First-Year Advising Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I already have college-level General Chemistry credit. Does it transfer in?
A: First, if the college-level course was taught at your high school, then we strongly recommend that you take CH109/110 or CH111/CH112 in your first year. High school courses, even at a high-level of rigor, cannot replace college-level first-year chemistry, and students who skip this find themselves at a disadvantage later on (especially in the laboratory).
If you took chemistry at a local college, then it may transfer in to BU. Depending on the rigor of the course, it may count as your first semester of chemistry. However, it is still highly recommended that you take general chemistry at Boston University (CH109/112) to prepare you for future coursework down the road. To see if it will count, send your course syllabus, lab syllabus and transfer credit equivalency form to chemeval@bu.edu.
Q: I finished all of the chemistry calculus requirement (including multivariable calculus) already. What should I take instead?
Students who have already completed their calculus requirement should consider taking their calculus-based physics requirement during their first semester: PY211, PY241, or PY251. We recommend you speak with a chemistry-department advisor to pick the appropriate course for you.
Q: I am nervous about CH109 and want to be a CH major, what do I do?
A: Please speak with a faculty advisor in the chemistry department. CH109 is the right course for you and will offer you support and resources to succeed. But an advisor will help make sure that you are on the right path.
Q: I am getting conflicting advice from the pre-health office. What should I do?
A: The pre-health office has great general advice for all students. That said, their general advice is not specific to all majors. The advice on this site is targeted specifically for chemistry majors, and it is the advice that you should follow so that you don’t get behind in your major. Many of our chemistry majors go on to medical school, and their success rate is amongst the highest.
Q: I am getting conflicting advice from the BU Hub office. What should I do?
A: The Hub is important and you will finish it before you graduate. That said, the chemistry major has many pre-requisites and they need to be completed in your first year. Don’t worry about Hub – it will all work out!
Q: How do Chemistry AP credits apply to the Chemistry Degree?
A: They don’t. AP Chemistry will students credit for CH131 or CH171, neither of which is applicable to a chemistry major. To figure out which chemistry course you should start in (CH111 or CH109) see the website at: http://www.bu.edu/chemistry/undergrad/general-chemistry/.
Q: How do Calculus AP credits apply towards the Chemistry Degree?
A: Students with a 5 on AP Calculus AB can skip MA123, and students with a 5 on AP Calculus BC (subscore 5) can skip both MA123 and MA124. That said, many students are most comfortable repeating MA124; only students who have a strong calculus foundation are encouraged to go directly into MA225 (fall or spring) or CH225 (spring only)
Q: What’s the difference between the B.A. in Chemistry and the BMB program?
A: Quite a bit, but not in the first year. The Chemistry department offers a BA in Chemistry: Biochemistry, which requires completion of the Chemistry requirements plus a few additional biology courses. There is also the BMB (Biochemistry & Molecular Biology) degree, which falls between the Chemistry and (and mainly) Biology departments and has a more biological focus. If you are thinking about switching between Chemistry and BMB make sure to take MA123 and MA124 which count for both degrees (and not MA121 and MA122 which only counts for BMB).
Q: Why are Chemistry degrees awarded as B.A. instead of B.S.?
A: All science degrees at BU are awarded a Bachelor’s of Arts from the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS). A “BS” (Bachelor’s of Science) degree implies that there were very limited liberal arts or general education courses taken, while a “BA” is the full degree (same as a BS) and also the liberal arts components. It is widely known that a BA in Chemistry is a rigorous degree program with no distinction in the chemistry from a BS at other universities.
Q: What about study abroad?
A: Study abroad is only offered for Chemistry and Chemistry: Biochemistry majors in the fall of their sophomore year. If you are interested in learning more about study abroad in chemistry, please make sure to attend the advising events during the fall semester and speak with an advisor.
Q: How large are chemistry classes for freshmen?
A: That depends on the course and course component. Our intensive general chemistry course (CH 111 and CH 112) has about 60 students, where as the CH101 and CH102 general chemistry courses can more than 200 students per section. All of the courses have a lecture, pre-lab, lab, and discussion section. The labs and discussion sections are generally kept to below 20 students.
Q: How do I find a Chemistry or Chemistry: Biochemistry major advisor?
A: A chemistry academic advisor will be assigned to you once you have declared your chemistry major. You may approach any chemistry faculty member and ask if they would be willing to serve as your academic advisor. If they are able to serve in such a role, inform the Chemistry Undergraduate Coordinator (chemuaa@bu.edu) in the chemistry office.
Alternatively, if you have not already found an advisor during your first year, the Chemistry department will assign you an advisor.
Q: Can I do undergraduate research as a freshman?
A: Not yet! Not usually. We strongly encourage you to get familiar and comfortable with chemistry, and the department, before joining a research lab. To see what opportunities are available, go to www.bu.edu/chemistry/undergrad/research.
Q: None of my questions are on here! Who should I turn to for help?
A: For which general chemistry course you should take, go to the website:
http://www.bu.edu/chemistry/undergrad/general-chemistry/.