A basic understanding of chemistry is critically important for anyone planning a career in science, medicine or engineering. Chemistry impacts on all of our lives from the safe handling of common household chemicals to understanding the chemical effects of compounds on our health from dietary intake including foodstuffs and medicines, the air we breathe, the fuels we burn, the chemicals we manufacture and use, and their environmental consequences.
The major in Chemistry will provide students with a depth and breadth of understanding of chemical knowledge that is essential for anyone contemplating further study in chemistry or a career in the chemical or pharmaceutical industries. In combination with a major in Biology it forms an ideal background for further study in biological or medicinal research. The highly transferable lab-based skills in the manipulation of glassware, the safe handling and use of chemicals, the application of techniques and instrumentation, and experimental process will stand students in excellent stead in a variety of disciplinary contexts.
The major in Chemistry will provide students with the chemical basis for understanding biological structures and processes; the effects of drugs and other chemicals in the body; the electrical, magnetic and photochemical properties of materials; geological and atmospheric processes; and environmental issues.
Learning Goals:
On completion of a major in Chemistry students will be able to:
- Combine depth and breadth of understanding of chemical knowledge to discern the structure, bonding, properties, characterisation and reactivity of molecular and macromolecular compounds and solid state materials.
- Integrate chemical concepts and ideas to solve problems of a chemical nature.
- Use well developed laboratory based skills to perform qualitative and quantitative chemical analysis.
- Prepare, isolate, purify and characterise chemical compounds and design a synthetic pathway to them based on literature precedents.
- Undertake appropriate chemical risk assessments and handle and use chemicals in a safe manner including the correct disposal of chemical wastes.
- Use software and instrumentation for the acquisition, processing and analysis of chemical data.
- Access relevant chemical literature and use it to present well constructed arguments based on sound chemical reasoning.
- Perform both collaborative and independent research in a professional manner.
- Communicate chemically relevant material clearly and accurately to an expert or a non-expert audience.
- Recognise the interdisciplinary nature of chemistry and its underlying significance in other areas of science, engineering and medicine.
- Perceive the ethical and social dimensions of practising chemistry.
Other Information
Advice to Students
What 1st year courses should you enrol in? CHEM1101 and CHEM1201. If you plan to do CHEM2208 Protein Engineering & Analysis, you will need to complete BIOL1004.
Any student wishing to undertake Honours in Chemistry must complete the minimum of the equivalent of a Major in Chemistry. It is further recommended that they also complete a specialization in Advanced Chemistry.
Students should seek further course advice from the academic convener of this Chemistry major.
To see the pre-2012 rules for this major, students should navigate to the Study@ 2011 webpage.
Relevant Degrees
Requirements
Major Requirements
This major requires the completion of 48 units, which must include:
18 units from completion of the following course(s):
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM1101 | Chemistry 1 | 6 |
| CHEM1201 | Chemistry 2 | 6 |
| CHEM2202 | Chemical Structure and Reactivity 1 | 6 |
12 units from completion of the following course(s):
2000 level Chemistry (CHEM) courses
18 units from completion of the following course(s):
3000 level Chemistry (CHEM) courses
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