Chemistry

University of California, Berkeley

This is an archived copy of the 2015-16 guide. To access the most recent version of the guide, please visit http://guide.berkeley.edu.

About the Program

UC Berkeley 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 & Science.

Minor Program

The College of Chemistry offers a minor 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)

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 upper division courses.
  3. A minimum GPA of 2.0 in all upper division courses taken at the University is required to satisfy major requirements.
  4. Chemistry majors who receive a grade of D+ or lower in a 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 4AGeneral Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis4
CHEM 4BGeneral Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis4
CHEM 112AOrganic Chemistry5
CHEM 112BOrganic Chemistry5
MATH 1ACalculus4
MATH 1BCalculus4
MATH 53Multivariable Calculus4
MATH 54Linear Algebra and Differential Equations4
PHYSICS 7APhysics for Scientists and Engineers4
PHYSICS 7BPhysics for Scientists and Engineers4

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 104AAdvanced Inorganic Chemistry3
CHEM 104BAdvanced Inorganic Chemistry3
CHEM 120APhysical Chemistry3
CHEM 120BPhysical Chemistry3
CHEM 125Physical Chemistry Laboratory 13
Select one of the following:4
Instrumental Methods in Analytical Chemistry
Inorganic Synthesis and Reactions
Organic Chemistry--Advanced Laboratory Methods
Radiochemical Methods in Nuclear Technology and Forensics
Select 15 units of upper division chemistry and allied subjects courses (see below) 215
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 C162Planetary Astrophysics4
BIO ENG 100Ethics in Science and Engineering3
BIO ENG 104Biological Transport Phenomena4
BIO ENG 111Functional Biomaterials Development and Characterization4
BIO ENG 112Molecular Cell Biomechanics4
BIO ENG C112Molecular Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of the Cell4
BIO ENG 115Cell Biology for Engineers4
BIO ENG 116Cell and Tissue Engineering4
BIO ENG C117Structural Aspects of Biomaterials4
BIO ENG C118Biological Performance of Materials4
BIO ENG C119Orthopedic Biomechanics4
BIO ENG 121BioMEMS and Medical Devices4
BIO ENG 131Introduction to Computational Molecular and Cell Biology4
BIO ENG 132Genetic Devices4
BIO ENG 143Computational Methods in Biology4
BIO ENG C144Course Not Available
BIO ENG C144LCourse Not Available
BIO ENG 147Principles of Synthetic Biology4
BIO ENG 150Introduction of Bionanoscience and Bionanotechnology4
BIO ENG 151Micro/Nanofluidics for Bioengineering and Lab-On-A-Chip4
BIO ENG 163Principles of Molecular and Cellular Biophotonics4
BIO ENG C181The Berkeley Lectures on Energy: Energy from Biomass3
CHM ENG 140Introduction to Chemical Process Analysis4
CHM ENG 141Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics4
CHM ENG 142Chemical Kinetics and Reaction Engineering4
CHM ENG 150ATransport Processes4
CHM ENG 150BTransport and Separation Processes4
CHM ENG 154Chemical Engineering Laboratory4
CHM ENG 160Chemical Process Design4
CHM ENG 162Dynamics and Control of Chemical Processes4
CHM ENG 170ABiochemical Engineering3
CHM ENG 170BBiochemical Engineering3
CHM ENG C170LBiochemical Engineering Laboratory3
CHM ENG 171Transport Phenomena3
CHM ENG 176Principles of Electrochemical Processes3
CHM ENG C178Polymer Science and Technology3
CHM ENG 179Process Technology of Solid-State Materials Devices3
CHM ENG 180Chemical Engineering Economics3
CHM ENG 185Technical Communication for Chemical Engineers3
CHM ENG H194Research for Advanced Undergraduates2-4
CHM ENG 195Special Topics2-4
CHM ENG C195AThe Berkeley Lectures on Energy: Energy from Biomass3
CHM ENG 196Special Laboratory Study2-4
CHEM 100Communicating Chemistry (limited to 2 units)2
CHEM 103Inorganic Chemistry in Living Systems3
CHEM 104AAdvanced Inorganic Chemistry3
CHEM 104BAdvanced Inorganic Chemistry3
CHEM 105Instrumental Methods in Analytical Chemistry4
CHEM 108Inorganic Synthesis and Reactions4
CHEM C110LGeneral Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Laboratory4
CHEM 113Advanced Mechanistic Organic Chemistry3
CHEM 114Advanced Synthetic Organic Chemistry3
CHEM 115Organic Chemistry--Advanced Laboratory Methods4
CHEM 122Quantum Mechanics and Spectroscopy3
CHEM 125Physical Chemistry Laboratory3
CHEM C130Biophysical Chemistry: Physical Principles and the Molecules of Life4
CHEM 130BBiophysical Chemistry (2 units)3
CHEM 135Chemical Biology3
CHEM C138The Berkeley Lectures on Energy: Energy from Biomass3
CHEM 143Nuclear Chemistry2
CHEM 146Radiochemical Methods in Nuclear Technology and Forensics3
CHEM C150Introduction to Materials Chemistry3
CHEM C170LBiochemical Engineering Laboratory3
CHEM C178Polymer Science and Technology3
CHEM C182Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Laboratory3
CHEM C191Quantum Information Science and Technology3
CHEM 192Individual Study for Advanced Undergraduates1-3
CHEM H194Research for Advanced Undergraduates2-4
CHEM 195Special Topics3
CHEM 196Special Laboratory Study2-4
CIV ENG C106Air Pollution3
CIV ENG 111Environmental Engineering3
CIV ENG 112Environmental Engineering Design3
CIV ENG 114Environmental Microbiology3
CIV ENG 115Water Chemistry3
CIV ENG C116Chemistry of Soils3
CIV ENG C133Engineering Analysis Using the Finite Element Method3
COMPSCI 160User Interface Design and Development4
COMPSCI 162Operating Systems and System Programming4
COMPSCI 164Programming Languages and Compilers4
COMPSCI 170Efficient Algorithms and Intractable Problems4
COMPSCI 174Combinatorics and Discrete Probability4
COMPSCI 184Foundations of Computer Graphics4
COMPSCI C191Quantum Information Science and Technology3
EPS 103Introduction to Aquatic and Marine Geochemistry4
EPS 111Petroleum Geology3
EPS C129Biometeorology3
EPS 131Geochemistry4
EPS C162Planetary Astrophysics4
EPS C180Air Pollution3
EPS C183Carbon Cycle Dynamics3
EPS C182Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Laboratory3
EPS 185Course Not Available
ECON C103Introduction to Mathematical Economics4
