General FAQs
In an effort to increase flexibility, Organic Chemistry will be offered as a 3-credit lecture and 1-credit lab. This change will apply to both summer and academic year terms and will take effect starting Summer 2026. Additionally, in order to receive academic credit in Arts & Sciences for Organic Chemistry I & Organic Chemistry II lectures (CHEM 2501/2502), students must take these courses at WashU. The Department of Chemistry will no longer review or approve transfer credit requests for Organic Chemistry I & II lectures.
No. Separating the lab and lecture courses during the academic year is intended to provide extra flexibility in the timing of fulfilling these requirements. Students can choose to take the lab concurrently with the lecture or at a later date. However, they must be enrolled in or have completed lecture to enroll in lab (i.e., lab cannot be taken before lecture).
The learning outcomes, content, and structure of the lecture and lab components of Organic Chemistry will remain the same. The only change is that students will now be able to enroll in them separately.
The option to retake CHEM 2561/2562 follows the university policy allowing students to retake courses in which they have earned a B- or lower. A course equivalency will be established as a formal equivalency between CHEM 2561 and CHEM 2501 and, likewise, between CHEM 2562 with CHEM 2502. Whereas the lab was factored into the grade in CHEM 2561/2562, only the lecture will replace the former course grade for students retaking CHEM 2501/2502 as a replacement. This function ensures that, if students retake the course, their new grade will replace their previous grade for GPA purposes.
Note that audits - whether successful or unsuccessful - are not eligible for retakes.
Arts & Sciences will no longer review requests or grant transfer credit to undergraduate students wishing to take Organic Chemistry lecture at another institution. A&S students may still decide to pursue Organic Chemistry coursework elsewhere; however, the units will not appear on their WashU transcript. Students from other divisions should confer with their respective school regarding any transfer credit policies.
Note that students who wish to complete Organic Lab at WashU must also take Organic Lecture at WashU.
Summer Organic Chemistry FAQs
Summer 2 (June 8 – July 10) | Summer 4 (July 13 – August 13) |
CHEM 2501 Organic Chemistry I (3 units) | CHEM 2502 Organic Chemistry II (3 units) |
All courses that have been approved to be taught online through the A&S Summer Online Pilot may be counted toward major, distribution, and/or graduation requirements in the College of Arts & Sciences. Visiting students and students from other divisions within Washington University are advised to consult with an advisor from their home school/division to discuss courses and transfer credit procedures prior to registration.
The same tuition rate applies to both in-person and online A&S summer classes, including Organic Chemistry. For Summer 2026, the tuition rate is $1250/unit ($3750 for a 3-unit course).
Matriculated WashU Arts & Sciences students with demonstrated financial need have an opportunity to apply for Summer Organic Chemistry Tuition Assistance. The application will open in early February, and award decisions will be made on a rolling basis as funds allow. The award amount will be informed by the percentage of need-based aid a student receives during the standard academic year. Priority will be given to A&S students for whom Organic Chemistry fulfills a requirement for their declared or intended program of study.
Students who take CHEM 2501/2502 online over the summer have three options for completing the 1-unit Organic Chemistry lab. Students can: 1) enroll in the in-person lab concurrently with the online lecture during A&S Summer Session; 2) enroll in the lab the subsequent fall/spring semester; or 3) request transfer credit for an in-person lab taken during the summer at another institution.
For Summer 2026, Organic Chemistry lecture will only be offered online.
The summer online Organic Chemistry lecture sequences are fast-paced and designed to provide an active learning environment featuring collaborative problem-solving and meaningful engagement with the instructor and other students. There will be one lead instructor for Organic Chemistry I and II. The courses are structured for success with scaffolded experiences that accommodate multiple learning styles. The online Organic Chemistry lectures will feature both synchronous and asynchronous content, that will consist of:
- A lecture from 8:30-10:00am CT, Monday through Thursday.
- A 1-hour subsection for solving problems that also meets Monday through Thursday. With a morning, afternoon, and evening option. The total number of subsections will be determined at a later date, and will depend upon the number of enrolled students. The problems, student solutions, corrections, comments, and summaries will be provided to all students to ensure that everyone in the course has access to the same information.
- Virtual (but live) proctored exams that will take place on Monday evenings from 7-9pm CT. Since there is a single instructor, all students would take an exam written by that instructor providing consistency for grading and assessments.
In addition to support from course instructors and TAs, students are encouraged to utilize the resources available through The Learning Center for additional help.
Students generally meet the learning objectives for the summer Organic Chemistry course if they keep up with the course content as it is presented every day, practice solving chemistry questions daily, are engaged with the material, and regularly ask questions.
The workload for the summer, due to the pace and modality, differs somewhat from the regular academic year. Since Organic I and Organic II are each 5 weeks long, the course moves at an accelerated pace. The important thing to keep in mind is that the summer course occurs at 3X the pace of the academic year, meaning that the amount of material covered each week during the summer is comparable to the amount of material covered in 3-4 weeks during the regular academic year.
Real-time engagement with students in the online Organic Chemistry lecture is provided through a variety of digital learning objects and software programs. Student work or information from an instructor can be scanned and shared via zoom for presentation and/or discussion online. Shared digital notebooks, such as OneNote, will preserve student work and questions, would be made available for review outside of class sessions, and can also be used for real-time discussion and learning. Sharing work through OneNote can allow for simultaneous observation, discussion, and editing of documents between students and instructors.
During the summer, there is a significant amount of interaction with the instructor and instructional staff, even in an online environment. Instructional time is spent working on problems, interacting with the instructor and/or members of the instructional staff, and getting feedback on work.
The Summer Organic Chemistry lecture course will be delivered online, but exams will assess the same content and learning outcomes as during the regular academic year, with comparable rigor.
Summer Organic Chemistry is great for students who learn best when focusing on a single subject. This course works well for students who want to focus on Organic Chemistry without having to concurrently balance other classes and coursework. That said, the course does also move much faster in the summer, and so it is ideal for students who would like a focused and fast-paced version of the course.