2024-2025 Catalog
Department of Chemistry
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(See also Joint Major in Chemistry and Biology and Joint Major in Chemistry and Climate )
Professors Haushalter (Chair), Brucks, Hawkins, Healy, Hernandez-Castillo, Johnson, Kavassalis, Ogba, Van Heuvelen, Van Ryswyk, Vosburg, and Zhuang.
The Department of Chemistry at Harvey Mudd College is consistently ranked as one of the top undergraduate chemistry programs in the nation. The chemistry curriculum is recognized for its unique program of study that builds on the broad, technical foundation that is acquired through the four-semester College-wide Core Curriculum. With coursework in all major areas of chemistry coupled with courses in mathematics, physics, biology, engineering, and computer science, this unique program of study prepares students for professions in both traditional chemistry areas as well as cutting-edge interdisciplinary fields. Our laboratory curriculum gives students extensive hands-on experience with modern, sophisticated instrumentation and computation and features inquiry-driven, open-ended experiments that emphasize the process of discovery.
The flexibility of the major enables students to tailor their coursework to best match their career interests. An extensive range of advanced elective courses is available within the department and across The Claremont Colleges. The program of study is designed to give students the opportunity to conduct study abroad or pursue other academic or extracurricular interests. Courses in all major branches of chemistry can be completed by the end of the junior year giving students a broad spectrum of specialty areas in which to pursue the senior capstone requirement. Students may elect to fulfill the capstone experience through a wide variety of options including a research investigation, a team-based clinic project, a national laboratory collaboration, or an industrial internship.
Students have abundant opportunities to engage in collaborative research with faculty beginning in the first year. Sustained involvement in multi-year projects is common. Students experience all facets of research, including the opportunity to present their work at national disciplinary conferences.
As a consequence of the depth of the chemistry major and the breadth of the College’s technical core, our graduates pursue a myriad of careers and routinely achieve positions of leadership in their chosen fields. Students completing the chemistry major have a particularly strong and broad background for immediate employment, professional school (business, law, or medicine), or graduate work in chemistry or a wide range of allied fields. Our alumni work not only in chemistry but also in materials science, chemical engineering, biochemistry, pharmacology, molecular biology, genetics, oceanography, teaching, publishing, and viticulture. All chemistry graduates are certified by the American Chemical Society (ACS). The National Science Foundation recognizes the Harvey Mudd chemistry department as the top department in the nation whose undergraduates, per capita, ultimately earn a PhD in chemistry (www.thecollegesolution.com/the-colleges-where-phds-get-their-start/).
A second program, the Joint Major in Chemistry and Biology, is administered jointly by the Departments of Chemistry and Biology. This joint major provides an opportunity for students interested in study at the interface between chemistry and biology. Students wishing to study such interdisciplinary areas as biochemistry, molecular biology, biological chemistry, and chemical biology will find this program well-tailored to their career plans. Details on this program are linked below. This major is not an ACS-certified chemistry major; students wishing to obtain ACS certification can do so by taking both CHEM103 HM and CHEM104 HM , plus at least two credits of in-depth chemistry electives.
A third program, the Joint Major in Chemistry and Climate, is administered jointly by the Department of Chemistry and the Hixon Center for Climate and the Environment. This joint major provides an opportunity for students interested in the interface between chemistry and climate, including climate science, impacts, interventions, and contexts. Students wishing to study environmental chemistry, green chemistry, or materials chemistry with a complementary background in climate science and solutions will find this program well-tailored to their career plans. Details on this program are linked below. This major is not an ACS-certified major; students wishing to obtain ACS certification can do so by taking both CHEM104 HM and CHEM182 HM , a total of four chemistry laboratories, and a total of 8 credits of ACS in-depth chemistry electives. Students who wish to receive ACS accreditation in the joint major should speak with the Chemistry Department chair or associate chair.
Chemistry Major
The curriculum of our chemistry program approved by the American Chemical Society (ACS) provides both a broad background in the five traditional subdisciplines of chemistry (analytical, biochemistry, inorganic, organic, and physical) and an in-depth study of chemistry that builds upon these foundational areas. Because chemistry is an experimental science, substantial laboratory work and research experiences are part of the curriculum. The chemistry program defined below is a comprehensive, rigorous curriculum to prepare students for professions in both traditional chemistry areas as well as cutting-edge interdisciplinary fields.
Premedical Studies
An excellent premedical preparation can be obtained for both MD and PhD/MD programs. In fact, the College’s technical Core and emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and the arts are assets for admission to medical studies. Harvey Mudd students completing either the Chemistry major or the Joint Major in Chemistry and Biology have successfully been admitted to both MD and PhD/MD programs. As early curriculum planning is recommended, students should inform their advisor as soon as possible if they wish to pursue medical school.
Course Descriptions
Programs
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