Physical Sciences
The Department of Physical Sciences offers curricula in chemistry and physics designed to prepare students for graduate and professional studies and for entry-level positions as chemists and physicists in industrial and governmental organizations. The pre-health program prepares students to pursue further training for careers in health professions. The department also provides chemistry, physics and physical science courses for teacher education majors and offers courses in physical science for non-science majors.
Students in the department enroll in programs leading to the bachelor of science degree with a major in chemistry or physics. Minor programs are also offered in chemistry and physics. A pre-health professional curriculum sequence is provided for chemistry majors interested in preparing for careers in the health professions. The department cooperates with the College of Education to offer baccalaureate degree programs leading to teacher certification in chemistry and general science. Students majoring in chemistry and physics must complete the Senior Comprehensive Examination in the major before they can be recommended for graduation.
There are six full-time faculty members and approximately thirty majors in the department. Through our courses in chemistry, physics and physical science, we provide lecture and laboratory experiences for approximately six hundred students per semester. We are housed in the Science Building, Harper Councill Trenholm Hall which includes classrooms and laboratories, the departmental office, multimedia classrooms, a computer laboratory and a math-science tutorial center.
Some of our students choose to become members of the Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society. Chemistry majors are eligible to participate in the Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) Program and the Minority Biomedical Support Program (MBRS) both of which provide students with opportunities to engage in undergraduate research. The department also houses the Alabama State University- Alabama Science in Motion Program which provides equipment and assistance to high school chemistry and biology teachers in designing and conducting laboratory activities in their schools.
After completion of their undergraduate degrees, graduates of our chemistry and physics programs have gained employment in numerous occupations. Alumni of our programs are now engaged in careers in industrial chemistry, in academia, and in health careers. We count dentists, nurses and physicians among these persons. Several of our graduates have gone into secondary teaching, and others are presently engaged in graduate study or have completed Ph.D. degrees and are teaching in various colleges and universities.