加州大學-伯克利

The BA in Chemistry includes a greater number of humanities and social science courses than the Bachelor of Science degree and is intended for those interested in careers in teaching, medicine, or other sciences in which a basic understanding of chemical processes is necessary.

Students who want to pursue the BA degree should apply for admission to the College of Letters & Science.

Mission

The Chemistry major provides training for students planning careers in the chemical sciences and also for those whose interests lie in biology, medicine, earth sciences, secondary education, business, and law. More than half of the total Berkeley undergraduate population will, at some stage of their degree program, take a course from the Department of Chemistry. The curriculum of the department is designed to satisfy the diverse needs of all these students.

Each Chemistry graduate will have completed an integrated, rigorous program which includes foundational course work in chemistry and in-depth course work in chemistry or chemistry-related fields. The ACS-certified degree further emphasizes laboratory experience and the development of professional skills. Advanced coursework and educational activities outside the traditional classroom, such as independent research, provide students the opportunity to conduct individual research projects or participate as a member of a research team. Many undergraduate students also benefit from taking our graduate courses in synthetic and physical chemistry.

At graduation, Chemistry majors will have a set of fundamental competencies that are knowledge-based, performance/skills-based, and effective.

Learning Goals of the Major

Graduates will be able to:

• Master a broad set of chemical knowledge concerning the fundamentals in the basic areas of the discipline (organic, inorganic, analytical, physical, and biological chemistry).
• Solve problems competently by identifying the essential parts of a problem and formulating a strategy for solving the problem. They will be able to rationally estimate the solution to a problem, apply appropriate techniques to arrive at a solution, test the correctness of the solution, and interpret their results.
• Use computers in data acquisition and processing and use available software as a tool in data analysis.
• Employ modern library search tools to locate and retrieve scientific information about a topic, chemical, chemical technique, or an issue relating to chemistry.

Skills

Graduates will demonstrate the ability to:

• Understand the objective of their chemical experiments, properly carry out the experiments, and appropriately record and analyze the results.
• Use standard laboratory equipment, modern instrumentation, and classical techniques to carry out experiments.
• Know and follow the proper procedures and regulations for safe handling and use of chemicals.
• Communicate the concepts and results of their laboratory experiments through effective writing and oral communication skills.

Effective

Graduates will be able to:

• Successfully pursue their career objectives in advanced education in professional and/or graduate schools, in a scientific career in government or industry, in a teaching career in the school systems, or in a related career following graduation.
• The relationship between the major's core curriculum and student learning outcomes can be seen in the Appendix in Table I.