This information is part of the Colgate University catalog, 2022-23.
Adviser M.E. Parks
Students taking courses in chemistry, mathematics, and physics who do not wish to major in only one of them should consider a physical science interdisciplinary major.
Major Requirements
Students who receive Colgate credit, either through advanced placement or through transfer credit, for any courses that would normally count toward the major are allowed to apply that credit toward the major.
Students who place into a higher-level course without receiving credit for the introductory course will be required to take another course in order to bring the total number of courses taken in the major to thirteen. The alternative course need not be in the same department as the one exempted, but it must be at the 200, 300, or 400 level. CHEM 101 and CHEM 102 may be replaced by CHEM 111 without requiring an additional course.
The major consists of thirteen courses divided among the three subjects (chemistry, math, and physics) as follows:
Required Courses
Because these eight courses are pre-requisites for the additional courses below, it is recommended that students complete these by the end of the sophomore year.
- CHEM 101 - General Chemistry I
- CHEM 102 - General Chemistry II
- MATH 161 - Calculus I
- MATH 162 - Calculus II
- MATH 163 - Calculus III
- PHYS 131 - Atoms and Waves
- PHYS 232 - Introduction to Mechanics
- PHYS 233 - Introduction to Electricity and Magnetism
Additional Courses
Students also complete five more courses, which must be approved by the major adviser:
- One must be a chemistry course
- One must be a physics course
- Three must be at the 300 level or higher
Natural Sciences and Mathematics Division
For more information about the division, please visit the Natural Sciences and Mathematics division catalog page.