an adviser to determine how you can meet the Senior Residence Requirement.

Note: Courses taken through UC Extension do not count toward residence.

Senior Residence Requirement

After you become a senior (with 90 semester units earned toward your B.A. degree), you must complete at least 24 of the remaining 30 units in residence in at least two semesters. To count as residence, a semester must consist of at least 6 passed units. Intercampus Visitor, EAP, and UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) units are excluded.

You may use a Berkeley summer session to satisfy one semester of the Senior Residence Requirement, provided that you successfully complete 6 units of course work in the Summer Session and that you have been enrolled previously in the College.

Modified Senior Residence Requirement

Participants in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP) or the UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) may meet a Modified Senior Residence Requirement by completing 24 (excluding EAP) of their final 60 semester units in residence. At least 12 of these 24 units must be completed after you have completed 90 units.

Upper Division Residence Requirement

You must complete in residence a minimum of 18 units of upper division courses (excluding EAP units), 12 of which must satisfy the requirements for your major.

Student Learning Goals

Mission

The chemistry major provides training for students planning careers in the chemical sciences and also for those whose interests lie in biology, medicine, earth sciences, secondary education, business, and law.  More than half of the total Berkeley undergraduate population will, at some stage of their degree program, take a course from the Department of Chemistry. The curriculum of the Department is designed to satisfy the diverse needs of all these students.

Each Chemistry graduate will have completed an integrated, rigorous program which includes foundational course work in chemistry and in-depth course work in chemistry or chemistry-related fields. The ACS-certified degree further emphasizes laboratory experience and the development of professional skills. Advanced coursework and educational activities outside the traditional classroom, such as independent research, provide students the opportunity to conduct individual research projects or participate as a member of a research team.  Many undergraduate students also benefit from taking our graduate courses in synthetic and physical chemistry.

At graduation, chemistry majors will have a set of fundamental competencies that are knowledge-based, performance/skills-based, and effective.  

Learning Goals of the Major

Graduates will be able to:

1. Master a broad set of chemical knowledge concerning the fundamentals in the basic areas of the discipline (organic, inorganic, analytical, physical, and biological chemistry).
2. Solve problems competently by identifying the essential parts of a problem and formulating a strategy for solving the problem.  They will be able to rationally estimate the solution to a problem, apply appropriate techniques to arrive at a solution, test the correctness of the solution, and interpret their results.
3. Use computers in data acquisition and processing and use available software as a tool in data analysis.
4. Employ modern library search tools to locate and retrieve scientific information about a topic, chemical, chemical technique, or an issue relating to chemistry.

Skills

Graduates will demonstrate the ability to:

1. Understand the objective of their chemical experiments, properly carry out the experiments, and appropriately record and analyze the results. 
2. Use standard laboratory equipment, modern instrumentation, and classical techniques to carry out experiments. 
3. Know and follow the proper procedures and regulations for safe handling and use of chemicals. 
4. Communicate the concepts and results of their laboratory experiments through effective writing and oral communication skills. 

Effective

Graduates will be able to:

1. Successfully pursue their career objectives in advanced education in professional and/or graduate schools, in a scientific career in government or industry, in a teaching career in the school systems, or in a related career following graduation. 
   The relationship between the Major's core curriculum and student learning outcomes can be seen in the Appendix in Table I.

Courses

Chemistry

Faculty

Professors

Paul Alivisatos, Professor. Physical chemistry, semiconductor nanocrystals, nanoscience, nanotechnology, artificial photosynthesis, solar energy, renewable energy, sustainable energy.
Research Profile

Richard A. Andersen, Professor. Chemistry, inorganic chemistry, organometallic chemistry.
Research Profile

John Arnold, Professor. Organometallic chemistry, organometallic catalysis, materials chemistry, coordination chemistry.
Research Profile

Robert G. Bergman, Professor. Organic and inorganic chemistry: synthesis and reaction mechanisms, organotransition metal compounds, homogeneous catalysis.
Research Profile

Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Professor. Molecular basis of cell surface interactions, eukaryotic genomes, glycosylation.
Research Profile

Kristie A Boering, Professor. Physical chemistry, climate change, atmospheric chemistry, environmental chemistry, ozone, earth and planetary science, isotopic compositions of atmospheric trace gases, stratospheric ozone, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, molecular hydrogen, methane.
Research Profile

David Chandler, Professor. Physical chemistry, chemistry, statistical mechanics, theoretical, condensed matter, molecular structure and dynamics, quantum theory of many body systems.
Research Profile

Christopher J. Chang, Professor. Chemistry, inorganic chemistry, neuroscience, bioinorganic chemistry, general physiology, organic chemistry, new chemical tools for biological imaging and proteomics, new metal complexes for energy catalysis and green chemistry, chemical biology.
Research Profile

Ronald C Cohen, Professor. Physical chemistry, water, climate, air pollution, atmospheric chemistry, environmental chemistry, analytical chemistry, ozone, nitrogen oxides, CO2, clouds.
Research Profile

Graham R Fleming, Professor. Chemistry, proteins, chemical and biological dynamics in the condensed phase, ultrafast spectroscopy, body dynamics, liquids, solutions, glasses, photosynthetic proteins, role of solvents in chemical reactions, complex electric fields, electron transfer.
Research Profile

Matt Francis, Professor. Materials chemistry, drug delivery, organic chemistry, Protein modification, artificial photosynthesis, water purification.
Research Profile

Phillip Lewis Geissler, Professor. Statistical mechanics, theoretical chemistry, microscopic behavior of complex biological and material systems, biomolecular structure and dynamics, nonlinear vibrational spectroscopy.
Research Profile

