Important information for students

Departmental

Certain student requests are handled internally in the Department:

• Add or remove a Minor
• Change program (Major, Specialization or Honours)
• Change program to Chemistry or Biochemistry from another department.

IMPORTANT

Honours programs - You must be in Acceptable Standing, your GPA must be at least 3.3 in program courses, and Department Permission is required.

Major and specialization programs - You must be in Acceptable Standing, your GPA must be at least 2.0 in program courses, and Department Permission is required.

(To change to a program given by another department, students must see an advisor in that department.)

• Waive course prerequisites

Fill in a departmental student request form

• Request a lab exemption if you are repeating a course taken no more than 2 years ago for which you passed the lab component (policy).
  

  Please note. There are strict deadlines for applications from registered students because labs start in the second week of term:

  • Summer term courses: May 2020
    
  • Fall term courses: September 2020
    
  • Winter term courses: January 2021
    

Fill in a departmental lab exemption request form.

Note: Depending on your browser configuration, you may have to save the blank form, fill in the saved copy, and then re-save it to preserve the information you entered. Here is how to fill in PDF forms

1. Make sure you have a recent version of Acrobat.
2. Click on the link to open the form in your browser.
3. Right click on it and save it somewhere convenient.
4. Open it using Acrobat.
5. Fill it in.
6. Click the "Sign" button (top right). A side panel should open.
7. Click "Signed. Proceed to Send".
8. Click "Save a copy".
9. Print or send the saved copy after making sure it is still filled in

Please make sure you do not e-mail a blank form!

Faculty

Certain student requests are handled by the Faculty of Arts and Science, but require a departmental advisor's signature for processing. For more information and forms, see the faculty web site. Such requests include:

• Late registration, late withdrawal, or late discontinue
• Credit overloads
• Extention of late completion deadline
• Transfer of external credits
• Course substitutions
• Remove exemptions
• Retain credit
• Waive 24-credit rule
• Waive general education requirements

If you think you have done one or more program courses elswhere, which have not already been recognised as part of your admission conditions, and you wish to apply for transfer credit for them, you need to fill in the application form, and provide the department with as much information about the courses as possible.

A brief calendar description is usually not adequate. Return the form and supporting materials to the departmental office.

CHEM 419 (Independent Study) or CHEM 450 (Honours Thesis)

These forms are available from the Departmental Office SP-201-01 or from the files below:

If you are Chemistry student, choose one of these two options:

CHEM 419 (CHEMISTRY SPECIALIZATION)

CHEM 450 (HONOURS CHEMISTRY)

If you are a Biochemistry student, choose one of these two options:

CHEM 419 (BIOCHEMISTRY SPECIALIZATION)

CHEM 450 (HONOURS BIOCHEMISTRY)

Most professors in the Department recommmend, and many require students taking their courses to attend a seminar and take an on-line quiz about plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty.

Plagiarism and Other Forms of Academic Dishonesty

The academic code of conduct can be found in of the University Calendar. Any form of unauthorized collaboration, cheating, copying or plagiarism which are suspected will be reported, and the appropriate sanctions applied.

The seminar the Department offers is a clear and fair opportunity to learn what our faculty regards as academic misconduct. Failure to take part in this learning opportunity and thus ignorance of these regulations is no excuse and will not result in a reduced sanction in any case where academic misconduct is observed.

The Academic Code for Students Taking Chemistry or Biochemistry Courses

As part of most courses given by the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, you are required to:

• Attend a Chemistry and Biochemistry Departmental Seminar on the academic conduct code and the appropriate use of information sources. Several are given near the start of each term.
• Pass the online quiz associated with this seminar (note: the passing grade for the quiz is 100%).
  Note: This is NOT the University's quiz you may have been asked to take when you first registered and logged into the myConcordia portal; the one you must take is similar, but graded by the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and you cannot take it until after you have attended a seminar.

The aim of this seminar is to clarify the academic conduct code in terms of what practices will be considered unacceptable with regards to work submitted for grading in Chemistry and Biochemistry courses. You are only exempt from repeating the seminar and the quiz if you have done both in within the past five years. If this is the case, you will find your ID number on this list at this location.  If your ID number is not on the list, you are required to repeat both seminar and quiz this term. If your ID is there but you did not get 100% on the quiz, see items 8 and 9 in the FAQ below.

