Registration

Information For Registration For Fall Semester 2013

First Majors. Please see the list of departmental majors and faculty advisors with the office (in French Family Science Center or LSRC) of each advisor in parentheses beside his or her name. If your name does not appear on the advising list, please email the DUS office, dus@chem.duke.edu immediately so that an advisor can be assigned prior to the registration period. If you need advising before an advisor is assigned, please come to "Walk-In" advising (details given below).

Second Majors. Second majors should make appointments with the advisor appointed to them in their first major and must get cleared to register by that advisor. Those needing advising concerning their second major, chemistry, should make an appointment with Dr. Roy (chris.roy@duke.edu) or should take advantage of the "Walk-In" Advising option described below.

Advising And Registration Schedule

March 25, 2013

Bookbags. Bookbags, ACES, course synopsis all become available today.

This fall you will again be registering using course numbers on the new numbering system. See chemistry handbook online for the course descriptions with both the new course numbers and the corresponding old course numbers for chemistry courses.

For the complete listing of new course numbers for all undergraduate courses see https://www.sissdev.duke.edu/catalog_renumbering/.

Also notice that advanced majors can now register for selected graduate courses directly through ACES (numbered 500-699).


Advising appointments. If you have not already been contacted by your advisor concerning an advising appointment, make an appointment for advising by signing up on the sheet posted on your advisor's office door. Signup sheets should be posted on the advisor's office door by 9 AM on March 25. Appointments will usually be available weekdays during the period March 27 through April 9. Whenever possible, a major has been assigned to his/her previous advisor. Please check the list of advisors to be sure you know who your advisor is. New majors have been assigned to advisors who had openings in their groups. If, for good reason, there is a desire to change advisors for the next registration; majors should consult with Dr. Roy (chris.roy@duke.edu) in Suite 1219, room 1222 FFSC.

March 27 - April 9

Advising. Print a hard copy of your bookbag for your advisor and take it with you to your advising appointment. Your advisor will review your department Work Sheet with you to ascertain progress in your chemistry degree program. At the conclusion of your advising session, your advisor will need to clear you for registration by checking the appropriate box in your ACES record. Be sure your advisor does this or you will not be able to register. If you have questions concerning university requirements listed on your Advisement Report in ACES, please come to walk-in advising.

Walk-in Advising. A member of the DUS-group (the Co-Directors and Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies) will be available for Walk-In advising from 1-3 PM weekdays from March 27 - April 9. Majors who have any questions and/or who are having difficulty arranging an appointment with their regular advisor may seek assistance from a member of the DUS-group during Walk-In hours. For Walk-In advising, come to suite 1219 in the French Family Science Center, room 1217 where the DUS Assistant is located. She will arrange for you to meet with the first available member of the DUS-group.

April 4 - 12

Registration. Register using ACES when your registration window opens or any time thereafter until the end of registration, April 12.

Information for Course Planning.

    1. Degrees and Concentrations
      BS 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. A concentration in biochemistry, pharmacology or environment is not required and should be pursued out of interest or in preparation for a related graduate program.

    2. Physical Chemistry
      The laboratory course Chem 311L that is associated with Chem 311 is offered in the fall semester only. Enrollment limits are set lower than capacities so that we can accommodate special circumstances. First preference for enrollment in Chem 311L will be given to graduating seniors, followed by junior Chemistry majors. Contact Dr. MacPhail with questions concerning this lab.

    3. Analytical Chemistry
      Chem 401 is usually taken fall of the senior year and Chem 401L the laboratory course associated with Chem 401, may be taken either fall of the senior year or spring semester of the senior year. Enrollment limits at registration are set lower than capacities so that we can accommodate special circumstances such as early graduation or multiple labs in a semester. First preference for enrollment in Chem 401L will be given to graduating seniors, followed by junior Chemistry majors. Contact Dr. MacPhail with questions concerning this lab.

