Biochemistry

Biochemistry  
Academic Bulletin

General Principles to consider in advising a student for Biochemistry:

The Biochemistry major is a highly hierarchical major and requires 64 credits (17 courses) to complete. This means that students interested in a Biochemistry major will need to begin the foundational Natural Science courses early in their career. The General Chemistry, Introductory Biology and Introductory Mathematics sequences are all pre-requisites to intermediate and advanced courses in the major and, as such, should be completed by the end of fall semester in a student’s sophomore year.

Students who come in with weaker academic backgrounds should be cognizant of the need to complete prerequisites in a timely manner so that they do not end up with schedules in their junior and senior year that are unrealistic or impossible to schedule due to time constraints and conflicting course times.

In general, a student who does not feel ready to take more than one Natural Science course a semester is not likely to be able to handle three or four such courses in their Junior and Senior years. A 17 course major equates to an average of just over two courses each of eight semesters. Thus, advising a student to take only one NS course a semester during the first and second year makes it difficult for them to complete the Biochemistry major in four years. Some students may need to consider taking summer courses for transfer, or planning for an extra semester or year to complete the major. This is especially true if a student takes only one NS course each of their first 2-3 semesters or if they start the courses for the major later than the sophomore year. Students should be made aware of this reality if they are advised to limit their NS courses to one per semester in the first three to four semesters.

If a student expresses an interest in a Junior Year abroad experience, it is very important that they speak with a member of the Biochemistry program faculty for guidance during their first year or early in their sophomore year. Depending on the experience they wish to pursue, it may be important for them to consider taking their Jr. Seminar in the sophomore year. In addition, any courses they hope to transfer from the Jr. Year abroad experience to count towards the Major will need to be carefully selected with the guidance of a Biochemistry faculty member.

Finally, any student considering a Biochemistry major is strongly encouraged to meet with a member of the Biochemistry faculty prior to scheduling classes for their Sophomore or Junior year.

Typical four-year road map

Pre-requisite courses (should be completed in the first three semesters)                                                                                                                                                                                                               

X = students starting in MATH 151, x - students starting in MATH 140
#Pre-requisite must be met with a C or better, *PHYS 101

Sophomore Seminar (should be completed in the sophomore year)

Intermediate Courses (should be completed by first semester senior year

Junior Seminar (should be completed Junior Year)

Upper Level Electives (should be completed as soon as possible)

Senior Project (should be completed in the senior year)

Timing of Courses