This short seminar (less than 1 hour) will be held at the following times and locations. Note that late-comers will not be admitted.

*THE SIGN-UP PROCEDURE FOR FALL 2021 WILL BE COMMUNICATED BY E-MAIL TO ALL FALL STUDENTS*

[Sign-up procedure in a regular term:  As space for each of the seminars is limited by the room size, please sign up for your preferred time. Sign up sheets will be available outside SP 201.01 (Departmental office) after the beginning of the term. Note:You will be asked to sign an attendance sheet at the seminar to prove you really did attend.]

If you do not complete this course requirement, at the discretion of your professor, your final grade for the course may be lowered by as much as one full letter grade with an incomplete notation until such time as this requirement is completed. Please refer to the undergraduate calendar and the FAQ below for details on removal of an incomplete notation.

**The FALL 2021 quiz closes at 23:55 on Sunday, October 17, 2021

Frequently Asked Questions

1. I keep trying the quiz but I can never get 110/110. Is there something I am doing wrong, or is there a bug in the quiz?
   

   You have probably not read any of the warnings (and there are several) about questions with two acceptable answers. For such questions you must select both these answers to get full marks. It is possible to check more than one box.

2. When I finished the quiz, I think it told me I got 110/110 but now I am no longer sure. Is there any way I can check my mark?
   

   Yes, just go back to the quiz and you can view the record of your score(s) and even your answers, with the feedback, at each attempt.

3. The grade I got in my CHEM course is much lower than I expected. Is it because I did not get 100% on the quiz?  

   Possibly, but you would also have received an INC notation if that was an issue. There may be many other reasons, so please check with your course instructor/professor.

4. I got 102.5/110 on the quiz. Surely that is good enough?  

   No, it is not. If it is a CHEM course requirement, you have to get 100%. The consequences of a misunderstanding of what is, and what is not, permitted under the University's Academic Code of Conduct can be very serious. We want to make sure you know all the rules.

5. I received an INC grade last term because I had not attended the seminar. What must I do to get it removed?  

   You will have a chance to attend one of a number of seminars in the coming term. You must attend one, and inform your professor when you have done so. You will also have to go to the Registrar's Services (Birks Student Service Centre downtown), and apply for a "late completion grade": your Professor(s) cannot put through a grade change unless you have completed this formality (which will cost $30 per course). Check the deadlines, which are reproduced below from the University calendar: it may already be too late. If so, see question 7 below.

Deadlines for late completion application:

Fall term: February 1st 
Winter term: May 15th 
Summer term: September 1st

6. I received an INC grade last term because I had not done the quiz. What must I do to get it removed?  

   You must get yourself registered to do the quiz: contact Prof. H.M. Muchall, but read first question 9 below. Then, do the quiz as soon as possible, and inform your Professor when you have got 100% (110/110). You will also have to go to the Registrar's Services (Birks Student Service Centre downtown), and apply for a "late completion grade": your Professor(s) cannot put through a grade change unless you have completed this formality (which will cost you $25 per course). Check the deadlines in question 5 above: it may already be too late. If so, see question 7 below.

7. I only just noticed that I got an INC, and the deadline for late completion has passed. What can I do now?  

   You will have to get permission from the Faculty of Arts and Science (Student Services) before Registrar's Services will allow you to apply late for a "late completion grade". Go to room AD 202, or to the Chemistry Department office (SP 201.01), and pick up a Faculty of Arts and Science Student Request Form. Fill it in, and see Prof. H.M. Muchall in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry for a supporting note. Then take both to AD 202.

8. I did the seminar and quiz a year ago. Must I do them again?  

   No, you have to have done both within the last five years. In that case, you can find your student ID on this regularly updated list, with a blank entry under "quiz". If your "quiz" entry is not blank, you attempted the quiz but did not pass it (you did not get 100%), and you will have to do the quiz again: see question 9 below. If you are not on this list, then you've lost track of time, and you did it more than five years ago. In that case, you will have to do both seminar and quiz again.

9. I did the seminar in a previous term, but never did the quiz, and now I cannot access it. What must I do?

   You should e-mail Prof. H.M. Muchall who can confirm that you have attended the seminar within 5 years, and then register you for the quiz. Please be sure to give your student ID number, and say in which year/term you attended the seminar.

10. I have forgotten if I already did the seminar and/or quiz. How can I find out?

    If you cannot remember whether you did these, you probably cannot remember what was covered either and should probably do them again! But see question 8 above on how to find out.

11. I am an engineering student taking one pre-requisite CHEM course. Surely I do not have to do the seminar and quiz?

    Oh yes, you do!

These are courses given only occasionally, and which are not described in the Undergraduate Calendar. 

For additional details on time and location, please consult the Class Schedules

SUMMER 2021

CHEM 498/610 - IMAGING MASS SPECTROMETRY
Prerequisites: CHEM 312 or CHEM 271 or permission from the instructor
Lecture 01:  MON/WED 10:15-11:30

An advanced mass spectrometry (MS) course that focuses on the spatial mapping of molecules, i.e. imaging MS (IMS), the latest frontier in MS. The course will explore a plethora of IMS techniques (i.e. MALDI, SIMS, DESI, PADI, DART, LESA, LA-ICP-IMS) and discuss various aspects of sample preparation, ionization, instrumentation, spectral interpretation and data processing. Ion images provide biological context to histology; therefore, we will discuss clinical applications of IMS in neurochemistry, cancer, and other diseases, as well as the future of IMS in clinical pathology and pharmacology.  Broader application bases, such as IMS in food analysis, drug formulation, fuel cells, and polymer analysis will also be discussed.  We will unravel the fundamental metrics of a high-quality ion image (i.e. mass resolving power, lateral resolution, and sensitivity-based contrast). Students will learn how to handle these information-rich images with advanced data-analysis techniques (i.e. multivariate analysis and machine learning). A picture is worth a 1000 words, but an ion image is a course load, specifically CHEM 610.

FALL 2021

**CHEM 426/626 - REACTIVE INTERMEDIATES
Prerequisites: CHEM 293 previously or concurrently.
Lecture 01:  TUE/THU 10:15-11:30

This course offers an introduction to reactive intermediates with an emphasis on structure and stability as found in modern (physical) organic chemistry. While the focus is on radicals and carbenes, carbocations are discussed near the end of the term. The material covered is relevant to chemistry and biochemistry. Lectures only.
NOTE: Students who have received credit for CHEM 393 or for this topic under a CHEM 498 number may not take this course for credit.

CHEM 436/630 - MOLECULAR MODELLING
Prerequisites: CHEM 234, 271, CHEM 333 or 335
Lecture 01:  TUE/THU 11:45-13:00

This course discusses protein structure and function and introduces a variety of computational tools to study protein structure and dynamics. Topics include overview of gene, protein, and drug databases, multiple sequence alignments, protein folding, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, analysis of simulation trajectories. This course has multiple tutorials for hands-on learning.

NOTE: Students who have received credit for this topic under a CHEM 498 number may not take this course for credit.

CHEM 476/676 - STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF BIOMEMBRANES
Prerequisites: BIOL 266; CHEM 375 or permission of the Department.
Lecture 01:  WED/FRI 10:15-11:30

This course discusses what is known about how the membranes of biological organisms are assembled and the roles that these membranes play in a number of important processes. Emphasis is placed on the transport of proteins to and through biomembranes and the roles that membranes play in metabolite and ion transport. Where applicable, the significance of these processes is illustrated by examining the roles of membranes in health and disease. Lectures only.

CHEM 477 - ADVANCED LABORATORY IN BIOCHEMISTRY
Prerequisites: CHEM 271, 375
Tutorial 01 and 02:  MON/WED 18:00-20:45
Tutorial 51 and 52:  TUE/THU 16:15-17:45

Theory and practice of techniques in enzymology and protein chemistry, including steady-state and stopped-flow enzyme kinetics, ligand binding, immunological techniques, proteomics, computer modelling, and chemical modification of proteins. Tutorials and laboratory.

