Chairperson: Jeffrey Watson
Dr. Scholl Distinguished Professor: Jennifer Shepherd
Professors: D. Cleary, M. Cremeens, D. McMinn (Emeritus), K. Nakamaye (Emeritus), E. Ross, J. Shepherd, J. Watson
Associate Professors: J. Cronk, G. Gidofalvi, M. Matsumoto, S. Warren,
Assistant Professors: W. Bailey, S. Cravens
Senior Lecturers: G. D’Ambruoso, S. Siegel
Lecturers: A. Scruggs
The Department offers two degrees, two majors and one minor:
Bachelor of Science, Chemistry major (ACS approved)
Bachelor of Science, Biochemistry major (with ACS approved option)
Bachelor of Science, Biochemistry major (non-ACS)
Bachelor of Arts, Chemistry major
Minor in Chemistry
The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry offers Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees in Chemistry and Biochemistry and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Chemistry. An ACS approved degree is recommended for students interested in pursuing a graduate degree in chemistry or biochemistry. The non-ACS B.S. Biochemistry option has a larger biology emphasis, and is better suited for students seeking a broad background in both biochemistry and molecular biology. The B.A. degree in Chemistry is offered for students seeking a strong background in chemistry, but with less specialization than the B.S. program. A minor in Chemistry is also offered.
Students are encouraged to visit the Departmental website to learn more about careers in chemistry and biochemistry. For those interested in teaching chemistry at the secondary level, the Department suggests the B.A. degree along with the teacher certification program in the School of Education.
Although Gonzaga University does not currently offer a program in chemical engineering, students interested in chemical engineering are encouraged to combine a B.S. degree in Chemistry with supporting courses from the School of Engineering and Applied Science. This plan of study would position students to further their education with an M.S. or Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from an additional institution.
*Option Two Note: PHYS 122 + PHYS 224 will substitute for CHEM 355.
Physics majors who want to minor in Chemistry will need to take 14 credits
beyond the required foundational courses (CHEM 205, 230/230L, 310/310L, 355L).
Lower Division
A systematic treatment of the fundamental laws and theories of chemistry and their applications. Designed for science and engineering majors. Taken concurrently with CHEM 101L. Fall and Spring.
Concurrent:
CHEM 101L
Equivalent:
CHEM 105 - OK if taken since Spring 2007
Taken concurrently with CHEM 101. One laboratory per week. Fall and Spring.
Concurrent:
CHEM 101
Equivalent:
CHEM 105L - OK if taken since Spring 2007
This lecture and lab course content will be determined by the instructor to meet the learning objectives of the Scientific Inquiry requirement of the University Core. Fall and Spring.
Concurrent:
CHEM 104L
Taken concurrently with CHEM 104. Fall and Spring.
Concurrent:
CHEM 104
This course will cover the fundamental principles of chemistry necessary to understand the source, transport, and fate of substances in the environment due to human activity. Additional topics will be chosen by the instructor but may include the environmental implications of various energy-generation methods; the chemistry of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere; climate change; and water quality, pollution, and treatment of water sources. Taken concurrently with CHEM 123L. Spring.
Concurrent:
CHEM 123L
See CHEM 123 course description. Taken concurrently with CHEM 123. Spring.
Concurrent:
CHEM 123
Topic to be determined by instructor.
The First-Year Seminar (FYS) introduces new Gonzaga students to the University, the Core Curriculum, and Gonzaga’s Jesuit mission and heritage. While the seminars will be taught by faculty with expertise in particular disciplines, topics will be addressed in a way that illustrates approaches and methods of different academic disciplines. The seminar format of the course highlights the participatory character of university life, emphasizing that learning is an active, collegial process.
This lecture-only course is designed for non-science majors. Different subfields of chemistry will be explored depending on the instructor. Upon sufficient demand.
CHEM 200L is designed for students who need two semesters of general or inorganic chemistry lab for specific professional programs. Spring.
Prerequisite:
CHEM 205 Minimum Grade: D
Introduction to foundational concepts in inorganic chemistry with emphasis on atomic structure, bonding, and reactivity. Topics will include nuclear chemistry, quantum mechanics, periodic trends, covalent bonding, ionic bonding, metallic bonding, coordinate covalent bonding, acid-base chemistry, electrochemistry, and thermodynamics. Three lectures per week. Fall.
Prerequisite:
CHEM 101 Minimum Grade: C-
Essential concepts in bonding and structure, acid-base chemistry, reactivity and synthesis of functional groups, nomenclature, and mechanisms of fundamental organic reactions. Three lectures and one recitation per week. Taken concurrently with CHEM 230L. Spring.
