Important inquiries and advising information for students

The following are links to summary documents describing, for each program:

• The required courses with an indication of when they are offered
• Typical sequences followed by program students
• A flowchart showing the prerequisite sequences

To help you plan your own schedule, we have created a fill-in form. Scheduling your courses is your responsibility. However, if you need to meet with an advisor to discuss your program and course selections, please be sure to fill in the appropriate checklist beforehand in order to save time:

Biochemistry checklist
Chemistry checklist
Graduation requirements

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 2023
    
  • Fall term courses: September 2023
    
  • Winter term courses: January 2024
  • *Note the deadline for Fall 2023 term is September 8th.  Once completed, please send form to chemistry.reception@concordia.ca.                                                                                     

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

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 the compliance list.  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 SUMMER 2023 WILL BE COMMUNICATED BY E-MAIL TO ALL SUMMER STUDENTS*

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 WINTER 2024 quiz closes at 23:55 on Sunday, February 18th.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. I keep trying the quiz but I can never get 11/11. 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 11/11 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 the issue. There may be many other reasons, so please check with your course instructor/professor.

4. I got 10.7/11 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 on my transcript 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 apply for a "late completion grade" at  Registrar's Services (Birks Student Service Centre, online form at this link:  scroll down to the "late completion (INC)' entry on the site):  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 (read the list entries:  if your CHEM course was in the Fall, the deadline to apply for late-completion is the following Feb.1):

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

6. I received an INC grade on my transcript 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 achieved 100% (11/11). You will also have to apply for a "late completion grade" at Registrar's Services (Birks Student Service Centre, online form at this link:  scroll down to the "late completion (INC)" entry on the site):  your Professor(s) cannot put through a grade change unless you have completed this formality (which will cost $30 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 on my transcript, 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".  Contact Prof. H.M. Muchall to request teh details to prepare an Arts and Science Student Request (you must not try to submit a student request yourself).

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. You will also have to retake the seminar, if  your CHEM 101 attempt dates more than one term back.  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 also have to do both seminar and quiz again.

9. I did the seminar in a previous term, but not the quiz, and now I cannot access it.  What must I do?

   The quiz always closes at the quiz deadline.  You should e-mail Prof. H.M. Muchall who can confirm that you attended the seminar in the previous term and then register you for the quiz. If you attended the seminar earlier than the previous term, you first must repeat the seminar before you receive quiz access.  Please be sure to include your student ID number in your e-mail.

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

FALL 2023

CHEM 411/611                   BIOANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
Prerequisite/Corequisite:  The following courses must be completed previously: Six credits of 300-level courses and CHEM 271 and CHEM 312. If prerequisites are not satisfied, permission of the Department is required.
This course presents the concepts, tools and common instrumental techniques employed in modern bioanalytical chemistry for the quantitative analysis of drugs, metabolites, toxins, environmental contaminants, biomarkers, proteins, biotherapeutics and/or DNA in biological samples. Topics may include sample preparation, mass spectrometry, immunoassays, biosensors, microfluidics, bioanalytical method validation and discussion of emerging bioanalytical techniques and trends. The applications discussed encompass toxicology, forensics, pharmacokinetics, metabolism, clinical chemistry, environmental analysis, and biotechnology.
Students who have received credit for this topic under a CHEM 498 number may not take this course for credit.

**CHEM 427/627              POLYMER CHEMISTRY AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
Prerequisites: The following courses must be completed previously: CHEM 222. If perquisites are not satisfied, permission of the Department is required.
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.  Students who have received credit for this topic under a CHEM 498 number may not take this course for credit.

CHEM 447/630                  SOLAR ENERGY CONVERSION
Prerequisite/Corequisite: The following courses must be completed previously: CHEM 234 and CHEM 241.
This course explores how chemistry enables solar energy conversion (as a source of alternative energy) through photochemistry/photobiology and photovoltaics (solar cells). In the first subject area, solar energy conversion through artificial photosynthesis, solar fuels catalysis, and photobiological fuel production is examined. In the second subject area, the fundamental principles governing solar energy to electricity conversion, efficiency of solar cells, different photovoltaic implementations (inorganic, organic, hybrid) and charge separation/transport are explored. Special focus topics include the design, synthesis and spectroscopic tools needed to study inorganic molecules and materials for solar fuels catalysis.
Students who have received credit for this topic under a CHEM 498 number may not take this course for credit

## CHEM 474/674             CHEMICAL BIOLOGY OF NATURAL PRODUCTS
Prerequisite/Corequisite: The following course must be completed previously: CHEM 375. If prerequisites are not satisfied, permission of the Department is required.
This course examines how natural products interact with their cellular targets, with a special emphasis on the role of antibiotics and anticancer drugs. It also explores the role of these compounds in their natural environment, with a focus on intra-species competition and symbiosis.
Students who have received credit for this topic under a CHEM 498 number may not take this course for credit.

CHEM 477                ADVANCED LABORATORY IN BIOCHEMISTRY
Pre-requisites:  CHEM 271, 375
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
Prerequisite/Corequisite:  The following courses must be completed previously: CHEM 241, CHEM 293; six credits of 300‑level CHEM courses which must include either CHEM 325 or CHEM 341.
This course presents advanced techniques to characterize the geometric and electronic structures of molecules. Topics may include spectroscopic (rotational, vibrational, electronic, photoelectron, NMR, EPR, Mössbauer), diffraction and electrochemical methods. The course introduces the techniques and applies them to concrete case studies.

