Department of Chemistry and Physics

Georgina Little, Interim Department Head

The Department of Chemistry and Physics offers four-year curricula in both Chemistry and Physics. Since the Chemistry Department is approved by the American Chemical Society (ACS), chemistry graduates may receive diplomas certified by the ACS. Pre-professional programs in engineering, medicine, dentistry, optometry, and pharmacy are also offered.

Chemistry Safety Policy

Laboratories are an integral part of all curricula in the Department. A copy of the safety regulations is provided to every student during the first lab class. Any student who violates the safety policy of the Department is subject to dismissal from the laboratory and withdrawal from the course in which the violation occurred. Departmental policy also requires that any student who withdraws from the lecture must also withdraw from the corresponding laboratory.

Chemistry

Chemistry is the study of the composition and interaction of all substances. Areas of study range from chemical and instrumental analysis of mixtures to synthesis and characterization of polymers to molecular modeling to the chemistry of the human body and to computational chemistry. The degree program in chemistry at Southeastern is designed to offer the student comprehensive training in modern chemical principles in preparation for a career in industry or the health professions or for graduate study in chemistry or related fields. The study of chemistry is also important for fostering the scientific literacy of students in other disciplines, such as environmental science, law, education, and business.

A Major in Chemistry will be granted upon satisfactory completion of 45-57 hours of Chemistry. Candidates for a Major in Chemistry must obtain a minimum grade of “C” (or better) in the Chemistry core curriculum which includes CHEM 1210 , CHEM 1220 , CHEM 2510 , CHEM 2650 , CHEM 2660 , CLAB 1230 , CLAB 1240 , CLAB 2560 , CLAB 2670 and CLAB 2680 .

A Minor in Chemistry may be obtained by completing 20 semester hours of chemistry, at least 6 hours of which are at or above the 3000 level, with a GPA of 2.0 in those courses. Applicable courses for the minor are as follows: CHEM 1210 /CLAB 1230 , CHEM 1220 /CLAB 1240 , CHEM 2210 , CHEM 2510 /CLAB 2560 , CHEM 2650 /CLAB 2670 , CHEM 2660 /CLAB 2680 , CHEM 2710 /CLAB 2740 , CHEM 3950 /CLAB 3910 , CHEM 3960 /CLAB 3920 , CHEM 4520 /CLAB 4560 , CHEM 4710 /CLAB 4760 , CHEM 4810 /CLAB 4850 , CHEM 4820 /CLAB 4860 .

In order to better meet the needs of the diverse student population, three concentration areas are offered in chemistry. They differ primarily in the balance between the number of hours of chemistry and the number of elective hours required. Which one a given student should choose will depend on their career goals. Even if it is not a degree requirement, all students should consider the benefits of their involvement in supervised undergraduate research (CLAB 2110 and CLAB 4110 ) sometime during their Junior or Senior years.

Chemistry Progression Policy

Students pursuing the degree of Bachelor of Science in Chemistry must meet both of the following progression standards:

Students may not repeat any of the following courses more than once: CHEM 1210 , CHEM 1220 , CLAB 1230 , CLAB 1240 , and MATH 2000 .
Students must successfully complete CHEM 1210 , CHEM 1220 , CLAB 1230 , CLAB 1240 , and MATH 2000 with a grade of “C” or better by the end of the 4th regular semester following the declaration of a major in chemistry.

Students with exceptional circumstances must have an alternative progression plan approved by the Department Head. Students who do not meet these standards will not be allowed to continue in the chemistry major.

Honors Diploma in the Discipline

For information on earning Sophomore Honors Distinction, Senior Honors Distinction, or the Honors Diploma, please consult The University Honors Program section of this catalog, the Director of the Honors Program, and/or your Department Head.