    4. Research Independent Study
      • First semester
        1. Majors who wish to begin independent study this semester should start by finding a research director (see http://www.chem.duke.edu/undergraduates/research/is_reg.php).
        2. When you have found a research director, complete the independent study form that can be downloaded from http://www.chem.duke.edu/undergraduates/research/ISForm.doc. Bring it to suite 1219, room 1217 of FFSC and give it to the DUS assistant, Mrs. Rosenthal.
          • If your independent study is in the chemistry department, Mrs. Rosenthal will give you a permission number for the appropriate section of Chemistry 393. You can then register for independent study using ACES.
          • If your independent study is outside the chemistry department,  Mrs. Rosenthal will give your form to Dr. Roy for approval that the project is sufficiently chemical/molecular oriented to count toward chemistry major requirements and requirements for Graduation with Distinction in Chemistry. When the project has been approved, you need to obtain a permission number in order to register.
            • if your research director has an independent study section listed in ACES, you must obtain from your research director the course number, section number, and a permission number for his/her independent study. You can then register for independent study using ACES.
            • if your research director does not have an independent study section listed in ACES, your approved research will need to be sponsored by Dr. Roy. Mrs. Rosenthal will give you a permission number for Dr. Roy's section of Chem 393. You can then register for independent study using ACES. As your sponsor, Dr. Roy will take care of the necessary paper work involved with registration, monitoring your progress during the semester, and turning in your grade at the end of the semester. Your research director (or designee) will supervise all of your day-to-day research activities. To fulfill the requirement that your sponsor monitor your progress, you will need to send to Dr. Roy brief progress reports on dates that he will set. At the end of the semester, your research director will assign and transmit your grade to Dr. Roy, who will then report the grade to the registrar. 
        3. Chemistry 295, Introduction to Independent Study, 0.5 cc, is open to all majors, but is required for majors who are enrolling in their first semester of independent study in chemistry, Chemistry 393 or in a related area, and who intend to pursue graduation with distinction in chemistry, or who intend to pursue a BS degree that is certified by ACS.

          Majors may take Chem 295 for Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory or regular letter grades depending on their needs. Those taking it for letter grades will also earn 0.5 cc toward the writing requirement (W). The writing component will focus on writing a research proposal and on writing progress reports for the major's project. The course is recommended for all majors.

      • Continuing semesters. Download the independent study form from http://www.chem.duke.edu/undergraduates/research/ISForm.doc. If you wish to continue an approved independent study with the same research director, complete the independent study form by writing no changes from first semester. If you are changing research directors or changing to a project that differs significantly from the one that has been approved, fill out the form in detail and request approval for the changes. Bring the form to suite 1219, room 1217 of FFSC and give it to the DUS assistant, Mrs. Rosenthal.
        1. If your independent study is in the chemistry department, Mrs. Rosenthal will give you a permission number for the appropriate section of Chemistry 394, 493, or 494. You can then register for independent study using ACES.
        2. If your independent study is outside the chemistry department, you obtain a permission number as follows.
          • if your research director has an independent study section listed in ACES, you must obtain from your research director the course number, section number, and a permission number for his/her independent study. You can then register for independent study using ACES.
          • if your research director does not have an independent study section listed in ACES, your approved research will need to be sponsored by Dr. Roy. Mrs. Rosenthal will give you a permission number for Dr. Roy's section of Chem 394, 493, or 494. You can then register for independent study using ACES. As your sponsor, Dr. Roy will take care of the necessary paper work involved with registration, monitoring your progress during the semester, and turning in your grade at the end of the semester. Your research director (or designee) will supervise all of your day-to-day research activities. To fulfill the requirement that your sponsor monitor your progress, you will need to send to Dr. Roy brief progress reports on dates that he will set. At the end of the semester, your research director will assign and transmit your grade to Dr. Roy, who will then report the grade to the registrar. 
      • Final semester:
        1. Chemistry 496, Graduation with Distinction in Chemistry, 0.5 cc, graded S/U, is required for students pursuing graduation with distinction in chemistry. Includes preparation of the research thesis, preparation and presentation of a poster on the research topic, and oral defense of the research thesis. Although writing in the discipline credit is not given for this course, majors may request a full W credit for their independent study as follows.
        2. Requesting Writing Credit (W) for Independent Study. Writing-in-the-Disipline credit, W, for the final report for research independent study, may be requested only once and that should be your final semester of independent study when you actually write your research thesis. The procedure for W-credit for Independent Study is available at http://trinity.duke.edu/academic-requirements?p=independent-study-research-w-coding. Fill out the form, have your research mentor and DUS sign it, and deliver the completed form to room 011 Allen Building PRIOR to the end of Drop/Add.

5. Advanced Courses

Chemistry 410, inorganic chemistry, is usually taken the spring semester of the senior year.

Chemistry 420L, is the advanced laboratory techniques course which is usually taken concurrently with Chem 410 in the spring semester of the senior year. The lab is listed in ACES as meeting two afternoons per week. Most weeks, however, it will be possible to complete the laboratory work in just one afternoon.

Chemistry 500 - 699, are graduate courses that are now open to undergraduates and are usually taken in the senior year. These courses are now listed in ACES and registration is through ACES.

Biochemistry 301, is offered fall and summer session, Term I by the department of Biochemistry. Taking BCH 301 in the summer is an excellent way to lighten a fall course load for those who need to take both physical chemistry and biochemistry.

Pharmacology. Historically PHR 350, has been offered fall semester only, while PHR 360, has been offered in spring semester only. Enrollments tend to be limited. Majors having difficulty in enrolling in either course can also consider PHR 533, as a replacement for PHR 350 and PHR 554, as a replacement for PHR 360, with the permission of the DUS.