The Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Physics offers a five-year program that allows qualified students to attain a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and a Master of Science degree in science with a cosmetic science concentration.

Degree Plan

NOTE: All students are required to complete the General Education Requirements of their campus in fulfillment of their Bachelor degree requirements.

Semesters 1 and 2

Semesters 3 and 4

Semesters 5

Semester 6

  • CHEM3242 Physical Chemistry II Lecture
  • CHEM3244 Physical Chemistry II Laboratory

Semester 7

  • CHEM2211 Inorganic Chemistry Lecture
  • CHEM2221 Analytical Chemistry Lecture
  • CHEM2223 Analytical Chemistry Laboratory
  • Cosmetic Science Requirement

Semester 8

  • CHEM2314 Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory
  • CHEM4215 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry (or)
  • CHEM6773 Polymer Chemistry
  • CHEM4233 Instrumental Analysis Lecture
  • CHEM4234 Instrumental Analysis Laboratory
  • CHEM4401 Chemistry Seminar
  • Cosmetic Science Requirement
  • Cosmetic Science Elective

9th Semester

  • Cosmetic Science Requirement (6 credits)
  • Cosmetic Science Elective (3 credits)
  • Graduate Elective (3 credits)

10th semester

  • Cosmetic Science Requirement (6 credits)
  • COSC6548 Cosmetic Science Lab
  • Graduate Elective (3 credits)

Cognate Requirements

Semesters 1 and 2

Semesters 3 and 4

Major Requirements:

Major Electives: Take 1-8 credits of CHEM or BIOL.  Please see an advisor for a list of courses
Advance Mathematics Course: select one course, three credits, from the following:
  • MATH2203        Calculus III
  • MATH2337        Applied Statistics
Free Electives: May be chosen from any courses offered at the University after consultation with an advisor.
Graduate Courses for BS and MS degree: Students should consult with their advisors for course selections and new course offerings.
Required Courses: Twenty additional credits from the following
  • COSC6547     Skin Care Raw Materials & Formulations
  • COSC6543     Hair Care Raw Materials & Formulations
  • COSC6548     Cosmetic Science Laboratory
  • PHYS6753      Applied Colloid & Surface Science
  • CHEM6526     Product Development
  • CHEM6529     Microtoxicity and Biochemistry
  • COSC6756     Dermal Pharmacology & Immunology
Cosmetic Science Electives (6 credits)
Graduate Electives (6 credits):
  • Includes graduate courses in Chemistry, Biology, Marketing, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Management, Communication, or Cosmetic Science.

A minimum of 120 credits is required for the BS degree, and a minimum of an additional 23 credits for the MS degree, for a total of 143 credits for the combined degree.

Course Descriptions

  • BIOL6728 Studies relating implications of biotechnological and biomedical innovations, individual perception of issues, and the universal policies influencing the state of living species.

  • CHEM1201 The fundamental laws, theories and principles of chemistry, with emphasis on atomic structure, chemical bonding, periodic classification of the elements, solutions, equilibrium, reaction kinetics and the theory and practice of the qualitative chemistry of the common ions.

  • CHEM1202 Fundamental principles of chemistry, with emphasis on atomic and molecular structure, physical, chemical and periodic properties, stoichiometry, energetics, kinetics and equilibria of reactions, and descriptive chemistry of elements, including theory of qualitative analysis of common ions.

  • CHEM1203 Practical applications of the fundamental laws, theories and principles of chemistry through problem solving and laboratory experiments.

  • CHEM1204 Laboratory experiments emphasizing representative physical and chemical properties, synthetic and analytical techniques, and including an introduction to the qualitative analysis of the common ions.

  • CHEM2211 Principles of atomic and molecular structure, stereochemistry, periodicity and boding, with emphasis on the main group elements and their descriptive chemistry. Also covers topics such as hydrogen bonding, acid-based chemistry, inorganic polymers, geochemistry and metallic bonding.

  • CHEM2221 Principles of modern quantitative methods in chemistry, including the study of chemical equilibria, reaction kinetics, acidity and complex formation. The laboratory work involves practical applications of inorganic and organic biochemical analysis using volumetric, gravimetric, chromatographic and instrumental techniques.

  • CHEM2223 Lab: associated with CHEM 2221 - Analytical Chemistry

  • CHEM2261 Structure and chemical properties of aliphatic and aromatic compounds of carbon, with emphasis on electronic theory, mechanisms of reaction and principles of synthesis.

  • CHEM2262 Structure and chemical properties of aliphatic and aromatic compounds of carbon, with emphasis on electronic theory, mechanisms of reaction and principles of synthesis.

  • CHEM2263 A laboratory course taken concurrently with CHEM 2261- Organic Chemistry I, which illustrates important principles of structure and reactivity, synthesis and analysis and structure determination of organic compounds.

  • CHEM2264 A laboratory course taken simultaneously with CHEM 2262 Organic Chemistry II that illustrates important principles of structure and reactivity, synthesis and analysis and structure determination of organic compounds.

  • CHEM2314 Lab associated with Inorganic Chemistry II

  • CHEM3241 The principles of physical chemistry from the molecular and microscopic aspects, kinetic theory, quantum mechanics, spectroscopic studies and statistical concepts, thermodynamics, chemical phase equilibria, electrolytes and electrochemistry.

  • CHEM3242 The principles of physical chemistry from the molecular and microscopic aspects; kinetic theory, quantum mechanics, spectroscopic studies and statistical concepts; thermodynamics, chemical phase equilibria, electrolytes and electrochemistry.

  • CHEM3243 Laboratory experiments demonstrating fundamental laws, concepts and mathematically derived relationships involving selected physico-chemical properties of matter and energy.

