New ACS Guidelines Approved by CPT

The American Chemical Society (ACS) Guidelines for Bachelor's Degree Programs have been revised in 2008 by the Committee on Professional Training (CPT) to reflect changes that are occurring in the chemistry profession and chemistry education. The goals of these changes are to promote modern and innovative chemistry curricula, encourage pedagogical innovation that enhances student learning and success, define faculty and infrastructure attributes of excellent chemistry programs, and streamline the procedures for program approval and review by ACS. The curriculum guidelines for an ACS-certified bachelor's degree are described in terms of foundation coursework, in-depth coursework, and laboratory requirements. Chemistry departments are encouraged to develop degree tracks to target emerging areas of interest within chemistry. The importance of developing student skills and regular program self-evaluation is emphasized. Finally, the procedures for approving and reviewing chemistry programs by ACS are summarized.