EDUC 223BSpecial Problems in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education (graduate-level; requires consent of instructor)2-6
EDUC 224AMathematical Thinking and Problem Solving (graduate-level; requires consent of instructor)3
EL ENG 100Electronic Techniques for Engineering4
ENGIN 117Methods of Engineering Analysis3
ENGIN 128Advanced Engineering Design Graphics3
ESPM 119Chemical Ecology2
ESPM 120Soil Characteristics3
ESPM C128Chemistry of Soils3
ESPM C129Biometeorology3
ESPM C138Introduction to Comparative Virology4
ESPM C148Pesticide Chemistry and Toxicology3
ESPM C180Air Pollution3
INTEGBI 106APhysical and Chemical Environment of the Ocean4
INTEGBI 115Introduction to Systems in Biology and Medicine4
MAT SCI 102Bonding, Crystallography, and Crystal Defects3
MAT SCI 103Phase Transformations and Kinetics3
MAT SCI 104Materials Characterization4
MAT SCI 111Properties of Electronic Materials4
MAT SCI 112Corrosion (Chemical Properties)3
MAT SCI 113Mechanical Behavior of Engineering Materials3
MAT SCI 117Properties of Dielectric and Magnetic Materials3
MAT SCI C118Biological Performance of Materials4
MAT SCI 120Materials Production3
MAT SCI 121Metals Processing3
MAT SCI 122Ceramic Processing3
MAT SCI 123ELECTRONIC MATERIALS PROCESSING4
MAT SCI 125Thin-Film Materials Science3
MAT SCI 130Experimental Materials Science and Design3
MAT SCI 140Nanomaterials for Scientists and Engineers3
MAT SCI 151Polymeric Materials3
MATH C103Introduction to Mathematical Economics4
MATH 104Introduction to Analysis4
MATH H104Honors Introduction to Analysis4
MATH 105Second Course in Analysis4
MATH 110Linear Algebra4
MATH H110Honors Linear Algebra4
MATH 113Introduction to Abstract Algebra4
MATH H113Honors Introduction to Abstract Algebra4
MATH 114Second Course in Abstract Algebra4
MATH 115Introduction to Number Theory4
MATH 121AMathematical Tools for the Physical Sciences4
MATH 121BMathematical Tools for the Physical Sciences4
MATH 123Ordinary Differential Equations4
MATH 125AMathematical Logic4
MATH 126Introduction to Partial Differential Equations4
MATH 128ANumerical Analysis4
MATH 128BNumerical Analysis4
MATH 130The Classical Geometries4
MATH 135Introduction to the Theory of Sets4
MATH 136Incompleteness and Undecidability4
MATH 140Metric Differential Geometry4
MATH 142Elementary Algebraic Topology4
MATH 170Mathematical Methods for Optimization4
MATH 185Introduction to Complex Analysis4
MATH H185Honors Introduction to Complex Analysis4
MATH 189Mathematical Methods in Classical and Quantum Mechanics4
MEC ENG 107Mechanical Engineering Laboratory3
MEC ENG C115Molecular Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of the Cell4
MEC ENG C117Structural Aspects of Biomaterials4
MEC ENG 118Introduction to Nanotechnology and Nanoscience3
MEC ENG C176Orthopedic Biomechanics4
MEC ENG C180Engineering Analysis Using the Finite Element Method3
MCELLBI C100ABiophysical Chemistry: Physical Principles and the Molecules of Life4
MCELLBI C103Bacterial Pathogenesis3
MCELLBI 104Genetics, Genomics, and Cell Biology4
MCELLBI 110Molecular Biology: Macromolecular Synthesis and Cellular Function4
MCELLBI C110LGeneral Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Laboratory4
MCELLBI C112General Microbiology4
MCELLBI C112LGeneral Microbiology Laboratory2
MCELLBI C114Introduction to Comparative Virology4
MCELLBI C116Microbial Diversity3
MCELLBI 118The Cancer Karyotype: What it is and What it Does1
MCELLBI 130ACourse Not Available
MCELLBI 133LPhysiology and Cell Biology Laboratory4
MCELLBI 140General Genetics4
MCELLBI 140LGenetics Laboratory4
MCELLBI 141Developmental Biology4
MCELLBI 143Evolution of Genomes, Cells, and Development3
MCELLBI C148Microbial Genomics and Genetics4
MCELLBI 150Molecular Immunology4
MCELLBI 150LImmunology Laboratory4
MCELLBI 160LNeurobiology Laboratory4
NUC ENG 101Nuclear Reactions and Radiation4
NUC ENG 104Radiation Detection and Nuclear Instrumentation Laboratory4
NUC ENG 107Introduction to Imaging3
NUC ENG 120Nuclear Materials4
NUC ENG 124Radioactive Waste Management3
NUC ENG 130Analytical Methods for Non-proliferation4
NUC ENG 150Introduction to Nuclear Reactor Theory4
NUC ENG 161Nuclear Power Engineering4
NUC ENG 162Radiation Biophysics and Dosimetry3
NUC ENG 170ANuclear Design: Design in Nuclear Power Technology and Instrumentation3
NUC ENG 170BNuclear Design: Design in Bionuclear, Nuclear Medicine, and Radiation Therapy3
NUC ENG 180Introduction to Controlled Fusion3
NUSCTX 103Nutrient Function and Metabolism3
NUSCTX 108AIntroduction and Application of Food Science3
NUSCTX 110Toxicology4
NUSCTX 115Principles of Drug Action2
NUSCTX 160Metabolic Bases of Human Health and Diseases4
NUSCTX 171Nutrition and Toxicology Laboratory4
PHYSICS 7CPhysics for Scientists and Engineers (must be completed with a grade of C- or better)4
PHYSICS 105Analytic Mechanics4
PHYSICS 110AElectromagnetism and Optics4
PHYSICS 110BElectromagnetism and Optics4
PHYSICS 112Introduction to Statistical and Thermal Physics4
PHYSICS 130Quantum and Nonlinear Optics3
PHYSICS 137BQuantum Mechanics4
PHYSICS 138Modern Atomic Physics3
PHYSICS 141ASolid State Physics4
PHYSICS 141BSolid State Physics3
PHYSICS C191Quantum Information Science and Technology3
PLANTBI C103Bacterial Pathogenesis3
PLANTBI C112General Microbiology4
PLANTBI C112LGeneral Microbiology Laboratory2
PLANTBI C114Introduction to Comparative Virology4
PLANTBI C116Microbial Diversity3
PLANTBI 120Biology of Algae2
PLANTBI 120LLaboratory for Biology of Algae2
PLANTBI 122Bioenergy2
PLANTBI C124The Berkeley Lectures on Energy: Energy from Biomass3
PLANTBI 135Physiology and Biochemistry of Plants3
PLANTBI C144Course Not Available
PLANTBI C144LCourse Not Available
PLANTBI C148Microbial Genomics and Genetics4
PLANTBI 150Plant Cell Biology3
PLANTBI 160Plant Molecular Genetics3
PLANTBI 170Modern Applications of Plant Biotechnology2
PLANTBI 180Environmental Plant Biology2
PB HLTH C102Bacterial Pathogenesis3
PB HLTH 142Introduction to Probability and Statistics in Biology and Public Health4
PB HLTH 162APublic Health Microbiology3
PB HLTH 162LPublic Health Microbiology Laboratory1
STAT 134Concepts of Probability3
STAT 135Concepts of Statistics4

