Honors degrees in chemistry

The honors curriculum is designed to:

Challenge highly motivated students through advanced study courses

Recognize outstanding scholastic achievement

Develop interest in research and scholarly activity

Provide students with an opportunity to work with renowned faculty

Options

There are two options for the honors degree.

Option 1: Departmental honors in chemistry

A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.3, both in chemistry courses and overall, as well as completion of the following:

At least 12 credits in courses designated as honors courses

At least one 4200-level seminar offered through the honors program

At least two semesters of research in the chemistry department

A submitted bachelor's thesis covering the research project

A final thesis oral examination with a designated thesis committee

Option 2: Departmental and university honors

University honors includes all of the foregoing requirements plus a total of 28 credits in courses designated as honors courses.

Earning honors credits

Honors credits may be earned in any course designated as an honors course. In chemistry, the only courses that automatically earn honors credits are CHM 2999 and CHM 5998. There are honors sections of CHM 1100, CHM 1140, CHM 1240, and CHM 2220 available during select terms. Honors credits from any department within the university may be applied to an honors degree in chemistry.

The honors seminars (4200-level) also count for honors credits. These are three-hour courses and a student must have reached junior or senior status in order to enroll. There are usually three such honors seminars offered each semester. Each honors seminar course also satisfies some specific general education requirement (historical studies, philosophy and letters, social sciences, etc.). Therefore, it is well to plan ahead so that the honors seminar course selected will serve double duty in one's program.

It is possible to earn honors credit in non-honors designated courses if the faculty member in charge of the course is willing to allow the student to do so. The faculty member must sign a special form at the time of enrollment with a specification of the type of extra work that will be required of the student who is registering for honors credit.

Fulfilling the honors research requirement

For detailed information on completing the honors research in chemistry requirements, please consult undergraduate research in chemistry.

Registering for honors

To register for honors, please contact the office of the honors program at 313-577-3030 in 2311 Faculty/Administration Building (FAB). While there is no specific point at which you must register as an honors student in order to qualify for an honors degree, it is recommended that you register prior to achieving senior status.

Contact 💬

Dr. Thomas H. Linz, chemistry honors advisor
tlinz@wayne.edu