Admissions & Placement

Placement Recommendation

Below is a chart that provides placement recommendations based on high school background, math SAT score, and your score on the chemistry AP examination. Once you have determined your recommended course, see the second chart below for details concerning that course such as class size, registration information for both lectures and labs, option to drop to a lower level if you encounter difficulty, and fulfilling chemistry requirements for medical school admissions.
High School Chem Math SAT Chem AP Score Placement Recommendation
< 1 year
610 or greater
None
 Chem 21L, but only if willing and able to devote extra study time
1 year
<610
None
 Delay Chem 21L until you have taken Math 25L
1 year
610 or greater
None or <3
Chem 21L
> 1 year
610 or greater
3
 Chem 21L, or Chem 22L if approved by DUS
> 1 year
610 or greater
4
 Chem 23L
> 1 year
610 or greater
5
 Chem 151L

Students needing assistance in selecting a chemistry course should contact DUS.

Course  Who may take Information and Enrolling Followed by  
CHEM 21L
(offered fall spring, and summer)		 Students with one year of HS chemistry* AND 610+ on Math SAT. Students who have less than a score of 610 on their math SAT should enroll in Math 25L and delay CHEM 21L until spring semester 09. NOT open to students who have scores of 4 or 5 on the chemistry AP exam and have received credit for Chem 19.**

Chem 21L, first semester of General Chemistry. Chem 21L is the course taken by most first-year students. Typical enrollments: fall (500 in two lecture sections), spring (70), summer (20). Registration for this course involves TWO steps. First register for a recitation section found in ACES under Chem 21L and numbered between 11R and 83R. ACES then automatically enrolls you in the corresponding lecture section: Chem 21L.001 or Chem 21L.002. Second, you now need to register SEPARATELY for a lab section found under Chem 21L9 in ACES and numbered between 11L and 73L.

[NOT open to students who have scores of 4 or 5 on the chemistry AP exam and have received credit for Chem 19.** Students who have credit for Chem 19 and mistakenly register for Chem 21L will be dropped from Chem 21L prior to the beginning of classes and will need to register LATE for a higher chemistry course.]

Chem 22L
(offered fall, spring and summer)
 
CHEM 22L
(Fall, spring or summer)

Students with credit for CHEM 19** OR pre-matriculation credit for Chem 21L.

 Chem 22L, second semester of General Chemistry. Typical enrollments: fall (70), spring (400 in two lecture sections), summer (20). Registration for this course involves TWO steps. First register for a recitation section found in ACES under Chem 22L and numbered between 11R and 41R. ACES then automatically enrolls you in the corresponding lecture section: Chem 22L.001. Second, you now need to register SEPARATELY for a lab section found under Chem 22L9 in ACES and numbered between 11L and 72L. A first-year student experiencing difficulty in Chem 22L may drop back to Chem 21L anytime during the first month, but with the loss of credit for Chem 19**. CHEM 151L
(Fall, spring and summer)		  
CHEM 23L
(Fall only)		 Students with 610+ on Math SAT AND credit for Chem 19**.
First-year students with a chem AP exam (or equivalent exam) score of 4 qualify for Chem 23L. 		Chem 23L, Accelerated General Chemistry. A one-semester intensive introductory course for well prepared students emphasizing major topics from Chem 21L and 22L that prepare the student for organic chemistry (Chem 151L). Typical enrollment is 200. A first-year student experiencing difficulty in Chem 23L may drop back to Chem 21L (or 22L if approved by the DUS) anytime during the first month. Those dropping back to Chem 21L lose credit for Chem 19. Registration for Chem 23L involves selecting a recitation section found in ACES under Chem 23L and numbered between 11R and 43R. ACES then automatically enrolls you in lecture section Chem 23L.001. Second, you now need to register SEPARATELY for a lab section found under Chem 23L9 in ACES and numbered between 11L and 73L.
 Chem 151L
(Fall, spring and summer)		  

CHEM 151L.003
(This section for first year students only is offered fall only. However, regular Chem 151L is offered fall, spring and summer.

Students with credit for Chem 19** OR pre-matriculation credit for Chem 22L or 23L.

First-year students with a score of 5 on chem AP exam (or equivalent) qualify for either Chem 23L or 151L.003 with Chem 151L.003 being the recommended course.		 First semester of Organic Chemistry (fall section 151L.003 is for first-year students only). Typical enrollment in Chem 151L.003 is 80. A first-year student experiencing difficulty in Chem 151L.003 may drop back to Chem 22L anytime during the first month of classes without penalty. Lecture section, 151L.003, is reserved for first-year students, while lecture sections 151L.001 and 151L.002 are reserved for upperclassmen and are NOT open to first-year students.
Registration for Chem 151L.003 involves selecting one of the following recitation sections listed in ACES under Chem 151L.003: 31R-34R. Following selection of a recitation section, ACES will automatically add the lecture section, Chem 151L.003. To complete your registration, you now need to register SEPARATELY for a lab section found under Chem 151L9 in ACES and numbered between 11L and 75L.
 Chem 152L
(Fall, spring and summer)		  

*Students who have less than one year of high school chemistry may enroll in Chem 21L provided they are willing and able to devote extra time and effort to the course.

**Students who have taken an AP exam in Chemistry and scored a 4 or 5, or have taken the Higher Level I.B. examination in chemistry and scored a 6 or 7, or have taken the British A-level chemistry exam and earned an A or a B; will receive credit for Chem 19 provided Duke is officially notified of the examination result by the agency administering the examination. Chem 19 counts as one course credit toward graduation, but provides placement for Chem 22L, 23L, or 151L. Credit may not be earned for both Chem 19 and Chem 21L so credit for Chem 19 is forfeited by a student who drops back to Chem 21L from a higher course.
Chem 19 counts as one general chemistry (or inorganic chemistry) credit toward the four credits required by most medical schools for admission. Premedical students who start at Chem 23L will automatically fulfill the four chemistry credit requirement with Chem 19, 23L, 151L, and 152L. Premedical students who start at Chemistry 151L, however, will have only three chemistry credits toward the medical school requirement: Chem 19, 151L, and 152L. These students are advised to take an additional higher level chemistry course (usually Biochemistry 227) to fulfill the pre-med chemistry requirement.

***Since credit for Chem 19 is NOT awarded for a score of 3 on the AP exam, students who plan to apply to medical school will lack credit for one of the four chemistry courses usually required for admission to medical school. These students are advised to take an additional higher level chemistry course (usually Biochemistry 227) to fulfill their premed chemistry requirement.