Upper Division Requirements: Materials Chemistry Concentration

CHEM 104AAdvanced Inorganic Chemistry3
CHEM 104BAdvanced Inorganic Chemistry3
CHEM 120APhysical Chemistry3
CHEM 120BPhysical Chemistry3
CHEM C150Introduction to Materials Chemistry3
Select two laboratory courses from the following:
Instrumental Methods in Analytical Chemistry
Physical Chemistry Laboratory
Inorganic Synthesis and Reactions
Organic Chemistry--Advanced Laboratory Methods
Electives. Select 10 units of the following:10
Biological Performance of Materials
Polymer Science and Technology
Materials Characterization
Introduction to Nanotechnology and Nanoscience
Solid State Physics
Solid State Physics

Major Requirements (BA)

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 & 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 4AGeneral Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis 1, 24
CHEM 4BGeneral Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis 1, 24
MATH 1ACalculus4
MATH 1BCalculus4
MATH 53Multivariable Calculus4
MATH 54Linear Algebra and Differential Equations4
PHYSICS 7APhysics for Scientists and Engineers4
PHYSICS 7BPhysics for Scientists and Engineers4
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 4BCHEM 15, or CHEM 105.

Upper Division Requirements

CHEM 104AAdvanced Inorganic Chemistry 13
CHEM 104BAdvanced Inorganic Chemistry 13
CHEM 112AOrganic Chemistry 25
CHEM 112BOrganic Chemistry 25
CHEM 120APhysical Chemistry 33
CHEM 120BPhysical Chemistry 33
Select one of the following:4
Instrumental Methods in Analytical Chemistry
Inorganic Synthesis and Reactions
Organic Chemistry--Advanced Laboratory Methods
Physical Chemistry Laboratory 3
Biochemical Engineering Laboratory
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

  1. Two semesters of organic chemistry (Chem 3A/L & 3BL or Chem 112A & 112B)
  2. Two semesters of physical or biophysical chemistry (Chem 120A & 120B or Chem C130 & 130B)
  3. Two additional upper division Chemistry courses taken at Berkeley, excluding courses numbered 190-199
Organic chemistry 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
Organic Chemistry
   and Organic Chemistry
Physical or biophysical chemistry options:
Physical Chemistry
   and Physical Chemistry
Biophysical Chemistry: Physical Principles and the Molecules of Life
   and Biophysical Chemistry

College Requirements (BS)

All students in the College of Chemistry are required to complete the University requirements of American CulturesAmerican History and Institutions , and Entry-Level Writing .  In addition, they must fulfill the following College requirements:

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 Biology and Chemistry majors: A  and B-level courses by end of the second year

Humanities and Social Sciences Breadth Requirement

The College of Chemistry’s humanities and social sciences breadth requirement promotes educational experiences that enrich and complement the technical requirements for each major.  

