Courses for your Chemistry degree

First-year courses and beyond

Programs/majors in the Faculty of Science start right in first year. To select your program with confidence, here’s some handy info to get you started.

September to December

CHEM 121/121L – Physical and Chemical Properties of Matter/Laboratory
MATH 127 – Calculus 1 for the Sciences
ENGL 193/COMMST 193 – Communication in the Sciences
One elective

Plus one course from

PHYS 111/111L – Physics 1/Laboratory
PHYS 121/121L – Mechanics/Laboratory

January to April

CHEM 125/125L – Chemical Reactions, Equilibria and Kinetics/Laboratory
CHEM 140 – Introduction to Scientific Calculations
MATH 128 – Calculus 2 for the Sciences
One elective

Plus one course from

PHYS 112/112L – Physics 2/Laboratory
PHYS 122/122L – Waves, Electricity and Magnetism/Laboratory

This a sample schedule. Courses or when a course is offered may change depending on availability.

After first year

Most of the classes you’ll take will be Chemistry courses. With your remaining classes, you can choose electives from many of the 100 subject areas at Waterloo.

View a list of all the courses required for your degree.

Sample upper-year courses

CHEM 381 – Bioorganic Chemistry
CHEM 357 – Physical Biochemistry
CHEM 340 – Introductory Computational Chemistry
CHEM 356 – Introductory Quantum Mechanics

Types of courses you'll take

59% Chemistry courses, 27% electives, 7% math, 5% physics, 2% communications courses This is a general guideline. The ratio of courses may change slightly from year to year.

Skills you'll develop with this major

Technical laboratory skills, including designing experiments and manipulating DNA
Critical thinking
Data analysis
Teamwork
Time management

This isn't an exhaustive list – rather a glimpse into the skills a Chemistry major can provide.

Your experience will be unique, and the skills you develop will depend on your goals; which courses you take; and your involvement with any clubs, jobs, or research projects.

Advisors are here to help

With so much flexibility, you might have a lot of questions. We're here to help! If you're applying for admission, contact our Faculty of Science recruitment co-ordinator.

Once you're a Waterloo student, you'll have access to academic advisors who can help you