Offers students who wish to work in the geosciences or environmental science and engineering fields, including on the land, in freshwater, or the oceans, an opportunity to understand the geochemical principles that shape the natural and managed environment. Seeks to provide a context for understanding the natural elemental cycles and environmental problems through studies in atmospheric, terrestrial, freshwater, and marine geochemistry.

Traces the development of chemical thermodynamics through the three major laws of thermodymamics. These are applied to thermochemistry, chemical reaction and phase equilibria, and the physical behavior of multicomponent systems. Emphasizes quantitative interpretation of physical measurements.

Offers students majoring in chemistry an opportunity to apply the principles gained in two semesters of organic chemistry and chemical biology to a relevant disciplinary context. The discovery, design, and development of biologically active compounds for medical purposes uses knowledge and techniques gained in both organic synthesis and chemical biology. It directs those skills to incorporate specific chemical features into organic compounds to meet biological criteria. As such, it seeks to develop problem-solving skills that are valuable across a range of chemical disciplines and not confined to synthetic organic chemistry alone.