Undergraduate Chemistry Courses
CHEM 110A/CHEM 110B – Introduction to Chemistry (2 hours)
These two consecutive 1-credit courses are required for students who on the basis of their performance on the math placement examination need further preparation before enrolling in CHEM 115. Topics include scientific terminology and concepts; chemical arithmetic; chemical symbols, formulas and equations; the mole concept; problems solving. This course does not satisfy any chemistry degree requirements.
CHEM 111 – Survey of Chemistry (4 hours)
This service course is taken by students pursuing majors that require only one year of college chemistry. This course presents an introduction to atomic structure; chemical bonding; acids, bases, and salts; periodicity; properties of gases, liquids, and solids; stoichiometry; oxidation-reduction.
CHEM 112 – Survey of Chemistry (4 hours)
This service course is a continuation of CHEM 111 and introduces students to nuclear chemistry; air and water pollution; useful natural materials; consumer chemistry; organic chemistry and biochemistry. CHEM 111 and 112 cannot be used as prerequisite courses for organic chemistry.
CHEM 115 – Fundamentals of Chemistry (4 hours)
This course is taken by science and engineering majors who need a more in-depth treatment of chemical principles than provided by CHEM 111. The topics include chemical stoichiometry, properties of gases, thermochemistry, molecular structure and bonding, the periodic table, and atomic structure.
CHEM 116 – Fundamentals of Chemistry (4 hours)
This course is a continuation of CHEM 115 and covers colligative properties of solutions, chemical equilibrium and thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, principles of electrochemistry, nuclear chemistry, and transition metal chemistry.
CHEM 117 – Principles of Chemistry (5 hours)
This course offers a more advanced treatment of chemistry than CHEM 115 and is designed to provide students with a practical understanding of chemical principles and their quantitative application in the laboratory. The primary topics that are emphasized include chemical stoichiometry, inorganic reaction chemistry, states of matter, colligative properties of solutions, chemical equilibrium, acid-base chemistry, atomic and molecular structure, and chemical bonding principles.
CHEM 118 – Principles of Chemistry (5 hours)
This course is a continuation of CHEM 117 and covers the solid-state, chemical thermodynamics, electrochemistry, chemical kinetics, chemistry of metals and non-metals, and transition metal chemistry. Students may substitute CHEM 117 and CHEM 118 for CHEM 115, 116, and 215.
CHEM 215 – Introductory Analytical Chemistry (4 hours)
This course introduces the theory and application of chemical principles that have been employed for the development of quantitative methods of analysis. The topics covered include volumetric and gravimetric analyses, solution equilibria, spectrophotometry, chemical separations, and electrochemical methods of analysis.
CHEM 231 - Organic Chemistry: Brief Course (4 hours)
This service course is taken by students, who only need a one-semester survey course in organic chemistry, and places emphasis on biological applications for students in medical technology, agriculture, and family resources. This course stresses nomenclature, structure, reactivity, and stereochemistry of organic compounds.
CHEM 233 – Organic Chemistry (3 hours)
This course is the first semester organic chemistry course designed to introduce basic principles of organic chemistry, modern structural concepts and stereochemistry, the effects of structure on physical and chemical properties, organic reactions and their mechanisms, and organic synthesis.
CHEM 234 – Organic Chemistry (3 hours)
This course is a continuation of CHEM 233
CHEM 235 – Organic Chemistry Laboratory (1 hour)
This laboratory course explores fundamental organic reactions and involves the preparation of organic compounds.
CHEM 236 – Organic Chemistry Laboratory (1 hour)
This laboratory course is a continuation of CHEM 235.
CHEM 310 – Instrumental Analysis (3 hours)
This course covers the fundamental aspects of instrumental methods of analysis as applied to various methods of chemical analysis, including electrochemistry, spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and chromatography.
CHEM 312 – Environmental Chemistry (3 hours)
This course focuses on the nature, reactions, transport, and fate of chemical species in the environment.
CHEM 313 – Instrumental Analysis Laboratory (1 hour)
This laboratory course explores the practical application of modern instrumental methods to problems in chemical analysis.
CHEM 335 – Methods of Structure Determination (4 hours)
This course explores the use of chemical methods and instrumental methods, such as UV, IR, NMR, and mass spectrometry, to elucidate structures of organic compounds
CHEM 339 – Organic Syntheses (3 hours)
In this course students learn about modern synthetic methods commonly used in organic chemistry. Syntheses are performed on a macroscopic level.
CHEM 341 – Physical Chemistry: Brief Course (3 hours)
This one semester introductory physical chemistry course primarily covers the topics of chemical thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, and elementary aspects of quantum theory.
CHEM 342 – Experimental Physical Chemistry (1 hour)
This laboratory course is taken simultaneously with CHEM 341.
CHEM 346 – Physical Chemistry (3 hours)
This first semester physical chemistry course covers chemical thermodynamics and chemical equilibrium.
CHEM 347 – Physical Chemistry Laboratory (1 hour)
This experiments performed illustrate the principles of physical chemistry and offer additional experience with chemical instrumentation.
CHEM 348 – Physical Chemistry (3 hours)
This second semester physical chemistry course is a continuation of CHEM 346 and covers statistical thermodynamics, elementary aspects of quantum theory, and chemical dynamics.
