Chemistry
Welcome to the University of San Francisco. My name is Prof. Herman Nikolayevskiy. I am here today to help you select your classes for the semester.

A student typically registers for 4 classes per semester, which turns out to be 16-18 units. 

First-year chemistry majors typically register for the following:
General Chemistry Lecture and Lab
Pre-Calculus or Calculus
Rhetoric and Composition, Gen Bio or Foreign Language or FYS or something else!

First year chemistry majors typically sign up for General Chemistry 111 (3 units) and a concurrent lab section of Chem 112 (1 unit). These classes have to be taken at the same time.  All students who want to enroll in General Chemistry (CHEM 111 General Chemistry I), and General Chemistry I lab (CHEM 112), must first take the Chemistry Diagnostic Test.
This diagnostic test has been designed to help you assess your preparedness for CHEM 111. Based on your score on the test, we will recommend resources to help support your success in CHEM 111.

Lower scoring students are strongly advised to take the free asynchronous Chemistry Preparation course and then retake the Chemistry Diagnostic test. The link for the test and course is on the New Student Registration website.
 
For your second course, you should register for Math 109, Calculus and Analytic Geometry I. You may only register for this class by obtaining 15 or above for the online USF calculus readiness test, PLUS your SAT Math must be 600 or above, or your ACT Math must be 25 or above.

If you are a transfer student, and you have already completed Math 109, you should register for Math 110, Calculus and Analytic Geometry II.

If you are not eligible to take Math 109, you should take Math 108, Pre-calculus.

Here are some options for your remaining classes.

You can consider registering for a composition course. Developing good writing and speaking skills is essential to your success in the classes you will take at USF.  Make sure to complete the directed self placement to determine which rhetoric and composition course to take. 

If you are planning to major in chemistry with a concentration in biochemistry, you should enroll in General Biology 105 or 106.

You can enroll in a first-year seminar or a transfer year seminar. As a class with only a small number of students, these seminars serve as a great introduction to the academic environment at USF. In addition, the seminars can be applied to one of the Core requirements.

As a science major, you need to take two semesters of foreign language. If you already have some familiarity with a language, you should take the foreign language placement test. It will indicate whether you should start at the first or second semester of a language. If you place into the third semester, you have already fulfilled your language requirement.

You can enroll in Public Speaking which is an important course to take early in your college career.  This course fulfills your Core A1 Public Speaking requirement.  

Or, you can choose any other core course such as Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies, Ethics, or Visual and Performing Arts.

Once you have selected your classes, your schedule should resemble something like this:
CHEM 111 Gen. Chem I
CHEM 112 Gen. Chem lab
RHET 110 Written Communication I
First Year Seminar

Or this for transfer students:
CHEM 111 Gen. Chem I
CHEM 112 Gen. Chem lab
RHET 250 Academic Writing at USF
Transfer Year Seminar

If you are a transfer student, you may have completed some of these courses. It is important for you to review your degree evaluation to determine which courses you need to complete.

Spend some time navigating the Schedule of Classes to familiarize yourself with the layout of the website. Look for courses that you would like to register for, including specific sections.  Spend some time doing this to find a schedule that works for you. You should also keep a backup list in case some classes are closed.
 
If you have any questions, please contact us.
415.422.6157
chemistry@usfca.edu
 
We look forward to meeting you during Orientation. During Orientation, we will review the major requirements and you will have the opportunity to meet faculty and fellow students.

Welcome to USF!