Chemistry & Chemical Biology majors

  • 15 units total; includes Reading & Composition and American Cultures courses
  • Remaining units must come from the following lists of approved humanities and social science courses, excluding courses which only teach a skill (such as drawing or playing an instrument):

Arts and Literature

Foreign Language 1,2

Historical Studies

International Studies

Philosophy and Values

Social and Behavioral Sciences

  • Breadth courses may be taken on a Pass/No Pass basis (excluding Reading and Composition)
  • AP, IB, and GCE A-level exam credit  may be used to satisfy the breadth requirement

Elementary-level courses may not be in the student's native language and may not be structured primarily to teach the reading of scientific literature.

For Chemistry and Chemical Biology majors, elementary-level foreign language courses are not accepted toward the 15 unit breadth requirement if they are used (or are duplicates of high school courses used) to satisfy the Foreign Language requirement.

Foreign Language

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.

Class Schedule Requirements

  • Minimum units per semester: 13
  • 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 semesters

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 (UCEAP) 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 UCEAP) 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

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 UC 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)

Undergraduate students in the College of Letters & 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 & Sciences  page in this Guide.

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 US 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 & 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 BA 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

CHEM 1A General Chemistry 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Summer 2017 8 Week Session, Spring 2017
Stoichiometry of chemical reactions, quantum mechanical description of atoms, the elements and periodic table, chemical bonding, real and ideal gases, thermochemistry, introduction to thermodynamics and equilibrium, acid-base and solubility equilibria, introduction to oxidation-reduction reactions, introduction to chemical kinetics.

CHEM 1AD General Chemistry (Digital) 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Spring 2016
An interactive general chemistry course that uses modern digital technology, offered in a smaller classroom setting to facilitate student participation and foster an engaging learning environment. Topics cover the Chemistry 1A curriculum, ranging from quantum mechanics and interactions of atoms and molecules to properties and equilibria of bulk materials. The course involves a blend of classroom lectures and peer learning with substantial web-based assignments
and resources including web access to lecture videos. Lecture time is also devoted to ChemQuiz peer discussions and live demos of chemical properties and processes, which students generally find to be illuminating and valuable learning experiences.

CHEM 1AL General Chemistry Laboratory 1 Unit

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Summer 2017 8 Week Session, Spring 2017
An experimental approach to chemical sciences with emphasis on developing fundamental, reproducible laboratory technique and a goal of understanding and achieving precision and accuracy in laboratory experiments. Proper use of laboratory equipment and standard wet chemical methods are practiced. Areas of investigations include chemical equilibria, spectroscopy, nanotechnology, green chemistry, and thermochemistry. Concurrent
enrollment in 1A is recommended.

CHEM 1B General Chemistry 4 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2017 8 Week Session, Spring 2017, Summer 2016 8 Week Session
Introduction to chemical kinetics, electrochemistry, properties of the states of matter, binary mixtures, thermodynamic efficiency and the direction of chemical change, quantum mechanical description of bonding introduction to spectroscopy. Special topics: Research topics in modern chemistry and biochemistry, chemical engineering.

CHEM W1A General Chemistry 3 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2013 10 Week Session, Summer 2013 8 Week Session, Summer 2012 8 Week Session
Stoichiometry of chemical reactions, quantum mechanical description of atoms, the elements and periodic table, chemical bonding, real and ideal gases, thermochemistry, introduction to thermodynamics and equilibrium, acid-base and solubility equilibria, introduction to oxidation-reduction reactions, introduction to chemical kinetics. This course is web-based.

CHEM 3A Chemical Structure and Reactivity 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Summer 2017 8 Week Session, Spring 2017
Introduction to organic chemical structures, bonding, and chemical reactivity. The organic chemistry of alkanes, alkyl halides, alcohols, alkenes, alkynes, and organometallics.

CHEM 3AL Organic Chemistry Laboratory 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016
Introduction to the theory and practice of methods used in the organic chemistry laboratory. An emphasis is placed on the separation and purification of organic compounds. Techniques covered will include extraction, distillation, sublimation, recrystalization, and chromatography. Detailed discussions and applications of infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy will be included.

CHEM 3B Chemical Structure and Reactivity 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Summer 2017 8 Week Session, Spring 2017
Conjugation, aromatic chemistry, carbonyl compounds, carbohydrates, amines, carboxylic acids, amino acids, peptides, proteins, and nucleic acid chemistry. Ultraviolet spectroscopy and mass spectrometry will be introduced.

