Chemistry Curriculum

B.Sc. in Chemistry with ACS-certification

See the Academic Bulletin for the Chemistry Major requirements. 

To earn the ACS-certification, you must complete the Chemistry major and take Biochemistry Lab I and Inorganic Chemistry Lab I. Students must also join a faculty research lab and complete 4 semesters of research.

Fordham offers this American Chemical Society-approved program in chemistry for students intending to pursue graduate studies or work in industry. As part of the nationally recognized and approved chemistry programs, this department has been evaluated with respect to the breadth and depth of courses offered, the qualifications of the faculty, the available facilities and instrumentation, access to current chemical literature, and the opportunity to pursue meaningful research with faculty members.

The certified degree requires at least 400 hours of hands-on laboratory experiences beyond general chemistry. These laboratories will expose you to the primary fields of chemistry and will require you to solve real chemical problems using modern instruments and proper laboratory techniques. ACS certification is valuable for students who want to demonstrate to graduate schools and chemical industry employers that they are ready to work independently in a research laboratory. ACS certification is confered by the ACS via the department and does not appear on your Fordham transcript.

B.Sc. in Chemistry without ACS-certification

Often Pre-Health students or students with multiple majors/minors will follow a non-ACS-certified track through the Chemistry major. This eliminates the requirements of Biochemistry Lab I, Inorganic Chemistry Lab I, and Research (though you are still encouraged to get research experience!). Regardless of your major, the Pre-Health Professions track requires you to take:

• One year of General Chemistry (with lab)
• One year of Organic Chemistry (with lab)
• One semester of Biochemistry (no lab)

Please see the Academic Bulletin for specific Pre-Health requirements.

B.Sc. in Biochemistry 

See the Academic Bulletin for the Biochemistry Major requirements.

This new interdisciplinary major is perfect for students interested in careers at the interface of chemistry and biology. Students will learn how biomolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, fats, lipids, and carbohydrates interact in biological processes at the molecular level, and how structures of these biomolecules relate to function and regulation of metabolic pathways in cells, tissues, and organisms as a whole.

Similar to the Chemistry major, students can earn a B.Sc. with our without American Chemical Society certification. 

The biochemistry major is open to students from both Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses. 

See the Academic Bulletin for the Chemistry Minor course requirements.

A little chemistry is better than none! Chemistry Minors get a strong basic foundation in modern chemical theory and practice that can augment or complement a major, and affords them sufficient background to engage in research projects with faculty mentors and fellow undergraduates. 

Note that the required number of 3000/4000-level CHEM courses is more for students majoring in Biological Sciences, Natural Science, or Environmental Sciences due to overlab with those majors. 

See the Academic Bulletin for Biochemistry minor requirements.

The Biochemistry minor is an interdisciplinary minor in the Department of Chemistry (FCRH) and the Department of Biological Sciences (FCRH). It is an opportunity for you to explore specialized topics that will prepare you for careers in the health professions, such as clinical biochemistry, forensic science, biotechnologist, physician associate, nursing, and biomedical engineering.

The minor requires two electives outside your major. For example, if you are a Chem major, PChem II cannot count as your Biochem minor elective because it is already a course requirement of your Chemistry major. 

Also remember that General and Organic Chemistry are pre-requisites for Biochemistry, so they are defacto required for the Biochem minor.