UMBC Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Electives for Fall 2018
*Approved as an elective for the undergraduate major in Biochemistry
CHEM 401 Chemical and Statistical Thermodynamics, Dr. Lisa Kelly
Area: Physical Chemistry. Chemicals react and rearrange. Fluids boil, freeze, and evaporate. Solids melt and deform. Rubber stretches and retracts. Proteins fold. We will study the forces that drive these (and other) processes. Statistical thermodynamics gives us a set of tools for modeling molecular behavior and how it is realized in the macroscopic realm. Most importantly, statistical thermodynamics gives a language for interpreting experiments.
CHEM 451 Mechanisms of Organic Reactions*, Dr. James Fishbein
Area: Organic Chemistry. Methods used to determine the mechanisms of organic reactions and factors affecting reactivity are discussed, along with a limited survey of specific reaction types.
CHEM 467 Advanced Analytical Methods, Dr. Minjoung Kyoung
Area: Analytical Chemistry. This course will focus on cutting-edge methods for chemical and biochemical analyses pulled from current literature. The focus of this course will be on providing insight into the fundamentals of each method as well as the molecular information that can be obtained from the various methodologies discussed as well as current advances in these areas.
CHEM 490 (1), Bio and Bio-Inspired Materials*, Dr. Mark Allen
Areas: Inorganic Chemistry, Biochemistry. Bio and Bio-Inspired Materials is a lecture and literature based course designed to focus on how soft organic biomolecules interact with organic and inorganic materials. The course has 4 units including biomolecules (proteins etc), biomineralization (how biology makes inorganic minerals), bio-inspired synthesis (how we can mimic biology in material preparation) and biomaterials (how materials interface with biology).
CHEM 490 (3) Molecular Imaging for Drug Discovery*, Dr. Songon An
Areas: Biochemistry, Chemical Biology, Cell Biology. In this class, students will learn how chemistry and biology meet together to provide new insights in basic sciences and, further, how such interdisciplinary approaches are implemented for modern drug discovery platforms for human health.
CHEM 490 Bioanalytical Lab on a Chip, Dr. Chengpeng Chen
Area: Analytical Chemistry. This course will focus on fabrication of microfluidic devices and their application in bioanalytical chemistry. The course material will mainly come from literature published in high-impact journals. In this class, students will learn the general ideas of microfluidics, as well as how to implement this technology to answer specific biological questions.
CHEM 490 Quantum Chemistry and Spectroscopy, Dr. Chris Geddes
Area: Physical Chemistry. In this advanced level course, we introduce quantum chemistry and how the interactions of electrons and nuclei give rise to our understanding of modern day spectroscopy.
CHEM 490 (2) Organic Spectroscopy*, Dr. Paul Smith
Area: Organic Chemistry. An overview of spectroscopic methods used to determine the structures of organic compounds. NMR, UV/visible absorption, and infrared spectroscopy as well as mass spectrometry are covered, with particular emphasis on NMR and use of multiple types of spectral data for structure elucidation.
*Approved as an elective for the undergraduate major in Biochemistry
Important Notes
If you enrolled in the B.S. Chemistry Program in Fall 2015 or later, you are required to take CHEM405L and one advanced elective.
CHEM405 is now a spring-only course and CHEM405L is now a fall-only course. Because 405 is a pre-requisite for 405L, B.S. Chemistry majors MUST take 405 in the spring of their junior year for on-time graduation.