This course is an introduction to the principles of general, organic, and biological chemistry that are relevant to students interested in health-related and other professions. Students will gain familiarity with such concepts as the following: atomic theory, measurements, significant figures, dimensional analysis, chemical compounds and their bonds, molecular geometry, polarity, the mole concept, stoichiometry, redox reactions and energetics of chemical reactions, gases, solutions, acids and bases, and nuclear chemistry. This will be followed by a thorough introduction to structural formulas; chemical and physical properties of organic compounds; and, finally, the biochemistry of nucleic acids, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and metabolism.
Course Prerequisite: No chemistry background required.
In lecture courses, students should be able to:
On the course start date, students will have access to orientation. This must be completed to be able to gain access to the first module in the course. Students must complete the first module to gain access to the next one. We recommend that students spend about 15 hours per week to complete a course in 16 weeks. When trying to complete the course in less than 16 weeks, we typically see students do this successfully within 12-14 weeks. Instructors will be timely in grading and feedback, but it will not be instant.
Each week, you will explore new topics through readings, videos, and worksheets. The worksheets are a place for you to take notes, draw, and try to answer problems. The materials are designed to help you walk through key ideas for the week. You can read the texts, watch the videos, or play a game while you are doing the worksheets. You might find it effective to move back and forth between these activities. Research shows that active engagement can increase your understanding and retention of the materials. To that end, you are strongly encouraged to complete the worksheet revision opportunities for any worksheet items marked incorrect by your instructor. If you are not understanding a topic through these materials, please contact the instructor!
There are 6 biweekly knowledge check quizzes, each consisting of 15 multiple-choice questions. Each quiz is worth 15 points.
There are weekly discussion boards this semester. There is an introductory board, followed by additional weekly discussions that encourage you to apply your knowledge in new and fascinating situations! You will have two weeks to complete each discussion board and are encouraged to do your initial post the first week, then an interactive post later in the first week, followed by a second interactive post early in the second week.
You have a midterm exam worth 50 points. The exam will cover Weeks 1–8 and will ensure that you are retaining the material as we progress through the semester. You will have 60 minutes to complete the exam.
This exam must be taken through ProctorU. See UNE’s Online ProctorU Site for information about signing up and scheduling your exam. The official UNE webcam is required (see syllabus for more information).
The exam is also closed for review. You will not be able to review this exam at any time. You may contact your instructor for specific feedback on your exam.
This will not be a cumulative exam. It will cover Weeks 9–16 and is a timed and proctored exam. There are 50 questions. You will have 60 minutes to complete the exam. This assignment is worth 50 points toward your final grade.
This exam must be taken through ProctorU. See UNE’s Online ProctorU Site for information about signing up and scheduling your exam. The official UNE webcam is required (see syllabus for more information).
The exam is also closed for review. You will not be able to review this exam at any time. You may contact your instructor for specific feedback on your exam.
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Category | Grade |
---|---|
Worksheets | 20% |
Discussions | 20% |
Quizzes | 25% |
Exams | 25% |
Participation | 10% |
Total | 100% |
Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
A | 94 – 100% | 4.00 |
A- | 90 – 93% | 3.75 |
B+ | 87 – 89% | 3.50 |
B | 84 – 86% | 3.00 |
B- | 80 – 83% | 2.75 |
C+ | 77 – 79% | 2.50 |
C | 74 – 76% | 2.00 |
C- | 70 – 73% | 1.75 |
D | 64 – 69% | 1.00 |
F | 00 – 63% | 0.00 |
Week |
Topic |
Assignments |
1 |
Overview |
Readings, Video, Worksheet, Simulation, Discussion |
2 |
Alchemy |
Readings, Videos, Worksheet, Simulation, Discussion, Quiz 1 |
3 |
Build Your Own Molecule |
Readings, Videos, Worksheet, Simulation, Discussion |
4 |
pH and Solutions |
Readings, Videos, Worksheet, Discussion, Quiz 2 |
5 |
Gas Laws, Thermodynamics and Kinetics |
Readings, Videos, Worksheet, Simulation, Discussion |
6 |
Introduction to Organic Chemistry |
Readings, Videos, Worksheet, Discussion, Quiz 3 |
7 |
Delightful Aromas/Home Brewing |
Readings, Videos, Worksheet, Molecule Drawing, Simulation, Discussion |
8 |
Putrid Organics |
Readings, Videos, Worksheet, Discussion, Study Guide, Midterm Exam Weeks 1-8 |
9 |
Covid-19 |
Readings, Videos, Worksheet, Simulation, Discussion |
10 |
Dealing with Antibiotic Resistance |
Readings,Videos, Worksheet, Discussion, Quiz 4 |
11 |
Pesticides: How to Break Them Down |
Readings, Videos, Worksheet, Discussion |
12 |
Lipids Versus Carbs |
Readings, Videos, Worksheet, Discussion, Quiz 5 |
13 |
The Routes of Metabolism |
Readings, Videos, Worksheet, Discussion |
14 |
Feeling Energized |
Readings, Videos, Worksheet, Discussion, Quiz 6 |
15 |
Metabolism in Desperate Times |
Readings, Videos, Worksheet, Discussion |
16 |
Course Review |
Course Review Weeks 9-15, Final Exam Weeks 9-15 |
Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don’t hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.
