Fostering the Investigation of Matter
The Chemistry Department at City College of San Francisco serves a diverse group of academic interests. Students majoring in the natural and physical sciences (such as chemistry, biology, physics, or engineering), with a plan to transfer, follow a pathway through general chemistry and organic chemistry.
A separate track is offered for nursing and allied health students through a medical chemistry course that covers general, organic, and biochemistry in one semester. The Chemistry Department also has a strong commitment to the student with little or no background in chemistry, offering an introductory chemistry course that prepares them for higher-level courses and satisfies transfer requirements.
The department also has a strong emphasis on laboratory skills. In the more advanced classes, students utilize a wide variety of instrumentation, such as FTIR, NMR, GC-MS, and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy.
We look forward to helping you meet your academic and career goals!
Chemistry Program
The Certificate of Achievement in Chemistry will prepare you for transfer to a Bachelor of Science in chemistry program at a four-year college and to take upper-division chemistry coursework, enter the chemistry workforce, or pursue opportunities where chemistry plays a role.
More About the Chemistry Program
Frequently Asked Questions
Chemistry requires a significant amount of study and practice. Satisfactory completion of the course prerequisites is very important. Plan to reserve at least fifteen to twenty hours (outside of class time) for studying and completing assigned work.
Prior to the start of the semester, waitlists are maintained online through the course registration system. Please note that waitlists are established online only for the laboratory sections; lecture spaces are guaranteed for any student who is able to enroll in one of the linked laboratory sections. It is best to contact the instructor before the beginning of the semester to understand the expectations of the class. Once the semester starts, attend the first class meetings and talk with the instructor. If space is available, you may be able to add the course during the first three weeks (the add period) of the semester. See more information here.
To clear a prerequisite using courses taken at another college, you should submit the electronic Prerequisite Challenge Form, attaching your transcript from the other college, in order for the Chemistry Chairperson to assess your coursework.
No, satisfactory completion of the prerequisites is required! Please review the prerequisite requirements in the Course Catalog.
Introduction to Medical Chemistry (CHEM 32) will satisfy the chemistry prerequisite for Bio 112 and Bio 120, as well as admission to many nursing programs. However, be sure to check the specific requirements of the nursing program you plan to attend as requirements do vary.
Yes, labs are not offered separately at CCSF but, instead, are integrated with the course. Since the lab is part of the course and your course grade, you are required to take it.
Yes. General tutoring information can be found here. Information about free tutoring for a variety of disciplines, like Chemistry, can be found here. For course-specific supplemental instruction, students should contact their instructor in order to learn of any study group opportunities.
Always feel free to contact any of the chemistry faculty at City College of San Francisco. It is very important to know that you are registering for the correct course with regard to your major and to clearly understand the course prerequisites and content before registering.