CHEM 495 - ADVANCED MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION
Prerequisites: CHEM 241, 293; six credits of 300-level CHEM courses
Lecture 01:  WED/FRI 10:15-11:30

This course presents advanced techniques to characterize the geometric and electronic structures of molecules. This includes spectroscopic (rotational, vibrational, electronic, photoelectron, NMR, EPR, Mossbauer), diffraction and electrochemical methods. The course introduces the techniques and applies them to concrete case studies.  Lectures only.

CHEM 498/650 - MODELLING THE FATE OF ORGANIC CHEMICALS IN THE ENVIRONMENT
Prerequisites: CHEM 234 and 235 (or CHEM 206 and permission of the instructor)
Lecture 01:  TUE/THU 8:45-10:00

Quantitative approaches are needed to address the growing concern about contamination of the environment by “man-made” chemicals. Computer model simulations are widely used in academia, industry and regulatory agencies to quantitatively assess environmental processes and impact of chemicals. This course will introduce fundamental environmental modeling approaches that are built upon equilibrium partitioning and kinetically controlled mass transfer processes of chemicals between air, water, solids, and other environmental media. Models and the underlying concepts and principles are introduced in an intuitive fashion rather than by following rigorous mathematics involved (so that computer programming or math beyond that used in the general chemistry course is NOT required). Concrete examples will be used to demonstrate how the modeling approaches introduced in this course are used in chemical industry and regulatory agencies to ensure environmental safety as well as in cutting-edge environmental research. Through this course, students will pick up the knowledge essential to understand the general principles, input and output of model simulations and to interpret results of model-based chemical risk assessment. Students will also gain hands-on experience on using various modeling tools to predict physicochemical properties, environmental fate and risk of chemical substances. The course is targeted not only for students who are trained to become environmental professionals but also for those who are interested in using in silico approaches to assess environmental fate and risk of chemicals they synthesize at work or use in the daily life.

CHEM 498/640 – GREEN CHEMISTRY
Prerequisites: CHEM 217, 222 AND 241
Lecture 51:  MON 18:00-20:45

This course will focus on the 12 principles of green chemistry and how these principles are applied to develop sustainable chemical processes. Topics include: waste prevention, atom economy, the use of green solvents, catalysis, energy efficiency, the use of renewable feedstocks, and green chemistry metrics. Recent literature and industrial examples of green processes will be used to highlight concepts.

**ORGANIC REPLACEMENTS

WINTER 2022

**CHEM 427/620 - POLYMER CHEMISTRY AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
Prerequisites:  CHEM 222 or permission of the Department.
Lecture 01:  TUE/THU 11:45-13:00

This course introduces some basic aspects of polymer chemistry with an emphasis on polymer synthesis. Various methods are discussed, including classical step growth, free radical, and ring opening polymerization; and other more recent methods such as living anionic, living cationic, and living controlled/radical polymerization. Additionally, the design and development of functional polymers as building blocks to develop nanomaterials for bio-related applications, particularly drug delivery applications, are presented. Other topics may include amphiphilic block copolymers, self-assembly, micellar nanocarriers, cellular imaging, multifunctional drug delivery, cross-linked nanogels/hydrogels, materials science, and biomedical engineering. Lectures only.
NOTE: Students who have received credit for this topic under a CHEM 498 number may not take this course for credit.

**CHEM 443/643 – ORGANOMETALLIC CHEMISTRY
Prerequisites:  CHEM 324 previously or concurrently; CHEM 341; or permission of the Department.
Lecture 01:  TUE/THU 10:15-11:30

This course covers the structure and properties of organometallic compounds, their main reactions and their application in catalysis and organic chemistry. Lectures only.
NOTE: Students who have received credit for this topic under a CHEM 498 number may not take this course for credit.

CHEM 498/670 – 03 - CHEMICAL BIOLOGY OF NATURAL PRODUCTS
Prerequisites: CHEM 375. Students may NOT take both this course and CHEM 498 Secondary Metabolism for credit.
Lecture 02:  WED/FRI 11:45-13:00

This course will examine how small molecule natural products interact with
their cellular targets, with a special emphasis on the role of therapeutics like antibiotics
and anticancer drugs. We will also cover the role of these compounds in their natural
environment, with a focus on intra-species competition and symbiosis.