Questions? Visit the Student Support Science Prerequisites page
Check Brightspace for specific instructor and support specialist contact information.
Your student service advisor monitors course progression and provides assistance or guidance when needed. They can assist questions regarding ordering course materials, University policies, billing, navigating the course in Brightspace, and more.
The Student Lounge Discussion Board is a designated support forum in which students may engage with each other and grapple with course content. Feel free to post questions, seek clarification, and support each other, but be mindful of UNE’s Academic Integrity Policy.
Your instructor will monitor this forum. However, if you are seeking specific and timely answers to questions about course content or your personal grades, please contact your instructor via course messages. For questions about course materials, program policy, and how to navigate and proceed through the course, please contact your Student Service Advisor through the Student Portal.
The University of New England has contracted with ProctorU to provide students with the most convenient online exam proctoring system. This system provides a simple, no cost to the student, secure, online proctor for exams and allows the student to take all the exams at home and on their own schedule.
Upon enrollment into the course, each student will register with ProctorU and establish a login name and password. This will give the student access to all of ProctorU’s services. When ready, students will schedule each of their proctored exams with ProctorU. Exams must be scheduled at least 72 hours in advance to avoid fees. Prior to taking their exams, students must be sure that they have downloaded the ProctorU Chrome or Firefox extension and are using the most current version of Chrome or Firefox. They must also be sure their testing site’s connection meets the minimum requirements by using ProctorU’s “Test It Out” utility.
Upon the exam day and hour, students will log in to ProctorU and click on “exams”. After following the procedures outlined at ProctorU’s web site, the student will log in to Brightspace and locate their correct exam. The proctor will then allow student access to that exam.
Students must use ProctorU and must follow all proctoring requirements for their exams to be credited.
Proctored exams are not available for review at any time. You will not be able to see the questions, nor the answers you’ve given, after completing the exams. Please contact your instructor for specific feedback.
Discussion board assignments cover interesting current events or materials related to this course that contribute to a deeper understanding of key concepts and allow you to interact with your classmates and the instructor. Each assignment may require you to conduct internet research, read additional materials (a short journal or magazine article), visit a specific webpage, AND/OR view a short video prior to writing a response following the specific guidelines in the assignment.
To earn full credit: you will need to post a response to the discussion topic, respond to the original posts of at least two other students, and then contribute meaningfully to an ongoing discussion. You will need to post your initial response before you will see any posts from your classmates. Please keep in mind that only this initial response is included in your assignment grade, so make sure you have followed all of the guidelines and written a complete response prior to submitting the post. For special cases where one or two students are accelerating faster through the course, the instructor will participate in the discussion so that everyone has the opportunity to interact.
Please see Brightspace for a full description, along with specific guidelines, for each assignment. Discussion board assignments should be completed, along with all other assignments in the course, in the order that they appear. Due to the course design, you may be unable to take a proctored exam if you do not complete all assignments that appear prior to that exam.
Please also refer to the Grading Policy/Grade Breakdown section of the syllabus to learn the percentage of your grade that each discussion board assignment is worth.
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Programs: Technical Requirements
A schedule of lectures and assignments is included in this syllabus. This is, however a self-paced course and you can complete the course in less time.
Please visit the enrollment page to review the withdrawal and refund policies.
Students are expected to attempt and complete all graded assignments and proctored exams by the end date of the course. View the incomplete grade policy..
Due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, only the student may request official transcripts. This may be done online by going to the University of New England Registrar website and following the directions on the page.
To view your unofficial UNE student transcript:
To request your official UNE student transcript:
Please review your Unofficial Transcript prior to requesting an Official Transcript.
After you click Submit Request, your official transcript will be put into the queue to be printed in the Registrar’s Office.
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.