Biochemistry Major (ACS)
The foundations of biology are rooted in chemistry, but increasingly advances in scientific endeavor are predicated on the interchange of ideas and concepts across many broad fields of science. This major is designed to provide the student with cross-disciplinary experiences across much of the natural sciences - chemistry, biology, physics, and mathematics. The intention is to provide graduates with the ability to readily integrate these disciplines and to provide the tools necessary to break boundaries in scientific exploration. Students in this rigorous, interdisciplinary major are precluded from declaring majors in either chemistry or biology, which will allow a greater capacity to take classes outside of the natural sciences. The major is a chemistry degree with a biochemistry emphasis and is American Chemical Society (ACS) approved.
71 credit hours
Graduates completing these requirements are approved by the American Chemical Society. The Chemistry Department strongly recommends that students preparing for graduate study in biochemistry complete the ACS Approved Biochemistry Major.
Required Courses: 32 credit hours
Required Supportive Courses: 28 credit hours
Choose 1 BIOL course and 2 CHEM courses from the following options: 11-12 credit hours
Biochemistry (ACS) Sample Plan of Study
Following is one possible way to complete the major.
Students should fill in gaps with coursework required for the core curriculum and other majors/minors to take an average of 14 credit hours each fall and spring, and 3-4 credit hours each Interim. Total credit hours needs to be 124 for degree completion.
First Year
Fall Semester
Interim
| | Core, Major, Minor or Elective Course | 3-4 |
Spring Semester
| FYS 111 | First Year Seminar II (FS) | 4 |
| CHEM 201 | Organic Chemistry I | 4 |
| MATH 152 | Calculus II | 4 |
| | Core, Major, Minor or Elective Course | 3-4 |
Second Year
Fall Semester
| BIOL 233 | Genetics | 4 |
| CHEM 202 | Organic Chemistry II | 4 |
| PHYS 221 | General Physics I (NS) | 4 |
| | Core, Major, Minor or Elective Course | 3-4 |
Interim
Spring Semester
Third Year
Fall Semester
| CHEM 301 | Chemical Thermodynamics, Equilibrium and Kinetics (SI) | 4 |
| CHEM 305 | Biochemistry | 4 |
| | Core, Major, Minor or Elective Course | 3-4 |
| | Core, Major, Minor or Elective Course | 3-4 |
Interim
| | Core, Major, Minor or Elective Course | 3-4 |
Spring Semester
| CHEM 330 | Medicinal Chemistry (W) | 4 |
| CHEM | Elective course at the 300-level | 3-4 |
| | Core, Major, Minor or Elective Course | 3-4 |
| | Core, Major, Minor or Elective Course | 3-4 |
Fourth Year
Fall Semester
| CHEM | Elective course at the 300-level | 3-4 |
| | Core, Major, Minor or Elective Course | 3-4 |
| | Core, Major, Minor or Elective Course | 3-4 |
| | Core, Major, Minor or Elective Course | 3-4 |
Interim
| | Core, Major, Minor or Elective Course | 3-4 |
Spring Semester
| CHEM | Elective course at the 300-level | 3-4 |
| | Core, Major, Minor or Elective Course | 3-4 |
| | Core, Major, Minor or Elective Course | 3-4 |
| | Core, Major, Minor or Elective Course | 3-4 |
NOTE: BIOL 3** elective must be either BIOL 303/PHYS 303, BIOL 358, or BIOL 364.