This program, when coordinated with the necessary courses in education, meets requirements for teacher licensure. It also meets requirements for entrance to medical and other professional schools.

Teacher Licensure

Students who wish to become teachers can pursue either the Chemistry, BA or the Chemistry, BS in addition to obtaining teaching credentials. For more information, visit the Secondary Education program's webpage.

Admissions

University-wide admissions policies can be found in the Undergraduate Admissions Policies section of this catalog.

To apply for this program, please complete the George Mason University Admissions Application.

Policies

Students must fulfill all Requirements for Bachelor's Degrees, including the Mason Core. As outlined in the Requirements section, students in this bachelor's program must also complete the additional College Requirements for the BA Degree.

CHEM 336 Physical Chemistry Lab I (Mason Core) or CHEM 465 Biochemistry Lab (Mason Core) will fulfill the writing intensive requirement.

For policies governing all undergraduate programs, see AP.5 Undergraduate Policies.    

Termination from the Major

To ensure the academic integrity of the Chemistry and Biochemistry undergraduate major program, students are expected to maintain a satisfactory level of academic performance.

No chemistry, math, or science course that is required for the major may be attempted more than three times. Students who do not successfully complete such a course with a grade of C or better by the third attempt may be terminated from the major.

Students who have been terminated from the chemistry major may not register for a chemistry course without the permission of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

A student may not declare a major in chemistry if the student has previously met the termination criteria for the major at any time, regardless of what the student’s major was at the time the courses were taken.

Banner Code: SC-BA-CHEM

Degree Requirements

Total credits: minimum 120

Students should refer to the Admissions & Policies tab for specific policies related to this program.

Students must complete the chemistry program requirements with a minimum GPA of 2.30 and present no more than two courses with a grade of 'D' (1.00) in CHEM coursework at graduation.

BA without Concentration

Students who do not select the optional concentration complete the curriculum requirements listed below.

Chemistry Courses

CHEM 211General Chemistry I (Mason Core)3
CHEM 213General Chemistry Laboratory I (Mason Core)1
CHEM 212General Chemistry II (Mason Core)3
CHEM 214General Chemistry Laboratory II (Mason Core)1
CHEM 313Organic Chemistry I3
CHEM 314Organic Chemistry II3
CHEM 315Organic Chemistry Lab I2
CHEM 318Organic Chemistry Lab II2
CHEM 321Quantitative Chemical Analysis4
CHEM 331Physical Chemistry I3
CHEM 332Physical Chemistry II3
CHEM 336Physical Chemistry Lab I (Mason Core) 12
CHEM 337Physical Chemistry Lab II2
Select 5 credits of electives in chemistry5
Total Credits37
1

Fulfills the writing intensive requirement.

Mathematics Courses

MATH 113Analytic Geometry and Calculus I (Mason Core)4
MATH 114Analytic Geometry and Calculus II4
MATH 213Analytic Geometry and Calculus III3
Total Credits11

Physics Courses

Select one sequence:8
PHYS 243
& PHYS 244
& PHYS 245
& PHYS 246
College Physics I (Mason Core)
and College Physics I Lab (Mason Core)
and College Physics II (Mason Core)
and College Physics II Lab (Mason Core)
PHYS 160
& PHYS 161
& PHYS 260
& PHYS 261
University Physics I (Mason Core)
and University Physics I Laboratory (Mason Core)
and University Physics II (Mason Core)
and University Physics II Laboratory (Mason Core)
Total Credits8

Concentration in Biochemistry (BC)

The concentration in biochemistry is designed for students interested in studying chemistry at its interface with the biological sciences. Those interested in health science careers can obtain an excellent science background through this concentration.

Students majoring in chemistry with a concentration in biochemistry will complete the coursework below:

Chemistry Courses

CHEM 211General Chemistry I (Mason Core)3
CHEM 213General Chemistry Laboratory I (Mason Core)1
CHEM 212General Chemistry II (Mason Core)3
CHEM 214General Chemistry Laboratory II (Mason Core)1
CHEM 313Organic Chemistry I3
CHEM 314Organic Chemistry II3
CHEM 315Organic Chemistry Lab I2
CHEM 318Organic Chemistry Lab II2
CHEM 321Quantitative Chemical Analysis4
CHEM 331Physical Chemistry I3
CHEM 336Physical Chemistry Lab I (Mason Core) 12
CHEM 446Bioinorganic Chemistry3
CHEM 463General Biochemistry I4
CHEM 464General Biochemistry II3
CHEM 465Biochemistry Lab (Mason Core) 12
Total Credits39
1

Fulfills the writing intensive requirement.

Mathematics and Statistics Courses

MATH 113Analytic Geometry and Calculus I (Mason Core)4
MATH 114Analytic Geometry and Calculus II4
STAT 250Introductory Statistics I (Mason Core)3
Total Credits11

Physics Courses

PHYS 243College Physics I (Mason Core)3
PHYS 244College Physics I Lab (Mason Core)1
PHYS 245College Physics II (Mason Core)3
PHYS 246College Physics II Lab (Mason Core)1
Total Credits8

Biology Courses

BIOL 213
& BIOL 215		Cell Structure and Function
and Cell Structure and Function Laboratory		4
Total Credits4

Mason Core and Elective Credits

In order to meet a minimum of 120 credits, this degree requires additional credits (specific credit counts by concentration are shown below), which may be applied toward any remaining Mason Core requirements (outlined below), Requirements for Bachelor's Degrees, College Requirements for the BA Degree (outlined below), and elective courses. Students are strongly encouraged to consult with their advisors to ensure that they fulfill all requirements.

