B.S. Major Requirements:
Pharmaceutical Chemistry

The B.S. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry provides students with an in-depth understanding of the experimental and computational processes and societal issues that surround the discovery and design of modern pharmaceuticals. Important relevant topics include potential drug targets, physical principles of drug action, drug synthesis and screening, rational drug design, drug delivery, and ethical concerns. The demand for pharmaceutical chemists is high and anticipated to grow, as modern chemistry allows a wide range of choices for drug synthesis and our growing knowledge of biological processes present challenging targets for novel therapeutics.

Preparatory Subject Matter:
48-55 Units

Chemistry: 2A-2B-2C or 2AH-2BH-2CH
Mathematics: 16A-16B-16C or 17A-17B-17C or 21A-21B-21C
Physics: 7A-7B-7C or 9A-9B-9C
Biological Sciences: 2A and 2B or 2C
Statistics : 13 or 32 or 100

Depth Subject Matter:
48-64 Units

Chemistry: 107A-107B or 110A-110B-110C, 118A-118B-118C or (128A-128B- 128C-129A-129B-129C), 124A, 130A, 130B, 135, 150
Biological Sciences: 102 or Chemistry: 131

At least four additional courses (not used to satisfy the above requirements) from:
Biological Sciences: 102, 103
Biotechnology: 171 or Veterinary Medicine: 170
Chemistry: 131, (199 or 194H for 3 units)
Environmental Toxicology: 103A
Microbiology : 102
Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior: 100, 101
Plant Biology: 126
Plant Pathology: 130


Total Units for Major:
96-119 Units
Sample Schedule for Pharmaceutical Chemistry
Fall Winter Spring
Freshman Chem 2A or 2AH (5)
Math 16A (3) or 17A (4) or 21A (4)
Chem 2B or 2BH (5)
Math 16B (3) or 17B (4) or 21B (4)
Biological Sciences 2A (5)
Chem 2C or 2CH (5)
Math 16C (3) or 17C (4) or 21C (4)
Biological Sciences 2B or 2C (5)
Sophomore Physics 7A (4) or 9A (5)
Chem 118A (4)
Physics 7B (4) or 9B (5)
Chem 118B (4)
Statistics 100 (4)
Physics 7C (4) or 9C (5)
Chem 118C (4)
Biological Sciences 102 (3)
Junior Chem 107A (3)
Chem 124A (3)
Chem 131 (3)
Biological Sciences 103 (3)
Chem 107B (3)
Neurobio Physiol & Behavior 100 (4)
Biotechnology 171 (3)
Neurobio Physiol & Behavior 101 (4)
Microbiology 102 (4)
Senior Plant Biology 126 (3)
Chem 199
Chem 130A (3)
Environ Tox 103A (4) Chemistry 199
Chem 135 (3)
Chem 130B (3)
Chem 150 (3)
Chemistry 199

The sample schedule has required courses generally taken as early in the program as possible in order to permit the greatest flexibility in choosing electives and to allow qualified students to elect a full year of undergraduate research, CHE 194H or 199, in their senior year. Elective courses are shown in italics.

There are offset sequences of Chemistry 2ABC, Mathematics 16ABC, 17ABC, and 21ABC, and Physics 7ABC and 9ABC that start in different quarters than shown above. For the upper division courses, an offset sequence of Chemistry 118ABC starts in Winter.

It is recommended to begin mathematics preparation no later than the second quarter of the first year, and physics preparation no later than the first quarter of the second year. Mathematics 21A-21B-21C is recommended as the best preparation for the Chemistry 107 or 110 sequence.