Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Physics Department
The department of biochemistry, chemistry, and physics fosters the professional development of its students through academic excellence, enabling them to compete in a technological society. The department provides its majors with a thorough understanding of basic and modern concepts of chemistry, biochemistry, and physics, the ability to analyze and apply scientific concepts to technical problems, the development of laboratory skills, and the development of a strong sense of professionalism.
The department supports scientific literacy for all majors through its participation in the university core curriculum.
Programs
The department offers several degree programs, all of which can be used to pursue different career options. A degree in chemistry or biochemistry is very versatile and can be used to pursue a variety of professional choices.
Career Options
A degree in chemistry is a gateway to many traditional careers as well as to careers in nontraditional and interdisciplinary fields.
The employment outlook for graduates with degrees in chemical sciences is markedly better than it is in other fields. According to figures published by the American Chemical Society, salaries for entry-level chemistry positions are approximately $72,000. The latest statistics show that of chemists in the domestic workforce, only 3 percent were unemployed.
Medicine/Dental/Pharmacy
Biochemistry and chemistry degrees are both highly desirable for those interested in becoming physicians or dentists. The acceptance rate to professional schools for individuals with these degrees is quite high. Our students continue to be accepted in medical, dental and pharmacy schools all over the country.
Research
Careers in research have always been a primary career option for chemists and biochemists. Positions in the research industry need people with bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. degrees. People in research seek to solve new problems or improve product design. Our bachelor of science degrees prepare students extremely well for post-baccalaureate education in chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology.
Environmental Science
Chemists are involved in testing, remediation, emission control, chemical safety, waste management, and work in governmental regulatory agencies.
Forensic Science
A degree in chemistry can be used to pursue careers working with law enforcement agencies.
Chemists are used in the analysis of crime scene data. Scientific data is increasingly important to the outcome of trials. Chemists play a major role in this work.
Law
Chemists can pursue careers in law, and a degree in chemistry is well-suited for legal studies. Chemists that go on to law school are especially well-suited for specialization in patent or environmental law and chemical liability. The increasing importance of scientific evidence in legal cases is increasing the demand for lawyers with technical knowledge.
Computational Drug Design
The use of computers in the rational design of new drugs is at the forefront of modern drug discovery. Chemists combine traditional synthetic approaches with sophisticated graphic molecular modeling and computer-driven techniques to develop new lead compounds. All chemical and pharmaceutical companies have needs for individuals trained in this field.
Business/Technical Sales
A chemistry degree is very useful and well-suited for management in scientific industry. Our graduates have pursued M.B.A.s to lead to careers in industries as diverse as environmental waste management and the auto industry. With appropriate selection of electives, the bachelor of arts program would permit a student to complete an MBA with an additional year of study at Niagara University.
Pharmaceutical Sales
All pharmaceutical companies require individuals who are trained in science to be able to sell their products to pharmacists and physicians. Chemists and biochemists are especially well-suited to these highly desirable positions.
Education
The future of technological advancement depends critically on the preparation of superior science teachers at the elementary and secondary levels. Through the College of Education, the department sponsors programs resulting in B.S. degrees leading to New York state provisional certification in the following areas:
- Chemistry Education, Birth–Grade 6
- Chemistry Education, Grades 1–6
- Chemistry Education, Grades 1–9
- Chemistry Education, Grades 5–12
- Chemistry Education, Grades 7–12
- Chemistry, Special Education and Childhood, Grades 1–6
- Chemistry, Special Education and Adolescence, Grades 7–12
Courses
Chemistry
An examination of chemistry through the substances that impact our lives. This course is intended for anyone seeking to become a better informed citizen of our technological society. This course is reserved for students who have no prior college-level chemistry experience.
A beginning course in chemistry designed to present fundamental principles of chemical theory in the context of inorganic and some organic chemistry. This course is reserved for students who have no prior college-level chemistry experience.
A laboratory course to be taken concurrently with CHE 101.
