Advising

Students conducting an experiment.Students in the Department of Chemistry at Western Michigan University must meet regularly with a Department of Chemistry advisor during posted hours to ensure completion of all graduation requirements. It is each student's responsibility to schedule appointments in a timely manner to meet graduation deadlines in the academic calendar. Students can find course offerings for a specific term. The undergraduate catalog provides course descriptions as well as department and program information for major and minor options.

Major or minor requirements | Placement | Enrollment tips | Graduate advising

Undergraduate advising

Schedule an Appointment with an Advisor

Undergraduate advisors

  • Contact the Chemistry advisor at chem-advising@wmich.edu with any questions.
  • For students interested in teaching chemistry at the secondary education level, contact the College of Arts and Sciences Secondary Education Pathway advisor at 269-387-4366.

Major or minor requirements

  • Make an advising appointment to declare your major or minor.
  • If your major is in chemistry, complete your last 14 credit hours in the Department of Chemistry at WMU.
  • If your minor is in chemistry, you must complete 20 credits of Chemistry courses and your last 7 credit hours must be taken at WMU. In addition you must take at least one course that contains a laboratory experience in the Department of Chemistry at WMU.
  • If you have chosen any chemistry major, successfully completing ENGL 4090 will satisfy your baccalaureate-level writing requirement.

Students majoring in chemistry are encouraged, but not required, to minor in physics, mathematics or biology.

Enrollment Assistance

  • If you are currently taking a pre-requisite at another college of university, or plan to before the semester for which you would like to register, please email chem-advising@wmich.edu with your name and WIN as well as the semester, course number and associated CRNs for each course.
  • Some students receive enrollment errors while attempting to register for classes even when they have satisfied the prerequisites. This is due to the requirement of registering for the lecture and lab simultaneously. The following procedure should eliminate most issues:
  1. When in the registration menu select course offerings.
  2. Find the lecture that you would like to take and select ADD TO WORKSHEET
  3. Find the lab that you would like to take and select ADD TO WORKSHEET
  4. Once both lecture and lab have been added to your worksheet, select SUBMIT CHANGES and both courses will be added to your schedule.

We will not waive a pre-requisite for any reason.

If you are still receiving an error please email chem-advising@wmich.edu with your name and WIN as well as the semester, course number and associated CRNs for each course.

Third time enrollment

  • Students who attempt a chemistry course and twice have received a non-passing grade (DC or below) must go through the department to be able to register for the same course for a third time.
  • To start this process, students must request an appointment with the CHEM advisor. Schedule an Appointment with an Advisor

Graduate advising

If you plan to attend graduate school in chemistry, we discourage you from taking courses under the credit-no credit option. Graduate course descriptions are listed in the WMU catalog.

Master's and doctoral students are to meet with the graduate advisor, Dr. Ramakrishna Guda, for their curriculum requirements.