College of Science & Engineering
In lieu of the questions below, please refer to the "Major Curriculum/Roadmaps & GE/University Requirements" tab for course recommendations in your first year.
Access the list of the major requirements to better understand the structure of the major.
The roadmap puts all of your graduation requirements into an easy-to-follow semester-by-semester plan so you know what to take to stay on track. Whether you are a freshman or a transfer student, you'll be able to find a roadmap that best fits you.
Besides your major requirements, students must complete their GE and University requirements. Be sure to make sure you've completed all of these requirements for graduation.
To learn more about this major, check out the major department’s website below. You can also find out how you can access their faculty advisors who can assist you not just with course choices, but also answer questions about the field and discuss your career plans.
Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
Thornton Hall Building, Room 806
Phone: (415) 338-1288
Email: chemist@sfsu.edu
Website: http://www.chemistry.sfsu.edu/0home/0layout.php
Chair: Professor Teaster Baird, Jr.
Freshmen Student Advising Information
After choosing “Basic Subjects” GE courses in Steps 1-3 of your Orientation process (if you haven’t done so, log onto your Orientation Profile page to follow the “Pre-Orientation Advising Module”), STEP 4 Choosing Major Classes will show you if there are any classes you can take to satisfy major requirements for your first and/or second semester.
Once you have determined your Roadmap above, review the first section below and write down any course recommendations based on your corresponding major roadmap on your Freshmen Class Planner worksheet.
First Semester Course Recommendations
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Please view the appropriate first-semester course recommendations based on the math course you selected.
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Be sure to read the Advisor Footnotes below.
If you chose to take MATH 226 or 199
|
Class & Title |
Units |
Other Requirement Area(s) Met |
|
Class selected from Step 1 of your Freshmen Class Planner |
3 units |
Will vary depending on your class selection: GE Area A2 or GE Area E |
|
MATH 226 Calculus I#1 #2 #3 #4 OR MATH 199 Pre-Calculus #3 #4 |
4 units |
MATH 226 is a lower division major requirement. MATH 226 and MATH 199 are GE-Area B4 classes. |
|
Class selected from Step 3 of your Freshmen Class Planner |
3 units |
Will vary depending on your class selection: GE Area A1 or GE Area A3 |
|
CHEM 115 General Chemistry I#4 #5 #6 |
5 units |
Lower division major requirement |
Advisor Footnotes:
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#1AP Calculus AB (or AB subscore), or BC score of 4 or 5 (but not 3) satisfies Math 226 requirement (4 units)
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#2 Prerequisite for MATH 226 is high school pre-calculus with “B” or better, or high school calculus with a grade of “C” or better; or a college-level pre-calculus course with a “C” or better
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#3 Take the First-Year Math Advising Exercise before choosing this course
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#4 1-unit Supplemental Instruction courses (SCI) are offered for these classes as additional support. These courses can be found in the SFSU Class Schedule (https://webapps.sfsu.edu/public/classservices/classsearch) by searching for the "SCI" department prefix.
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#5 Prerequisites for CHEM 115 are a student needs to have Category/Pathway 1 or Category/Pathway 2 for math. Satisfactory score on the Chemistry readiness assessment. CHEM 100 is recommended for students needing additional preparation for CHEM 115.
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#6 AP Chemistry score of a 4 or 5 (but not 3) satisfies CHEM 115 requirement.
If any of the class(es) above ends up being FULL by the time you register, consider choosing more General Education courses to build up your schedule. Do not pick General Education Area B1 or B3 courses, as GE Areas B1 and B3 will be fulfilled with major classes.
If you chose to take MATH 197
|
Class & Title |
Units |
Other Requirement Area(s) Met |
|
Class selected from Step 1 of your Freshmen Class Planner |
3 units |
Will vary depending on your class selection: GE Area A2 or GE Area E |
|
MATH 197 Prelude to Calculus I #1 |
3 units |
|
|
Class selected from Step 3 of your Freshmen Class Planner |
3 units |
Will vary depending on your class selection: GE Area A1 or GE Area A3 |
|
CHEM 100 Preparation for Chemistry #2 |
3 units |
|
|
Lower Division General Education course #3 |
3 units |
Will vary depending on your class selection. |
Advisor Footnotes:
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#1 Take the First-Year Math Advising Exercise before choosing this course
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#2 Students looking for additional preparation for CHEM 115 General Chemistry I, should take CHEM 100.
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#3 Do not pick General Education Area B1 or B3 courses, as GE Areas B1 and B3 will be fulfilled with major classes
If any of the class(es) above ends up being FULL by the time you register, consider choosing more General Education courses to build up your schedule. Do not pick General Education Area B1 or B3 courses, as GE Areas B1 and B3 will be fulfilled with major classes
- There are no other alternate courses for this major
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If more units are needed, consider General Education courses from the areas suggested in the "GE Area Recommendations" section below. Do not pick General Education Area B1 or B3 courses, as GE Areas B1 and B3 will be fulfilled with major classes
Once you have made your course choices for Steps 1-4, you may already have between 12-15 units chosen for your first semester—about 4 to 5 classes.
If more units are needed, you will proceed to "Step 5 - Choosing GE Courses" from your Orientation Advising Module after considering the following recommendations...
|
GE Area |
Advisor Notes |
|
A1 Oral Communication |
Covered in “Step 3” on Class Planner |
|
A2 Written English Communication |
Covered in “Step 1” on Class Planner |
|
A3 Critical Thinking |
Covered in “Step 3” on Class Planner |
|
B1 Physical Science |
There are major courses for this area |
|
B2 Life Science |
Choose any |
|
B3 Laboratory Science |
There are major courses for this area |
|
B4 Quantitative Reasoning |
There are major courses for this area |
|
C1 Arts |
Choose any |
|
C2 Humanities |
Choose any |
|
D Social Sciences |
Choose any |
|
D US History |
Choose any |
|
E Lifelong Learning & Self-Development (LLD) |
Covered in “Step 1” on Class Planner |
|
F Ethnic Studies |
Choose any |
|
US/CA Government |
Choose any |
Transfer Student Advising Information
Please see the box above labeled “Major Curriculum/Roadmaps & GE/University Requirements” for information on what courses to take in your first semester at SF State. View our Frequently Asked Questions for Transfers for helpful tips and additional information.