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March 2001
Lois Widmer
From the Brandeis University Bulletin, 2000 - 2001:
Undergraduate Concentration
The chemistry concentration offers a broad training in modern chemistry, covering the major subfields--biochemistry, inorganic, organic, and physical--and at the same time allowing students to pursue their special interest(s). Chemistry is the central science and chemistry concentration provides a solid preparation (A) for professional work in chemistry and allied fields, (B) for study at the graduate level, in chemistry and in other related fields (biochemistry, environmental science, pharmacology,polymer science, etc.), (C) for professional schools (e.g., medicine, dentistry), and (D) for developing an understanding of the technological and scientific issues challenging our society today--useful professionally in law and business, as well as in everyday life. Chemistry concentrators are given the opportunity to develop extensive, practical experience, through laboratory courses using both macro- and microscale techniques. Chemistry concentrators are encouraged to participate in independent research, which is a very important part of a scientific education.
Graduate Program in Chemistry
The graduate program in chemistry, leading to the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees, includes course work, seminar participation, and research, and is designed to lead to a broad understanding of the subject. Entering students may be admitted to either the master's or the doctoral program. The Ph.D. is offered with specializations in inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry, and chemical physics. All students will be required to demonstrate knowledge in advanced areas of inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry. The doctoral program is designed to be flexible so that individual programs of study may be devised to satisfy the particular interests and needs of each student. In each case this program will be decided by joint consultation between the student, the Graduate Studies Committee, and the thesis supervisor, when selected. The doctoral program will normally include a basic set of courses in the student's own area of interest, to be supplemented by advanced courses in chemistry and, where appropriate, biochemistry, biology, mathematics, and physics.
Ph.D. in Chemistry with Specialization in Chemical Physics
The graduate program in chemical physics is an interdisciplinary specialization designed to meet the needs of students who wish to prepare themselves for the study of scientific problems using the methods and theories of modern physics and physical chemistry. This objective is attained by (A) formal course work in chemistry, physics and, possibly, mathematics; (B) participation in relevant graduate seminars; (C) a program of supervised research involving chemical physics; and (D) independent study. The program is designed to be flexible in providing individual programs of study to satisfy the particular interests and needs of each student. Final programs of study and research will be arrived at by the student, the student's research supervisor, and the Chemical Physics Committee. Only candidates for the Ph.D. degree will be accepted. A master's degree is not offered, but students who satisfy the appropriate requirements will be eligible for the M.S. degree in chemistry.
Graduate Program in Bioorganic Chemistry
The interdepartmental graduate program in bioorganic chemistry, leading to the degree of doctor of philosophy, is designed to give students a broad background in organic chemistry and in biochemistry, and to provide an appreciation for, and expertise in, the multiple disciplines that are currently being applied to problems at the interface of organic chemistry and biology. The program combines research opportunities in organic synthesis, organic reaction mechanisms, enzyme structure and function, molecular recognition, and structure determination of peptides and nucleic acids by X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy.
The collection is designed to support the research and instructional needs of the Chemistry Department's undergraduate and graduate programs.
Materials from the major scholarly societies, particularly the American Chemical Society and the Royal Society of Chemistry, should be collected whenever they fall within the scope of the collection.
Increasing emphasis on inter-disciplinary instruction in environmental chemistry and forensic chemistry for undergraduates within the Department make collection of these types of materials important.
The Boston Library Consortium (BLC) is a valuable resource for those needing access to items outside of the Gerstenzang Science Library collection. Since 1993, the Science Library has been an active participant in the efforts of the BLC Chemistry Special Interest Group to identify and protect core chemistry journals. More recently, the Boston Library Consortium has served as an effective medium for the purchase of selected electronic journals and online databases, providing consortial discounts and the added negotiating strength of a group in defining license terms.
Not applicable.
The sole emphasis of this collection is on active research. So, historical literature should be acquired only if it directly supports current research areas. Materials on the history of chemistry from any period other than the present will be more suited to the History of Science collection, housed in the Goldfarb Library.
Emphasis is placed on the collection of current imprints, with limited selection of retrospective materials.
English is the primary language of the collection. Essential materials in German, French, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, or Chinese will be considered, with German being of greater likelihood for selection.
Chemistry resources are concentrated in serial and periodical titles, including indexes and abstracting titles. Secondary emphasis is on monographs and advanced level texts. Conference proceedings and technical reports are acquired selectively. Dissertations and preprints are excluded. Textbooks will only be acquired as needed to support the Science Library Reserves collection. Government documents, especially those produced by the National Bureau of Standards, are received through our participation in the Federal Depository Library Program.
With the exception of monographic materials, preference is given to acquisition of resources in electronic format. Mitigating factors would include price, quality of the interface, and constraints of the licensing arrangements.
Key reference tools, including data compilations and spectral collections, are to be acquired and shelved in the Science Library Reference Collection. In cases where an electronic version is available, selection of the electronic version is often to be preferred, but should be chosen with very careful attention to the quality of the interface and the accessibility of the information.
Science Library Stacks and Science Library Reference Collection
None Specified
The indicated level applies to all sub-topics within a given category, except as noted.
| Subject Area | Collecting Level | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Analytical Chemistry | 2 (Basic) | ||
| Spectroscopy (particlarly IR, NMR) | 3 (Instructional) | ||
| Biological Chemistry (see also Biochemistry) | 4 (Research) | ||
| Essential Oils | 2+ (Instructional) | ||
| Dyes | 2 (Basic) | ||
| Gums and Resins | 2 (Basic) | ||
| Computational Chemistry | 2+ (Basic) | ||
| Environmental Chemistry | 2 (Basic) | ||
| Forensic Chemistry | 2 (Basic) | ||
| Inorganic Chemistry | 3 (Instructional) | ||
| Synthesis | 4 (Research) | ||
| Organic Chemistry | 4 (Research) | ||
| Polymer Chemistry | 2 (Basic) | ||
| Physical and Theoretical Chemistry | 3 (Instructional) | ||
| Atmospheric Chemistry | 2 (Basic) | ||
| Atomic-Molecular Structure | 3+(Research) | ||
| Atomic-Molecular Theory | 3+ (Research) | ||
| Excited States of Molecules | 3+ (Instructional) | ||
| Geochemistry | 1 (Minimal) | ||
| Kinetics | 3+ (Research) | ||
| Supramolecular Chemistry | 2 (Basic) | ||
| X-Ray Crystallography | 3 (Instructional) | ||
| Protein | 4 (Research) | ||