Chemistry & Biochemistry

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry provides a solid foundation in the basic areas of chemistry (analytical, organic, inorganic, physical and biochemical) for a student preparing for graduate or professional school, an industrial career or a career in chemical education.

The departmental curriculum is intended to foster an increasing sense of independence in the student. Students build a firm understanding of chemical principles in general chemistry (first year) and organic chemistry (second year). In the junior and senior years, students take classes from each member of the department who specialize in different areas of chemistry, resulting in chemistry graduates who are well-prepared for graduate school or an industrial career in the sciences.

Although all majors in the department provide students with pathways to outstanding careers, the Biochemistry major is a popular choice for those students interested in medical school, pharmacy school, or various types of biomedical graduate programs. Students complete a rigorous schedule of chemistry, biology and general education courses in order to satisfy the prerequisites of their desired pre-professional program. Students generally apply to medical or pharmacy schools after their third or fourth year at Bridgewater, but planning should begin as soon as possible to ensure all criteria are successfully met. Interested students should contact the chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Programs

General Education Requirement

The following courses satisfy Bridgewater College’s general education requirement for natural and physical sciences:

GEOL/CHEM-102 Earth and its Environment
CHEM-161 General Chemistry I
GEOL-130 Physical Geology

Chemistry Course Prerequisites

MATH-110 or MATH-118 is a prerequisite for CHEM-125.
MATH-110 is a prerequisite for any CHEM course numbered above 125.
MATH-130 or MATH-133 is a prerequisite for all CHEM-350, CHEM-415, CHEM-425, and CHEM-427.

PHYS-221 is a prerequisite for CHEM-425 and CHEM-427

Graduate School

If you intend to enter graduate school in chemistry or biochemistry, MATH-133 and MATH-134 as well as PHYS-222 are recommended. Be sure to check the prerequisites of the graduate school to which you intend to apply. 

Professional Schools

If you intend to apply to professional schools such as medical or pharmacy after graduation, be sure to check the prerequisites of the programs to which you intend to apply. 

Courses

BCHM-355: Biochemistry I

Introduction to the major biomolecular compound classes, including carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, along with a survey of enzyme kinetics and the overall regulation of key metabolic pathways. Three lectures per week.

BCHM-356: Biochemistry I With Lab

Introduction to the major biomolecular compound classes, including carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, along with a survey of enzyme kinetics and the overall regulation of key metabolic pathways. Three lectures and one lab per week.

BCHM-455: Biochemistry II

A continuation of the topics covered in Biochemistry I, with special attention paid to the classic chemical reactions at work in biological systems. The intersection of biochemical principles with such applications as drug discovery and computational modeling will be emphasized as a mechanism for understanding the fundamental relationship between structure and function. Three lectures per week.

BCHM-480X: Internship

Provides an opportunity for a student to gain field experience in an area related to the student's program of study or career goals. The learning objectives for internships include connecting academic knowledge and problem-solving processes to experiences and problems in professional settings. Supervision of an intern is provided by an appropriate faculty member and by a site supervisor of the agency or business in which the student is an intern. A student who wishes to engage in an internship must consult with the appropriate faculty member at least eight weeks in advance of the start of the term in which the internship is to be completed. A description of the internship, signed by the student and the faculty sponsor, must be filed with the director of internships by the first day of the semester prior to the start of the internship. Approval of each application for an internship is made by the director of internships based upon approved policies and guidelines. Internships are graded on an S or U basis. Students must complete 120 hours of internship-related work as well as weekly journal entries and a final reflective paper completed in accordance with approved requirements.  A student may enroll in an internship program for 3 credits per semester, and internship credit may be earned in subsequent semesters subject to the limitations that no more than two internships may be pursued in any one agency or business and a maximum of 9 credits in internships may be applied toward graduation.
FILA general education: experiential learning.

BCHM-490: Independent Study

Upon approval of the department and the division head, a student with a cumulative grade point average of 2.20 or better may engage in an independent study or research project. One desiring to pursue independent study or research must submit a written description of the proposed work to the chair of the appropriate department and to the appropriate division head prior to the last day of the drop and add period for the semester in which the study is to be conducted. At the end of the semester, the supervising professor files with the registrar a grade for the student and a description of the work accomplished. Credit may be received for no more than three independent studies or research projects.

BCHM-491: Research

Upon approval of the department and the division head, a student with a cumulative grade point average of 2.20 or better may engage in an independent study or research project. One desiring to pursue independent study or research must submit a written description of the proposed work to the chair of the appropriate department and to the appropriate division head prior to the last day of the drop and add period for the semester in which the study is to be conducted. At the end of the semester, the supervising professor files with the registrar a grade for the student and a description of the work accomplished. Credit may be received for not more than three independent studies or research projects.

