Biochemistry, BA

The University Undergraduate Curriculum Committee approved a change to this program after the publication of the Catalog. Please refer to the Catalog Addendum for more information.

The Bachelor of Arts with a major in biochemistry prepares you with a strong foundation in biochemistry and molecular biology for careers ranging from industry to teaching.

The Bachelor of Arts with a major in biochemistry allows a less structured curriculum with more elective options than does the Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. Further, it serves as an excellent degree program for those who wish to teach sciences at the high school level in the areas of biochemistry, chemistry, and biology. Additionally, the program serves well those who wish to go into medicine, dentistry or other biologically related professional programs of study.

Degree requirements

The following requirements must be satisfied for a Bachelor of Arts with a major in biochemistry. Foundation Course requirements must be successfully completed prior to advancing to upper-division major requirements.

Hours required and general/college requirements

A minimum of 120 semester hours, of which 36 must be advanced, and fulfillment of degree requirements for the bachelor’s degree as specified in the University Core Curriculum in the Academics section of this catalog and the College of Science degree requirements .

Major requirements

Foundation course requirements

The Foundation course requirements listed below must be completed before enrollment in 3000 and 4000 level courses required for the major. Successful completion is based on achieving a C or better in each course and an overall 2.5 grade point average in these courses.

Biology courses:

Chemistry courses:

Math courses:

MATH 1650 - Pre-Calculus

Chemistry requirements

Students must complete at least 33 hours in biochemistry, of which 19 must be advanced. In addition to the chemistry foundation courses, required biochemistry courses include:

Other course requirements

These requirements include a replacement of a university core course, and courses in physics and math.

Biology requirements

Students must complete a minor of 20 hours in biology, which includes the biology foundation courses and at least 12 hours as follows:

Electives

Hours required for electives may vary based on course selection and the University Core Curriculum requirements. Electives may be required to satisfy the advanced hour requirement and/or the minimum total hours required for the degree. For specific information see an academic advisor in the College of Science.

Other requirements

Only two attempts will be allowed for each biology and biochemistry course in the degree. Grade of C or better and minimum 2.5 grade point average in Foundation Courses, C or better in all biology, biochemistry and chemistry courses, and an overall 2.0 grade point average are required for graduation. All students seeking to enter the Department of Biological Sciences, with the exception of beginning freshmen, must meet the minimum grade point averages given above. Students in the department whose Foundation Course or overall grade point average drops below the minimum for two consecutive semesters will be removed from the program.

Four-year degree plan (example)

The following four-year plan is one example of a variety of ways in which you can complete your chosen degree in four years, and will serve as a guide for you to design your pathway to degree completion. Variations will depend on whether you need to take prerequisites or have college credit from exams or dual enrollment.

Year 1

Semester 1		Semester 2
CHEM 1430 - Laboratory Sequence for General Chemistry	1 hour	CHEM 1440 - Laboratory Sequence for General Chemistry	1 hour
MATH 1650 - Pre-Calculus	5 hours	ENGL 1310 - First-Year Writing I	3 hours
Biochemistry First Sem BIOL	3 hours	MATH 1710 - Calculus I	4 hours
Biochemistry First Sem BIOL Lab	2 hours	Biochemistry Second Sem BIOL	3 hours
First Semester Chemistry*	3 hours	Second Semester Chemistry*	3 hours
Total	14 hours	Total	14 hours

Year 2

Semester 1		Semester 2
CHEM 2370 - Organic Chemistry I	3 hours	CHEM 2380 - Organic Chemistry II	3 hours
CHEM 3210 - Organic Chemistry Laboratory I	1 hour	CHEM 3220 - Organic Chemistry Laboratory II	1 hour
PHYS 1510 - General Physics I with Calculus	3 hours	PHYS 1520 - General Physics II with Calculus	3 hours
PHYS 1530 - General Physics with Calculus Laboratory I	1 hour	PHYS 1540 - General Physics with Calculus Laboratory II	1 hour
TECM 2700 - Technical Writing	3 hours	Government/Political Science core	3 hours
Government/Political Science core	3 hours	Language, Philosophy and Culture core	3 hours
		COS Breadth Requirement	3 hours
Total	14 hours	Total	17 hours

Year 3

Semester 1		Semester 2
BIOC 3621 - Principles of Biochemistry	3 hours	BIOC 4550 - Biochemistry II OR Elective-advanced	3 hours
BIOC 3622 - Principles of Biochemistry Laboratory	1 hour	BIOC 4570 - Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the Gene	3 hours
BIOL 3510 - Cell Biology	3 hours	BIOC 4580 - Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Laboratory	2 hours
BIOL 3520 - Cell Biology Laboratory	1 hour	CHEM 3530 - Physical Chemistry for Life Science	4 hours
CHEM 3451 - Quantitative Analysis	3 hours	American History core	3 hours
CHEM 3452 - Quantitative Analysis Laboratory	1 hour
American History core	3 hours
Total	15 hours	Total	15 hours

Year 4

Semester 1		Semester 2
Creative Arts core	3 hours	COS Breadth Requirement	3 hours
Social and Behavioral Sciences core	3 hours	COS Breadth Requirement	3 hours
COS Breadth Requirement	3 hours	Advanced Biology Lecture and Lab elective**	4 hours
Advanced Biology Lecture and Lab elective**	4 hours	Elective	2 hours
Elective	3 hours	Elective-advanced	3 hours
Total	16 hours	Total	15 hours

Notes:

*See chemistry courses under “Foundation requirements.”

**See “Biology requirements” above for requirements.