A qualitative, non-laboratory course to relate students to their chemical environment. Classes will include discussions on present problems involving air and water pollution, energy, nuclear material and waste disposal. This course is reserved for students who have no prior college-level chemistry experience.
A qualitative, non-laboratory course that will present many popular consumer items in a chemical context. Topics will include polymers, fibers, detergents, agricultural chemicals, food, food additives and over-the-counter medication. This course is reserved for students who have no prior college-level chemistry experience.
This course introduces the non-science major to chemical and scientific concepts through a study of foods and food-related processes. No previous scientific training is expected. The student should also gain from the course a greater appreciation of why things are done in certain ways, while learning that some practices have absolutely no scientific basis. This course is reserved for students who have no prior college-level chemistry experience.
A presentation of scientific and chemical principles in the context of forensic science, the application of science to law. This course is reserved for students who have no prior college-level chemistry experience.
The world around us, including our own bodies, is really just a bunch of chemicals. We use them everyday without realizing it. This course will look at some of the more common uses of chemistry in our everyday lives, including food, vitamins, weight control, drugs, crime, etc.
An introduction to physical and chemical principles appropriate for declared and potential science majors. Topics include stoichiometry, nuclear and electronic structure, bonding and thermochemistry.
This course continues the exposition of chemical principles necessary for further study in the chemical and biological sciences. Topics include kinetics, equilibrium, acids and bases, and electrochemistry as well as a periodic survey of the physical and chemical properties of the elements.
A laboratory course to be taken concurrently with CHE 111.
A laboratory course intended to be taken concurrently with CHE 112.
This first half of the two-semester sequence deals mainly with bonding and structure, stereochemistry, nomenclature and the chemistry of hydrocarbons. A survey of the most important functional groups is presented. Understanding why and how reactions take place is emphasized.
The second half of this two-semester sequence covers the extensive chemistry of the major functional groups. Synthesis and spectroscopic structure determination become key areas of interest. A unifying mechanistic approach continues to bring understanding of how reactions occur.
A laboratory course intended to be taken concurrently with CHE 221.
A laboratory course intended to be taken concurrently with CHE 222.
The study of the theory and practice of common analytical methods. Topics to be covered include volumetric and gravimetric methods of analysis, potentiometric methods, and spectrophotometric techniques. The emphasis will be on gaining an appreciation of the total analytical process and its application to actual analyses.
A laboratory course intended to be taken concurrently with CHE 227.
This course is designed to continue and expand on the inorganic topics initiated in CHE 111-112. Topics discussed include binding and structure, ionic interactions, coordination chemistry, solid state chemistry, organometallic chemistry, boranes, and bioinorganic chemistry.
This laboratory is designed to be taken concurrently with CHE 242. Laboratory experiences are chosen to illustrate chemical principles discussed in class and to expose the student to some of the techniques and methods of characterization used in the synthesis of main group and transition metal compounds.
This course is designed for students to learn the techniques of separation (column chromatography, Thin-Layer Chromatography (TLC), High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Gas- Chromatography (GC)) followed by characterization of molecules using spectroscopic techniques (Mass Spectrometry (MS), Infra-red Spectrometry (IR), Ultra-Violet Visible Spectrometry (UV-Vis), and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)). An emphasis is placed on the isolation and structural elucidation of organic molecules.
This course will focus on the fundamentals of medicinal chemistry, drug design, and application. Topics covered will include structure activity relationships, pharmacokinetics (what the body does to drugs), pharmacodynamics (what drugs do to the body), and computational approaches to drug analysis. Several classifications of drugs and their impact on human health and society will also be presented.
The first in a three-semester sequence that surveys the physical and mathematical foundations of chemical science. In this course the principles of thermodynamics and dynamics are emphasized.
The second in a three-semester sequence that surveys the physical and mathematical foundations of chemical science. In this course the fundamental concepts of statistical thermodynamics and quantum mechanics are emphasized. Connections between the mathematical formalism of physical chemistry and the macroscopic and spectroscopic properties of matter will be drawn.
