Undergraduate Chemistry Major and Research

Students with AP credit for Math 151 and 152 may be encouraged to take the Math 160 Honors Calculus sequence. However, if you do not intend to become a math major, we advise skipping first-year calculus courses and instead taking Math 200/201 in the first year. In collaboration with Norman Lebovitz in Mathematics, we redesigned the 200/201 syllabus to include key parts of linear algebra and partial differential equations essential for the further study of subjects in science like quantum mechanics. (Math 203/204/205 does not cover ordinary or partial differential equations). Math 200/201 may be followed by Math 202 for a fuller introduction to complex variables and ordinary and partial differential equations, or Stat 240 for probability and statistics relevant to physical chemistry courses. Math 202 is an accepted prerequisite to certain upper division applied mathematics courses (Math 273 and 275 -- ordinary and partial differential equations). Math 200/201 is preferred over the 160 sequence for prospective chemistry, biological chemistry, or physics concentrators who do not intend to pursue a mathematics major. It is particularly valuable to take Math 200/201 prior to or concurrent with Physics 130's or 140's.

If you did not get Advanced Placement credit for Math 151/152, then your most reasonable choice is to take either the Math 150 or Math 160 calculus sequence. Take the 160 sequence if you plan to concentrate in math. If you plan to major in the sciences but not in math, we advise prospective chemistry concentrators to take the 150 sequence, even if your placement score is strong. We have found that the 150 sequence better prepares students to apply calculus to science problems, whereas the 160 sequence focuses on formal proofs.

Chemistry majors should take Math 200/201. Its revised syllabus covers the necessary topics in linear algebra and partial differential equations (Math 203/204/205 does not cover ordinary or partial differential equations). After Math 200/201, we recommend Stat 240 for probability and statistics relevant to your physical chemistry courses or Math 202 for a fuller introduction to complex variables and ordinary and partial differential equations. Math 202 is an accepted prerequisite to certain upper division applied mathematics courses (Math 273 and 275 -- ordinary and partial differential equations). For further information on Stat 240, contact Prof. Michael Stein. For further information on Math 200/201/202 as a prerequisite for upper level applied math courses contact Prof. Norman Lebovitz. For information on how topics in these courses prepare you for junior/senior level p-chem courses, contact your faculty advisor.

The best way to start is to talk to friends or classmates who have done undergraduate research with faculty here and to read the descriptions of the research interests of faculty in chemistry and related fields. A student should feel free to explore opportunities in other interdisiplinary areas not listed below (such as molecular or condensed matter physics, computational biology, etc.). If you are planning to pursue an honors thesis in chemistry, the research should be in chemistry or a related chemical area (we have had students who have done honors work in biology and physics, but their research involved problems related to chemistry and was approved in advance by the chemistry undergraduate advisor).

Links:

• Chemistry Faculty
• Physics Faculty
• Biochemistry Faculty
• Molecular Engineering Faculty

After you have identified a few faculty whose research looks interesting to you, contact them directly for more information. 

When contacting faculty, it can be helpful to provide the following information:

• your year in the program

• courses you have taken that are relevant to the research position 

• your plans, if any, to pursue a higher degree 

• any prior research you have done

• other faculty in the department who might be able to provide a recommendation for you

If you are considering an honors thesis, ask which research projects might be appropriate. In many groups you will learn the most day to day from the graduate students in the group, so you may wish to meet them. If all parties seem interested and willing, ask the faculty member if he or she can take you on and how you should proceed -- how often and when you are expected in lab, when group meetings are, and so on.

If you wish to learn about opportunities in other groups before actually asking a faculty member if you can work with them, let the faculty member know when you plan to contact them again and thank them for taking the time to let you know about possible research opportunities (do not take more than a week or two to look around once you have had serious conversations with one faculty member). It is usual to approach your favorite person first so that if they spend a half-hour telling you about their research and then tell you they have a spot available for you, you can them tell them you are delighted to accept. Do not get discouraged if your favorite group is already over-committed. Use the opportunity to ask for advice on other research groups in the department.

Keep in mind that when you first work with a group it is a time to learn to be productive. If it is a good research project, it will take time to learn how to make a contribution. You should not expect to be paid during the academic year, but that work can prepare you for a paid summer internship.

The best way to secure a paid research position over the summer with a faculty member at the U of C is to work with them on a volunteer basis during the academic year preceding the summer you want to work full time on research. Whether you plan to do an honors thesis or not, one option is to identify a couple faculty of whose research interests you by reading the Description of Research of Faculty in Chemistry or Biological Chemistry and then contacting the individual faculty member directly.

Your summer salary can be funded in one of several ways:

• The most common is for the faculty member to pay you from his or her research grants.

• The Department of Chemistry and the Department of Physics also often have National Science Foundation REU (Research Opportunities for Undergraduates) programs running each summer that you may apply to for salary support (rather than an individual faculty member having to scrape the funds from his/her research grants). Contact the Chemistry Advisor (chemadvisor@uchicago.edu) about the Chemistry REU site and contact Stuart Gazes (gazes@uchicago.edu) about the Physics REU site.

• The Biological Sciences Collegiate Division also has a Summer Research Fellowship Program; information about this program is available at http://bscd.bsd.uchicago.edu (deadline for application is usually in April).

