Oregon Tech offers a minor in chemistry to students interested in deepening their knowledge of chemistry, "the central science." A minor in chemistry can help prepare students for graduate school, medical school, or professional laboratory or research work. Students in fields from medicine to renewable energy to materials science will find their degrees strengthened by the hands-on experience of a chemistry minor, which includes the option for undergraduate research in chemistry.

Core Requirements:

Students must complete all of:
  • CHE201/204 or CHE221 - General Chemistry I (4/5 credits)
  • CHE202/205 or CHE222 - General Chemistry II (4/5 credits)
  • CHE203/206 or CHE223 - General Chemistry III (4/5 credits)
  • CHE331 - Organic Chemistry I (4 credits)

Elective Requirements:

Students must complete 16 credit hours from the electives list below, with the following restrictions:

  • At least 6 elective credits must be "above and beyond" the students' regular major  that is, they cannot be required for the major or used as technical/major electives;
  • At least 8 elective credits must be CHE-prefix courses (or co-taught as CHE-prefix courses).
  • At least 12 elective credits must be upper-division (300-level or higher);

Electives List:

  • CHE 260 - Electrochemistry for Renewable Energy Applications (4 credits)
  • CHE/PHY/ENGR 305 - Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (4 credits)​
  • CHE 315 - Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology (3 credits)
  • CHE 332 - Organic Chemistry II (4 credits)
  • CHE 333 - Organic Chemistry III (4 credits)
  • CHE 441: Genetic Engineering & Therapy (1 credits)
  • CHE 450 - Biochemistry I (4 credits)
  • CHE 451 - Biochemistry II (4 credits)
  • CHE 452 - Biochemistry III (4 credits)
  • CHE 465 - Fate and Transport of Pollutants (3 credits)
  • MLS 415 - Clinical Chemistry I (5 credits) *open to MLS students only
  • MLS 416 - Clinical Chemistry II (5 credits) *open to MLS students only
  • MLS 417 - Clinical Chemistry II (2 credits) *open to MLS students only
  • EE 343 - Solid State Electronic Devices (3 credits)
  • ENGR 355 - Thermodynamics (3 credits)
  • MECH 360 - Engineering Materials II (3 credits)
  • MET 160 - Engineering Materials I (3 credits)
  • PHY 311 - Modern Physics (3 credits)
  • REE 331 - Fuel Cells (3 credits)
  • REE 335 - Hydrogen (3 credits)
  • REE 333 - Batteries (3 credits)
  • REE 337 - Materials for Renewable Energy Applications (3 credits)
  • REE 346 - Biofuel and Biomass (3 credits)
  • Up to 2 credits of upper division chemistry research (CHE 355, 455, and/or 495)
  • Any other CHE course at the 200-level or higher, except for pharmacology courses (CHE210, CHE 350, CHE 360).
  • Other special topics courses, undergraduate research, or transfer courses may also be applied towards the minor with the permission of the Natural Sciences Department.

 

  • PHY 307 - Introduction to Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (4 credits)
  • CLS 416 - Clinical Chemistry II (2 credits) *open to CLS students only
  • CLS 416 - Clinical Chemistry II (2 credits) *open to CLS students only
  • CLS 416 - Clinical Chemistry II (2 credits) *open to CLS students only

Biology-Health Sciences Majors take all of the required courses for the chemistry minor, and 16 credits from the electives list (Organic Chemistry II & III, Biochemistry I & II).

To complete the chemistry minor, an additional 6 credits of courses from the electives list are required. In order to count towards the chemistry minor, these courses cannot be counted as technical electives for the major — for instance, Biochemistry III may count as a technical elective for the major, or an elective for the minor, but not both).

Environmental Sciences majors take all of the required courses for the chemistry minor, and are required to take one chemistry course (either CHE 315 or CHE 465) as a technical emphasis elective for the major.

Many of the electives for the chemistry minor can also count as technical emphasis electives for the major, including Organic Chemistry II & III (CHE 332 and CHE 333), Electrochemistry for Renewable Energy Applications (CHE260), Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology (CHE 315), Fate and Transport of Pollutants (CHE 465), Materials II (MET 360), Fuel Cells (REE 331), Biofuels & Biomass (REE 346).

Note that 6 credits for the chemistry minor must be "above and beyond" the major, and cannot be counted as both technical emphasis electives and as chemistry minor electives.

Mechanical Engineering students are required to take the first two terms of General Chemistry (CHE 201/4 and CHE 202/5), and also take 9 credits of required courses which can count as electives towards the minor — MET160 (Engineering Materials I), MECH360 (Engineering Materials II), ENGR355 (Thermodynamics). 

To complete the minor, an ME student would need to take 9 additional credits of required chemistry courses: CHE223 (General Chemistry II), and CHE331 (Organic Chemistry I), as well as 8 additional CHE-prefix electives credits (6 credits of these cannot be counted as ME technical electives).

Medical Laboratory Science majors typically all of the required courses for the chemistry minor, plus Organic Chemistry II & III (8 credits) and Clinical Chemistry I, II & III (10 credits).

To complete the chemistry minor, a MLS major would need to take 6 credits of electives beyond those required for their major.

Renewable Energy Engineering students are required to take the first two terms of General Chemistry (CHE 201/4 and CHE 202/5), and also take 13 credits of required courses which can count as electives towards the minor — CHE260 (Electrochemistry for Renewable Energy Applications), EE343 (Solid-State Electronic Devices), ENGR355 (Thermodynamics), and REE 331 (Fuel Cells). REE335 (Hydrogen) and REE346 (Biofuels and Biomass) may count both towards the chemistry minor and as technical electives for the REE major.

To complete the minor, an REE student would need to take 9 credits of required chemistry courses: CHE223 (General Chemistry II), and CHE331 (Organic Chemistry I), as well as 6 additional elective credits that cannot be counted as REE technical electives. 4 credits of those electives must be CHE-prefix courses.

Students Adam Langenstein and Matthew Vinson present their u

Students Adam Langenstein and Matthew Vinson present their undergraduate chemistry research project "Synthesis of silver nanoparticles and nanoclusters for use as antimicrobial agents" at the Oregon Tech project symposium in May 2014.
Ferrofluid produced by Danielle Nicholas in undergraduate ch

Ferrofluid produced by Danielle Nicholas in undergraduate chemistry research project "Synthesis of Ferrofluid Nanoparticles with Oleic Acid" in June 2014.

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