Departments and CoursesScience: Chemistry
Chemistry
All science courses offer hands-on lab experiences – both in well-equipped research facilities on campus and on location at nearby resources, such as the Thames River estuary.
Courses
Click the course title to expand or collapse the course description.
Chemistry I
Chemistry I is the first half of a one-year curriculum in general chemistry. The course covers topics of matter and measurement, atomic theory and inorganic nomenclature, mass relationships, reactions in aqueous solution, gas laws and reactions, enthalpy, quantum theory, periodic trends in the elements, chemical bonding and intermolecular forces. The laboratory program is comprehensive and hands-on.
Format: Class/Laboratory
Typically Taken: Fall 4/c (freshman) year
Chemistry I - Honors
The honors course adds a quickened pace and greater depth that aligns with the capabilities and interests of the cadets. There is a great deal of student-instructor interaction, emphasizing the development of critical thinking skills. Students should possess a strong background and interest in science or engineering.
Format: Class/Laboratory/Project
Typically Taken: Fall 4/c (freshman) year
Chemistry II
The second half of the one-year curriculum in general chemistry, this course covers physical properties of solutions, chemical kinetics, chemical equilibrium, acid/base chemistry, acid/base equilibria, solubility equilibria, entropy/free energy/spontaneity, electrochemistry, nuclear chemistry, organic chemistry and polymer chemistry. This laboratory program, too, is comprehensive and hands-on.
Format: Class/Laboratory
Typically Taken: Spring 4/c freshman) year
Chemistry II - Honors
As above, again with a faster pace and greater depth, particulary following Spring Break, when coverage of the required general chemistry topics typically concludes and special topics are examined in greater detail, with a great deal of student-instructor interaction and a continued emphasis on critical thinking skills. Particularly ideal for Marine and Environmental Sciences and other technical majors.
Format: Class/Laboratory
Typically Taken: Spring 4/c (freshman) year
Physical Chemistry
This is a study of the states of matter and their properties, including ideal and real gases, kinetic theory, laws of thermodynamics, phase equilibria, chemical equilibrium, electrochemistry, chemical kinetics, atomic structure, the chemical bond, cohesion and structure, and molecular spectroscopy.
Format: Class/Laboratory
Typically Taken: Fall of 2/c (junior) or 1/c (senior) year
Analytical Methods
Learn the theory and application of various techniques for analyzing the composition, structure and properties of pure compounds and mixtures. Labs focus on Coast Guard applications to environmental problems.
Format: Class/Laboratory
Typically Taken: Spring of 2/c (junior) or 1/c (senior) year
Organic Chemistry
Examine the chemical reactivity of organic compounds from a functional group perspective - hydrocarbons, alkyl halides, aromatics, alcohols, ethers, carbonyl compounds and amines. Lab work introduces important techniques of organic chemistry, the preparation of simple compounds and analysis using mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared spectroscopy and computer modeling.
Format: Class/Laboratory
Typically Taken: Fall of 2/c (junior) or 1/c (senior) year
Hazardous Materials
This is a Marine and Environmental Sciences major capstone course that investigates the behavior of organic chemicals when they are released to the multimedia environment of air, water, soil, dissolved organic matter and biota (living organisms). Cadets develop distribution models and estimate the effects on the environment. A comprehensive final project requires that students behave as professional military scientists to solve a risk assessment problem.
Format: Class/Laboratory
Typically Taken: Spring of 2/c (junior) or 1/c (senior) year
Toxicology
With a focus on Homeland Security examples, this course addresses the effects of xenobiotic substances - such as chemical warfare agents and industrial products - on the human body and its systems. Exposure assessment, aerosol bio-dynamics and dose response concepts will be covered.
Format: Class/Laboratory
Typically Taken: Spring of 2/c (junior) or 1/c (senior) year
Projects in Chemistry
Involvement in ongoing research projects as an assistant in data collection, reduction or analysis. Final project.
Format: Directed Studies
Typically Taken: Fall or Spring of 2/c (junior) year
Research in Chemistry
Semester-long research in chemistry by an individual or team.
Format: Directed Studies
Typically Taken: Fall or Spring of 1/c (senior) year