CHEM 3BL Organic Chemistry Laboratory 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Summer 2017 8 Week Session, Spring 2017
The synthesis and purification of organic compounds will be explored. Natural product chemistry will be introduced. Advanced spectroscopic methods including infrared, ultraviolet, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry will be used to analyze products prepared and/or isolated. Qualitative analysis of organic compounds will be covered.

CHEM N3AL Organic Chemistry Laboratory 2 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2017 8 Week Session, Summer 2016 8 Week Session, Summer 2015 8 Week Session
Introduction to the theory and practice of methods used in the organic chemistry laboratory. An emphasis is placed on the separation and purification of organic compounds. Techniques covered will include extraction, distillation, sublimation, recrystalization, and chromatography. Detailed discussions and applications of infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy will be included.

CHEM 4A General Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2015
This series is intended for majors in physical and biological sciences and in engineering. It presents the foundation principles of chemistry, including stoichiometry, ideal and real gases, acid-base and solubility equilibria, oxidation-reduction reactions, thermochemistry, entropy, nuclear chemistry and radioactivity, the atoms and elements, the periodic table, quantum theory, chemical bonding, molecular structure, chemical kinetics, and descriptive
chemistry. Examples and applications will be drawn from diverse areas of special interest such as atmospheric, environmental, materials, polymer and computational chemistry, and biochemistry. Laboratory emphasizes quantitative work. Equivalent to 1A-1B plus 15 as prerequisite for further courses in chemistry.

CHEM 4B General Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015
Series is intended for majors in physical and biological sciences and engineering. It presents the foundation principles of chemistry, including stoichiometry, ideal and real gases, acid-base and solubility equilibria, oxidation-reduction reactions, thermochemistry, entropy, nuclear chemistry and radioactivity, the atoms and elements, the periodic table, quantum theory, chemical bonding, molecular structure, chemical kinetics, and descriptive
chemistry. Examples and applications are drawn from diverse areas of special interest such as atmospheric, environmental, materials, polymer and computational chemistry, and biochemistry. Laboratory emphasizes quantitative work. Equivalent to 1A-1B plus 15 as prerequisite for future chemistry courses.

CHEM 15 Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2015
An introduction to analytical and bioanalytical chemistry including background in statistical analysis of data, acid-base equilibria, electrochemical, spectrometric, and chromatographic methods of analysis and some advanced topics in bioanalytical chemistry such as micro-fluidics, bioassay techniques, and enzymatic biosensors.

CHEM 24 Freshman Seminar 1 Unit

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015
The Freshman Seminar Program has been designed to provide new students with the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member in a small seminar setting. Freshman seminars are offered in all campus departments, and topics may vary from department to department and semester to semester. Enrollment limited to 15 freshmen.

CHEM 49 Supplementary Work in Lower Division Chemistry 1 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Summer 2017 8 Week Session, Spring 2017
Students with partial credit in lower division chemistry courses may, with consent of instructor, complete the credit under this heading.

CHEM 96 Introduction to Research and Study in the College of Chemistry 1 Unit

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2015
Introduces freshmen to research activities and programs of study in the College of Chemistry. Includes lectures by faculty, an introduction to college library and computer facilities, the opportunity to meet alumni and advanced undergraduates in an informal atmosphere, and discussion of college and campus resources.

CHEM 98 Supervised Group Study 1 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016
Group study of selected topics.

CHEM 98W Directed Group Study 1 Unit

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016
Topics vary with instructor. Enrollment restrictions apply.

CHEM 100 Communicating Chemistry 2 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2011, Spring 2010, Spring 2009
For undergraduate and graduate students interested in improving their ability to communicate their scientific knowledge by teaching chemistry in elementary schools. The course will combine instruction in inquiry-based chemistry teaching methods and learning pedagogy with 10 weeks of supervised teaching experience in a local school classroom. Thus, students will practice communicating scientific knowledge and receive mentoring on how to improve
their presentations. Approximately three hours per week, including time spent in school classrooms.

CHEM 103 Inorganic Chemistry in Living Systems 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2015
The basic principles of metal ions and coordination chemistry applied to the study of biological systems.

CHEM 104A Advanced Inorganic Chemistry 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2015
The chemistry of metals and nonmetals including the application of physical chemical principles.

CHEM 104B Advanced Inorganic Chemistry 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015
The chemistry of metals and nonmetals including the application of physical chemical principles.

CHEM 105 Instrumental Methods in Analytical Chemistry 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015
Principles, instrumentation and analytical applications of atomic spectroscopies, mass spectrometry, separations, electrochemistry and micro-characterization. Discussion of instrument design and capabilities as well as real-world problem solving with an emphasis on bioanalytical, environmental, and forensic applications. Hands-on laboratory work using modern instrumentation, emphasizing independent projects involving real-life samples and
problem solving.

CHEM 108 Inorganic Synthesis and Reactions 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2015
The preparation of inorganic compounds using vacuum line, air-and moisture-exclusion, electrochemical, high-pressure, and other synthetic techniques. Kinetic and mechanistic studies of inorganic compounds.

CHEM C110L General Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Laboratory 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016
Experimental techniques of biochemistry and molecular biology, designed to accompany the lectures in Molecular and Cell Biology 100B and 110.

