2025-2026 Undergraduate General Catalog

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 American Chemical Society (ACS) approved.

70 credit hours

 

Required Courses:

All courses require students to have earned a C- or better grade for each/any course or course pre-requisite.
CHEM 1040General Chemistry II

4

OR

CHEM 1050Accelerated General Chemistry

4

CHEM 2100Organic Chemistry I

4

CHEM 2110Organic Chemistry II

4

CHEM 2200Inorganic Chemistry

4

CHEM 2300Analysis

4

CHEM 3400Chemical Thermodynamics, Equilibrium and Kinetics

4

CHEM 3500Biochemistry

4

CHEM 4500Medicinal Chemistry

4

Required Supportive Courses

BIOL 1100Biological Principles I

4

BIOL 1102Biological Principles II

4

BIOL 2400Introduction to Genetics and Cell Biology

4

MATH 1501Calculus I

4

MATH 1502Calculus II

4

PHYS 1610General Physics I

4

PHYS 1620General Physics II

4

Choose 1 BIOL course and 2 CHEM courses from the following options:

BIOL 3310Evolution

4

BIOL 3412Developmental Biology

4

BIOL 3440Molecular Biology

4

BIOL 3612Pharmacology

4

BIOL 3650Neurobiology

4

CHEM 3410Quantum Mechanics, Statistical Mechanics, and Spectroscopy

4

CHEM 3600Polymers and Materials Science

4

CHEM 4100Advanced Organic Chemistry

4

CHEM 4200Advanced Inorganic Chemistry

4

CHEM 4300Advanced Analytical Chemistry

4

CHEM 4400Advanced Physical Chemistry

4

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.

Biochemistry Sample Plan of Study [This will open a Google Sheet, which you can view as well as make and save a copy of.]