2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog
Chemistry
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 Return to: Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences
www.smu.edu/chemistry
Professor Michael Lattman, Department Chair
Professors: John Buynak, Werner Horsthemke (Co-Director of Undergraduate Studies), Elfi Kraka, Michael Lattman, Alexander Lippert, Mark Schell, David Son, Brian Zoltowski
Associate Professors: Peng Tao (Director of Undergraduate Biophysical Sciences Program), Nicolay Tsarevsky
Assistant Professors: Anindita Das, Devin Matthews, Tomce Runcevski
Professor of Practice: Jennifer O’Brien (Co-Director of Undergraduate Studies)
Senior Lecturer: Helen Babbili
Lecturer: Hannah Johnston
General Information
Chemistry plays a key role in solving economic, environmental and societal problems that are intimately connected with the basic question of how to guarantee the sustainability of the earth. The Department of Chemistry prepares students to meet the increasing demand for a scientifically trained workforce. Students planning careers in industry, medicine or academia benefit from the comprehensive curriculum of the B.S. and B.A. programs in chemistry. Undergraduate majors are heavily involved in research, working in teams with faculty, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students. Graduates have been accepted into the leading graduate and professional schools in the nation. On average, two-thirds of chemistry graduates seek advanced degrees; other graduates choose employment in industry and research.
Department Transfer Credit Policy
Once students have matriculated at SMU, the chemistry department accepts transfer credit for courses taken only at American Chemistry Society accredited programs. Online chemistry laboratory courses will not be awarded transfer credit. Before enrolling in other online courses for transfer credit, please consult with the Department of Chemistry for requirements. Additional details regarding transfer credit can be found on the department’s website.
Departmental Distinction
A chemistry major pursuing a B.S. degree may elect to graduate with departmental distinction. The student must apply to the department for this designation during the junior year, after at least 22 credit hours of chemistry have been completed with a minimum GPA of 3.500 in those courses. The student will enroll in CHEM 4397 and undertake an independent research project under the supervision of a departmental faculty member. During the senior year, a senior thesis will be written and presented to the department. Upon completion of all degree requirements, approval of the departmental faculty at the completion of these requirements, and provided the student maintains a minimum 3.500 GPA in all chemistry courses, the student will graduate with departmental distinction in chemistry.
SMU-UT Southwestern Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program
The SMU Department of Chemistry offers the SMU-UT Southwestern Undergraduate Research Fellowship. This fellowship program is designed to provide selected students (Fellows) with a unique opportunity to perform scientific research at the UT Southwestern (UTSW) Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences under the guidance of UTSW faculty and an SMU faculty mentor.
Fellows conduct this research full-time for one semester on the UTSW campus while remaining a full-time SMU student. Students in the program carry out a well-defined research project and make original contributions to their scientific discipline. The SMU faculty mentor assigns the final grade based on an evaluation from the UTSW faculty member, a mid-term research paper, and a poster presentation.
Upon successful completion, Fellows receive 6 credit hours toward their major requirements by enrolling in CHEM 4308 and CHEM 4397 and 6 credit hours toward their graduation total as advanced elective credits by enrolling in CHEM 4697 . This fellowship is intended for chemistry B.S. majors. Interested students should contact Professor David Son by the spring semester of their sophomore year for details on the application process and criteria for acceptance into the program.
ProgramsMajor(s)Minor(s)CoursesChemistry
Return to: Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences
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