The Environmental Chemistry Major is a limited enrolment program focusing on development of fundamental skills in instrumental and mechanistic chemical analysis that are required to understand the sources, fate and impacts of both organic and inorganic contaminants in soil, water, air, and biological tissues.
The important Environmental Chemistry Major program objectives are as follows:
- to provide a program with a solid foundation in chemistry and mathematics that (i) includes specialized courses in environmental and analytical chemistry; (ii) affords flexibility for students to select additional courses in areas of study of most interest to them; and (iii) provides very solid preparation for graduate-level studies in different aspects of environmental chemistry, and/or for careers in a wide range of environmental-related professional fields.
- to introduce students to the chemistry of environmental change, through studying fundamental chemical processes of the Earth’s natural environment and changes induced by human activity.
- to teach R programming and data analysis, and to administer related computational assignments across a sequence of three environmental chemistry courses.
- to give second-year students opportunities for hands-on learning through laboratory work in analytical and organic chemistry.
- to provide upper-year students with access to advanced laboratory activities and development of communication skills through a choice of courses in analytical, physical, inorganic, organic and biological chemistry.
- to teach upper-year students about the environmental fate and toxicity of organic contaminants, and topics in atmospheric chemistry.
- to mount a capstone experience where students obtain laboratory data that is used to make real-world decisions in environmental chemistry, and to make oral and written presentations of their findings.
The Environmental Chemistry Major will be a program of interest to students who have successfully completed first-year mathematics and chemistry courses ((CHM 135H and CHM 136H)/CHM 151Y) and are planning to enroll in a Major program that is housed in another academic unit, including the School of the Environment. Students enrolled in the Environmental Chemistry Major program are eligible to complete the departmental Focus in Green Chemistry and/or the Focus in Practical Chemical Analysis if the appropriate courses are taken.
Consult:
Professor J. Murphy, Environmental Chemistry
Enrolment Requirements:
This is a limited enrolment program. Students must have completed 4.0 credits and meet the requirements listed below to enrol. Minimum grades in required courses or their equivalents are needed for entry, and these minimums change each year depending on available spaces and the number of applicants. The following courses must be completed:
(CHM135H1, CHM136H1)/ CHM151Y1)
To ensure that students admitted to the program will be successful, applicants with a final grade lower than 63% in any of the required courses will not be considered for admission. Please note that obtaining the minimum final grades does not guarantee admission to the program.
Completion Requirements:
(8.0 credits)
First Year:
1. ( CHM135H1, CHM136H1)/ CHM151Y1
2. ( MAT135H1, MAT136H1)/ MAT137Y1/ MAT157Y1
Second Year:
3. CHM210H1, CHM217H1
4. ( CHM249H1 strongly recommended)/ CHM247H1
( CHM220H1/ CHM222H1 is strongly recommended.)
Third Year:
5. CHM310H1
6. At least 1.0 credit from: CHM317H1, CHM327H1, CHM338H1, CHM343H1, CHM348H1, CHM379H1
Fourth Year:
7. CHM410H1 and CHM415H1
8. Additional 200/300/400-level CHM courses to a total of 7.0 CHM credits ( CHM299H1, CHM299Y1, CHM396Y0, CHM397H0, CHM398H0, CHM398Y0, CHM399H1, CHM399Y1 excluded)
This page was updated on August 26, 2025. Please consult the Arts & Science Academic Calender for the most up-to-date program requirements.