CHEM 112A Organic Chemistry 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2015
A study of all aspects of fundamental organic chemistry, including nomenclature, chemical and physical properties, reactions and syntheses of the major classes of organic compounds. The study includes theoretical aspects, reaction mechanisms, multistep syntheses, and the chemistry of polycyclic and heterocyclic compounds. This course is more extensive and intensive than 3A-3B and includes a greater emphasis on reaction mechanisms and multistep
syntheses. 112A (F); 112B (SP)

CHEM 112B Organic Chemistry 5 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015
A study of all aspects of fundamental organic chemistry, including nomenclature, chemical and physical properties, reactions and syntheses of the major classes of organic compounds. The study includes theoretical aspects, reaction mechanisms, multistep syntheses, and the chemistry of polycyclic and heterocyclic compounds. This course is more extensive and intensive than 3A-3B and includes a greater emphasis on reaction mechanisms and multistep
syntheses. 112A (F); 112B (SP)

CHEM 113 Advanced Mechanistic Organic Chemistry 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2015
Advanced topics in mechanistic and physical organic chemistry typically including kinetics, reactive intermediates, substitution reactions, linear free energy relationships, orbital interactions and orbital symmetry control of reactions, isotope effects, and photochemistry.

CHEM 114 Advanced Synthetic Organic Chemistry 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015
Advanced topics in synthetic organic chemistry with a focus on selectivity. Topics include reductions, oxidations, enolate chemistry and the aldol reaction, reactions of non-stablized anions, olefination reactions, pericyclic reactions and application to the synthesis of complex structures.

CHEM 115 Organic Chemistry--Advanced Laboratory Methods 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016
Advanced synthetic methods, chemical and spectroscopic structural methods, designed as a preparation for experimental research.

CHEM 120A Physical Chemistry 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016
Kinetic, potential, and total energy of particles and forces between them; principles of quantum theory, including one-electron and many-electron atoms and its applications to chemical bonding, intermolecular interactions, and elementary spectroscopy.

CHEM 120B Physical Chemistry 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2015
Statistical mechanics, thermodynamics, equilibrium and applications to chemical systems: states of matter, solutions and solvation, chemical kinetics, molecular dynamics, and molecular transport.

CHEM 122 Quantum Mechanics and Spectroscopy 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Spring 2015
Postulates and methods of quantum mechanics and group theory applied to molecular structure and spectra.

CHEM 125 Physical Chemistry Laboratory 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016
Experiments in thermodynamics, kinetics, molecular structure, and general physical chemistry.

CHEM 130B Biophysical Chemistry 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015
The weekly one-hour discussion is for problem solving and the application of calculus in physical chemistry. Molecular structure, intermolecular forces and interactions, biomolecular spectroscopy, high-resolution structure determinations.

CHEM C130 Biophysical Chemistry: Physical Principles and the Molecules of Life 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016
Thermodynamic and kinetic concepts applied to understanding the chemistry and structure of biomolecules (proteins, DNA, and RNA). Molecular distributions, reaction kinetics, enzyme kinetics. Bioenergetics, energy transduction, and motor proteins. Electrochemical potential, membranes, and ion channels.

CHEM 135 Chemical Biology 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Spring 2016
One-semester introduction to biochemistry, aimed toward chemistry and chemical biology majors.

CHEM C138 The Berkeley Lectures on Energy: Energy from Biomass 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2015, Fall 2014, Fall 2013
After an introduction to the different aspects of our global energy consumption, the course will focus on the role of biomass. The course will illustrate how the global scale of energy guides the biomass research. Emphasis will be placed on the integration of the biological aspects (crop selection, harvesting, storage and distribution, and chemical composition of biomass) with the chemical aspects to convert biomass to energy. The course aims to
engage students in state-of-the-art research.

CHEM 143 Nuclear Chemistry 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2015
Radioactivity, fission, nuclear models and reactions, nuclear processes in nature. Computer methods will be introduced.

CHEM 146 Radiochemical Methods in Nuclear Technology and Forensics 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015
Experimental illustrations of the interrelation between chemical and nuclear science and technology and nuclear forensics; radioactive decay and counting techniques; nuclear spectroscopy; fundamental radiochemical techniques; radiochemical separations techniques; tracers; activation analysis; forensic applications of radiochemistry; fusion, fission and nuclear reactors.

CHEM 149 Supplementary Work in Upper Division Chemistry 1 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016
Students with partial credit in upper division chemistry courses may, with consent of instructor, complete the credit under this heading.

CHEM C150 Introduction to Materials Chemistry 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015
The application of basic chemical principles to problems in materials discovery, design, and characterization will be discussed. Topics covered will include inorganic solids, nanoscale materials, polymers, and biological materials, with specific focus on the ways in which atomic-level interactions dictate the bulk properties of matter.

CHEM C170L Biochemical Engineering Laboratory 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2014, Spring 2013, Spring 2012
Laboratory techniques for the cultivation of microorganisms in batch and continuous reactions. Enzymatic conversion processes. Recovery of biological products.

CHEM C178 Polymer Science and Technology 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Spring 2016
An interdisciplinary course on the synthesis, characterization, and properties of polymer materials. Emphasis on the molecular origin of properties of polymeric materials and technological applications. Topics include single molecule properties, polymer mixtures and solutions, melts, glasses, elastomers, and crystals. Experiments in polymer synthesis, characterization, and physical properties.

CHEM C182 Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Laboratory 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015
Fluid dynamics, radiative transfer, and the kinetics, spectroscopy, and measurement of atmospherically relevant species are explored through laboratory experiments, numerical simulations, and field observations.

