|
A student can obtain an undergraduate Bachelors degree in Chemistry with Honors through the departmental honors program, through the University honors system, or both. Because graduating with chemistry honors requires a substantial research experience and a written thesis, the honors degree significantly enhances a student's resume (or CV). Graduate admission committees find these two experiences particularly attractive when evaluating applicants to their programs. Moreover, most students find it an especially rewarding and fun experience, and finish their degree with a much better appreciation of what it actually means to be a chemist.
Chemistry Honors Degree
Chemistry majors (option I or II) need to meet the following criteria to graduate with Chemistry Honors:
 To complete the honors program a research project will be conducted under the supervision of a faculty research adviser. Students should apply for admission with the departmental honors adviser prior to the end of their Junior year. Formal admission to the honors program requires that students possess a minimum GPA of 3.2 in Chemistry Department requirements after completing a minimum of 90 hours of course work. Students can consult with the honors adviser about the procedure for selecting a research adviser or talk with individual faculty members in the Chemistry Department directly at any time. Once a student has selected a research adviser, a brief description of the research project will be provided to the honors adviser by the research adviser.
In general, students participating in honors research should plan to spend at least 10 hours per week on laboratory research for three academic terms. Students may elect to sign up for Chemistry Research (CH 401, 1 credit
per 5 hours/week of laboratory work) each term, but they are not required to do so. However, in the final term of their program the student is required to sign up for two credits of Chemistry Honors Thesis (CH 403). The grade for CH 403 and successful completion of the honors degree program will be based upon an evaluation by the research advisor, the written thesis, and on a research presentation at the department undergraduate research symposium, generally scheduled at the end of the spring quarter. Bound copies of the honors thesis are kept by the research advisor, the Chemistry Department, and the University Honors Program.
Note: students who complete the departmental honors program can use the two credits of CH 403 and one credit of CH 401 to satisfy three credits of the 400-level Chemistry Elective requirements for the Chemistry and Biochemistry options.
Chemistry Major within the University Honors Program
Chemistry majors in the University Honors Program who plan to earn departmental honors in addition to University honors follow the same procedure described above for departmental honors. Students should consult with the departmental honors adviser and their University Honors Program adviser to ensure that all departmental and Honors program requirements
are met. | 
