BS in Biochemistry, Effective Fall 2025

The BS in Biochemistry is intended for those with an interests in the chemistry of living systems. It is an interdepartmental major for students interested in topics that intersect both biology and chemistry and is offered jointly by the Department of Biology and the Department of Chemistry.

Program Requirements and Policies

• Sixteen courses and their accompanying labs are required to complete the major.
• No major course may be taken Pass/Fail.
• If you have more than one major, please see Bulletin for rules on double-counting courses across majors.
• A student majoring in Biochemistry may not declare any minor in Chemistry
• If you have a minor, no more than two courses (regardless of Units) used toward the minor may be used toward foundation, distribution, major, or other minor requirements.
• Note: A student majoring in Biochemistry no longer needs to complete Biology or Chemistry research to be eligible for a summa cum laude degree.

Course Requirements

There are sixteen courses required. These include the following:

Biology Courses

• Biology 13 & 15: Cells and Organisms**
• Biology 41: General Genetics
• Biology 105: Molecular Biology

Chemistry Courses

• Chemistry 1: Chemical Fundamentals w/lab OR Chemistry 11: General Chemistry 
• Chemistry 2: Chemical Principles w/lab OR Chemistry 12: General Chemistry
• Chemistry 35: Biophysical Chemistry (Recommended) OR Chemistry 31: Physical Chemistry I*
• Chemistry 43/45: Bioanalytical Chemistry w/ lab (Recommended) OR Chemistry 42: Quantitative Analysis)***
• Chemistry 51: Organic Chemistry I
• Chemistry 53: Organic Chemistry I w/lab
• Chemistry 52: Organic Chemistry II 
• Chemistry 54: Organic Chemistry II w/lab
• Chemistry 171: Biochemistry I
• Chemistry 172: Biochemistry II

Other Required Courses

• Experiential Laboratory Research, selected from:***
  • Biology 50: Experiments in Molecular Biology
  • Biology 52: Experiments in Cell Biology
  • Biology 54: Molecular Genetics Project Lab
  • Biology 193 & 194: Independent Research in Biology
  • Biology 199: Senior Honors Thesis
  • Chemical & Biological Engineering 163: Recombinant DNA Technology
  • Chemistry 82 or higher: Research II–VIII
  • Chemistry 195 & 199: Senior Thesis I/II
• 1 Elective Course, selected from the approved Biochemistry electives list:
  • Chem 157
  • Chem 176
  • Bio 156
  • Math 34
  • Please note that the approved list of electives is updated regularly. Please check this page frequently for a current list of approved electives. 
• Math 32: Calculus I

• Physics 1: Introduction to Physics I w/lab or Physics 11: General Physics I w/lab

  Notes:

  * Effective Fall 2025, the Biochemistry major requires either Chem 31: Physical Chemistry OR Chem 35: Biophysical Chemistry (Recommended). Please note that Chem 31 has Math 34 and Phys 2 as prerequisites. Math 34 may be used as an elective course. Chem 35 requires only Math 32 and Phys 1 or 11 as prerequisites. 

  ** Starting with the incoming class of 2027, please note that Bio 13 and 15 are linked and must be taken concurrently for Biochemistry majors. If you are an A&S student, both courses must be added to your SIS cart when enrolling in Bio 13 & 15. Engineering students should be aware that there are restrictions on which majors and years are permitted to enroll in this course. BME students should enroll in BME 33 instead; some SoE majors may take Bio 13 without Bio 15. 

  *** Effective for classes graduating after May 2024, the Biochemistry major will require at least one semester of a graded, experiential laboratory course. This laboratory requirement can be fulfilled in one of two ways: 

      1. Students complete Chem 43 & 45 and any of the experiential laboratory research requirements. 

      2. Students complete Chem 42 and one of the following laboratory courses that     include molecular biology techniques: Bio 50, Bio 52, Bio 54, ChBE 163, or a graded independent research course in Biology (Bio 193, 194, 199) or petition to count graded research done in the Chemistry Department (Chem 82 or higher) that includes a biological component. 

Suggested Course Planning for Biochemistry Majors

The Biochemistry Major is flexible and can be completed following many possible tracks. Still, care must be taken when planning schedules to ensure that certain course sequences are taken in the correct order. For example, in the Biology Department, Bio 13 & 15 is a required prerequisite for Bio 41, and Bio 41 is a required prerequisite for Bio 105. On the Chemistry side, Chem 1/11 must be taken before Chem 2/12; Chem 2/12 is a required prerequisite for Chem 51 and Chem 43 & 45 (or 42); and Chem 51 is a required prerequisite for Chem 171, which must be taken before Chem 172. Please note that Chem 35 requires Chem 2/12, Math 32, and Phys1/11 as prerequisites, while Chem 31 requires Chem 2/12, Math 34, and Phys1/11 as prerequisites with Phys2 as a pre/co-requisite. This list is not comprehensive, so please be sure to review the prerequisites for any courses you are considering when planning your schedule. You will also want to carefully check the times these courses are offered. For example, Bio 41 and Chem 12 are generally offered during the same class block during the Spring semester, these classes cannot be taken in the same semester.

To assist in your planning process, the tracks below represent a few options that would allow students to complete a Biochemistry major within 8 semesters. Please note that there are many other possible paths one could take through the Biochemistry major. In particular, the timing of the courses listed under “Other Required Courses” is particularly flexible. A listing of courses typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer can be found below the sample pathways:

Example "Chem First" sequence

Example "Bio First" sequence

Example "Alternative" sequence

Courses typically offered in Fall semesters: Bio 13 & 15, Bio 50, Bio 105, Chem 1/11, Chem 2, Chem 51 & 53, Chem 172, Chem 31, Chem 43 & 45, Chem 157, Math 32, Math 34, Phys 1/11, Phys 2/12

Courses typically offered in Spring semesters: Bio 41, Bio 50, Bio 54, Bio 105, Bio 156, Chem 1, Chem 2/12, Chem 51 & 53, Chem 52 & 54, Chem 35, Chem 42, Chem 171, Chem 176, Math 32, Math 34, Phys 1/11, Phys 2/12

Courses typically offered over Summer sessions: Bio 13 & 15, Bio 41, Bio 105, Chem 1, Chem 2, Chem 51 & 53, Chem 52 & 54, BME/ChBE/Bio 163, Chem 171, Math 32, Math 34, Phys 1/11, Phys 2/12