Please see below for an update from the Department of Chemistry regarding plans for the 2020-2021 academic year. This was revised and sent to all Chemistry undergraduates on October 6th, 2020.

Dear Chemistry Students:

On behalf of the Department of Chemistry, we would again like to thank you for quickly adapting to learning chemistry remotely. While the campus remains open, instruction will be remote until further notice and the Department is preparing to offer remote instruction for the 2020-21 academic year. Further details on the status of campus can be found on the UCI Coronavirus FAQ page. 

The Department will take the following steps to ensure your academic progress will not be significantly delayed. 

Freshman (students who entered in Fall 2020):

CHEM M2LA will be waived for all freshman students who entered in Fall 2020. The Department will offer a condensed online version of CHEM M2LA/CHEM M2LB in Winter 2021 to prepare students for analytical chemistry in spring quarter and organic chemistry the following year. 

Sample course plans:

FALL 2020

WINTER 2021

SPRING 2021

CHEM M2A

CHEM M2B

CHEM M2C

CHEM 11

CHEM M2LB

CHEM M3LC

 

FALL 2020

WINTER 2021

SPRING 2021

CHEM 1A &

Chem 1X

CHEM 1B

CHEM 1C

CHEM 11

  

CHEM 1LC

 

FALL 2020

WINTER 2021

SPRING 2021

Chem 1X

CHEM 1A

CHEM 1B

CHEM 11

    
Sophomore students who entered in Fall 2019 and Junior students who entered in Fall 2020 as transfer students and are starting Chem 51A in Fall:

CHEM 51LB-LC-LD will be substituted for CHEM M52LA-LB-LC. 

FALL 2020

WINTER 2021

SPRING 2021

CHEM 51A

CHEM 51B

CHEM 51C

CHEM 5

CHEM 51LB

CHEM 51LC

Note: Students will complete CHEM 51LD in Fall 2021. 

The following information applies to students graduating in Fall 2020, Winter 2021, Spring 2021, Summer 2021, Fall 2021, Winter 2022, and Spring 2022.

Upper-division laboratories requirements for Juniors and Seniors: 

The Department is assuming in-person lab courses will not be permitted in the 2020-2021 academic year. If this changes, we will offer a limited number of in-person labs in Spring 2021 in addition to remote options for students who cannot return to campus. A remote version of CHEM 152: Advanced Analytical Chemistry will be offered in Winter 2021 and Spring 2021. Seniors will have first priority for enrollment; Juniors will be able to enroll if space in the course permits. The Department is currently developing additional upper division lecture courses that will be offered in Winter 2021 and Spring 2021, these courses will be listed under Chem 100 and added to the following website once Academic Senate approval is received. Please see the following website for current course offerings.

  • The Department will allow CHEM upper division lectures(including CHEM 100) to be substituted for upper-division CHEM lab courses. For example, students planning to enroll in CHEM 160: Organic Synthesis Laboratory as a lab elective could enroll in CHEM 125: Advanced Organic Chemistry to fulfil their laboratory requirement. 

  • The Department will allow CHEM 127: Inorganic Chemistry II to be substituted for CHEM 107L: Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory.

  • Note: students who did not take CHEM M/H52LC in Spring 2020 will take CHEM M52LC in Fall 2021. Department will waive CHEM M/H52LC or CHEM 51LD for chemistry seniors who have applied to graduate for Fall 20, Winter 21, or Spring 21.

Updates on optional concentrations and specializations:

The Department of Chemistry has reviewed all of our optional specializations and concentrations and has made substitutions as determined appropriate by faculty who specialize in the following research areas. Due to the cancellation of in-person laboratories the Department is unable to offer substitutions for all concentrations and specializations. We recognize this is disappointing for some of our students and have made as many appropriate substitutions as possible. 

Concentration in Chemical Biology: As stated in the general catalogue students will need to complete the following courses: BIO SCI 97; BIO SCI 98; BIO SCI 99; CHEM 128. CHEM 180 in a chemical biology research lab can be temporarily substituted for CHEM 128L. See list of chemical biology faculty. 

Specialization in Environmental Chemistry: As stated in the general catalogue students will need to complete the following courses: CHEM 145A or EARTHSS 142; EARTHSS 144; CHEM 141. One of the following courses can be temporarily substituted for CHEM 153: 

  • ENGRMAE 164
  • PUBHLTH 171
  • CHEM 180 in laboratories of Professor Blake, Carlton, Faiola, Finlayson-Pitts, Murray, Nizkorodov, Saltzman, Smith or Shiraiwa
  • EARTHSS 101, 112, 114, 115, 116, 118, 122, or 124,130, 132, 133, 134, 138, 140, 146 or 148
  • UPPP 111, 117, 120, 131, 132, 133, 139 or 142

Specialization in Medicinal Chemistry: This concentration is temporarily suspended until the requirements can be fulfilled as posted in the general catalogue. If you have already completed the requirements for this specialization it will be conferred when you graduate.

Specialization in Nuclear and Radiochemistry: This concentration is temporarily suspended until the requirements can be fulfilled as posted in the general catalogue. If you have already completed the requirements for this specialization it will be conferred when you graduate. 

Specialization in Synthetic Chemistry: This concentration is temporarily suspended until the requirements can be fulfilled as posted in the general catalogue. If you have already completed the requirements for this specialization it will be conferred when you graduate. 

Concentration in Chemistry Education: Please see “Upper-division laboratories requirements for Juniors and Seniors” for information on how to complete the upper division laboratory requirement. No other substitutions are necessary to complete this concentration. 

Concentration in Theoretical Computational Chemistry: This concentration can be completed as stated in the general catalogue, no substitutions are necessary. 

Your health and well-being are our most important responsibility, and we will never compromise your safety as we plan our responses to the challenges of this academic year. With the steps outlined above, we feel we have plans in place for you to receive the highest quality education. We are inspired by your patience, understanding, and adaptability during this unprecedented time and look forward to seeing you virtually in Fall. As always, we encourage you to reach out to the Department at chemistry@uci.edu if there is anything we can do to better support you during this time.

Best regards,

Prof. Jim Smith, 2020-2023 Vice-Chair for Undergraduate Curriculum in Chemistry

Morgan Sibley, Student Affairs Manager for the Department of Chemistry