Chemistry Placement
Do You Need to Take the Chemistry Placement Tool?
If you’re interested in the sciences and considering majoring in Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology (BBMB), Brain, Behavior and Cognition (BB&C/Neuroscience), Chemistry, Geology or pursuing a health career, you must log into your Whitman account and take the Chemistry Placement Tool (CPT).
Placement recommendations will be immediately emailed to you after completing the CPT. The Registrar’s Office will also receive a copy of your results and will need to upload them into your student profile. After your placement has been processed, the Chemistry Department will reach out to you individually to discuss the course(s) that are most suitable for you.
Please note: You will not be able to register for classes until after your results has been processed in the Registrar’s Office.
Please plan to take the CPT by July 15 to avoid delays in advising and registration.
Chemistry Credit & Tracks
If you have AP or IB chemistry credit, you are still required to take the CPT. If you received a score of 4 or 5 on the AP Chemistry exam or a score of 5, 6 or 7 on the IB Chemistry exam, you will receive three credits of general chemistry (CHEM 125) after Whitman College receives your exam report. You cannot earn credit toward the CHEM 135 lab.
Note: CHEM 125 (lecture) and CHEM 135 (lab) are required regardless of whether or not you took high school chemistry.
The Chemistry Program has three tracks of Introductory Chemistry. Each track depends on your individual interest and the other courses taken.
Track 1 and Track 2 are for students who are considering a major in Biology, BBMB (Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology), BB&C (Brain, Behavior, and Cognition), Chemistry, Geology or pursuing a health career. The chemistry placement tool is required for all students interested in either Track 1 or 2.
Note: One semester of an introductory course with lab from either Track 1 or 2 is recommended for students considering a Geology major. (See details about the tracks below.)
Track 3 is for students who are considering a major outside of the sciences.
Course Placement
Track 1: This is a yearlong sequence of introductory general chemistry for all science majors, with the exception of geology (see note above). Introductory courses review foundational knowledge covered in a typical high school chemistry course but in more depth and introduce advanced concepts required for students majoring in many science disciplines.
- CHEM 111- Problem-Solving in Chemistry. This class is a co-requisite for CHEM 125, depending on your placement score.
- CHEM 125 and 126 - General Chemistry I and II
- CHEM 135 and 136 - General Chemistry Lab I and II
Track 2: Advanced general chemistry with lab (CHEM 140) is an accelerated one-semester course that covers introductory general chemistry concepts in greater detail and at a faster pace while building on the background material learned in high school. This course also introduces advanced topics that are not covered in our regular general chemistry sequence in Track 1.
- CHEM 140 - Advanced General Chemistry Lecture and Lab
Track 3: These introductory courses, intended for students not majoring in the sciences and can fulfill the scientific inquiry and/or the quantitative analysis distribution requirements. They introduce chemistry concepts in the context of applied disciplines. You may take either course for credit, but not both.
- CHEM 100 - Introduction to Environmental Chemistry
- CHEM 102 - The Chemistry of Art
Questions?
Contact Associate Professor of Chemistry Mark Hendricks at hendrimp@whitman.edu or 509-527-5727, or Associate Professor of Chemistry Dalia Biswas at rohksad@whitman.edu or 509-527-5953.