Jay T. Groves, PhD, Professor. Chemistry, physical chemistry of cell membranes, molecular organization in cell membranes, receptor-ligand binding, spatial rearrangement of receptors, ligands.
Research Profile

Charles B. Harris, Professor. Physical chemistry, surface science, theoretical chemistry, chemical dynamics, femtosecond lasers in the visible and infrared, energy transfer, relaxation, primary processes in chemical reactions in liquids, the dynamical properties of electrons.
Research Profile

John F. Hartwig, Professor. Inorganic chemistry, organometallic chemistry, catalysis, organic chemistry.
Research Profile

Martin Head-Gordon, Professor. Theoretical chemistry, electronic structure calculations, development of novel theories and algorithms, quantum mechanics.
Research Profile

Stephen R. Leone, Professor. Physical chemistry, molecular dynamics, atomic, molecular, nanostructured materials, energy applications, attosecond physics and chemistry, radical reactions, combustion dynamics, microscopy, Optical physics, chemical physics, soft x-ray, high harmonic generation, ultrafast laser, aerosol chemistry and dynamics, neutrals imaging.
Research Profile

Jeffrey R Long, Professor. Inorganic and solid state chemistry, synthesis of inorganic clusters and solids, controlling structure, tailoring physical properties, intermetal bridges, high-spin metal-cyanide clusters, magnetic bistability.
Research Profile

Marcin M. Majda, Professor. Electrochemistry, analytical chemistry, electrode & solution interfaces, electron tunneling, bioanalytical chemistry.
Research Profile

Luciano G. Moretto, Professor. Chemistry, nuclear science, statistical and dynamical properties of nuclei, nuclear reactions, multifragmentation, thermal scaling, monovariant and bivariant regions.
Research Profile

Daniel M. Neumark, Professor. Physical chemistry, molecular structure and dynamics, spectroscopy and dynamics of transition states, radicals, and clusters, frequency and time-domain techniques, state-resolved photodissociation, photodetachment of negative ion beams.
Research Profile

Alexander Pines, Professor. Physical chemistry, magnetic resonance imaging, solid state, NMR, optics, quantum coherence, symmetry, modern pulsed magnetic resonance spectroscopy, optical pumping in condensed matter, nonlinear phenomena and chaos, relaxation and many body dynamics.
Research Profile

Richard J. Saykally, Professor. Physical chemistry, surface science, analytical chemistry, materials solid state chemistry, laser spectroscopy methods, X-ray spectroscopy, molecular astrophysics, novel forms of matter, nonlinear optical molecular imaging(NMI), water clusters.
Research Profile

Kevan M. Shokat, Professor. Chemistry, bio-organic chemistry, diabetes, protein phosphorylation, fundamental signal transduction pathways in cells and whole organisms, kinase, drug development, asthma, multiple forms of cancer, neurological disorders, drug addiction.
Research Profile

Angelica M. Stacy, PhD, Professor. Chemistry, solid states, physical and inorganic chemistry, emerging technologies, synthesis and characterization of new solid state materials with novel electronic properties, magnetic properties, development of new synthetic methodologies.
Research Profile

T. Don Tilley, Professor. Inorganic, organometallic, polymer and materials chemistry; synthetic, structural, and reactivity studies on transition metal compounds; catalysis; new chemical transformations; advanced solid state materials; renewable energy; solar fuels.
Research Profile

Dean F. Toste, Professor. Organometallic chemistry, organic, development of new synthetic methods, enantioselective catalysts, strategies for the synthesis of natural products, synthesis of complex molecules, formation of carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds, olefins.
Research Profile

K. Peter Vollhardt, Professor. Organic and organometallic chemistry, transition metals, novel synthetic methodology, synthesis of complex natural and unnatural products, assembly of novel oligometallic arrays, phenylenes, organic magnets and conductors.
Research Profile

David E. Wemmer, Professor. Nuclear magnetic resonance, nucleic acids, biophysical chemistry: proteins, NMR spectroscopy, magnetic resonance methods, structure of proteins and DNA, conformational fluctuations, biopolymers.
Research Profile

K. Birgitta Whaley, Professor. Chemistry, physical and theoretical chemistry, cluster and nano science, quantum information and computations, quantum mechanics of clusters and advanced materials, elucidating and manipulating chemical dynamics in strongly quantum environments.
Research Profile

Evan R. Williams, Professor. Spectroscopy, molecular structure and dynamics, analytical chemistry, biophysical chemistry, structure and reactivity of biomolecules and biomolecule/water interactions, mass spectrometry, separations, protein conformation, protein and DNA sequencing.
Research Profile

Omar Yaghi, Professor.

Peidong Yang, Professor. Materials chemistry, sensors, nanostructures, energy conversion, nanowires, miniaturizing optoelectronic devices, photovoltaics, thermoelectrics, solid state lighting.
Research Profile

Assistant Professors

Tanja Cuk, PhD, Assistant Professor.

Felix R. Fischer, PhD, Assistant Professor.

Naomi S Ginsberg, Assistant Professor.

Ming Chen Hammond, Assistant Professor. Molecular biology, biochemistry, organic chemistry, synthetic biology, chemical biology.
Research Profile

Thomas Maimone, Assistant Professor.

Evan W Miller, Assistant Professor.

Ke Xu, PhD, Assistant Professor.

Adjunct Faculty

Anne Baranger, Adjunct Faculty.

Lecturers

Michelle Christine Douskey, Lecturer.

Peter Marsden, Lecturer.

Steven F. Pedersen, Lecturer.

MaryAnn Robak, Lecturer.