This is the laboratory designed to be taken concurrently with CHE 332. The experiments performed in this laboratory course complement material studied in CHE 332. This laboratory builds on techniques learned in CHE 333L. There will be a greater emphasis on computer methodologies to explore the theoretical models of physical chemistry.
One-semester course which rigorously examines the three major areas of modern instrumental methods of chemical analysis ? spectroscopy, chromatography, and electrochemistry. Emphasis will be placed on theory, instrumentation, operation, and application of each technique.
A laboratory course intended to be taken concurrently with CHE 338.
An introduction to biochemistry on an advanced level. The first course in the two-semester sequence covers the classes of compounds found in the cell. Enrollment in this course is restricted to students with junior or senior status.
The second semester of the biochemistry sequence. This course covers metabolic pathways and those processes essential to the living cell.
A laboratory course intended to be taken concurrently with CHE 345.
A laboratory course intended to be taken concurrently with CHE 346.
This course may be used to offer a variety of special topics in chemistry and biochemistry.
This course may be used to offer a variety of special topics in chemistry and biochemistry.
This course may be used to offer a variety of special topics in chemistry and biochemistry.
This course covers topics specific to the behavior of chemicals in the Environment. Topics include fate and transport of pollutants in the environment; techniques for quantitative measurement of major and trace chemical components in water, air, and soil/solid wastes; and approaches to the remediation of contaminated sites.
A laboratory course that explores practical application of concepts in Environmental Chemistry.
Individual research of a substantive nature pursued in the student's major field of study. The research will conclude in a written thesis or an original project, and an oral defense.
Individual research of a substantive nature pursued in the student's major field of study. The research will conclude in a written thesis or an original project, and an oral defense.
A survey of physical chemistry in biochemistry. Thermodynamics and physical properties of biochemical systems will be studied. Structure function relation of biopolymers, enzyme kinetics, drug-nucleic acid interactions, and models of mutation and chemical carcinogenesis will be explored.
This course develops the mathematical formalism introduced in CHE 331 and CHE 332. A more rigorous approach to molecular orbital theory is taken. The nature of the chemical bond is explored more fully and the relationship between atomic structure and chemical reactivity is probed more deeply. This course will have a significant computational component.
This course deals with advanced topics not covered in CHE 221-222. Certain topics previously covered are treated in greater depth. Examples of areas which are covered include: spectroscopy, heterocycles, polynuclear aromatics, photochemistry, electrocyclic reactions, and polymers.
This laboratory is designed to be taken concurrently with CHE 443.
Mechanisms of organic reactions are discussed. Physico-chemical principles are used to discuss effects of structure on modes of reaction.
The student may elect an original laboratory research program or an independent study program. Both options involve the supervision of a faculty mentor and both require and oral presentation and a written report.
The student may elect an original laboratory research program or an independent study program. Both options involve the supervision of a faculty mentor and both require and oral presentation and a written report.
The student may elect an original laboratory research program or an independent study program. Both options involve the supervision of a faculty mentor and both require and oral presentation and a written report.
This course will explore the vast array of computational methods that are available to study chemical and biochemical problems. These methods will include molecular mechanics, molecular dynamics, quantum mechanical methods including ab initio and semi-empirical methods as well as free energy perturbation methods, The potential energy surfaces involved in chemical reactions will also be studied.
Molecular modeling methods and techniques will be studied using state of the art software including SYBYL. The course will involve projects and applications using these computational methods. Basic principles of drug design will also be explored. General chemistry (2 semesters), Organic Chemistry (2 semesters), Biochemistry (1 semester) and Physical Chemistry (1 semester) are all prerequisites for this course. Three semesters of calculus and 2 semesters of computer programming are also recommended.
This course prepares upper-level students for practical professional aspects of being a chemist/biochemist. Topics include discipline-specific job searching, resume and cover-letter writing, interview skills, professional behavior, and communications.
A three-semester requirement of all chemistry majors. The requirement is fulfilled by regular participation in a weekly meeting which includes presentations by faculty and students.
