This is a one-semester course with a laboratory designed for individuals with a baccalaureate degree who need first semester general chemistry as a prerequisite to apply for admission to health professions’ programs. These may include graduate programs in medicine, veterinary medicine, dental medicine, nursing, physical therapy and physician assistant.
Check the course welcome page in Blackboard for specific instructor and support specialist contact information.
Further Assistance
Your student support specialist 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 Blackboard, and more.
We created the UNE Online Student Portal, http://success.une.edu/science-prerequisites/, specifically for you to be a useful collection of information to support you as you navigate your online course(s).
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The Study 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 content-matter 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 Support Specialist through the course messaging system.
To give the student interested in the health professions an introduction to general chemistry emphasizing the concepts that will be important for and provide the basis for the subjects the student will encounter in his/her future studies. These subjects include components of matter, atomic theory, stoichiometry, chemical reactions and bonding, thermochemistry, gases, quantum theory, electron configuration, models of bonding, theories of covalent bonding and shapes of molecules.
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.
Course Details
“Learning general chemistry is similar to learning to play a sport or a musical instrument. The more you practice, the more proficient you will become.”
R. Rowe, 2006
Online Medical General Chemistry I is divided up into 16 weeks that follow the first 11 chapters of the textbook. Each week contains a reading assignment, a slide presentation with audio, homework assignment and lecture quiz. Most of the weeks will also contain a laboratory assignment and a laboratory quiz.
Each week contains assigned homework problems taken from the end of the chapter problems. Detailed solutions to all assigned homework problems can be found in the solution manual within each weekly folder. The homework problems will not be collected nor graded. It is strongly suggested that you work as many of the assigned problems as necessary for you to have a solid understanding of the concepts presented in the weekly lecture. The best way to prepare for a quiz or an exam in chemistry is to work and rework end of the chapter problems. You may work more problems than are assigned if you feel you need more work in a specific area.
Most of the modules include a laboratory assignment. The laboratory assignments for each week are in each weekly folder as well as in Lecture/Lab schedule at the end of this syllabus. You will perform all laboratory assignments in a non-laboratory setting, such as your kitchen. There will be 10 laboratory assignments distributed throughout the course. Once you have completed the experiment take the laboratory quiz before moving on to the next week.
Discussion questions cover interesting current events or materials that contribute to a deeper understanding of key concepts and allow you to interact with your classmates and the instructor. There are a total of three required discussion questions throughout the quarter that constitute 12% of your final grade. Most of the discussion questions are designed to accompany particular chapters (see specific discussion questions for more information). Each question will require you to conduct internet research, read additional materials (a short journal or magazine article), visit a specific webpage, OR view a short video. Then you will write a response following the guidelines in the assignment.
To earn full credit: you will need to post a response, respond to the original posts of at least two other students, and then contribute to an ongoing discussion. 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.
Discussion Question Guidelines
Module & Lab Quizzes
All lecture & lab quizzes are open book and open notes. You can take up to 30 minutes to complete the 10 multiple-choice lecture or lab quiz. Although the quizzes are open book and open notes, you need to study the material and work the problems in order to do well on the quizzes. The quizzes will be taken online through the course Blackboard site. Doing well on the quizzes will help prepare you for the timed-proctored mid-term, final lecture and final lab exam.
Mid-Term and Final Lecture and Lab Exams
All exams are timed and proctored. All exams are open book and open notes. Any material you use on the exams, you must be able to hold in your hands. Your notes may be hand written or typed. You will not have access to any material saved on your or any other computer. No access to the Internet or other communication devices is allowed during the final. All exams consist of 50 multiple choice questions and you can have up to three hours to complete the exams.
You will receive a letter grade for each enrolled course (One grade for lecture and one grade for lab). Your final grade will be calculated from the following:
Lab Component Grade Breakdown
Quizzes | 60%, 10 module lab quizzes, each worth 10 points |
Lab Exam | 40%, 1 final lab exam worth 50 point |
Lecture Component Grade Breakdown
Quizzes | 28%, 14 weekly quizzes, each worth 10 points |
Discussion | 12% |
Midterm | 30%, 1 mid-term exam worth 50 points |
Final Exam | 30%, 1 final exam worth 50 points |
The weekly lecture and lab quizzes are graded immediately. The mid term exam should be taken after you have completed the assessments for week 7. The final lecture and lab exams should not be taken until all the other assignments are completed. You do not need to take the final lecture and lab exam on the same day, but you can if you like. Final exams taken online with Proctor U will be graded immediately. While you will see your final exam score, you will not have access to your exams once you have submitted it for a grade. No exams will be released to the students.
The letter grades translate to the following numerical grades:
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 |
This course is designed to be completed in a 16-week period, just like an on-campus General Chemistry I course. One week in this online course is equivalent to 3-50 minute lectures in a traditional classroom setting. The general rule of studying for science courses is to spend 3 hours studying for every one hour that you are in class. Therefore, the suggested study time for each module is 9 hours above and beyond the time it takes to listen to the lecture. Please refer to the schedule below for the suggested schedule of lectures and the accompanying laboratory exercises. Students may complete the course in less than 16 weeks.
Week |
Title |
Textbook Chapter |
Laboratory Assignment |
1 |
Keys to the Study of Chemistry |
1 |
Laboratory Techniques & Measurements and Math and Graphing Prep |
2 |
The Components of Matter |
2 |
Separation of a Mixture of Solids |
3 |
The Components of Matter |
2 |
Naming Ionic and Molecular Compounds |
4 |
Stoichiometry of Formulas and Equations |
3 |
Molarity: Conversions and Mass Determination |
5 |
Stoichiometry of Formulas and Equations |
3 |
NA |
6 |
Three Major Classes of Chemical Reactions |
4 |
Stoichiometry of a Precipitation Reaction |
7 |
Three Major Classes of Chemical Reactions |
4 |
Chemical Reactions |
8 |
Mid-term Exam |
1-4 |
NA |
9 |
Gases and the Kinetic Molecular Theory |
5 |
Boyle’s Law |
10 |
Thermochemistry: Energy Flow and Chemical Change |
6 |
Hess’s Law |
11 |
Quantum Theory and Atomic Structure |
7 |
Quantitative Spectroscope and Visible Light |
12 |
Electron Configuration and Chemical Periodicity |
8 |
NA |
13 |
Models of Chemical Bonding |
9 |
NA |
14 |
The Shapes of Molecules |
10 |
Molecular Modeling and Lewis Structures |
15 |
Theories of Covalent Bonding |
11 |
NA |
16 |
Final Lecture and Lab Exam |
Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you - they will monitor course progression and provide assistance or guidance when needed. Please don’t hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, course materials, billing, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.
Questions? Submit your student support request.
Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.
Check Brightspace for specific instructor and support specialist contact information.
The Student Lounge Discussion Forum 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.
Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.
Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.
Students should notify their Student Support Specialist and instructor in the event of a problem relating to a course. This notification should occur promptly and proactively to support timely resolution.
ITS Contact: Toll-Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673.
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The Career Ready Program provides tools and resources to help students explore and hone in on their career goals, search for jobs, create and improve professional documents, build professional network, learn interview skills, grow as a professional, and more. Come back often, at any time, as you move through your journey from career readiness as a student to career growth, satisfaction, and success as alumni.
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.