ÑÇÖÞÇéÉ«

Program of Study

Today, it is impossible to be considered a fully competent biologist or chemist without some grounding in what has come to be called "biochemistry." Even if your interests lay in developing new high-strength composites for the space program or studying predator-prey relationships in the jungles of Madagascar, you still need to know something of the molecules which are unique to living systems and how they are made, interact, and break down.

But what if you are interested in those very molecules: what they are, what they do, and how they do it? Should you study biology, to better appreciate their roles in living organisms and the larger living world? Or should you study chemistry, so that you can understand their structure and function? The answer, of course, is "Yes." You need to become well-grounded in both of the traditional disciplines of biology and chemistry in order to be able to tackle such questions.

The Biochemistry major

The Biochemistry major at ÑÇÖÞÇéÉ« requires 12 course units:

• BIOL111 (Foundations of Biology)
• CHEM113–114 (General Chemistry)
• CHEM211–212 (Organic Chemistry)
• CHEM220.2 (Methods in Chemical Research)
• BIOL210 (Genetics)
• BIOL365 (Advanced Genetics)
• BIOL/CHEM327–328 (Biochemistry I & II)
• CHEM331 (Physical Chemistry I)
• BIOL/CHEM375.2 (Senior Seminar in Biochemistry)  or BIOL370 (Biology Seminar) with approval
• one elective course from the following group:
  • BIOL235 (Microbiology)
  • BIOL263 (Neuroscience)
  • BIOL266 (Cell & Molecular Biology)
  • BIOL340 (Immunology)
  • BIOL350 (Human Physiology)
  • BIOL363 (Genomics)
  • CHEM222 (Quantitative Analysis)
  • CHEM311 (Instrumental Analysis)
  • CHEM313 (Physical Organic Chemistry)
  • CHEM314 (Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry)
  • CHEM315 (Synthetic Organic Chemistry)
  • CHEM332 (Physical Chemistry II)
  • CHEM341 (Inorganic Chemistry)
  • BIOL/CHEM 286 or 381–384 (Independent Study)
  • BIOL/CHEM 400–401 (Honors)

Plus:

• MATH170–171 (Analytic Geometry and Calculus I & II)
• PHYSICS111–112 (Introductory Physics)

Below, you'll find one possible course schedule for students in the Biochemistry program. There are other possibilities—this is simply intended to give students some idea of how the major might be constructed. Note: prerequisites determine certain course sequences; if considering an alternate sequence, students should be sure to consult with their academic advisor.

Suggested Schedules

There is no single arrangement of courses required for the Biochemistry major; here is one possibility: