Organic Chemistry I w/ Lab
The first semester of a full year of organic chemistry — hydrocarbons, syntheses, mechanisms, and the lab techniques real chemists use.
Course Description
CHM 235 is the first-semester course for students who need a full year of organic chemistry — biology majors, pre-med students, and anyone pursuing a career path that assumes organic chem under their belt. The course works through the chemistry of saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons and their derivatives, with attention to syntheses, nomenclature, reactions, mechanisms, stereochemistry, and applications.
The lab is where the discipline lives. Students practice the techniques associated with the synthesis, isolation, purification, and identification of organic compounds — physical properties, infrared spectroscopy, and NMR spectral analyses. Lab fee required.
Taught By
Offered 2026-2027: Fall Traditional.
Prerequisites
Corequisites
- CHM 235L: Organic Chemistry I Lab
Learning Outcomes
Master Organic Nomenclature
Name and identify organic compounds confidently across functional groups.
Work With Hydrocarbons and Derivatives
Study saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons and their major derivative classes.
Apply Reaction Mechanisms
Trace how organic reactions actually proceed at the molecular level.
Understand Stereochemistry
Work with the three-dimensional structure of organic molecules and its consequences.
Use Spectroscopic Tools
Interpret IR and NMR spectra to identify organic compounds.
Biblical Worldview Connection
A Biblical Worldview treats the precision and consistency of organic chemistry — the same reactions happening reliably in lab after lab — as careful attention to a created order. CHM 235 develops the chemical literacy that organic chemistry, biochemistry, and the life sciences depend on.
Explore Programs With This Course
CHM 235 begins the organic chemistry sequence that pre-health and biology students depend on. Explore the programs that include it.
