The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry offers five major degree programs leading to a BS or BA in either chemistry or biochemistry. Students who elect chemistry as their area of concentration may choose to follow the chemistry program or the interdisciplinary programs in chemistry/computer science, chemistry/secondary education minor, or chemistry/general business minor. Students who elect biochemistry as their area of concentration may choose to follow the biochemistry program or the biochemistry/ forensic science concentration. Since the recommended course of study for the freshman year is similar for all programs, decisions regarding specific curricular options can be postponed at least until the sophomore year. Students are urged to consult with their academic advisors as early as possible to discuss professional objectives and options.

Earning a bachelor’s degree in chemistry or biochemistry requires satisfactory completion of (1) the common core liberal arts requirements for the BS or BA required of all undergraduates in the College of Arts and Sciences, (2) the core course requirements of the major and related areas (3) the elective requirements of the major and related areas (if applicable), and (4) additional free electives in any area, as necessary to complete the minimum number of credits required for a bachelor degree from Suffolk University. All elective courses, including cultural diversity and other core and divisional requirements, should be selected in consultation with the faculty advisor.

Transfer students wishing to major in Chemistry or Biochemistry must successfully complete a minimum of 12 credits in the major at Suffolk University.

All departmental programs minimally require Math 165 and Math 166 (Calculus I and II). Math courses taken to meet prerequisites for Math 165 are counted as free electives. It is recommended that students who do not qualify to begin their math sequence at Suffolk University in Calculus begin the prerequisite sequence immediately in order to avoid unnecessary delays in completion of degree requirements (Note: Math 130 and Math 134 do not fulfill the departmental mathematics requirements).

Departmental courses must be taken simultaneously with their respective laboratories unless otherwise noted or waived by the chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. This does not apply if the laboratory has previously been completed satisfactorily. 

All students electing a departmental major must complete a capstone course: either Research and Seminar or Forensic Science Practicum, depending on the degree program. The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry offers a pathway such that students may complete the capstone requirements and graduate with Departmental honors. This pathway is distinct from the Suffolk University Honors Program.

Departmental Honors

To be eligible for departmental honors, students must minimally have an overall GPA of 3.5 and a major GPA of 3.5 upon enrollment in the appropriate capstone course. In addition, students seeking departmental honors must submit an application to the departmental honors subcommittee for pre-approval early in the academic year in which students plan to complete the capstone research project; approved honors thesis work is then coupled to the capstone course requirements. Upon completion of the capstone course requirements, the departmental honors subcommittee, along with the faculty of the department, will determine whether the application and the final research project qualify for departmental honors. For departmental honors, thesis work must be of outstanding quality and must involve original independent laboratory or field research and/or in-depth analysis. For example, students may complete a project in the lab or one that requires data analysis. Job shadowing, data collection/organization (without analysis), or research summaries will generally not be sufficient for consideration. It is recommended that students eligible and interested in the departmental honors pathway begin looking for and meeting with their capstone project advisor as early as possible and request the departmental honors application from the department chair.