Q: Who is my Chemistry Department advisor?

A: Advising information is located in the Advisor box (bottom right column) on your Student Center in SPIRE.

Q: Do I have to see the advisor the department assigns me?

A: Yes, you should meet with your assigned advisor but you may request a different advisor. You should arrange a meeting as soon as possible because during times of heavy advising loads, such as preregistration times, the advisor’s schedule may be full.

Q: What should I bring to the advisement session?

A: Your SPIRE transcript, your projected next semester schedule, and your departmental curricular requirement checklist.

If you do not have all of these items when you come to an advisor meeting, the advisor may ask you to schedule another meeting once you have them.

Q: When should I register for classes?

A. As soon as your scheduled registration time occurs. Classes fill rapidly and you may not be able to take an important course if you wait too long. Chemistry courses are in great demand, both for majors and non-majors. Do not assume that someone will take care of things if you leave things for late. Arrange a meeting with your advisor well before your scheduled registration time and register as soon your scheduled registration time occurs!

Q: How do I change my major?

A: To transfer into the Chemistry B.S. or B.A. program, please see the Chemistry Undergraduate Program Director or a Chief Undergraduate Advisor, to allow for some consultation about the curricular impact of such a change.

To transfer from Chemistry to another major, you need to see an advisor in that other department and get her or him to accept you into that dept, based on a study plan devised between the two of you.

In a nutshell: transferring majors must be accepted INTO a major before dropping the old major.

Q: If I want to petition to take a different elective for the B.A. Chemistry degree, other than those listed on the curriculum whom should I see, and how should I go about it.

A: Meet with one of the Chief Advisors or the Undergraduate Program Director to discuss the request. If acceptable, a memorandum of understanding will be prepared by a Chief Advisor, sent to the upper administration, and placed in your record as evidence of acceptability.

Q: I am taking Chemistry 112 over again in the summer session, right now. Can I get help to get into the organic course now?

A: No, students taking Chemistry 112 (or equivalent) during the summer, will need to wait until confirmation of an acceptable, finalized course grade is made before registering into an organic course. The department requires that the pre-requisite grade be finalized before accepting a student into a given course.

The Transfer Office should approve any off-campus coursework in advance, and a Prior Approval form should be submitted.

Q: What do I have to do to make sure that a summer course I take at another college is acceptable to the UMass chemistry department in place of a UMass requirement?

A Standard Prior Approval Form is required for all other students. If transfer coursework is to be used to satisfy major or college requirements, students should check with the Transfer Office for equivalency, and work with their departmental advisor.

Q: How to change majors, either to become a Chemistry B.S. or B.A. major, or to leave the Chemistry major?

A: To transfer into the Chemistry B.S. or B.A. program, please review the degree requirements, and make an appointment with the Chemistry Chief Undergraduate Advisor, Prof. Ruthanne Paradise via EAB Navigator for consultation about the curricular impact of such a change.

Chemistry Career Information

To transfer from Chemistry to another major, you need to see an advisor in the other department and be accepted by that department.

For ideas on majors based on your interests/strengths, please contact CNS Advising or Career Services.

Q: I'm having trouble with my homework, what should I do?

A. Students should always feel comfortable contacting their instructor for help, but please consider the following resources.

1. Student Instructor (peer) led sessions for specific lecture sections of CHEM 111, 112, 261, and 262 are held weekly in ISB. Times and locations are noted on course Moodle pages, and at the LRC website under "SI Schedule."
2. Learning Resource Center (LRC) tutors are available at the W.E.B Du Bois Library (10th floor), for CHEM 111, 112, 121H, 122H, 261, 262, 265, 269, as well as non-chemistry subjects. Tutoring times are listed at "Tutor Schedule" on the LRC website.
3. Chemistry has graduate TA's on duty to answer questions and tutor students in the Computer Resource Center (CRC) in 325 ISB. Computer Resource Center (CRC) hours and TA schedules

Important links:

Student Instructor (SI)
Learning Resource Center (LRC)
Computer Resource Center (CRC) hours and TA schedules
General Chemistry (laboratory schedules, experiment lists, TA information) 
 

Q: Which general chemistry course is right for me?