  • CHEM3244 Laboratory experiments demonstrating fundamental laws, concepts and mathematically derived relationships involving selected physico-chemical properties of matter and energy.

  • CHEM3281 Chemistry of substances of biological significance, with particular emphasis on proteins, enzymes, nucleic acids, sugars, lipids, hormones and vitamins.

  • CHEM3389 The preparation, separation and identification of biochemicals using modern extractive, chromato- graphic and spectroscopic techniques. Corequisite: CHEM 3281 - Biochemistry I.

  • CHEM4215 Advanced bonding theories, structures, stereochemistry and reaction mechanisms with emphasis on transition metal coordination and sigma and pi bonded organometallic compounds. Also covers topics such as nonaqueous solutions, catalysis, descriptive chemistry of the transitional metals, solid state chemistry and bioinorganic chemistry.

  • CHEM4233 Theory and applications of absorption, emission and inter- pretive spectroscopy, electrochemistry and chromatography to problems of chemical analysis. Introduction to interfacing, data acquisition and data manipulations.

  • CHEM4234 Practical laboratory experiments in absorption, emission and interpretative spectroscopy electroanalytical methods, chromatography and elementary interfacing.

  • CHEM4401 Chemical literature is reviewed through lectures, library assignments and student seminars. Graduating seniors are required to take a non-graded assessment test.

  • CHEM6526 Principles of Research and Development of new products from ideation to market distribution. An overview of the product development process from the perspective of the cosmetic chemist, from project inception through manufacturing.

  • CHEM6529 Relationships between microorganisms, toxicity and cosmetic pro- ducts. The application of principles of biochemistry and toxi- cology in relation to, and impact on, both microorganisms and human metabolism.

  • CHEM6546 The history, raw materials, development and marketing of fragrances. Integrated lecture and laboratory.

  • CHEM6773 Polymerization of vinyl monomers by free radical, cationic and anionic mechanisms; polymerization kinetics; copolymerization; stereospeciific polymerization; condensation of polymerization; chemistry and properties of vinyl, diene and condensation poly- mers and rubbers; natural and inorganic polymers.

  • CHEM6781 Chemistry of substances of biological significance, structures and mechanisms of hydrolytic and respiratory enzymes, biosystheses of proteins, bio-oxidations and molecular structures of complex molecules.

  • COSC6542 Discussion of claim types including efficacy, safety, and consumer with construction of solid claims support packages through the knowledge of basic skin physiology, noninvasive bioinstrumentation, proper claims support study design, and SOP's for claims substantiation (EEMCO guidelines).

  • COSC6543 Surfacants, proteins, polymers, preservatives, toxicology, performance, theoretical concepts, preparation methods and analytical procedures for shampoos and conditioners, including fixatives, test methods, safety and stability.

  • COSC6547 Structure, function, use chemistry and application of emulsifiers, emollients, silicones, thickeners, colorants, chelators, preservatives, and other ingredients in skin care product.

  • COSC6548 Hands-on experience creating and evaluating hair and skin products. Emulsions including creams and lotions; surfactant systems including shampoos and gels.

  • COSC6549 Worldwide cosmetic color regulations, formulations including fillers, conventional colorants, and speciality pigments, as well as the manufacture of all types of makeup products.

  • COSC6756 Skin structure, function, and immunology and their impact on the application and efficacy of cosmetic products. Pharmacological principles such as pharmacokinetics are reviewed. The importance of skin safety testing.

  • MATH1201 Slope, equations of lines, slope of a curve, rate of change of a function, derivatives of algebraic and transcendental functions, maxima and minima, the Mean Value Theorem, indeterminate forms,the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, basic techniques of integration.

  • MATH2202 Differentiation and integration of transcendental functions, methods of integration, indeterminate forms, infinite series. Taylor series. Conic sections.

  • MATH2203 Lines and planes in 3-space. Vectors, functions of several variables, partial derivatives, multiple integrals, line integrals, vector analysis.

  • MATH2337 An introductory course covering both probability and statistics, intended primarily for undergraduate biology students. It includes a section on design of experiments as well as the usual tests of hypotheses, estimation, regression, etc. Mathematics and computer science majors receive no credit for this course.

  • PHYS2201 Applications of PHYS2101 General Physics I. Experiments from mechanics, heat, sound and fluids. Measurement and data analysis.

  • PHYS2202 Applications of PHYS2102 General Physics II. Experiments from electricity, magnetism, circuits, waves, optics, light, modern physics. Measurement and data analysis.

  • PHYS2203 The first half of a two-semester calculus based physics course for science and engineering majors. Topics normally covered include: units and dimensions, forces and motion in one and two dimensions, vectors, momentum and center of mass, work, kinetic energy and the work-energy theorem, potential energy and the conservation of energy, rotation and moment of inertia, torque and angular momentum, gravitation, oscillations, elasticity, fluids, heat, kinetic theory of gases, thermodynamics. Co-requisite: Physics Laboratory I and Calculus I. Lecture: 3 credits, 4 hours.

  • PHYS2204 The second half of a two-semester, calculus based physics course. Topics normally covered include: waves and sound, geometrical and physical optics, electrical forces and fields, electric potential, current and resistance, circuits, capacitance, magnetic forces and fields, force on a moving charge, magnetic field of a current, electromagnetic induction, electromagnetic oscillations and waves, alternating currents, special relativity, quantization and modern physics. Prerequisite: University Physics I Corequisite: Physics Laboratory II Recommended: Calculus II. Lecture 3 credits, 4 hours.

  • PHYS6753 The technical aspects of emulsions, solubilized systems, foams, and dispersions. Structure and dynamics of complex systems. Polyphase equilibrium phase transitions, and kinetic distributions. The physics of interfaces and effects of surface structure. Principles of colloid science along with practical procedures as applied in cosmetic formulations including examples.