exit exam requirement
All majors will take a standardized exit exam on the Saturday after fall break or spring break in the senior year. The score on this exam will be used by the Faculty to decide whether Degree Program Honors are awarded, in addition to the requirements listed under “Degree Program Honors” under “Schmid College of Science and Technology.” The exit exam can only be taken once.
capstone research requirement (2-4 credits)
Students are required to successfully complete a capstone project before graduation. The degree will not be conferred until the faculty advisor has notified the Office of the University Registrar that all the elements of the capstone requirement have been fulfilled. The student must register for one credit of the BCHM 498 Capstone Course in each of the fall and spring semesters of their senior year. Students will submit a formal report modeled after the format of a peer-reviewed article to the faculty advisor at the end of the final semester of the senior year and present this research in poster format at the University Student Scholar Symposium. Students will also give an oral presentation at the Schmid College Senior Research Conference in the spring semester of their senior year.
The capstone research requirement shall be fulfilled by completing one of the listed options. Students seeking honors must complete option one, two, or four.
Option one: Successful completion of an undergraduate research experience between junior and senior year funded by the National Science Foundation, American Chemical Society, Chapman SURF, Schmid Summer Research Fellowship, or other research agency that sponsors undergraduate research. The research experience must be at least eight weeks long, require full-time work in a laboratory setting and lead to the completion of a well-defined research project.
Option two: Successful completion of a pre-approved research internship immediately preceding or during senior year that results in the completion of a research project. The student must register for two credits of BCHM 490 and work with a Chapman faculty advisor and internship research supervisor to identify the student’s research project.
Option three: Successful completion of a significant review of the literature. The student must register for two credits of BCHM 491 or BCHM 499 in their senior year. The student shall expect to invest considerable time and effort researching and writing this review, which will be 30 to 40 pages in length and appropriately cited.
Option four: Successful completion of independent research overseen by a faculty member in the sciences (this will satisfy chemistry in-depth course requirements). The student must register for two credits of BCHM 491 or BCHM 499 in their senior year and complete a faculty-mentored student research project. When appropriate, a faculty member may substitute a team research project for an individual research project. When a team project is substituted, all members of the team must write a report and present a poster and oral presentation individually.
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