This course prepares students for practical professional aspects of being a chemist/biochemist. The synthesis and communication of chemistry and biochemistry topics are emphasized through a written paper and presentation on a topic of the students' choice, and through participation in the peer review process.
A junior or senior work-study program providing relevant employment experience. The student must work full time for one semester. Registration will occur at the beginning of this full-time semester. The objective of the program is to integrate classroom theory and practical work experience, thus lending relevance to learning and providing the student with a realistic exposure to career opportunities. This sequence is designed for students wishing to begin their internship during the summer months. Students interested in taking an internship should see their adviser.
A junior or senior work-study program providing relevant employment experience. The student must work full time for one semester. Registration will occur at the beginning of this full-time semester. The objective of the program is to integrate classroom theory and practical work experience, thus lending relevance to learning and providing the student with a realistic exposure to career opportunities. This sequence is designed for students wishing to begin their internship during the summer months. Students interested in taking an internship should see their adviser.
A junior or senior work-study program providing relevant employment experience. The student must work part time for four semesters. Registration will occur during the second and fourth semesters of the experience. The objective of the program is to integrate classroom theory and practical work experience, thus lending relevance to learning and providing the student with a realistic exposure to career opportunities. Students must enroll for two semesters to receive credit.
A junior or senior work-study program providing relevant employment experience. The student must work part time for four semesters. Registration will occur during the second and fourth semesters of the experience. The objective of the program is to integrate classroom theory and practical work experience, thus lending relevance to learning and providing the student with a realistic exposure to career opportunities. Students must enroll for two semesters to receive credit.
Physics
An introduction to the fundamental concepts of physics including historical developments and the basic laws and principles of physics as derived from both macroscopic and microscopic phenomena.
An introduction to the fundamental concepts of physics including historical developments and the basic laws and principles of physics as derived from both macroscopic and microscopic phenomena.
This course is an introduction to the principles of physics in the context of forensic science, the application of science to law. Application of logic and probability to analyze forensic evidence will also be discussed.
An intensive study of the principles of mechanics, wave motion, sound, and heat followed in the second semester by physics; vectors and calculus are used throughout. Must be accompanied by laboratory.
An intensive study of the principles of mechanics, wave motion, sound, and heat followed in the second semester by physics; vectors and calculus are used throughout. Must be accompanied by laboratory.
The course explores basic topics such as motion in 1 and 2 dimensions, Newton's Laws, kinematics, and momentum in a hands-on laboratory setting. The experiments are designed to illustrate and expand upon topics taught in PHY121.
The course explores topics in electrostatics, electrical circuits, Kirchoff's Laws, and some topics in modern physics. The experiments are designed to illustrate and expand upon topics taught in PHY122.
In this introduction to quantum mechanics, we review the inadequacy of classical physics and the need for a probabilistic description of nature. Schrodinger's equation will be solved and statistical thermodynamics will be introduced. Time permitting this course will touch on electron spin and Feynman's sum over histories approach.
This special topics course will be an introduction to various applications of physics. For example, topics may include aspects of modern physics, the concepts of the Hamiltonian and Lagrangian, and the thermodynamics of gases and aerosols.
Earth Science
The constituents and structure of the atmosphere; meteorological elements; weather and climate; air masses; fronts and circulation of the atmosphere; instrumentation and map reading.
A study of the origin of the Earth, its structure, how it has changed in history, and the processes that caused the change. This course is intended for non-science majors and no prior knowledge of scientific principles or techniques is presumed of the student. Major topics include: study and classification of rocks and minerals, soil composition and formation, and seismic activity.
A descriptive introduction to the science of solar systems for both science and liberal arts majors. Celestial mechanics, Kepler's laws of planetary motion, artificial satellites, motion of earth and moon, and related topics. Description of the other planets, other elements of the solar system.
A description of stars in the universe for both science and liberal arts majors. Stellar distance, motion, mass, size, magnitude, temperature and classification of stars, binary stars. Stellar evolution and earth, original and evolution of the universe, cosmology.