CHEM C191 Quantum Information Science and Technology 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Fall 2014, Spring 2012
This multidisciplinary course provides an introduction to fundamental conceptual aspects of quantum mechanics from a computational and informational theoretic perspective, as well as physical implementations and technological applications of quantum information science. Basic sections of quantum algorithms, complexity, and cryptography, will be touched upon, as well as pertinent physical realizations from nanoscale science and engineering.

CHEM 192 Individual Study for Advanced Undergraduates 1 - 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016
All properly qualified students who wish to pursue a problem of their own choice, through reading or nonlaboratory study, may do so if their proposed project is acceptable to the member of the staff with whom they wish to work.

CHEM H193 Senior Honors Thesis 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016
A senior honors thesis is written in consultation with the student’s faculty research advisor. This is a required course for students wishing to graduate with honors in Chemistry or Chemical Biology.

CHEM H194 Research for Advanced Undergraduates 2 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Summer 2017 8 Week Session, Summer 2017 First 6 Week Session
Students may pursue original research under the direction of one of the members of the staff.

CHEM 195 Special Topics 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2016, Fall 2015, Fall 2014
Special topics will be offered from time to time. Examples are: photochemical air pollution, computers in chemistry.

CHEM 196 Special Laboratory Study 2 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Summer 2017 10 Week Session, Summer 2017 8 Week Session
Special laboratory work for advanced undergraduates.

CHEM 197 Field Study in Chemistry 1 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Summer 2017 8 Week Session, Spring 2017
Supervised experience in off-campus organizations relevant to specific aspects and applications of chemistry. Written report required at the end of the term. Course does not satisfy unit or residence requirements for the bachelor's degree.

CHEM 198 Directed Group Study 1 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016
Group study of selected topics.

CHEM 199 Supervised Independent Study and Research 1 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Summer 2017 8 Week Session, Spring 2017
Enrollment is restricted by regulations listed in the .

Faculty and Instructors

Faculty

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

Anne Baranger, Adjunct Professor. Chemical education, chemical biology, organic 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

Carlos J. Bustamante, Professor. Nanoscience, structural characterization of nucleo-protein assemblies, single molecule fluorescence microscopy, DNA-binding molecular motors, the scanning force microscope, prokaryotes.
Research Profile

Jamie Cate, Professor. Molecular basis for protein synthesis by the ribosome, RNA, antibiotics, a thermophilic bacterium, escherichia coli.
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

Michelle Chang, Associate Professor.

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

Tanja Cuk, Assistant Professor.

Jennifer A. Doudna, Professor. RNA machines, hepatitis C virus, RNA interference, ribosomes.
Research Profile

Felix Fischer, Assistant Professor. Organic and Inorganic Materials Chemistry, Supramolecular Chemistry, Polymer Chemistry, Molecular Electronics.
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

Naomi Ginsberg, Assistant Professor.

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

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

Teresa Head-Gordon, Professor. Computational chemistry, biophysics, bioengineering, biomolecules, materials, computational science.
Research Profile

John Kuriyan, Professor. Structural and functional studies of signal transduction, DNA replication, cancer therapies, phosphorylation.
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

Thomas Maimone, Assistant Professor. Organic synthesis, total synthesis, natural products chemistry, catalysis, synthetic methodology, medicinal chemistry.
Research Profile

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

Michael A. Marletta, Professor. Chemical biology, molecular biology, structure/function relationships in proteins, catalytic and biological properties of enzymes, cellular signaling, nitric oxide synthase, soluble guanylate cyclase, gas sensing, cellulose degradation, polysaccharide monooxygenases.
Research Profile

Evan W.D253 Miller, Assistant Professor.

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 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

Eric Neuscamman, Assistant Professor. Electronic Structure Theory, Quantum Chemistry.
Research Profile

Alexander Pines, Professor. Theory and experiment in magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging, quantum coherence and decoherence, novel concepts and methods including molecular and biomolecular sensors and microfluidics, laser hyperpolarization and detection, laser and zero-field NMR, in areas from material science to biomedicine.
Research Profile

Eran Rabani, Professor. Theory of nanomaterials.
Research Profile

Richmond Sarpong, Professor. Organic and organometallic chemistry.
Research Profile

David Savage, Assistant Professor. Synthetic biology and metabolism.
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

Berend Smit, Professor.

Angelica Stacy, 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 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

Ke Xu, Assistant Professor. Biophysical chemistry, cell biology at the nanoscale, super-resolution microscopy, single-molecule spectroscopy.
Research Profile

Ting Xu, Associate Professor. Polymer, nanocomposite, biomaterial, membrane, directed self-assembly, drug delivery, protein therapeutics, block copolymers, nanoparticles.
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

Lecturers

Jessica M. Chan, Lecturer.

Emily F. Chu, Lecturer.

Michelle Christine Douskey, Lecturer.

Peter C. Marsden, Lecturer.

Valerija Martinovic, Lecturer.

Steven F. Pedersen, Senior Lecturer.

Maryann Robak, Lecturer.

Alex Sheardy, Lecturer.

Kun Zhu, Lecturer.

Visiting Faculty

Osamu Terasaki, Visiting Professor.

Emeritus Faculty

Paul A. Bartlett, Professor Emeritus. Bio-organic chemistry, synthetic chemistry, enzyme inhibitors, combinatorial chemistry, peptide conformation, proteomimetics.
Research Profile

James Cason, Professor Emeritus.

