Incoming new first year students who completed high school chemistry have the option to take the Advance Placement Examination (APE) for Chem 16/16.1. This exam is typically scheduled a week or two before the advance registration activities of new first year students for the first semester of every academic year.

The Chem 16 APE is a written exam, which the student must pass before s/he will be allowed to take the practical laboratory exam for Chem 16.1 APE. The student may also opt not to take the laboratory exam. Once passed, the student will be given 3-unit and/or 2-unit credits for Chem 16 and/or Chem 16.1, respectively, without a numerical grade. A student who passes the Chem 16/16.1 APEs saves time because s/he does not need to enroll in Chem 16 and/or Chem 16.1.

The topics covered include:

• Matter: properties, composition and changes it undergoes
• Quantum theory and atomic structures
• Electron configuration and chemical periodicity
• Chemical bonding
• Molecular geometry and bonding theories
• Stoichiometry, chemical equations, and chemical reactions
• Thermochemistry
• Liquids, solids, and phase changes
• Gases
• Solutions
• Acids and bases
• Changes in the nucleus

The registration process as well as the mechanics for this exam is announced beforehand in the Institute of Chemistry website and/or Facebook page. Students are usually asked to bring the UP admission notice, their Photo-ID, scientific calculator, and pen/pencil for the written exam. For the practical laboratory exam, the students must wear closed shoes and pants that cover their ankles and bring their own lab gown and goggles.

(UP Diliman Academic Information; Chem 16 Syllabus; Chem 16.1 Syllabus)

For corequisite courses (i.e., partner lecture and laboratory courses) of the Institute of Chemistry, students may drop the lecture course or laboratory course without dropping the other. The timing within the semester when dropping of such nature is permitted, however, may vary depending on the chemistry field and instructor. Also, the dropped course must be re-enrolled in the succeeding academic term or in the term it is next offered (the same applies if a grade of 5.0 is obtained).

For service courses (e.g., Chem 16/16.1, Chem 17/17.1, etc.), the Institute of Chemistry has a policy that consent for dropping will not be granted for students with passing standing unless for valid reasons. If dropping for health reasons, the student must provide a medical certificate containing explicit recommendation from a physician to drop the course.

(IC Graduate Committee, approved May 15, 2023; Revised to be specific for service courses, October 20, 2025)

Chem 197 involves the internship of senior standing BS Chemistry students in host training establishments (HTEs) to work with and observe chemistry professionals in actual job situations. The students will be engaged in some meaningful activities that will provide them with the needed exposure to industrial or research environments. These internship activities are usually carried out during the Midyear term covering at least 200 hours, although DOST scholars need to clock-in at least 240 hours.

The deployment may be either on-campus or off-campus. For on-campus internships, various laboratories within the College of Science accept BS Chemistry student interns. Off-campus internships of BS Chemistry students will only be allowed for HTEs with Memorandum of Agreement with the University through the College of Science. Such internships require close coordination with the Institute of Chemistry. Students may inquire with the IC Deputy Director for Academic Affairs for the list of off-campus HTEs.

Each student will sign an Internship Contract together with the HTE and the Institute of Chemistry. The contract contains the outlined goals and objectives, the schedule of activities, and the roles and responsibilities of the parties involved, among others. Students who are not covered by RA 10931 or the Free Tuition Act also need to secure an insurance policy covering health, accident, medical, and surgical emergencies. This policy must be valid within the duration of the Internship.

(Chem 197 Syllabus; UPD Local Academic Field Activity Guidelines, August 30, 2024)

The Program Adviser is a faculty member who advises, monitors, and evaluates the student’s progress in the program. Students interact with the Program Adviser on matters of registration, dropping of course/s, Leave of Absence, exchange programs, change of matriculation, shifting, on various appeals, etc. The main Program Adviser for BS Chemistry students is the IC Deputy Director for Academic Affairs, but other senior faculty members may also assist or temporarily assume the role, especially during the registration period when several students need immediate pre-advising and post-advising. For MS Chemistry and PhD Chemistry students, the initial Program Adviser is the IC Deputy Director for Research and Extension. Once the student joins a research group, the thesis/dissertation adviser assumes the role until the student graduates from the program.

