Chemistry Minor (B.Sc.) (20 credits)
Offered by: Chemistry (Faculty of Science)
Degree: Bachelor of Science; Bachelor of Arts and Science
Program credit weight: 20
Program Description
The goal of this minor program is to provide interested B.Sc. students with a good grounding in chemistry through an introduction to one of the traditional sub-disciplines in chemistry (analytical, inorganic, organic, and physical).
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Required Courses (13 credits)
If any of the required courses are part of your primary program or were taken at CEGEP, then they must be substituted by courses from the minor options list that are not part of your primary program. The total number of credits exclusive to the minor is at least 19.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 204 | Physical Chemistry/Biological Sciences 1. | 3 |
Physical Chemistry/Biological Sciences 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Similar to CHEM 223/CHEM 243. Emphasis on the use of biological examples to illustrate the principles of physical chemistry. The relevance of physical chemistry to biology is stressed. | ||
| CHEM 212 | Introductory Organic Chemistry 1. 1 | 4 |
Introductory Organic Chemistry 1. Terms offered: Summer 2025 A fundamental study of aliphatic compounds and saturated functional groups including modern concepts of bonding, reaction mechanisms, conformational analysis, spectroscopy, and stereochemistry. | ||
| CHEM 267 | Introductory Chemical Analysis. | 3 |
Introductory Chemical Analysis. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Qualitative and quantitative analysis. A survey of methods of analysis including theory and practice of semimicro qualitative analysis and representative gravimetric, volumetric and instrumental methods. The laboratory component includes introductory experiments in analytical chemistry emphasizing classical and instrumental methods of quantitative analysis. | ||
| CHEM 281 | Inorganic Chemistry 1. | 3 |
Inorganic Chemistry 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Basic concepts of electronic structure and molecular bonding will be developed and applied to the understanding of common materials. Acid-base chemistry. Survey of the chemistry of the main group elements. Introduction to coordination and organometallic chemistry. | ||
- 1
Denotes courses with CEGEP equivalents.
Complementary Courses
6-7 credits1
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 214 | Physical Chemistry/Biological Sciences 2. | 3 |
Physical Chemistry/Biological Sciences 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Emphasis is placed on the use of biological examples to illustrate the principles of physical chemistry. The relevance of physical chemistry to biology is stressed. | ||
| CHEM 219 | Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry. | 3 |
Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the basic topics in atmospheric chemistry. The fundamentals of the chemical composition of the atmosphere and its chemical reactions. Selected topics such as; a smog chamber, acid rain, and the ozone hole, will be examined. | ||
| CHEM 222 | Introductory Organic Chemistry 2. | 4 |
Introductory Organic Chemistry 2. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Modern spectroscopic techniques for structure determination. The chemistry of alcohols, ethers, carbonyl compounds, and amines, with special attention to mechanistic aspects. Special topics. | ||
| CHEM 302 | Introductory Organic Chemistry 3. | 3 |
Introductory Organic Chemistry 3. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Topics covered may include the following: Aromatic compounds, heterocyclic chemistry, sulfur and phosphorus chemistry, organosulfur and organophosphorus compounds, and biomolecules such as lipids, carbohydrates, amino acids, polypeptides, DNA and RNA. | ||
| CHEM 334 | Advanced Materials. | 3 |
Advanced Materials. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Survey of the physical and chemical structure-function relationships defining advanced materials, including an introduction to basic materials science and characterization. Topics include supramolecular polymers, self-healing materials, advanced surfaces and adhesives, bio-inspired materials, shape memory materials, sensors and actuators, and photonic materials. | ||
| CHEM 381 | Inorganic Chemistry 2. | 3 |
Inorganic Chemistry 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to transition metal chemistry, coordination numbers and geometry, and nomenclature will be followed by a discussion of crystal field theory and its applications to problems in spectroscopy, magnetochemistry, thermodynamics and kinetics. Several aspects related to applications of organometallic compounds in catalysis and bioinorganic systems will be discussed. | ||
| CHEM 462 | Green Chemistry. | 3 |
Green Chemistry. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. New reactions and methods which can be used for the production of chemicals from renewable feedstocks; the use of new environmentally benign solvents, catalysts and reagents; organic reactions in aqueous media and in supercritical carbon dioxide; bio-catalysis and bio-processes. | ||
- 1
Any level 300-500 CHEM course can be substituted for courses within this list.