Minor and Cluster Requirements

The Department of Chemistry offers a minor in chemistry as well as six clusters.

Minor

Any six courses in chemistry that meet the following guidelines:

  • Courses must be four credits or more

  • Courses at the 300 level are not included

  • CHEM 111: Molecules of Power, a new course (Spring 2020) may NOT be used.
    "This course is intended for humanities and social science concentrators and should not be used to satisfy any requirement (technical or otherwise) for chemistry majors/minors or for majors and/or minors in other natural sciences." Molecules of Power (CHEM 111) is part of three clusters, one in Humanities, one in Natural Sciences, and one in Social Sciences. All three clusters are entitled “Science and Culture.”
     
  • Courses at the 400 level may be included with the permission of the instructor.

  • BIOL250 is no longer an allowed substitute for CHEM262. If a student’s declared program of study for the minor was already approved and includes BIOL250, then that program of study will maintain approval for that individual student. Newly created POS’s cannot include BIO250.

Prerequisites for advanced courses, such as mathematics and physics prerequisites for courses in physical chemistry, must be taken in addition to the six required chemistry courses.

All of the courses should total at least 24 credit-hours in chemistry.

Two courses with substantial overlap of content should not be included in a program.

In addition, no major and minor may overlap by more than two courses; no two minors may overlap by more than two courses. There are somea allied field courses and common introductory courses that will NOT count as overlaps. 

  • Courses that are exempt from the Overlap Rule:

    Biology: BIOL 110L, BIO 111L, BIOL 112L, BIOL 113L
    Chemistry: CHEM 131/CHEM 137 and CHEM 132
    Computer science: CSC 161, CSC 171, CSC 172
    Mathematics: MATH 141, MATH 142, MATH 143, MATH 150, MATH 161, MATH 162, MATH 163, MATH 164, MATH 165, MATH 171, MATH 172, MATH 173, MATH 174
    Physics: PHYS 113, PHYS 114, PHYS 121/121P, PHYS 122/122P, PHYS 123, PHYS 141, PHYS 142, PHYS 143
    Statistics: STAT 211, STAT 212, STAT 213, STAT 214, ECON 230, PSCI 200, DSCC 262

    Unless listed above, all courses are subject to the overlap rule (i.e., will count towards the maximum overlaps allowed between majors and minors).  See the UR CCAS website for more information on the overlap rule.

When you are ready, please declare your minor using the major/minor declaration form. 

 

Clusters

The department offers six clusters, all of which are in the natural sciences and engineering academic division.

Students in this cluster get a comprehensive introduction to chemistry and as well as a broad overview of physics.

Students in this cluster get a comprehensive introduction to chemistry and as well as a general introduction to biology.

This cluster provides students with a comprehensive introduction to chemistry and an overview of the formal approach to reasoning presented in philosophy.

Students in this cluster get a comprehensive introduction to the chemical sciences in both lecture and laboratory settings. Students also complete an additional course in an advanced area of chemistry.

This cluster provides students with a comprehensive introduction to chemistry and a general introduction to geology.

Students in this cluster get a comprehensive introduction to chemistry and a general overview of the social science perspective of the impact of science on humanity.

For more information on Clusters, please see: .