CURRICULUM IN CHEMISTRY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA1 Z Z . HUGUS, Jr. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
IN
THE autumn of 1953, revision of the introductory course in chemistry was considered a t the University of Minnesota. Early in discussions relating to the general manner of presentation, it became evident that a single course could not he considered per se but that in a good curriculum the entire group of courses taken by an undergraduate major in chemistry were interdependent. Thus the over-all curriculum, but particularly the courses in chemistry, came under scrutiny for possible revision. There were a t that time some compelling reasous for considering curriculum revision: decreasing numbers of majors, a unique (at least, for the United States) fiveyear program in the Institute of Technology (I.T.) and the fact that most of our better students were majoring in chemistry while enrolled in the Arts College (a fouryear program) rather than taking what we considered our professional program in I.T. This was, then, our problem. To meet the problem a committee was appointed and subsequently evolved a number of principles, and finally proposed a fouryear program which appears in the table. This program, in effect since the fall of 1956, includes remarkably few new courses in chemistry and does not represent any really radical ideas. Rather, the strong divisioml organization of our department and a skepticism in the reorganization and relocation of courses for the mere sake of change precluded any extreme alteration a t the present time.
PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING CURRICULUM REVISION
The first course should be a course in chemical principles with descriptive chemistry serving only to illustrate these concepts. If organic compounds serve better as examples than inorganic compounds, so be it. The student in his second year should have his interest in chemistry held by a course. Organic chemistry is far superior to chemical analysis and was our choice. Physical chemistry is out of the question a t this point: the student's preparation in mathematics is inadequate and, in our program, the student has just completed a course in principles. Inorganic chemistry should not be given until the third of fourth year (pkferably the latter). By this time the student will have had courses in the other fields of chemistry, and inorganic chemistry may be taught on a higher level and with far more fruitful results. Our students take two one-quarter lecture courses: "Atomic structure and the periodic ~ ~ b l ~ and , , ' >' M ~ nepre~ ~
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' Presented as part of the Symposium on New Idees in the pour.yearchemistry curriculum before the ~ i ~of chemical i ~ i Education at the 132nd Meeting of the Amerioan Chemical Society, New York, September 1957. VOLUME 35, NO. 4, APRIL, 1958
sentative Elementsn-i.e., main group elements-and a one-quarter laboratory course which includes kinetic and equilibrium measurements, syntheses, and vacuum line manipulations. Acquaintance with modern instrumental methods is desirable for a major in chemistry. A lecture course and laboratory course in analytical chemistry covering these topics are included in the senior year. Opportunity for research by an undergraduate should he available. A senior mith a B average or bett,er can carry out a research problem under the direction of a staff memher in any field of chemistry. Customarily a student is expected t,o attend one of our divisional seminars in his senior year, in order to acquaint him with some of the current research topics and advances in his chosen field of chemistry. Both scientific (outside the fields of chemistry) and non-scientific elective credits should be required and their use should be supervised closely by a chemistry staff member in consultation mith the student. Our new program includes 24 quarter credits in elecOutline of Minnesota Curriculum for Chemistry Majors Credits (uuarter basis)
Title
. General Chemistry College Algebra and Trigonometry I ; College Algebra and Trigonometry 11; Analytic Geomrtrv English ~ d m p o ~ i t i oand n Literature (Ree.) ""
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Second Year Elementary Chemistry ~l,,,,t,,~ organic chemistry ~ ~ b Calculus, Differential and Integral
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5
5
R 5
5
5
5
5
3 ~ 3z
32 ~
4
4
3 3
5
5 5
3 5 or 5
.
~~ffe,fe~$f$~tion'
5
5
Third Year Organic ~ n r t l Analysis . Physical Chemistry Atomic Structure, Periodic Table, and Chemistry of the more familiar Elements Chemical German Fourlh Year Physical Chemistry Lab. ~;~;;~~f;oBorgenic Chemistry Lab, Instrumental Methods Electrometric Methods l ~ b .for Insttwnentd and Electrometric Methods
5
5
4 4
4
4
3 3
3 3
3
2 3 3
2 3
z3
2 1
NOTE: The distribution of elective credits will vary and is, not included above. In order t o satisfy the total ~ therefore, ~ credit requirements of the program the student must, however, average 17 credits per quarter.
171
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tive subjects in scientific fields and 36 in non-scientific fields. The latter are sufficient to provide a strong minor in a cultural field, if this is the student's desire, or a sampling in the humanities, social sciences, etc. The scientific elective credits do not include a mathematics sequence (through ordinary differential equations) nor a one-year physics course. Use of these credits can give the student a very strong minor in either physics or mathematics or in biochemistry, bacteriology, chemical engineering, botany, zoology.
The key to the success of our new program lies in the interest and skill of advisers in the department of chemistry (virtually all staff members serve as advisers of undergraduates) in giving counsel about the program and possible future careers. Such interest and guidance doubtless psychologically reinforce the student, for hc is one among many in a great university, but in a curriculum with great freedom of choice it is imperative for the wise use of a student's time and energy in preparing for a fruitful career.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