CHEM 498/630                 ORGANIC SEMICONDUCTORS
Prerequisites: Open to all Science and Engineering Students with a minimum of 45 University credits (not including Science Profile courses) or permission of the Department
This course covers conjugated organic materials (small molecules and polymers), which are employed as semiconductors in organic and hybrid electronics. We will mainly deal with the structural, (opto-)electronic and electrical properties of organic semiconductors and their application as active materials in (flexible) organic electronics. This includes light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), solar cells, transistors, sensors, etc. Furthermore, the fundamentals of organic conductors as well as modern thin-film processing and characterization techniques (for structural, electronic, optical, and electrical properties) are covered. We will focus on the current literature and novel developments in this field.

CHEM 498/650     ENVIRONMENTAL FATE MODELING AND RISK ASSESSMENT OF CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS
Prerequisites: CHEM 234 and 235 (or CHEM 206 and permission of the instructor)
Quantitative approaches are needed to address the growing concern about contamination of the environment by “man-made” chemicals. Built upon equilibrium partitioning and kinetically controlled mass transfer processes of chemicals between gaseous, liquid, and solid phases, various mass balance models used to quantitatively describe processes and impact of chemical contaminants in the environment will be introduced. The underlying concepts and mechanisms of the model simulations are delivered in an intuitive fashion rather than by following rigorous mathematics involved (math beyond that in the introductory chemistry courses or computer programming is NOT required). The course aims to provide hands-on experience on building, evaluating, and using various modeling tools to assess environmental fate and risk of chemical contaminants. Knowledge and skills gained from this course are widely used in chemical industry and regulatory agencies to assure environmental safety of chemical products in the market as well as in cutting-edge environmental research. Such applications of environmental fate modeling and risk assessment will be demonstrated with concrete examples. The course is targeted not only for students who are trained to become environmental professionals but also for those who are interested in characterizing environmental fate and risk of chemicals they use or synthesize.

## 400 - LEVEL BIOCHEMISTRY COURSES
**ORGANIC REPLACEMENT

WINTER 2024

CHEM 415/612                   ANALYTICAL SEPARATIONS
Prerequisites:  CHEM 218, 312
High performance liquid separations on an analytical (non-preparative) scale are surveyed.  Fundamental separation mechanisms and application of the techniques are discussed.  Emphasis is placed on capillary electrophoretic separations of biologically relevant analytes which include peptides, proteins and nucleic acids.

**CHEM 428/628              MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
Prerequisite/Corequisite:  The following courses must be completed previously: CHEM 293, CHEM 324.
This course provides an introduction to the small molecule drug discovery process, addressing early target identification, hit discovery, lead optimization, preclinical considerations, up to clinical trials. The course focuses primarily on the rational design and synthesis of drugs that employ multidisciplinary approaches to satisfy a multitude of specificity and safety requirements. The emphasis is on organic synthesis within the special context of medicinal chemistry that illustrates the challenges involved in leveraging the opportunities presented by high throughput, parallel and/or combinatorial synthesis in light of physical limitations imposed by processing large numbers of compounds. Case studies from the current literature are used to highlight how new technologies and strategies have overcome some of those limitations and are used to highlight recent innovations in the field. The course also charts the evolution of powerful techniques from structural research (NMR, X-ray crystallography, and computational modelling) as fully integrated medicinal chemistry tools for modern drug-discovery to highlight key advances.

**CHEM443/643               ORGANOMETALLIC CHEMISTRY
Prerequisite/Corequisite:  The following courses must be completed previously: CHEM 341. The following courses must be completed previously or concurrently: CHEM 324. If prerequisites are not satisfied, permission of the Department is required.
This course covers the structure and properties of organometallic compounds, their main reactions and their application in catalysis and organic chemistry.
Students who have received credit for this topic under a CHEM 498 number may not take this course for credit.

##CHEM 470/670 – 01     ENVIRONMENTAL BIOCHEMISTRY
Prerequisites: CHEM 271, 375, BIOL 367
If prerequisites are not satisfied, permission of the Department is required.
This course examines the biochemical effects of environmental stresses on organisms, and adaptations that allow organisms to face these stresses. Emphasis is placed on biochemical responses to toxic compounds such as aromatics, halogenated aliphatics, drugs, and heavy metals. Other topics may include adaptations to stresses such as temperature extremes, pathogens, and ionizing radiation. Applications to related biotechnological processes are also considered.

##CHEM473/670               PROTEIN-PROTEIN INTERACTIONS
Prerequisite/Corequisite:  The following courses must be completed previously: CHEM 271, CHEM 375. If prerequisites are not satisfied, permission of the Department is required.
This course provides an advanced examination of current topics in research related to understanding protein‑protein interactions in vitro and in vivo. Topics may include biological roles of protein‑protein interactions; evolution of protein‑protein interactions and correlated mutations; stable vs. transient interactions and their biological significance; interactomics; structural characteristics of protein‑protein interaction interfaces; targeted disruption of protein‑protein interactions and drug design; experimental approaches to measuring protein‑protein interactions.
Students who have received credit for this topic under a CHEM 498 number may not take this course for credit.

CHEM 498/640                  GREEN CHEMISTRY

Pre-requisites:  CHEM 217, 222 AND 241

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.

## 400-LEVEL BIOCHEMISTRY COURSES
**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 203            Forensic Analysis  
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 - GK
CHEM 217            Introductory Analytical Chemistry I - YG                 
CHEM 218            Introductory Analytical Chemistry II
CHEM 221            Introductory Organic Chemistry I
CHEM 222            Introductory Organic Chemistry II                
CHEM 234            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