BCHM-499: Honors Project

An honors project is one in which a student researches a subject, by examination of relevant literature or by experimentation or both; the student reports the results in an accurately documented and well-written paper or appropriate representation of the work. Whenever the study deals with the subject of an established course, the student is expected to go well beyond the usual work of the course in research and in assimilation of the results as revealed in the report. Juniors and seniors with a cumulative grade point average of 3.40 or above may register for an honors project. One desiring to pursue an honors project must submit a written description of his or her proposed work to the chair of the appropriate department and to the appropriate division head prior to the last day of the drop and add period for the semester in which the study is to be conducted. Upon the completion of the honors project, the student must present an oral defense of his or her project. The final grade must include a satisfactory performance on the oral defense, assessed by a three-faculty member team. The project advisor will authorize the make-up of the oral defense team and will assign the final grade on the project. The honors project title will be noted on the student's transcript. It is the student's responsibility to provide a copy of the written paper or appropriate representation of the work to the library in compliance with specifications approved by the Council on Education. The library director arranges for binding and storage.

CHEM-102 / GEOL-102: Earth Science

The history of the earth and its place in the universe, geologic processes, environmental problems and weather. Three hours of lecture and one two-hour lab per week. Field trips may be taken during lab. FILA general education: natural and physical sciences. (Cross-listed as GEOL-102)

CHEM-125: Fundamentals of Inorganic Chemistry

Basic principles of structure, composition and reactions of matter. Designed as a survey course for health science majors. Does not satisfy requirements for majors in Biology or Chemistry. Three hours of lecture and one two-hour laboratory per week. Credit may not be received for both CHEM-125 and CHEM-161.

CHEM-161: General Chemistry I

Principles of chemistry including stoichiometry, states of matter, atomic and molecular structure, chemical bonding, periodicity, and the kinetic molecular theory of gases. Three hours of lecture and one four hour lab per week. FILA general education: natural and physical sciences. Credit may not be received for both CHEM-125 and CHEM-161.

CHEM-162: General Chemistry II

Principles of chemistry including intermolecular forces, thermodynamics, equilibria, acid-base chemistry, electrochemistry, kinetics, and solubility. Three hours of lecture and one four hour lab per week.

CHEM-306: Organic Chemistry II

Continuation of organic chemistry started in CHEM-305, including reaction mechanisms, thermodynamics, synthesis, and identification of organic molecules. Three hours of lecture and one four-hour lab per week.

CHEM-308: Organic Spectroscopy

Study and interpretation of spectra as applied to organic chemistry. Infrared spectroscopy, proton and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance, ultraviolet spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. One hour of lecture and laboratory per week.

CHEM-310: Organic Chemistry II & Spectroscopy

A continuation of organic chemistry started in CHEM-305, including a study of the interpretation of infrared spectroscopy, proton and carbon NMR, UV-visible spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. The lab will be an introduction to chemical research that includes research methods and techniques through a series of experiments. Credit may not be received for both CHEM-306 and CHEM-310, or for both CHEM-308 and CHEM-310.

CHEM-350: Introduction to Quantum and Statistical Mechanics

This course is an introduction to quantum theory and statistical mechanics with an emphasis on their application to spectroscopy and thermodynamic properties. Students will be introduced to and perform relevant calculations. The results of these calculations will then be used to introduce and develop the theory behind various spectroscopic techniques as well as develop the relationships between statistical mechanics and thermodynamic properties. Students will also gain hands-on experience working with several spectroscopic instruments. Three year cycle.

CHEM-362: Medicinal Chemistry

A course on the basic concepts of drug structure, interactions, and metabolism. Drug design, development and synthesis, structure and physicochemical properties of drugs and their targets and drugs' mechanism of action and the body´s response will be covered. Three hours of lecture per week.

CHEM-365: Computational Chemistry

Designed to introduce students to the fundamental principles and techniques of computational chemistry. Approaches to be discussed include molecular mechanics, molecular dynamics, and density functional theory, among others. Discussion will focus on supporting, not replacing, the work of traditional synthetic chemists, and particular attention will be paid to the strengths/limitations of each technique for one or more specific purposes. Students will learn to model molecular systems and to critically analyze a potential energy surface, identifying local and global minima and the transition states between them. The application of these tools in ligand design and drug discovery will be a key component. Offered alternate years.

CHEM-370: Advanced Inorganic Chemistry

Physical properties, electronic structure, and reactivity of transition metal compounds. Three hours of lecture and one four-hour lab per week. Offered alternate years.

CHEM-380: Instrumental Analysis

Exposure to methods of quantitation, signal-to- noise enhancement, instrumental design and function, methods of spectroscopy, chromatography, electroanalytical analysis, and mass spectrometry. Three hours of lecture and one four-hour lab per week.

CHEM-385: Forensic Chemistry

This course focuses on the chemical techniques that are used in forensic sciences. Content includes a brief historical context, sampling methods and measurements, instrumental techniques, and an overview of drug analysis. Three hours of lecture and one four-hour lab per week.

CHEM-425: Physical Chemistry II

Physical states of solution systems- thermodynamics, equilibria, reaction rates, electrochemistry, and photochemistry. Three hours of lecture per week. Credit may not be received for both CHEM-425 and CHEM-427. Offered alternate years.

