Online chemistry overview
OSU Ecampus chemistry is best in class
Oregon State’s commitment to outstanding teaching, experiential learning and advising have set its online chemistry courses apart. OSU Ecampus now offers some of the highest quality online chemistry courses in the country. Read more »
Your pathway to degree completion and career development runs through Oregon State University’s Department of Chemistry, where interactive teaching techniques and opportunities to hone your professional skills are brought to life in a series of rigorous online courses and labs.
Delivered online by nationally ranked Oregon State Ecampus, these course and lab sequences for science, non-science and engineering majors are all developed and taught by world-class OSU, and they are delivered by chemistry faculty in a flexible online format that gives you the ability to keep moving forward. With chemistry courses offered online every term, including a variety of summer options, you can progress toward your degree quickly.
For questions about the chemistry course sequence, including admissions and curriculum information, please contact us at chemistry.ecampus@oregonstate.edu.
Complete chemistry course listing
Course number | Description |
---|---|
CH 110 | CH 110 - ROYGBIV: The Chemistry of Colors is an introduction to basic chemistry concepts and their importance in understanding the science behind color. Students will collect, analyze and draw defensible conclusions from experimental data on a variety of concepts. The concepts can also be applied to a variety of topics including, history, art, botany and cell biology. This class includes a mail order lab component (estimated cost: $112.50) that is shipped to the student. |
CH 121, 122, 123 | General Chemistry for non-science majors (online labs included)
General Chemistry for non-science majors is a sequence for students in a variety of the science and health-related fields. Students with majors in physical science, biological science, environmental sciences, health, exercise, nutrition, nursing and natural resources may require this sequence in their program of study. The full sequence consists of three quarter terms: CH 121, CH 122 and CH 123. |
CH 231, 232, 233 & CH 261, 262, 263 |
General Chemistry for science majors (optional in-person labs)
General Chemistry for science majors focuses on general chemistry concepts and is structured toward students majoring in most sciences, pharmacy, and chemical, biological and environmental engineering. CH 261, 262 and 263 are the corresponding labs for this online sequence. |
CH 201, 202 |
Chemistry for Engineering Majors |
CH 130 | General Chemistry of Living Systems (online labs included) CH 130 – General Chemistry of Living Systems (4). This one-term survey course provides an introduction to organic chemistry and the chemistry of biological systems. It fulfills requirements for many majors in the health professions. All components of the course, including the lab experience, are completed online. The course covers: acids and bases; alkanes; alkenes; alkynes; aromatic compounds; alcohols and ethers; amines and amides; aldehydes and ketones; carboxylic acids and esters; carbohydrates; lipids; amino acids and proteins; enzymes; biochemical energy; nucleic acids and protein synthesis. |
CH 140 | General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry (online labs included) CH 140 – General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry (6). Students who require only "one semester of chemistry with labs" should consider taking this class. This 6 quarter-credit class follows OSU's quarter schedule (10 weeks plus finals) and could transfer to a semester school as 4 semester credits. * Examples of majors requiring one semester of chemistry include: dental hygiene, dietetics, exercise science and some nursing programs. This class gives students a foundation in general chemistry and introduces important topics related to the chemistry of living systems. The lab component is included in the course and can be completed fully online. Topics include measurement, energy and matter, nuclear chemistry, bonding, gases, solutions, rates and equilibrium, acids and bases, organic compounds and reactions, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, enzymes, nucleic acids and protein synthesis, and metabolism. |
CH 331, 332 | Organic Chemistry
Organic Chemistry is an upper-level sequence for students in a variety of science and health-related fields including dentistry, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, chemical engineering, as well as students not majoring in chemistry who require these additional chemistry training courses in their program of study. Important note to pre-professional health students: the required organic chemistry lab, CH 337, is only available in person at the Corvallis or Bend campus. Some professional health schools do not allow online classes. Students are encouraged to contact the schools for their requirements. |
CH 390 | Environmental Chemistry
CH 390 – Environmental Chemistry (3). Sources, reactions, transport, effects, and fates of chemical species in water, soil, air, and living environments and the effects of technology thereon. |
CH 411 | Inorganic Chemistry
CH 411 – Inorganic Chemistry (3). Fundamental principles of inorganic chemistry including atomic structure, bonding models for molecules and solids, symmetry, acid/base chemistry, oxidation-reduction, and metal-ligand complexes. |
CH 440, 441, 442 |
Physical Chemistry CH 440, CH 441, CH 442 - Physical Chemistry (3). Thermodynamics, electrochemistry, solutions, kinetic theory of gases, chemical kinetics, quantum theory and statistical mechanics, molecular structure and spectroscopy. |
CH 584 | Chemistry for teachers CH 584 – Instruments and Online Interactions in the Physical Sciences (3). This fully online course is designed for middle school, high school and college-level science instructors, as well as graduate students in STEM education. At class completion, students will have created a portfolio of instructional lab content that can be used in their practice. Graduate level tuition applies to this course. |
If you are transferring credits be sure to confirm the transfer policy of your home institution. Learn more about transferring credits.
Earn a microcredential in general chemistry online
Taking chemistry classes online will put you closer to the completion of your degree and it has the potential to set you apart in the job market. You can earn a microcredential in general chemistry online with Oregon State, and when you finish, you'll receive a digital badge that gives employers evidence of your proficiency in foundational chemistry and laboratory practices. Microcredential courses are for-credit and can be transferred to fulfill degree program requirements.
Benefits of studying online with Oregon State University
- All classes are developed by OSU's world-class College of Science faculty, who are known for their research, expertise and innovation.
- Oregon State is institutionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
- OSU's online students receive the same transcripts as on-campus students.
- All online students pay the same tuition rate no matter where they live.
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Important dates
See our academic calendar for our full quarter term schedule.
Program quick facts
* Oregon State University is on a quarter-term system. There are four quarters each year and classes are 11 weeks long.
† Cost per credit is calculated using tuition per credit for the current academic year. It does not include associated fees, course materials, textbook expenses, and other expenses related to courses. Courses numbered 5XX and higher are graduate level tuition.
‡ Course sequences can include classes that are delivered online, as well as a blend of online coursework with one or a few required site-based classes.
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