Joseph Cerny, Professor Emeritus. Nuclear chemistry, nuclei, radioactivity, isotopes.
Research Profile

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

Robert E. Connick, Professor Emeritus.

Jean M. J. Frechet, Professor Emeritus. Materials chemistry, catalysis, drug delivery, analytical chemistry, organic synthesis, polymer science, macromolecules, chiral recognition, control of molecular architecture at the nanometer scale, reactive surfaces.
Research Profile

Charles B. Harris, Professor Emeritus. 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

Robert A. Harris, Professor Emeritus. Molecules, radiation, theoretical chemistry, atoms, weak interactions, condensed matter.
Research Profile

Robert A. Harris, Professor Emeritus. Japan, Europe, U.S., competitive strategy, industry policy, antitrust regulation, mergers and acquisitions, telecommunications and transportation industries, comparative industry policies, performance in emerging technologies.
Research Profile

John E. Hearst, Professor Emeritus. Nucleic acid structure, psoralen photochemistry.
Research Profile

Clayton H. Heathcock, Professor Emeritus. Organic synthesis, organic chemistry, large-molecule synthesis.
Research Profile

Darleane C. Hoffman, Professor Emeritus. Nuclear chemistry, actinide, transactinides, superheavy elements, liquid-liquid extractions, solid-phase chromatographic extractions, gas-phase chromatographic separations, meitnerium, nuclear decay properties of the heaviest elements, decay.
Research Profile

Sung-Hou Kim, Professor Emeritus. Computational genomics, Structural Biology, drug discovery, disease genomics.
Research Profile

Judith P. Klinman, Professor Emeritus. Catalytic & regulatory mechanisms in enzyme-catalyzed reactions, kinetic, spectroscopic, stereochemical biological techniques, peptide- derived cofactors, Nuclear tunneling & role of protein dynamics in catalysis, enzymatic activation of molecular oxygen.
Research Profile

Yuan T. Lee, Professor Emeritus.

William Lester, Professor Emeritus. Theoretical and physical chemistry, advances in basic theory, computational methods, study of molecular electronic structure, quantum Monte Carlo method, Born-Oppenheimer approximation.
Research Profile

Samuel S. Markowitz, Professor Emeritus. Nuclear chemistry, environmental chemistry, nuclear reactions for chemical analyses.
Research Profile

Richard Mathies, Professor Emeritus. Genomics, biophysical, bioanalytical, physical chemistry; laser spectroscopy, resonance Raman, excited-state reaction dynamics photoactive proteins, rhodopsins, microfabricated chemical biochemical analysis devices, forensics, infectious disease detection.
Research Profile

William H. Miller, Professor Emeritus. Theoretical chemistry, chemical dynamics, quantum mechanical and semiclassical theories, dynamical chemical processes at the molecular level, photodissociation, femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy, calculations of rate constants for chemical reactions.
Research Profile

C. Bradley Moore, Professor Emeritus.

Arlyn M. Myers, Professor Emeritus.

Rollie Myers, Professor Emeritus.

Norman E. Phillips, Professor Emeritus. Materials, solid state chemistry, low-temperature specific heat measurements, microscopic theories, models for condensed matter, macroscopic properties, microscopic structures, measurements on nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes.
Research Profile

John O. Rasmussen, Professor Emeritus.

Kenneth N. Raymond, Professor Emeritus. Chemistry, bacteria, bioinorganic chemistry, biophysical chemistry, coordination, design of specific chelating agents for metal ions, human iron storage and transport proteins, low-molecular weight chelating agents, metals in medicine, metal-ligands.
Research Profile

Kenneth Sauer, Professor Emeritus.

Charles V. Shank, Professor Emeritus.

David Shirley, Professor Emeritus.

Robert G. Snyder, Professor Emeritus.

Gabor A. Somorjai, Professor Emeritus. Physical chemistry, catalysis, surface science, low-energy electron diffraction, solid state chemistry, macroscopic surface phenomena, adhesion, lubrication, biocompatibility, bonding, and reactivity at solid surfaces, scanning tunneling.
Research Profile

Herbert Strauss, Professor Emeritus. Vibrational spectroscopy, fluxional molecules, infrared, Raman and neutron spectroscopy.
Research Profile

Andrew Streitwieser, Professor Emeritus.

Ignacio Tinoco, Professor Emeritus. Biophysical chemistry, NMR, nucleic acids, structures of nucleic acids, RNA loops, RNA viruses, the catalytic abilities of RNA enzymes, multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance measurements, chemical and enzymatic probing of RNA, single molecules.
Research Profile

Contact Information

Department of Chemistry

419 Latimer Hall

Fax: 510-642-9675

Visit the Program website

Undergraduate Dean

Marcin Majda, PhD

121 Gilman Hall

Phone: 642-8961

majda@berkeley.edu

First-year Student Adviser

Maura Daly

121 Gilman Hall

Phone: 510-643-0550

mdaly@berkeley.edu

Adviser, Continuing Students A-R

Monica Jackson

121 Gilman Hall

Phone: 510-642-3451

majt@berkeley.edu

Adviser, Continuing Students S-Z

Shamaya Pellum

121 Gilman Hall

Phone: 510-643-1745

spellum@berkeley.edu

Transfer Student Adviser

Joey Wong

121 Gilman Hall

Phone: 510-642-7919

joeywong@berkeley.edu

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