CHEM-427: Physical Chemistry II with Laboratory

Physical states of chemical systems- thermodynamics, equilibria, reaction rates, electrochemistry, and photochemistry- with lab examination of reactions in multicomponent systems. Three hours of lecture and four hours of lab work per week. Credit may not be received for both CHEM-425 and CHEM-427. Offered alternate years.

CHEM-450: Special Topics

Devoted to a subject taken from a field of chemistry not otherwise covered in the curriculum. If a different topic is offered, the course may be repeated for credit.

CHEM-460: Capstone Seminar

A capstone course in which students learn about the history of chemistry, norms in science, professional ethics, and careers in chemistry. Two 1-hour lectures per week.

CHEM-461: Independent Laboratory Research

An open-ended laboratory research project with a member of the Chemistry faculty. A minimum of five hours of laboratory work per week. May be repeated as necessary for credit.

CHEM-462: Independent Laboratory Research

An open-ended laboratory research project with a member of the Chemistry faculty. A minimum of ten hours of laboratory work per week. May be repeated as necessary for credit.

CHEM-480X: Internship

Provides an opportunity for a student to gain field experience in an area related to the student's program of study or career goals. The learning objectives for internships include connecting academic knowledge and problem-solving processes to experiences and problems in professional settings. Supervision of an intern is provided by an appropriate faculty member and by a site supervisor of the agency or business in which the student is an intern. A student who wishes to engage in an internship must consult with the appropriate faculty member at least eight weeks in advance of the start of the term in which the internship is to be completed. A description of the internship, signed by the student and the faculty sponsor, must be filed with the director of internships by the first day of the semester prior to the start of the internship. Approval of each application for an internship is made by the director of internships based upon approved policies and guidelines. Internships are graded on an S or U basis. Students must complete 120 hours of internship-related work as well as weekly journal entries and a final reflective paper completed in accordance with approved requirements. A student may enroll in an internship program for 3 credits per semester, and internship credit may be earned in subsequent semesters subject to the limitations that no more than two internships may be pursued in any one agency or business and a maximum of 9 credits in internships may be applied toward graduation. FILA general education: experiential learning.

CHEM-490: Independent Study

Upon approval of the department and the division head, a student with a cumulative grade point average of 2.20 or better may engage in an independent study or research project. One desiring to pursue independent study or research must submit a written description of the proposed work to the chair of the appropriate department and to the appropriate division head prior to the last day of the drop and add period for the semester in which the study is to be conducted. At the end of the semester, the supervising professor files with the registrar a grade for the student and a description of the work accomplished. Credit may be received for no more than three independent studies or research projects.

CHEM-491: Research

Upon approval of the department and the division head, a student with a cumulative grade point average of 2.20 or better may engage in an independent study or research project. One desiring to pursue independent study or research must submit a written description of the proposed work to the chair of the appropriate department and to the appropriate division head prior to the last day of the drop and add period for the semester in which the study is to be conducted. At the end of the semester, the supervising professor files with the registrar a grade for the student and a description of the work accomplished. Credit may be received for not more than three independent studies or research projects.

CHEM-499: Honors Project

An honors project is one in which a student researches a subject, by examination of relevant literature or by experimentation or both; the student reports the results in an accurately documented and well-written paper or appropriate representation of the work. Whenever the study deals with the subject of an established course, the student is expected to go well beyond the usual work of the course in research and in assimilation of the results as revealed in the report. Juniors and seniors with a cumulative grade point average of 3.40 or above may register for an honors project. One desiring to pursue an honors project must submit a written description of his or her proposed work to the chair of the appropriate department and to the appropriate division head prior to the last day of the drop and add period for the semester in which the study is to be conducted. Upon the completion of the honors project, the student must present an oral defense of his or her project. The final grade must include a satisfactory performance on the oral defense, assessed by a three-faculty member team. The project advisor will authorize the make-up of the oral defense team and will assign the final grade on the project. The honors project title will be noted on the student's transcript. It is the student's responsibility to provide a copy of the written paper or appropriate representation of the work to the library in compliance with specifications approved by the Council on Education. The library director arranges for binding and storage.

GEOL-102 / CHEM-102: Earth Science

The history of the earth and its place in the universe, geologic processes, environmental problems and weather. Three hours of lecture and one two-hour lab per week. Field trips may be taken during lab. FILA general education: natural and physical sciences. (Cross-listed as CHEM-102)

GEOL-130: Physical Geology

This course is an overview of the history of the earth and its structure, earth materials, the rock cycle, internal processes (the tectonic cycle, volcanoes, and earthquakes), external processes (the hydrologic cycle, weathering, and soils), and environmental concerns (groundwater, surface water, pollution, and remediation) with fairly detailed coverage of the processes. Three hours of lecture and one two-hour lab per week. Field trips may be taken during lab. FILA general education: natural and physical sciences.

GEOL-330: Soil and Hydrogeology

This course is a study of the environment on the Earth's surface, the boundary between the solid and liquid, and interactions between rock and water. This will include weathering and the formation of soil, and the flow of water at the surface and below ground level. Lab activities will include sampling and analysis of soil, surface water, and groundwater. Offered alternate years.