(UP Diliman General Catalogue 2014; UP Diliman Faculty Manual)

The student remains in the BS Chemistry program for as long as the following conditions are met:

1. The student must take at least one Chem course every semester according to the regular progression of the BS Chemistry program, except when on shifting-out status or when the needed course/s is/are seasonal or there is no more course to take.
2. The student must pass Chem, Math, Physics, Bio, and Geol courses prescribed for 1st year and 2nd year levels in the BS Chemistry curriculum in at most 2 takes.

If any of these two conditions is not satisfied, the student shall be dismissed from the BS Chemistry program. A course enrolled but dropped later is still considered a take, except when dropping is part of an approved leave of absence.

(IC Graduate Committee, approved February 24, 2025)

BS Chemistry students are required to take at least three (3) units of science elective to complete their program. The courses that can be credited as science elective as included in the current BS Chemistry curriculum (approved in 2018) are listed below. To prevent complications, BS Chemistry students are advised to stick to this list. Prerequisites must be satisfied before taking any of these courses. In some cases, offering units may refuse to enlist students who are not under their own degree program/s. Offering units may also abolish or update courses as deemed necessary. If the course number for a certain course is changed or updated, a Request for Substitution of Subject/s needs to be filed to complete the documentary requirements.

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
Chemistry courses: Chem 125, Chemistry Graduate Courses
Biology courses: BlO 12, BlO 101, BlO 102, BlO 111, BlO 112, BlO 114, BlO 115, BlO 116, BlO 116.1, BlO 118, BlO 120, BlO 150, BIO 180 (abolished)
Geology courses: Geol 11.1, Geol 40
Marine Science courses: MS 101, MS 102, MS 220, MS 221, MS 222, MS 226, MS 226.1
Mathematics courses: Math 40, Math 162, Math 203, Math 258
Meteorology courses: Meteo 101, Meteo 224
Materials Science and Engineering courses: MSE 201, MSE 211, MSE 212, MSE 214, MSE 215, MSE 216, MSE 231, MSE 233, MSE 241, MSE 266, MSE 271
Molecular Biology and Biotechnology courses: MBB 10, MBB 110, MBB 121, MBB 125, MBB 140
Environmental Science courses: Env Sci 201, Env Sci 202, Env Sci 211, Env Sci 212
Physics courses: Physics 73, Physics 73.1

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Chemical Engineering courses: ChE 2, ChE 100
Civil Engineering courses: CE 21
Engineering Sciences courses: ES 1
Materials Engineering courses: MatE 10, MatE 11, MatE 101, MatE 105, MatE 105.1, MatE 131
Metallurgical Engineering courses: MetE 11, MetE 12, MetE 13, MetE 14, MetE 17; MetE 17.1 (previously MetE 18), MetE 120, MetE 121
Industrial Engineering courses: lE 3, IE 21
Information Technology: IT 100, IT 110

COLLEGE OF HOME ECONOMICS
Food and Nutrition courses: FN 102 (previously FN 11), FN 121 (previously FN 14), FN 122 (previously FN 15), FN 124 (previously FN 16), FN 131 (previously FN 24)
Food Science courses: FS 106, FS 116, FS 124 (previously FS 125), FS 126, FS 127, FS 135, FS 140

SCHOOL OF STATISTICS
Stat 101

(BS Chemistry curriculum, BOR approved 2018)

A BS Chemistry student has senior standing if ANY of the following conditions is met:

1. The student completed all prescribed Chem, Physics, Math, Geol, and BIO courses up to the 2nd semester of the 3rd year level in the BS Chemistry curriculum.
2. The student completed at least 97 units of prescribed courses in the BS Chemistry curriculum, and Chem 102.1 is among the completed courses.