Prerequisite:
CHEM 101 Minimum Grade: C-
Concurrent:
CHEM 230L
Preparation and analysis of representative organic compounds. One laboratory per week. Taken concurrently with CHEM 230. Spring.
Prerequisite:
CHEM 101L Minimum Grade: C-
Concurrent:
CHEM 230
Continuation of CHEM 230. A significant focus of the course is on aromatic compounds and carbonyl chemistry. Other topics include organometallic chemistry, radicals, mass spectrometry and synthetic polymers. Three lectures per week. Fall.
Prerequisite:
CHEM 230 Minimum Grade: C-
Concurrent:
CHEM 231L
Preparation and analysis of representative organic compounds. One laboratory per week. Fall.
Prerequisite:
CHEM 230L Minimum Grade: C-
Concurrent:
CHEM 231
Structure and function of the major classes of biomolecules (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids). Fundamental concepts of protein structure and function, kinetics and enzymology, bioenergetics and thermodynamics, metabolism and regulation are discussed. Three lectures per week. Fall and Spring.
Prerequisite:
CHEM 231 Minimum Grade: D
Concurrent:
CHEM 245L
Laboratory methods and techniques relevant to biochemistry. One laboratory per week. Fall and Spring.
Prerequisite:
CHEM 231L Minimum Grade: D
Concurrent:
CHEM 245
This course introduces Chemistry and Biochemistry majors to research and career opportunities related to their major, the use of primary literature, and scientific ethics. One lecture per week. Spring.
Topic to be determined by instructor.
The Biology and Chemistry departments run a variety of outreach programs that include class visits, field trip tours, special summer programs and more. All of our programs strive to engage participants with opportunities for hands-on scientific discovery and inspiration.
Equivalent:
BIOL 295 - OK if taken since Spring 2013
Upper Division
Introduction to the methods of laboratory teaching. Emphasis on safety, time management, direct student-teacher interaction, and class presentation.
Prerequisite:
CHEM 230 Minimum Grade: D
Principles of foundational analytical techniques and methods are presented in three lectures per week. These include gravimetric, volumetric, electrochemical, spectrometric, chromatographic, and mass spectrometry topics as well as basic descriptive statistics. Spring.
Prerequisite:
(CHEM 205 Minimum Grade: C-
and CHEM 230 Minimum Grade: C-)
Concurrent:
CHEM 310L
Laboratory experiments including titrations, gravimetric analysis, molecular and atomic spectroscopy, potentiometry, and chromatography. Sample preparation, instrument calibration, data analysis, and reporting are emphasized. Two laboratory periods per week. Spring.
Prerequisite:
CHEM 230L Minimum Grade: C-
Concurrent:
CHEM 310
In-depth exploration of concepts and techniques used to study biomolecules and biomolecular systems with additional emphasis on scientific writing and communication in biochemistry. Two laboratories per week. Fall and Spring.
Prerequisite:
CHEM 245 Minimum Grade: D
and CHEM 245L Minimum Grade: D
Introduction to foundational concepts in physical chemistry with emphasis on quantum mechanics, gases, thermodynamics, and kinetics. Fall.
Pre-requisite: CHEM 310, minimum grade: C- and MATH 157, minimum grade: C- and MATH 258, minimum grade: C- and PHYS 103, minimum grade: C-
Co-requisite or Pre-requisite: PHYS 204, minimum grade: C-
Concurrent:
CHEM 355L
Experiments that emphasize synthesis and characterization of inorganic compounds, as well as physical chemistry methods ranging from spectroscopy to thermodynamics and kinetics. One laboratory period per week. Fall.
Prerequisite:
CHEM 310L Minimum Grade: C-
Concurrent:
CHEM 355
This course will focus on scientific oral presentations and scientific writing and prepare students for their senior project. This course also includes outside speakers from graduate schools and the chemistry and biochemistry industry to further provide educational opportunities about continued study and employment in the field. One lecture per week. Spring.
In-depth laboratory course featuring projects, often interdisciplinary, within the analytical, inorganic, physical, and organic sub-disciplines of chemistry. Literature engagement and scientific writing are emphasized. Two laboratory periods per week. Spring.
Prerequisite:
CHEM 355 Minimum Grade: C-
and CHEM 355L Minimum Grade: C-
Topic to be determined by instructor.