  • Without concentration: 64 credits
  • BC concentration: 58 credits

Mason Core

Some Mason Core requirements may already be fulfilled by the major requirements listed above. Students are strongly encouraged to consult their advisors to ensure they fulfill all remaining Mason Core requirements.

All Integration-level requirements must be completed at George Mason and cannot be satisfied through transfer credit. These courses are integral to the university's educational philosophy and ensure that all graduates demonstrate proficiency in writing, critical thinking, and integrative learning consistent with the university's standards. Rare exceptions to this policy may only be granted by the Provost's Office. 

Students who have completed the following credentials are eligible for a waiver of the Foundation and Exploration (lower level) requirement categories with the exception of Written Communication, which must be met by transferring in or taking an approved coruse at George Mason University. The Integration category (upper level) is not waived under this policy. See Admissions for more information. 

  • VCCS Uniform Certificate of General Studies
  • VCCS or Richard Bland Associate of Science (A.S.), Associate of Arts (A.A.), Associate of Arts and Sciences (A.A.&S.), or Associate of Fine Arts (A.F.A.)
Foundation Requirements
Written Communication (lower-level)3
Oral Communication3
Quantitative Reasoning3
Information Technology and Computing3
Exploration Requirements
Arts3
Global Contexts3
Global History3
Literature3
Natural Science7
Social and Behavioral Sciences3
Just Societies (optional) 1
Integration Requirements
Written Communication (upper-level)3
Writing Intensive 23
Mason Apex 33
Total Credits40
1

In addition to covering content related to the designated category, Exploration level courses marked with a Just Societies "flag" are specifically designed to help students learn how to interact effectively with others from all walks of life, including those with backgrounds and beliefs that differ from their own. Students who wish to increase their knowledge and skills in this area may choose to enroll in a Just Societies-flagged course. Students interested in this approach to completing their Mason Core Exploration Requirements should work closely with their advisor to identify the appropriate Just Societies-flagged courses.

2

Most programs include the writing-intensive course designated for the major as part of the major requirements; this course is therefore not counted towards the total required for Mason Core.

3

Minimum 3 credits required.

College Requirements for the BA Degree

In addition to the program requirements and the Mason Core requirements, students pursuing a BA degree must complete the coursework below. Except where expressly prohibited, a course used to fulfill this college-level requirement may also be used simultaneously to satisfy other requirements such as Mason Core requirements, other college-level requirements, or requirements for the major. In some cases, the requirements listed below may be superseded by requirements of the degree program and the Mason Core.

Foundational Breadth

Choose two courses from approved Mason Core: Arts, Mason Core: Literature, Mason Core: Global Contexts, and Mason Core: Social and Behavioral Sciences courses in addition to those required by the Mason Core. The two courses used to fulfill the college-level requirements must each be from different Mason Core categories. Additionally, they must be from different disciplines than the courses used to fulfill the University Mason Core requirements.

Natural Science

Choose one credit in addition to the Mason Core: Natural Science requirement for a total of 8 credits1. This combined college-level and university requirement must be fulfilled by completing two of any approved Mason Core: Natural Science courses that include a laboratory experience2.

Select an additional Mason Core Natural Science course1
1

For Geography, BA majors, this extra credit is not required.

2

BIOL 124 Human Anatomy and Physiology I and BIOL 125 Human Anatomy and Physiology II may not be used to fulfill this requirement.

Foreign Language
Intermediate-level proficiency in one foreign language is required and may be fulfilled via one of the options below: 1
1. Completing a course in a foreign language numbered 202 (or its equivalent), or higher level courses taught in the language.
2. Achieving a satisfactory score on an approved proficiency test.
3. Completing an American Sign Language course meeting intermediate-level proficiency:
EDSE 218
Intermediate American Sign Language (ASL) I
EDSE 219
American Sign Language (ASL) III
EDSE 314
Intermediate American Sign Language (ASL) II
EDSE 315
American Sign Language (ASL) IV
EDSE 316
American Sign Language (ASL) V
EDSE 420
Deaf History and Culture
4. Conferral of a baccalaureate degree. 2
1

Students who are already proficient in a second language may be eligible for a waiver of this requirement. Additional information on waivers can be found with the college's Office of Academic and Student Affairs.

2

This option is only available to students in the Biology, BA with a concentration in Biological Health who have already conferred a baccalaureate degree.

Honors in the Major

Chemistry majors who have completed prerequisites for CHEM 455 Honors Research in Chemistry and CHEM 456 Honors Research in Chemistry and have maintained an overall GPA of at least 3.00 in mathematics and science courses are eligible to enter the departmental honors program. To graduate with honors in chemistry, a student is required to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.00 in mathematics and science courses and successfully complete the two semesters of CHEM 455 Honors Research in Chemistry and CHEM 456 Honors Research in Chemistry with a minimum GPA of 3.50.

In order to apply for Chemistry Honors, please complete the application and submit it to the undergraduate coordinator.