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Biochemistry Major Curriculum

Updated: October 25, 2012

The Biochemistry Major requires courses from both the Biology and Chemistry Departments, along with supporting courses from Mathematics and Physics.   The Chemistry Department has created an entirely new curriculum that brings more biochemistry into the first two years of chemistry course.  Students enrolling in Fall 2011 and later will take all their chemistry courses from the new chemistry curriculum.  Because of these changes a new set of required courses have been established for the Biochemistry Major.  Students enrolled before Fall 2011 must satisfy the old requirements. 

Students may have received credit for AP courses or passed out of requirements by examination (ex. language courses), making this major easier to manage and increasing their flexibility to select courses in the major. Students who start with the major would also have the opportunity to change majors to either Biology, Chemistry, or Natural Science, since many of the course requirements overlap.

Summary of Required Courses - For students enrolled before Fall 2011:

4 Credit Courses offered by the Chemistry Department

4 Credit Courses Offered by the Biology Department

Supporting 4 Credit Courses:

• Physics: 191 and 200 (preferred) OR 105 and 106
• Math: 119 and 120

1-2 Credit Course

• BCHM 375:  Biochemistry Capstone

0 Credit Courses

• BCHM XXX:   Comprehensive Exam.  Students may take either the Biology (BIOL XXX) OR Chemistry (CHEM XXX) Comprehensive Exam. 

Possible Course Schedule for Biochemistry Major for students enrolled before Fall 2011

 FIRST YEAR

SECOND YEAR

THIRD YEAR

FOURTH YEAR

⁽¹⁾ Both the American Chemistry Society and the American Society of Biochemists and Molecular Biologists (ASBMB) recommend physics-based calculus. We recommend that students interested in industry or graduate school should take Phys 191 and 200 (calculus-based). Students interested in Medical School might opt for Phys 105 and 106.

⁽²⁾ For this elective, students could take any upper level biology course, including BIOL (MATH 373) - Introduction to Bioinformatics), except for BCHM 398 (HONORS) which can substitute only for BCHM 351.

BCHM 351 - Lab Research (highly encouraged but not required)

 Junior and senior students may register for up to 4 credits of BCHM 351. Lab projects are available at the discretion of the faulty and must be started at the latest by the beginning of the senior year. There are several options for receiving credit for BCHM 351:

• Research during the academic year: Students may choose to do research during the academic year. Typically, one credit of BCHM 351 involves lab work equivalent to one lab period per cycle.
• Research during the summer: Students may choose to participate in a summer research program at CSB/SJU or in other summer research program. Typically, participation in a 10-week summer program would count as two credits of BCHM 351. Students conducting research in programs conducted in different summers could receive up to 4 credits towards BCHM 351. Students may register for these credits, as their schedules permit, in any semester after the summer research experience.

HONR 398 (Honors Thesis):

Students doing honors theses typically register for 5 credits: 1 credit of HONR 396 (the proposal) taken during the junior year and 4 credits of HONR 398, taken during the senior year. The four credits of HONR 398 are usually taken during the fall semester of the student's senior year. The workload for this 4 credit class usually involves:

• a 10-week summer research program,
• continuation of the research into the fall and possibly the spring semester of the senior year (this includes continuing lab work as well as working with the advisor and committee on the writing of the thesis),
• writing and defending thesis during the fall semester of the senior year,
• an outside presentation (such as at NCUR, the Winchell Symposium or Student Research Colloquium at SCSU) or submission of a publication to a journalSummary of Required Courses - For students enrolled before Fall 2011:

Summary of Required Courses - For students enrolled Fall 2011 and later

(who are taking the new chemistry curriculum) - PDF version

Major Requirements (credits) F (Fall) Sp (Spring).   Bio/Chem Credit  46-50; Total Credits 62-66 (present 70)

Possible choices for CHEM 3RQ: Chemical Biology, Bioanalytical Chemistry, Biophysical Chemistry OR equivalent courses approved by the Chemistry department.

SUGGESTED SCHEDULE FOR BIOCHEMISTRY MAJOR for students enrolled in Fall 2011 and later

Fall, ___YR 1____________                                                             Spring, __YR 1____________

Fall, __ YR 2_____________                                                            Spring, _YR 2_____________

Fall, ___YR 3____________                                                             Spring, ___YR 3___________

Fall, ___YR 4____________                                                             Spring, ____YR 4__________

Common Curriculum Requirements