CHEMISTRY - Frequently Asked Questions

Chemistry Course FAQ

How do I register for a Chemistry course?

For matriculated students in a program, please see your academic department or the registrar.

For non-matriculated students (those coming from outside of Farmingdale), you will need to complete an application. Please visit the Non-Matriculated Student Application to apply.

When can I register for the Chemistry courses?

For matriculated students in a program, check with your adviser for your registration window. Registration for Fall often begins in mid-March and registration for both Spring and Summer begin in late-October.

For non-matriculated students, registration is later. Fall registration begins in early August and Spring and Summer registration begin in January. Please check with the Registrar's office for the exact dates.

And register early! Our classes tend to fill quickly.

What do I need to bring to register?

Please bring you student ID and a copy (official or unofficial) of your transcripts, including both College and High School, so that we can verify prerequisite completion.

Even students in programs please try to have these available. Often the transcripts you submit are backlogged for scanning and may not be in the system yet.

Which General Chemistry do I need?

For students looking for Nursing or Dental Hygiene, you may need only high-school chemistry. If you do not have this, you can take CHM 124 Principles of Chemistry as a substitute.

For those who are going into health and science programs such as biology or medical laboratory technologies, you may need to take CHM 152 General Chemistry Principles I.

Please note that if you intend to enroll in CHM 152 you must also have completed high-school chemistry or CHM 124 first.

What math is required to take chemistry?

For CHM 124, you need the first year of high-school algebra (Integrated Algebra).

For CHM 152, you need a second year of high-school algebra (Algebra 2), or MTH 116.

If you need assistance with placement, please see the Admissions office for placement evaluation / testing.

What is the difference between CHM 260 and CHM 270/271?

Both of these are science majors level organic chemistry courses, but cover a different depth of material. CHM 270 / 271 is the standard two-semester course that most science majors take; anyone intending on going to professional schools, such as medical or dental, need to take this course.

CHM 260 is a one-semester comprehensive course covering the fundamentals of organic chemistry. This is useful for many health science fields (physician assistant, medical laboratory technician, etc.) that only need a brief coverage of organic chemistry.

Most four-year colleges only offer the two-semester organic and may not accept the one-semester course. Some physician assistant schools also may not recognize the one-semester course. Please check with your college.

Why does CHM 380 require either CHM 271 or CHM 260?

The answer is a matter of material coverage. The topics most important for CHM 380 (carbonyl chemistry & amines) are not covered in CHM 270 but are covered in CHM 271. CHM 260 covers all of the topics in one semester.

Do I have to have the prerequisites for the course?

Yes. Because the material in our courses depend on the material taught in previous courses, we must rigorously enforce our prerequisites. All students need to show evidence of completing these prerequisites before enrolling.

For a graphic summary of prerequisites, please refer to our Prerequisite Tree

All of the sections are full. Can I be overloaded into a section?

No. Due to laboratory sizes, we cannot overload any sections, lecture or labs.

I only need to enroll in the lecture / laboratory. Can I sign up for just this part?

No, our lectures and laboratory sections come as a set. You cannot receive a grade in lecture unless you have one in a lab on campus.

Before I take a course, my school would like to see if your course is equivalent. Can I have a copy of the syllabus?

The best information for this is given in our Course Outlines. Just navigate to this page and click on the title of the course you are interested in. The outline will come up as a PDF that you can save and either print or send to your school.

Do you offer a Chemistry minor?

Yes. This is restricted to baccalaureate students who are enrolled in a program at Farmingdale. Residence and grade requirements pertain. Please go to the Chemistry Minor page to find out more.

Still could use some help? Email us and we will get back to you shortly.

Last Modified 1/5/23