Undergraduate research assistantships are opportunities for student to earn a stipend while performing independent research in the laboratory of a Biology or Chemistry & Biochemistry faculty member.
Courses focus on reading the primary literature in a particular content area, and will emphasize in-class discussion, writing, and/or presentations. Topics determined by instructor. Two lectures per week. Fall and Spring. Pre-requisites vary depending on topic.
Topic determined by instructor. Two lectures per week. Fall and Spring. Pre-requisites vary depending on topic.
Topic determined by instructor. Two lectures per week. Fall and Spring. Pre-requisites vary depending on topic.
This course builds upon foundational topics introduced in CHEM 245 Biochemistry and CHEM 231 Organic Chemistry II to explore the biology, chemistry, and therapeutic uses of RNA. Emphasis placed on the determination of RNA structures, noncoding RNAs classes and their functions to relate gene expression in bacteria and eukaryotes, and the use of nucleic acid technology in therapeutics. The course involves the reading of primary and secondary literature and incorporates literature discussions. Two lectures per week.
Prerequisite:
CHEM 245 Minimum Grade: C-
and CHEM 231 Minimum Grade: C-
This course builds on foundational topics introduced in CHEM 205 Inorganic Chemistry and CHEM 230 Organic Chemistry I to explore the synthesis, structure, bonding, and reactivity of organometallic complexes, compounds that contain at least one bond between a carbon atom and a metal. Emphasis placed on d-block organometallic compounds and how they are used as homogeneous catalysts for current industrially important organic transformations including hydrogenations, carbonylations, hydroformylations, metathesis, and alkene polymerizations. Two lectures per week.
Prerequisite:
CHEM 205 Minimum Grade: C-
and CHEM 230 Minimum Grade: C-
This course builds upon foundational topics introduced in CHEM 245 Biochemistry and CHEM 231 Organic Chemistry II to explore the environmental and biological causes of DNA damage, the repercussions this has on disease development, and the enzymes that have evolved to maintain DNA integrity. Primary focus on the chemical mechanisms of DNA repair and intermolecular forces that imbue repair enzymes with
remarkable specificity. The course will culminate in discussions on the development of drug therapies targeting DNA repair pathways for the treatment of numerous diseases. Two lectures per week.
Prerequisite:
CHEM 231 Minimum Grade: C-
and CHEM 245 Minimum Grade: C-
The Core Integration Seminar (CIS) engages the Year Four Question: “Imagining the possible: What is our role in the world?” by offering students a culminating seminar experience in which students integrate the principles of Jesuit education, prior components of the Core, and their disciplinary expertise. Each section of the course will focus on a problem or issue raised by the contemporary world that encourages integration, collaboration, and problem solving. The topic for each section of the course will be proposed and developed by each faculty member in a way that clearly connects to the Jesuit Mission, to multiple disciplinary perspectives, and to our students’ future role in the world.
Topic determined by instructor. Fall and Spring. Additional pre-requisites may be required depending on topic.
Prerequisite:
CHEM 355 Minimum Grade: C-
Introduction to foundations of group theory including symmetry operations and elements, point groups, character tables, reducible and irreducible representations. Formal development of standard models to describe electronic structure of atoms, chemical bonding, as well as rotational and vibrational motion. Quantum mechanical treatment of selection rules and their application to electronic, vibrational, and rotational transitions. Application of group theory and standard quantum mechanical models to the interpretation of atomic and molecular spectra. Two lectures per week.
Prerequisite:
CHEM 355 Minimum Grade: C-
Required of all Chemistry and Biochemistry majors. Fall.
Literature review of special chemical problem or topic under the direction of a faculty member. Fall or Spring. By Department Chair permission only.
Prerequisite:
CHEM 370 Minimum Grade: D
Material and credit to be arranged by instructor.
Professional work experience in a chemistry-related field.
Investigation of special chemical problems and topics under the direction of a faculty member. Required for ACS approved B.S. degrees. Fall.
Prerequisite:
CHEM 370 Minimum Grade: D
Required for ACS approved B.S. degrees. Continuation of CHEM 498A. Spring.
Prerequisite:
CHEM 498A Minimum Grade: D
Second Language Competency
Competency in a second language (classical or modern) at the intermediate level (courses numbered 201) is required for students continuing in the study of a language. Students beginning study in a language they have not previously studied can fulfill the requirement by completing one year at the beginning level (courses numbered 101-102). Non-native speakers of English who have completed the required English core credits at Gonzaga may petition the Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences for a waiver of this requirement.
Additional information on this requirement can be found at
Language Requirement Information