Chemistry

February 1, 2022 2024-04-26 17:42

Chemistry

Chemistry @ RMC

The Central Science

Chemistry, the study of matter and its transformations, provides an understanding of the world around us at the molecular level. The chemistry program at RMC offers students an exceptional undergraduate chemistry education in all of the areas of chemistry. The small lecture and laboratory class sizes allow our dedicated professors to provide individual attention to each one of their students. Our upper-level courses provide students a chance to follow their curiosity, developing strong critical thinking skills while exploring the central role that chemistry plays in the sciences and in their lives.

Graduates of our chemistry program are well prepared for research careers in either academia or industry. Recent graduates of our chemistry program have also excelled in other disciplines such as medicine (M.D., D.O., and P.A.), pharmaceutical science, veterinary science, and engineering.

RMC provided me opportunities in undergraduate research and practical hands-on experience with a variety of instrumentation not available to the average undergraduate. This, combined with the professors' individual attention and infectious enthusiasm for science, more than prepared me for my successful career in chemistry.

RMC graduate Cindy Rohrer, Senior Analyst at Energy Laboratories, Inc., Billings, MT

Degree Options

Majors

Chemistry

Science Broadfield Education Chemistry

Minors

Chemistry

Chemistry students frequently double major with Biology and Health and Human Performance!

Explore the Course Catalog

Featured Courses

CHM 316 – Geochemistry

Scientific literature and other resources will be used to illustrate the current ideas about the mechanisms that control water quality and chemistry in aqueous systems. Lecture topics will include hydrogeology, acid-base and reduction-oxidation reactions in natural systems, the geochemistry of metals, stable isotope geochemistry, and case studies of contaminated sites in Montana and throughout the West. Laboratory exercises will include basic sample collection, measurement of major ion concentration, and geochemical modeling with several field exercises.

CHM 432 – Introduction to the Pharmaceutical Sciences

Understanding how drugs cause biochemical and physiological effects stems from an analysis of the structure of drugs and the interactions that occur at their target sites. Chemical properties such as ionization, solubility, partition coefficients, and diffusion coefficients provide a basis for understanding how drugs get from the point of administration to their targets. The chemistry of drug distribution, metabolism, elimination, and the mechanism of action of specific classes of drugs will be discussed, along with toxicology (the potential adverse effects of drugs), drug discovery, and the FDA approval process.

CHM 452 – Biochemistry I

Biochemistry focuses on the study of the molecules and chemical reactions of life, bringing together principles learned in biology and chemistry. After an introduction to the chemistry and structure of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins, discussions of enzyme structure and kinetics set the stage for a detailed exploration of metabolism and its regulation. The laboratory component of this course involves a several projects that focus on proteins including kinetics, isolation, purification, and characterization. These projects incorporate different types of instrumentation, including low pressure chromatography, electrophoresis, UV-visible spectroscopy, and ultrafiltration.

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