CHEM 349 – Physical Chemistry Laboratory (2 hours)
This laboratory course is a continuation of CHEM 347 and is used to satisfy the writing requirement for the B.S. degree in Chemistry.
CHEM 401 – Chemical Literature (1 hour)
In this course students learn modern methods for locating, utilizing, and compiling information taken from the chemical literature and prepare a written research paper on a topic of chemical interest.
CHEM 403 – Undergraduate Seminar (1 hour)
In this course each student prepares a seminar on a topic of current interest and presents it. This course combined with CHEM 401 is taken by B.A. and B.S. majors to fulfill the chemistry capstone requirement.
CHEM 422 – Intermediate Inorganic Chemistry (3 hours)
In this course student explore the structure, bonding, and reactivity of main-group and transition metal compounds. Other topics include atomic and molecular structure, symmetry, solid-state chemistry, ligand field theory, and coordination chemistry.
CHEM 423 – Inorganic Synthesis Laboratory (2 hours)
This courses focuses on the application of modern synthetic and spectroscopic methods of analysis to the preparation and characterization of main group, solid-state, transition metal, and organometallic compounds.
CHEM 440 – Quantum Chemistry (3 hours)
This course provides an introduction to the principles of quantum mechanics and its application to atoms, molecules, solids, spectroscopy and computational chemistry.
CHEM 460 – Forensic Chemistry (3 hours)
This courses focuses on the application of analytical methods in forensic science and covers topics relevant to drug analysis, toxicology, and the analysis of paints, polymers, fibers, inks, and gunshot residue.
CHEM 462 – Biochemistry 2 (3 hours)
This course follows AGBI 410/412 and is the second semester of an undergraduate biochemistry sequence. This instrument intensive course familiarizes student with a focus on the molecular level processes that enable life and the integration of multiple hierarchies of mechanistic regulation.
CHEM 463 – Forensic Chemistry Laboratory (1 hour)
This laboratory course is taken simultaneously with CHEM 460.
CHEM 464 – Biochemistry 2 Laboratory (1 hour)
This course follows AGBI 410/412 and is the second semester of the undergraduate biochemistry lab sequence. This instrument intensive lab course explores the use of bioanalytical techniques for the analysis of biological species and processes.
CHEM 490 - Teaching Practicum (1-3 hours)
This course enables students to gain experience as a chemistry tutor or laboratory teaching assistant.
CHEM 491 – Professional Field Experience (1-18 hours)
This course provides an experiential learning program, which must be prearranged. It is planned, supervised and evaluated for credit by faculty and field supervisors and allows a student to be temporarily placed with a public or private institution for the purpose of the development of professional competency in a specific area.
CHEM 492 – Directed Study (1-6 hours)
This course provides the flexibility to study a specific topic in chemistry of mutual interest to the student and the faculty supervisor.
CHEM 493 – Special Topics (1–6 hours)
his course provides a student to investigate chemistry topics that are not covered in regularly scheduled courses.
CHEM 494 – Seminar (1-3 hours)
This course focuses on the oral presentation and discussion of a chemistry-related topic of mutual interest to the student and faculty.
CHEM 496 – Senior Thesis (1-3 hours)
CHEM 497 – Research (1-3 hours)
This course enables a student to obtain credit for engaging in an independent research project under the supervision of a member of the chemistry faculty. Satisfactory completion requires submission of a written research report.
CHEM 498 – Honors: Organic Chemistry (1 hour)
This limited enrollment course can only be taken by students enrolled in the WVU Honors College and supplements the course material presented in CHEM 233 and 234 by providing a more advanced treatment of organic chemistry. This course was formerly listed as CHEM 293A prior to 2007.
500-level graduate courses - require faculty consent
CHEM 514 – Mass Spectrometry Principles and Practice (3 hours)
This course covers fundamental principles of modern mass spectrometry, including instrument design and application to multidisciplinary problems of current interest.
CHEM 516 – Bioanalytical Chemistry (3 hours)
This course focuses on the application of modern instrumental analytical methods to problems of biological relevance.
CHEM 521 – Organometallic Chemistry (3 hours)
This course focuses on the synthesis, structure, and reactivity of organometallic complexes and explores the applications to chemical catalysis and organic synthesis.
CHEM 531 – Advanced Organic Chemistry 1 (3 hours)
The course focuses on the following topics relevant to organic chemistry: structure and bonding, tautomerism, static and dynamic stereochemistry, mechanism, and chemical reactivity.
CHEM 532 – Advanced Organic Chemistry 2 (3 hours)
This course is a continuation of CHEM 531 with greater emphasis on synthetic methods and reaction mechanism.
CHEM 540 – Bonding and Molecular Structure (3 hours)
This course provides an introduction to quantum theory and its application to atomic structure, chemical bonding, spectroscopy, and molecular structure.
CHEM 547 – Chemical Crystallography (3 hours)
This course, which was formerly listed as CHEM 441 until 2007, focuses on the application of X-ray crystallographic methods for the determination of molecular structure. The course covers diffraction theory, space group symmetry, and the various steps involved in a single-crystal structural analysis.
CHEM 552 – Biochemical Toxicology (3 hours)
This course provides an introduction to the principles of toxicology, with a focus on the processes that occur at the cellular and molecular levels when chemicals interact with living organisms