OVERVIEW

            The Department of Chemistry aims to provide for its majors an undergraduate experience that will prepare them for a wide variety of career aspirations: graduate school, professional school, bachelor’s-level employment, among many others. The senior learning community for the chemistry major must include research as experience, for research further hones the laboratory skills learned in course laboratories.

            The first component in the senior LC is an upper-level course, CH 491 or higher.

            The second component, the reflective tutorial, involves literature review, oral presentation to peers and faculty, a written component, and organization of seminars by visitors outside the department.

SUMMATIVE COURSE

            Any 491 or higher course in chemistry, taken in the senior year, can serve as the capstone course. The capstone course and experiential work will be linked by a common theme; usually, the interests of the student will dictate which course should be chosen. The student and advisor will decide which course is most appropriate

REFLECTIVE TUTORIAL

            CH 400 is currently a course that is taken in the spring of the senior year. Here, students will make oral and written presentations on their experiential component and literature survey. The RFT offers an opportunity for students to share the nature of their research or practicum by:

1.      Student presentations of recently published chemical literature, related to a subject of interest to the student.

2.      Student oral presentations on their experiential component.

3.      Written senior thesis based upon their experiential component.

4.      Seminars or workshops by other professional chemists, in or out of the department.

CH 400-E: Teaching and Research Experience for Seniors (zero units)

            This course, open only to senior chemistry majors, is one of the experiential options available to students completing their senior learning community. Experiences are a combination of serving as lab assistant for a laboratory course, and a research project leading to significant pedagogical contributions to the course, culminating in a written laboratory procedure, report, and possible publication. The student will work with a faculty mentor. At least 100 experiential hours are required for successful completion of the course. Offered fall and spring semesters. Prerequisite: approval of faculty mentor, and a minimum grade of B in the course and lab under study. (Cross-listed with PY 400-E.)