Physics

The notion that all matter from subatomic particles to galactic clusters obeys a small set of principles that can be modeled mathematically is the fundamental premise of physics. The degree program in physics offers comprehensive training in all four major fields of physics: mechanics, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics, and quantum mechanics. When combined with the numerous opportunities for undergraduate research in physics, the degree program produces students who are well prepared for a career in industry or for graduate study in physics or engineering.

A major in Physics in the College of Science and Technology will be given upon satisfactory completion of 46 semester hours of Physics.

A minor in physics will be granted upon satisfactory completion of 20 semester hours in physics at the 2000 level or above, eight hours of which must be PHYS 2210 - PLAB 2230 and PHYS 2220 - PLAB 2240 .

Physics Progression Policy

Students pursuing the degree of Bachelor of Science in Physics must meet both of the following progression standards:

Students must make successful progress every regular semester in the sequence of courses starting with the mathematics course determined by the “Placement in Mathematics” policy and culminating in MATH 2000 and PHYS 2210 /PLAB 2230 . Students will be permitted to repeat only one of these courses one time.
Students must complete PHYS 2210 and PLAB 2230 by the end of the 4th regular semester following the declaration of a major in physics.

Honors Diploma in the Discipline

Engineering and Physics Dual Degree Program

This is a program of undergraduate study at UNO and Southeastern whereby students may earn a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in physics from Southeastern and a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering, electrical engineering, or mechanical engineering from UNO in a total of 5 years.
Students in this program will typically enroll at Southeastern for five semesters and enroll at UNO for five semesters.
After successfully completing the prescribed curriculum at Southeastern, the student will submit an application for transfer admission to UNO’s Admissions Office.
The Department of Chemistry and Physics at Southeastern will advise dual-degree students while students are enrolled there to ensure that the requirements for the B.S. degree at Southeastern and the entrance requirements to the College of Engineering at the University of New Orleans are met. The Associate Dean of Engineering at UNO will be available for further advising and consultation. UNO’s Admissions Office will ensure that UNO’s requirements for the program are met.
Satisfactory preparation in coursework at both universities is defined as follows:
1. A grade of “C” or better in each course taken at Southeastern to satisfy degree requirements in the fields of mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering and other fields necessary to satisfy degree requirements of UNO, and
2. An overall cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.25 or better earned at Southeastern for acceptance fulltime to the University of New Orleans.
The minimum requirements for awarding the B.S. in Physics from Southeastern in conjunction with the B.S. in Engineering from UNO are as follows:
1. Completion of at least 30 credit hours in residence at Southeastern;
2. Completion of at least 28 hours of physics courses at the 2000 level or higher, of which at least 23 hours must be completed in residence at Southeastern, and which must be chosen from courses required of physics majors at Southeastern;
3. A grade point average of 2.0 in all courses used to satisfy the graduation requirements and in all required course work in the major field of physics;
4. Completion of the Louisiana Board of Regents general education requirements;
5. Successful completion of an engineering degree program at UNO.
Successful completion of the coursework at University of New Orleans means the following:
1. Achievement of a GPA of at least 2.0 in the student’s selected major,
2. Achievement of a cumulative UNO GPA of at least 2.0,
3. Completion of at least 60 credit hours of coursework in residence at UNO unless otherwise approved by the Associate Dean for Student and Undergraduate Affairs at UNO, and
4. At least 50% of all major courses must be completed in residence at UNO.
At the beginning of the semester in which the student completes the requirements for graduation at UNO, the student must contact the Head of the Department of Chemistry and Physics at Southeastern and send an official UNO transcript (to the Department Head) and complete Southeastern’s graduation application process. The College of Engineering at UNO shall verify to the College of Science and Technology at Southeastern that the student has completed the requirements for graduation from UNO. At the end of the semester, once the student has completed all courses for graduation from UNO, the student must send an official UNO transcript to Southeastern’s Office of Admissions.
After successful completion of the coursework at University of New Orleans, the student will receive:
1. The degree of Bachelor of Science in the appropriate Engineering discipline from UNO, and
2. The degree of Bachelor of Science in Physics from Southeastern.