• First years willing to make a commitment to conducting research in the Department of Chemistry may be eligible for the James Norris, Jr. Grant for Undergraduate Summer Research in Chemistry.

• If you are a second-year student and want to pursue a PhD program, you may quality for the Mellon Mays Fellowship, which funds a summer Research Training Program. See http://mellonmays.uchicago.edu/summer/index.shtml for more information.

Here are a wide variety of summer research programs for undergraduates across the country at universities, companies, and in government laboratories. For further information on the types of programs available, consult the file of undergraduate research opportunities in the undergraduate chemistry advisor office. Information on a few of the programs are posted on the bulletin board (not display case) just outside Kent 107 labeled "Announcements and Information for Chemistry and Biological Chemistry majors ". Some have Web sites; links to a few of them are listed below. One of the largest formal summer research programs at universities are the National Science Foundation REU (Research Opportunities for Undergraduates) sites. (When you get to that page, click on Chemistry in the left hand column for a list of sites. They update them in winter quarter for the following summer.) There are also undergraduate research programs at government labs such as Argonne National Laboratory. (From this page, it is necessary to follow the "Higher Education" link, then to Undergraduate: "Student Research Participation Program (Fall and Spring Semesters) or Lawrence Livermore Laboratory and positions at industrial companies. Applications for some of these have very early due dates (as early as November of the summer before you want to do research). Beyond any advertised program, you may call faculty at a university individually to request a summer research position. Particularly if you are considering graduate school at that university and plan to use the summer research to have an advance look at their graduate program, many faculty will be responsive to such a request. Consult the ACS Directory of Graduate Research (the library has a copy) to find the research areas and telephone numbers (or email addresses) of chemistry faculty at Universities in Ph.D. granting institutions across the country.

We will gradually collect Web site links to other summer research programs and list them below. However, the most complete list is in the file in the undergraduate advisors office, so just call for an appointment to come look at it if you are looking for a summer research opportunity outside of The University of Chicago.

Students must normally have enrolled for (at least) one official quarter of Chem 299, only open to chemistry majors who are eligible for honors. It is very unlikely, however, that anyone will accomplish enough research in one quarter to write an Honors paper, thus the research effort would typically begin the summer before the year during which 299 is taken. The research should be in Chemistry or a related chemical area (we have had students who have done work in Biology and Physics, but the research involved chemically-related problems and was approved in advance for an honors thesis in chemistry by the Chemistry undergraduate advisor). The work must be carried out under the direction of a Chemistry faculty member or someone approved in advance by the Chemistry Advisor. (Honors research in BIolgical Chemistry may be done with any faculty member from the Dept. of Chemistry or the Dept. of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology or with any number of other researchers at the University. If you are considering doing research with a faculty member who is not in either of the primary departments sponsoring this degree, you need only submit a short description of your proposed research to the Biological Chemistry advisor for a determination of whether the subject matter is appropriate for an honors paper in Biological Chemistry. The area is defined broadly as long as good scientific questions are investigated in the research.)

The final paper should be submitted by typically the first week in May for students graduating in June. Inquire about the specific due date each year with the chemistry advisor (The chemistry advisor has to provide the Master's office with a list of potential honors graduates in early May -- these deadlines are rigid because they have to print the proper diplomas).

Typically, the paper should contain at least 15 pages of text (not including figures). The general form should follow the outline of a journal research paper, including proper citations. While most of the paper may be specialized, the introduction should serve as a general outline of the scientific questions addressed and a review of others work toward answering those questions; this part should be readable by people not working in that research area (e.g. Could your classmates with an interest in another area of chemistry understand the importance of the scientific questions addressed by your research from your introduction?). The exact format of the paper should be decided upon by the student in consultation with the research mentor since many faculty like to use the theses as a research record and aid in writing up results for a publication. For example, a synthetic chemist might wish to include photocopies of key NMR or IR spectra even though those would not be typically published in a journal article; a theoretical chemist might include an appendix with program code and annotation; a physical chemist might want to include detailed drawings of a piece of machined apparatus. What the research advisor wants (and needs) will always vary from group to group.

The grammar and general appearance of the paper should be of the standards expected for a University of Chicago graduate.

A chemistry placement test, taken online in the summer, is required for all students intending to enroll in general or introductory chemistry.  In order to be placed into Honors General Chemistry, students must pass the second part of the online exam, the Honors Placement Test. A placement test for math or calculus, taken during O-Week, is also required. Consult the College Orientation Office for information about the administration of the placement tests. If students desire course credit, as well as placement, students must take chemistry accreditation tests. 

Accreditation tests for general and organic chemistry are optional and can be taken by students who believe they have sufficient background in these areas to obtain credit for these courses. These tests are open only to first year and transfer students.

The accreditation tests are often held in Kent 101, but check the orientation schedule or this page for changes. If you have a scheduling conflict, call Dr. Vera Dragisich at 2-3071 in advance of the test date to request to take the exam at a different time. Advance notice is preferred, but we can take rescheduling requests up until the first day of classes of the fall quarter. Bring a calculator. These exams are challenging, so your background needs to be very complete to pass them. This is the only time during the year that accreditation tests are given.