A: If you are a Chem Major or BMB OR CHEM E OR COMCOL with a math placement score of 23 then Chem 121/122 are the best options for you. We strongly recommend that Chem Majors take this sequence. However if your math scores are less than 23 we recommend you start with Chem 111 while making up your math deficiency. Based on your first semester math scores and you performance in Chem 111 you may be invited to go from Chem 111 to Chem 122.

Q: Which general chemistry courses fulfill General Education requirements?

A: If you are a Chemistry Major or Commonwealth Honors Student with a math placement score of 23 then Chem 121H/122H are the best options for you. We strongly recommend that Chem Majors take this sequence. However, if your math scores are less than 23 we recommend you start with Chem 111 while making up your math deficiency. Based on your first semester math scores and your performance in Chem 111 you may be invited to go from Chem 111 to Chem 122H.

Q: Is Chemistry 121 / 122 limited to Chemistry majors only?

A: No. These courses are available to students registered in the Chemistry B.A. and B.S. programs, and to Commonwealth College students.

Q: If I repeat Chem 111 / 112 / 121H / 122H, but I passed the laboratory component of the course the first time, do I need to take the laboratory component again for the repeat course?

A: If you received a grade of F for the course you must to retake the lab. If you received any other grade, and your lab grade was an 80 or higher, you should be entitled to a lab waiver. Waiver instructions are available in the Lab Waiver Request Form.

Q: Which organic chemistry course is right for me?

A: Chemistry 250 is a one-semester, 3-credit course meant to provide a summary overview of organic chemistry. It is aimed at majors that require a basic knowledge of the vocabulary and concepts of organic chemistry, but not an in depth coverage. It is taught in spring semesters only. This course is not considered acceptable for pre-med / pre-dent requirements, or Biology, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Chemical Engineering, or some other majors. You should check with your major department to see which organic course is acceptable. There is no associated laboratory course.

Chemistry 261-262 is a two semester course sequence, each semester of which is 3-credits. It is aimed at majors other than Chemistry that require a significant background in organic chemistry. Both Fall-Spring and Spring-Fall sequences are offered (i.e., one can begin the sequence in the spring and finish next fall); and a summer version is usually offered through the UMass Amherst Continuing and Professional Education Program. This is the appropriate course for pre-med / pre-dent purposes, Biology, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, or Chemical Engineering majors, and many other majors who are not Chemistry majors (see below for Chemistry Majors).

Chemistry 269 is a one-semester, 2-credit laboratory course that is taken concurrently with or subsequently to Chemistry 262. It has one lecture/discussion section for everyone in the course, and multiple laboratory sections in the afternoons. This is the appropriate course for pre-med / pre-dent purposes, Biology, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, or Chemical Engineering majors, and many other majors who are not Chemistry majors (see below for Chemistry Majors).

Chemistry 265-266 is a two-semester course sequence, each semester of which is 3-credits. Registration in these courses is limited to Chemistry majors only. Only the Fall-Spring sequence is offered; there is no summer version of this course. Chemistry 267-268 is a two-semester laboratory course sequence, each semester of which is 2 credits. These courses require co-registration with Chemistry 265-266. Registration is limited to Chemistry majors only.

Q: Is there an honors section of organic chemistry?

A: Chemistry 250, Chemistry 261-262, and Chemistry 265-266 are not “H”-courses for Commonwealth College purposes. A separate 1-credit discussion section colloquium is usually available as a co-registration option with Chemistry 266 in spring semesters; the requirements and focus of the colloquium varies significantly from year to year, so you should check if you have an interest in this option.

Q: SPIRE dropped me from the Chemistry 261 course roster. Why?

A: Unless some mistake was made, this probably happened because your final grade for Chemistry 112 was not high enough (C- or higher) for you to be accepted into Chemistry 261. When this occurs, it is the policy of the Chemistry Department to drop such students from the course roster. The department strives to notify students of this action, but cannot guarantee to do so, given the complexities of modern communication.