Building the department map…
Department paths
Courses with no prerequisites inside the department that unlock the most downstream work.
The shortest canonical route from each entry point to a gateway course.
Generated from Brown University’s catalog, prerequisite, and concentration data. Spotted an error? Departments can adjust labels, ordering, and notes without a code change, so contact us.
A suggested order for the 40 courses on the map, built from prerequisite chains and how often each course has run in fall and spring across the last 12 regular terms. It is not the department’s plan, and it is not a promise a course will run. Confirm against the department’s own advising material.
Semester 1fall
Semester 2spring
Semester 3fall
Semester 4spring
Semester 5fall
Semester 6spring
Semester 7fall
Semester 8spring
Each of these unlocks the largest share of downstream work on this map. Courses from other departments can appear here when they genuinely gate CHEM coursework.
Intro tiers at the top, advanced work below; arrows point from a prerequisite to the course it unlocks. Courses from other departments appear where they gate CHEM work. Click any course to see what it requires and unlocks without leaving this page; hovering lights up its neighbors. The lists on this page carry the same courses in text form.
Showing the 40 CHEM and feeder courses that have prerequisite links. 34 more CHEM courses have no recorded prerequisites. They are listed under Tracks below, not drawn as loose dots here.
The concentrations and majors that build on CHEM, and how their requirements are structured. Expand a program to see which courses satisfy each group, then plan it in the Planner.
Mathematicsall required
Physical & organic chemistryall required
CHEM 04001 required
BIOL 02801 required
Two upper-level biochemistry courseschoose 2
Research (two semesters)2 required · verify with the official sheet
Two semesters of research or equivalent summer research.
Five elective courses5 required · verify with the official sheet
Five courses from the approved BCHM elective chart.
Introductory physics serieschoose 1
PHYS 0030 & 0040all required
PHYS 00301 required
PHYS 00401 required
CHEM 03301 required
CHEM 03501 required
MATH 0190
CHEM 03301 required
CHEM 03501 required
12 courses in the field
Upper-level clusters, grouped by the gateway that opens them.
Gateway: CHEM 0350
Gateway: CHEM 0360
Gateway: CHEM 1140
The deepest prerequisite chains in CHEM. These are the routes that take the most semesters to climb.
6 courses deep, ending at CHEM 0600
6 courses deep, ending at CHEM 2780
2 courses deep, ending at CHEM 1060
CHEM 03601 required
CHEM 05001 required
CHEM 06001 required
CHEM 11401 required
CHEM 11501 required
CHEM 11601 required
CHEM 03601 required
CHEM 05001 required
CHEM 06001 required
CHEM 11401 required
CHEM 11501 required
CHEM 11601 required
Upper-level CHEM elective1 required · verify with the official sheet
One 1000- or 2000-level chemistry elective.
PHYS 04701 required
CHEM 03301 required
CHEM 03501 required
MATH 00901 required
MATH 01001 required
MATH 01801 required
BIOL 02001 required
CHEM 03301 required
CHEM 03501 required
PHYS 00301 required
PHYS 00401 required
Foundation of Living Systems (BIOL 0200)1 required
ENGN 04101 required
ENGN 05101 required
ENGN 05201 required
ENGN 07201 required
ENGN 08101 required
CHEM 03301 required
BIOL 02001 required
MATH 01901 required
MATH 02001 required
APMA 03501 required
APMA 03601 required
ENGN 11001 required
ENGN 11201 required
ENGN 11301 required
ENGN 11151 required
CHEM 03501 required
CHEM 03601 required
ENGN 11401 required
MATH 00901 required
Foundation of Living Systems (BIOL 0200)1 required
Senior capstone1 required · verify with the official sheet
An approved capstone course or BIOL 1950/1960.
ENGN 05101 required
ENGN 07201 required
ENGN 08101 required
CHEM 03301 required
CHEM 03501 required
MATH 01901 required
MATH 02001 required
APMA 03501 required
APMA 16501 required
ENGN 12051 required
ENGN 12101 required
ENGN 12301 required
ENGN 12001 required
BIOL 08001 required
MATH 02001 required
Courses in the concentration, per the bulletin requirement sheet.
PHYS 00401 required
BIOL 02001 required
CHEM 03301 required
CHEM 03501 required
Intro Neuroscience (NEUR 0010)1 required
Principles of Neurobiology (NEUR 1020)1 required
Neural Systems (NEUR 1030)1 required
Research1 required · verify with the official sheet
One semester of research (independent study, CURE course, or structured program).
All CHEM courses in the Brown catalog
Grade medians are for verified students. Sign in with your school email to see them.
Use your school emailInstructors on CHEM sections in Spring 2027, from the registrar's schedule.
No clubs or organizations on record under CHEM yet.
This shows once five students share their club memberships.
Chemistry does not run a page here yet. When it does, its events show up here and on the Brown campus feed.