Science Course Selection Guide

Sample Fall Semester Schedule

Course 1 | First-Year Writing Requirement

Choose: Writing and Rhetoric or University Seminar

You must take a University Seminar (USEM) in your first year. If you do not have Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) credit for Writing and Rhetoric, you must also take Writing and Rhetoric in your first year. 

If you need to take both a USEM and Writing and Rhetoric in your first year, you will take one in the fall semester and the other in the spring semester. You can take the USEM and Writing and Rhetoric in either order. You cannot take them both in the same semester.

If you have AP or IB credit for Writing and Rhetoric, you should take a USEM, a Core course, a language course, or an elective in the fall semester as described below. You can discuss your options with your first-year advisor. 

Students are only allowed to take one USEM while at Notre Dame.

Course 2 | Calculus or Elective

Choose: An appropriate calculus course for your major or an elective

Consult the Calculus Requirements by Major page to select the appropriate calculus course based on your major and any Advanced Credit for calculus. 

If you do not have to take a calculus course in the fall semester because of Advanced Credit, you should take a Core course, a language course, or an elective instead.

Course 3 | Chemistry

Choose: CHEM 10171 or CHEM 10181

With very few exceptions, all Science students must take General Chemistry (lecture, lab, and tutorial) in their first semester.

CHEM 10171 (lecture), CHEM 11171 (lab), and CHEM 12171 (tutorial)

Taken by most Science students.

CHEM 10181 (lecture), CHEM 11181 (lab), and CHEM 12181 (tutorial)

Taken by biochemistry, chemistry, and chemistry-computing students and any other student with a strong background and interest in chemistry.

ACMS, math, physics, and statistics students who have AP or IB credit for CHEM 10097 and are not interested in a health profession or life science major do not have to take General Chemistry and can select an elective instead. All other Science students must take General Chemistry even if they have credit for CHEM 10097.

Course 4 | Biology, Physics, or Elective

Choose: BIOS 10171 or PHYS 10310 or PHYS 10320 or PHYS 10411 or an elective

You should take biology, physics, or an elective as required by your major. Register for the lecture, lab, and, when applicable, the tutorial.

BIOS 10171 (lecture) and BIOS 11173 (lab)

Taken only by students in biochemistry, biology, environmental sciences, and neuroscience and behavior.

Add a section of BIOS 10171 and BIOS 11173 to your PATH plan. Do not add BIOS 10169 or BIOS 10170. These are the specific modules for the course (BIOS 10169 in the first half of the semester, BIOS 10170 in the second half). The Biology department will register you for these modules based on your interests after classes begin in August.

PHYS 10310 (lecture), PHYS 11310 (lab), and PHYS 12310 (tutorial)

Taken only by ACMS, chemistry, chemistry-computing, math, and statistics students.

PHYS 10320 (lecture), PHYS 11320 (lab), and PHYS 12320 (tutorial)

Taken only by ACMS, chemistry, chemistry-computing, math, and statistics students with AP or IB credit for PHYS 10093 (unless pre-health.)

PHYS 10411 (lecture) and PHYS 11411 (lab): 

Taken by students in physics and physics-in-medicine regardless of AP or IB credit.

ACMS, chemistry, chemistry-computing, math, and statistics students with AP or IB credit for PHYS 10093 and 10094 who are not interested in a health profession or a physics major can take an elective instead of physics.

Science-computing, Science-education, and Science-preprofessional students should take a non-Science elective.

Course 5 | Core Course or Language Course or Elective

Choose: A course for the Core Curriculum or a language course or an elective

Select a Core course, a course for the Science language requirement, or an elective course to explore your academic interests.

Liberal Arts 1, 2, and 3 requirements of the Core are generally satisfied by courses in the Science curriculum, so your best options are to search for Liberal Arts 4, 5, or 6 courses; Foundational Theology courses; and Introductory Philosophy courses. Review this video for instructions on how to search for these categories using PATH Class Search. 

Electives are courses you choose to take for any number of reasons: to discern a second major or minor, to explore an area of interest outside of Science, to fulfill non-Science pre-health requirements, or to continue a subject you enjoyed in high school.