CHEM 498/650 - NANOMATERIALS CHARACTERIZATION
Prerequisites: 30 credits in CHEM, including CHEM 293 or 335
Lecture 52:  MON 18:00-20:45

This course covers state-of-the-art nanomaterials physical characterization techniques including but not limited to: dynamic light scattering, transmission and scanning electronic microscopies (size and morphology), X-ray powder and electron diffraction (crystallinity and phase identification), Fourier transform/attenuated total reflectance infrared, Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies (surface chemical state and chemical composition), differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis (polymorphism, moisture content and weight loss), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis (surface area), nuclear magnetic resonance (chemical bonding and nuclei interactions). Lectures only.

CHEM 498/614 - MODERN ASPECTS OF MASS SPECTROMETRY
Prerequisites: CHEM 271 or CHEM 312, 6 credits of 300-level courses or permission of the Department.
Lecture 53:  TUE 18:00-20:45

This course surveys and critically discuss the state-of the-art mass spectrometry-based approaches that are driving metabolomics and proteomics revolution for applications such as shotgun proteomics, quantitative proteomics, post-translational modifications, top-down proteomics, untargeted metabolomics, lipidomics, metallomics, structural biology and molecular structure characterization. Lectures only.

CHEM 498/630-53 - SOLID SURFACES AND INTERFACES
Prerequisites: Open to all Science and Engineering Students with a minimum of 45 University credits (not including Science Profile courses) or permission of the instructor
Lecture 54:  WED 18:00-20:45

This course covers the chemical/physical properties of surfaces, interfaces, heterostructures, and thin films of solid adsorbates. We will address fundamentals of film growth, the structure and morphology of thin films, and their opto-electronic properties. This course further covers advanced experimental techniques to determine these properties including surface scattering methods (X-rays, electrons), scanning probe techniques, spectroscopy (photoelectron, optical, vibrational), as well as some electronic and energy applications. Lecture ONLY.

**ORGANIC REPLACEMENT

Below you will find some sample, recent course outlines to help guide you in selecting courses. Since professors and instructors change, do not use them for professor/instructor information. The professor or instructor teaching that course can be searched in this link.   

Course No:            Course Title:

CHEM 205            General Chemistry I 
CHEM 206            General Chemistry II   
CHEM 208            Chemistry in our Lives
CHEM 209            Discovering Biotechnology
CHEM 212            Analytical Chemistry for Biologists
CHEM 217            Introductory Analytical Chemistry I - YG
CHEM 217            Introductory Analytical Chemistry I - MM                  
CHEM 218            Introductory Analytical Chemistry II
CHEM 221            Introductory Organic Chemistry I
CHEM 222            Introductory Organic Chemistry II - CW                 
CHEM 222            Introductory Organic Chemistry II - PF
CHEM 234 01       Thermodynamics
CHEM 234 51       Thermodynamics                      
CHEM 235            Physical Chemistry II:  Kinetics of Chemical Reactions
CHEM 241            Inorganic Chemistry I: Intro to Periodicity and Valence Theory
CHEM 242            Inorganic Chemistry II: The Chemistry of the Main Group Elements
CHEM 271            Biochemistry I
CHEM 293            Spectroscopy and Structure of Organic Compounds
CHEM 298 (203)   Forensic Analysis
CHEM 312            Intermediate Analytical Chemistry
CHEM 324            Organic Chemistry III:  Organic Reactions
CHEM 325            Organic Chemistry IV: Organic Structure and Stereochemistry
CHEM 333            Introduction to Quantum Theory
CHEM 341            Inorganic Chemistry III:  The Transition Metals
CHEM 375            Biochemistry II
CHEM 424            Organic Synthesis
CHEM 425            Nucleic Acid Chemistry   
CHEM 426            Reactive Intermediates
CHEM 427            Advanced Topic in Chemistry - Polymer Chemistry and Nanotechnology
CHEM 431            Computational Chemistry for Chemists and Biochemists
CHEM 443            Organometallic Chemistry
CHEM 451            Nanochemistry
CHEM 470            Environmental Biochemistry
CHEM 477            Advanced Laboratory in Biochemistry
CHEM 495            Advanced Molecular Characterization
CHEM 498            Noncovalent Interactions
CHEM 498            Green Chemistry
CHEM 498            Chemical Biology of Natural Products
CHEM 498U          Advanced Bioanalytical Chemistry