(IC Graduate Committee, approved March 17, 2025)

Shifting applicants coming from other institutes of the College of Science (S1) or from other colleges within UP Diliman (S2) and transferring applicants from other UP units (T1) may also be admitted to the BS Chemistry program, subject to compliance with the admission requirements of the Institute of Chemistry and falling within the quota at the time of the application. Transfer applicants from other Higher Education Institutions (T2) and those aiming for second degrees are not currently being considered. The Institute of Chemistry accepts shifting or transferring students only before the start of the first semester of each academic year. As a main requirement of UP Diliman, shifting or transferring students may be admitted only after completion of at least thirty (30) collegiate academic units, provided that the student has not been permanently dismissed from the current program or found guilty of dishonesty or any form of misconduct.

Requirements for S1 and S2 Applicants:
• General Weighted Average (GWA) of 2.00 or better • Must have taken Chem 16 and 16.1 with an average of 2.00 or better • Must have taken Math 21, Chem 17 and 17.1 or enrolled during the Midyear term 2025.

Requirements for T1 Applicants:
• GWA of 2.00 or better • Must have taken Chem 16 and 16.1 (or equivalent 5 units General Chemistry with laboratory) with a grade of 2.00 or better • Must have taken Chem 17 and Chem 17.1 (or equivalent or must be enrolled during Midyear term 2025) • Must have taken 4-6 units of Math courses (which can be substituted for Math 21).

Refer to the Undergraduate Student Guide of the College of Science for the requirements and procedures for shifting and transferring.

(UP Diliman Academic Information)

Students who are on voluntary shifting-out (VSO) status may take courses that deviate from the BS Chemistry curriculum in preparation for their shifting/transfer to another program. This status is valid for one year only and cannot be renewed or re-filed once the one-year period has lapsed. Note that graduation will possibly be delayed if a student deviates from the regular curriculum. It is advisable to reach out to the colleges/departments offering the programs a student plan on shifting to as early as possible to learn about the shifting criteria and requirements. To initiate this status, the student submits a signed letter of intent addressed to the Director of the Institute of Chemistry through this link.

Within the one-year period, the Institute of Chemistry will preadvise and post-advise the student to complete the enrolment in each academic term until s/he is able to successfully shift/transfer to a new program. If the student is unable to shift/transfer within the allotted time, s/he will be compelled to follow the BS Chemistry curriculum. Further deviation from the BS Chemistry curriculum at this point may violate the Retention Rule, resulting in the student’s dismissal from the program.

Students may shift-out only after completion of at least thirty (30) units of courses under the BS Chemistry curriculum. First year students who wish to shift will need to take more prescribed courses to get 30 units. For a somewhat smooth transfer to the new program, such students may take GE courses, courses that are required by both BS Chemistry and the program they hope to shift to, and courses unique to the program they intend to shift to (max. of 2 courses, at least one of which should be classified as a science elective under the BS Chemistry curriculum).

(UP Diliman Academic Information)

Prerequisites courses may not be waived except under meritorious cases as permitted by the Institute of Chemistry according to the University guideline. Among the courses offered by the Institute of Chemistry, students can file an Application for Waiver of Prerequisite ONLY for Chem 34. In this case, the student may be allowed to take Chem 34 even if s/he has not passed the prerequisite course, Chem 33, provided that s/he has fully attended Chem 33 previously (i.e., failing to pass Chem 33 is not due to excessive absences). Those who dropped Chem 33 will not be granted this waiver. Students given this waiver of prerequisite for Chem 34 are also required to take Chem 33 simultaneously in a semester. Hence, the full permission depends on other factors such as number of qualified students planning to enlist in Chem 33 and the availability of faculty willing to teach the course. Additionally, the student needs to pass both Chem 33 and Chem 34 before they could take Chem 145, the next level course under the BS Chemistry program.

(UP Diliman Academic Information; IC Graduate Committee, approved December 11, 2023, concurred by the Organic Chemistry Academic Group)