Introduction

We welcome transfer students interested in a chemistry major or minor. As is true of chemistry programs everywhere, the major and the minor in chemistry at Rutgers are both hierarchical - that is, courses required of juniors and seniors have many pre-requisites. The pre-requisite structure can lead to special problems for transfer students. The correct choice of courses in the first semester is important and early advising can be helpful. With the appropriate choice of chemistry option and courses, a timely graduation is usually possible.

Some special advice for transfer students

We recommend strongly that if possible you sign up for 01:160:310 Organic Chemistry Laboratory in your first semester here.

The most common and pressing problem for transfer students concerns the transfer of credit for organic chemistry laboratory. Our chemistry major (not the minor) requires a total of five credits of organic laboratory given for two courses, both titled Organic Chemistry Laboratory 01:160:309 (spring only) and 01:160:310 (fall only). The first course, 309, is a pre-requisite for the second course, 310.

Many transfer students arrive having taken two semesters of organic chemistry, each of which included a 1-credit laboratory. For these courses, we normally transfer 2 credits and list them as our one-semester, organic laboratory course 01:160:311 (2 credits). Although 311 is not encouraged for chemistry majors, we accept it as a substitute for 01:160:309, provided that the student

  1. takes and passes a placement examination for 01:160:310 and
  2. registers for and completes 01:160:310.

Arrangements for the placement exam can be made with the Undergraduate Program Coordinator, Ms. Ola Elshorafa (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Again, because the second semester organic laboratory, 01:160:310, is given only in the fall(!) it is important that incoming students with a year of organic chemistry arrange, if at all possible, to do what’s needed (see above) to register for 01:160:310 in their first semester here.


The NJTransfer website helps with the process of transferring community college courses in the State of New Jersey.

  • NJTransfer website
  • A list of chemistry courses that  may be eligible for transfer approval can be found  here - Please note that this list is owned and controlled by the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. No statement on the equivalency list constitutes a contract or a guarantee that a chemistry course is transferable. Hence, students must seek the department's pre-approval prior to taking a chemistry course outside of Rutgers NB.  The information on the equivalency list is for informational purposes only. The information on this list is not binding and the Department of Chemistry reserves the right, at its discretion, to change, modify, add, or remove portions of the list at any time by posting the amended information. Please check with the Department of Chemistry before taking any chemistry courses outside of Rutgers NB.