Depending on the total number of credits for your courses 1-4 and 6, course 5 may be optional. Consult the College of Science section on the Number of Courses and Credits page to determine how many courses you must take. If course 5 is optional for you, your first-year advisor can help you decide whether it makes sense to take it.

Course 6 | Moreau First Year Experience

Choose: A section of FYS 10101: Moreau First Year Experience based on your assigned campus neighborhood.

Read the instructions for selecting a section of FYS 10101 here.

Sample Spring Semester Schedule

Course 1 | First Year Writing Requirement

Choose: Writing and Rhetoric or University Seminar

If you did not take a USEM in the fall semester, you must take one in the spring semester. 

If you took a USEM in the fall semester and do not have AP or IB credit for Writing and Rhetoric, you must take Writing and Rhetoric in the spring semester.

If you took a USEM in the fall semester and have AP or IB credit for Writing and Rhetoric, you should take a Core course, a language course, or an elective in the spring semester as described below. You can discuss your options with your first-year advisor. 

Students are only allowed to take one USEM while at Notre Dame.

Course 2 | Calculus or Elective

Choose: An appropriate calculus course for your major or an elective

Consult the Calculus Requirements by Major page to select the appropriate calculus course based on your major and any Advanced Credit for calculus. 

If you took MATH 10150: Principles of Calculus in the fall semester, you should take MATH 10550: Calculus I in the spring semester, regardless of major. MATH 10350: Calculus A and ACMS 10550: Applied Calculus I are not offered in the spring semester.

If you do not have to take a calculus course in the spring semester, you should take a Core course, a language course, or an elective instead.

Course 3 | Chemistry

Choose: CHEM 10122 or CHEM 10172 or CHEM 10182 

You should take the appropriate chemistry course for your major. CHEM 10172 and CHEM 10182 have a lecture, lab, and tutorial. CHEM 10122 only has a lecture. 

Any student considering a health profession, regardless of major, must take CHEM 10172 or CHEM 10182 (Organic Chemistry I).

CHEM 10122 (lecture)

Taken by ACMS, math, physics, and statistics students.

CHEM 10172 (lecture), CHEM 11172 (lab), and CHEM 12172 (tutorial)

Taken by all Science majors not listed elsewhere. 

CHEM 10182 (lecture), CHEM 11182 (lab), and CHEM 12182 (tutorial)

Taken by biochemistry, chemistry, and chemistry-computing students.

Course 4 | Biology, Physics, or Elective

Choose: BIOS 10172 or PHYS 10320 or PHYS 10422 or an elective

Select biology, physics, or an elective as required by your major. Include the lecture, lab, and, when applicable, the tutorial in your plan.

BIOS 10172 (lecture) and BIOS 11174 (lab)

Taken only by biochemistry, biology, environmental sciences, and neuroscience and behavior students.

PHYS 10320 (lecture), PHYS 11320 (lab), and PHYS 12320 (tutorial)

Taken only by ACMS, chemistry, math, and statistics students.

PHYS 10422 (lecture) and PHYS 11422 (lab)

Taken by physics and physics-in-medicine students.

Science-computing, Science-education, and Science-preprofessional students should take a non-Science elective.

Course 5 | Core Course or Language Course or Elective

Choose: A course for the Core Curriculum or a language course or an elective

Select a Core course, a course for the Science language requirement, or an elective course to explore your academic interests.

Liberal Arts 1, 2, and 3 requirements of the Core are generally satisfied by courses in the Science curriculum, so your best options are to search for Liberal Arts 4, 5, or 6 courses; Foundational Theology courses; and Introductory Philosophy courses. Review this video for instructions on how to search for these categories using PATH Class Search.

Electives are courses you choose to take for any number of reasons: to discern a second major or minor, to explore an area of interest outside of Science, to fulfill non-Science pre-health requirements, or to continue a subject you enjoyed in high school.

Depending on the total number of credits for your courses 1-4 and 6, course 5 may be optional. Consult the College of Science section on the Number of Courses and Credits page to determine how many courses you must take. If course 5 is optional for you, your first-year advisor can help you decide whether it makes sense to take it.

Course 6 | Moreau First Year Experience

Choose: A section of FYS 10102: Moreau First Year Experience

There are no neighborhoods for Moreau in the spring semester. You can select any section that is available and fits your schedule.