Information for Prospective Majors
Quick Links to material in this section.
Advising and Contact Information
Discipline of Chemistry
Degrees Offered
Concentrations and Degree Tracts
Statistics on Majors
Long Range Planning
Course Requirements for the various degrees
Scheduling Courses
Career Information
Declaration of a Chemistry Major
The Discipline of Chemistry. (The following description is taken from the undergraduate homepage.)
Chemistry is typically described in introductory texts as the study of the properties and behavior of matter. A more modern definition might take the microscopic view and describe chemistry as the science of atoms, molecules, and their interactions. As such, chemistry crosses scales from isolated, individual atoms and molecules to complex interacting collections of molecules such as those found in the cell, and disciplines from biology and medicine to materials science and engineering. This broad range of applicability is why chemistry is often referred to as the central science.
The field has traditionally been divided into sub-disciplines including analytical, biological, inorganic, organic, physical and theoretical chemistry, but the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of chemistry makes such categorizations limiting (although they largely persist within the undergraduate chemistry curriculum). Indeed some would describe chemistry in terms of what chemists do, for example designing and synthesizing new molecules and materials, developing new experimental methods and instrumentation to probe, characterize and manipulate molecules, and developing new theories and computational methods to understand and predict molecular behavior. Current interdisciplinary applications of chemistry at Duke range from elucidating and controlling signaling in biological systems, to designing chemical separation and identification technologies for genomics and proteomics, to developing new chemical contrast agents and imaging methods in biomedicine, to the synthesis, assembly, and theory of nanoscale materials and devices. Training in the discipline must then go beyond the traditional areas of chemistry and provide sufficiently general skills and a sufficiently broad understanding of molecular science that the power of chemical thinking can be brought to bear on complex scientific and technological problems for the betterment of society.
Concentrations Offered. "A concentration is a detailed study within a major that focuses on a particular and readily defined sub-discipline or area related to the primary major." Concentrations "will be recorded at an appropriate place on the transcript of undergraduates who have satisfied the requirments thereof as certified by the relevant Directors of Undergraduate Studies." (Committee on Curriculum of the Arts and Sciences Council, January 24, 1997.)
Chemistry offers three concentrations in both the AB and the BS degree: Biochemistry, Pharmacology, and Environment. Each concentration requires two advanced courses with appropriate prerequisites and research independent study.
Degree Tracts Offered. A degree tract is similar to a concentration, but does not require research independent study in the area of the emphasis, and is not recognized on the transcript. Chemistry offers three degree tracts in the AB degree: Biology, Physics, and Mathematics.
Statistics on Chemistry Majors
On average, betrween 40 and 50 majors graduate with degrees in chemistry annually. In 2008, 80% of our graduates earned BS degrees, about 60% completed the biochemistry concentration, 20% completed the pharmacology concentration, 10% completed the environment concentration, and 2% completed a tract.
In terms of academic achievements, about half of our graduates have earned Graduation with Distinction honors, 20% have been elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and 10% have graduated summa cum laude.
With regard to post-graduate plans at graduation, roughly 40% go on to medical school, 30% to graduate school in chemistry or a related area, and most of the rest are employed in a wide range of jobs. A number of those with jobs go on to graduate or professional training within 2 years of their graduation.
Selecting a Degree in ChemistryBS Degree. A BS degree is particularly recommended (but not absolutely required) for majors who plan to go to graduate school in chemistry or a related area and/or who plan to pursue immediate employment in the chemical industry.
BS Degree certified by the American Chemical Society. A BS degree certified by the American Chemical Society is recommended (but not absolutely required) for majors who plan to go directly into the chemical industry, or plan to go to graduate school in chemistry, or those who plan to pursue a MD/Ph.D degree. Certification offers little advantage for those going to graduate schools in other areas than chemistry or those who plan to pursue a MD degree, but not a Ph.D.
AB Degree. An AB degree is recommended for all others including those who plan to attend medical school.
Concentrations and Degree Tracts.Neither a concentration nor a degree tract is required for a degree in chemistry. They should be pursued out of interest or in preparation for a related graduate program.
Course Requirements. The course requirements for the various degrees, concentrations, degree tracts, and the descriptions of all chemistry courses are available from the current Duke University Bulletin of Undergraduate Instruction 2008-2009. Note that the requirements for the various degree options follow all the course descriptions.
For work sheets for the various types of chemistry majors, please see our Majors Handbook.
Suggested Scheduling of Courses. Scheduling of courses in sciences is complicated not only by required prerequisites, but also by course availability. For chemistry majors the most difficult scheduling is that for physical chemistry.
Math prerequisites: Introductory physics courses and Chem 161 have a math prerequisite of Math 32L. Math 103 is recommended, but not required, for Chemistry 161. Chemistry 165 has a required prerequisite of Math 103.
Physics prerequisites: Phy 61L and 62L, or Phy 53L and 54L. Majors are strongly encouraged to fulfill this physics prerequisite before taking a P-chem course.
For those majors who started at organic chemistry as first-year students, we recommend you complete physics your sophomore year and delay P-chem until the junior year. The sophomore year is also a good time to pursue any required biology courses and possibly even Biochemistry 227, but you must have permission from the course instructor to enroll.
Physics transfer courses. Course(s) transferred as Phy888 may be substituted for required physics courses: Phy 61L, 62L, 53L, or 54L, in either the A.B. or the B.S. chemistry major, provided the physics course(s) are (1) calculus-based, (2) taken at an institution that is accredited by the American Chemical Society, and (3) are the courses which are required for an ACS-certified degree at that institution.Those majors who are unable to complete the physics and/or math prerequisites should request permission to take P-chem directly from the P-chem course instructor.
The scheduling of core courses for AB majors is available here and that for BS majors here.
Below is a generalized four year course schedule that includes advanced courses. Note: this is a composite schedule of ALL courses in all of our majors. No one major will take all of these courses.
In the table below, brackets indicate courses for which there are options for semester taken and/or another course that could fulfill the requirement. [Ind. Study] = research independent study course such as Chem 191B, BCH 210, PHARM 297, ENV 191, BIO 191, etc. [Conc] = an advanced required course in a concentration such as BCH 227, PHR 150, etc.
Year Fall Spring First Math 31L, Chem 21L Math 32L, Chem 22L,
[Bio 25L], [Phy 61L]Second Phy 62L or 53L, Chem 151L [Phy 54L], Chem 152L Third Chem 161 or 165/167L, [Bio 118], [CE120], [Conc], [Ind. Study], Chem 176 or 166/168L, [Bio 119], [ENV 160], [Conc], [Ind. Study], Fourth Chem 131, [Chem 133L], [Chem 275], [Chem 276], [Conc], [Ind. Study] Chem 180L, [Chem 133L], [Chem 117], [Chem 275], [Chem 276], [Conc], [Ind. Study] Each major will need to create some variation of this schedule taking into account his/her AP credits, transfer credits, courses taken in summer sessions, etc. In devising your own four-year plan, be sure to take into account course availability and course pre- or co-requisites. Click here for table showing course availabilities for the past year. Course prerequisites may be found in the current Bulletin.
Careers in Chemistry (graduate school and employment in industry)
Careers in Medicine (getting into medical school, MCAT preparation)Declaration of a Chemistry Major
For students who have not yet declared any major, a chemistry major may be declared by following the procedures outlined on the web site of the Pre-Major Advising Center.
For students who have already declared a major in some field other than chemistry, a change of major to chemistry or the addition of chemistry as a second major may be made, in person, at Student Services, room 101 Allen Building or at the Registrar's Office, 705 Broad Street.
Advising and Contact Information. If you have any questions about majoring in chemistry or want an appointment with the DUS, click here.