2023-2024 Catalog

Requirements

Major

Biology Component

Students must complete five courses as detailed below:

BIO 130Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology

4 units

BIO 349Biochemistry I

4 units

 

One course from:

BIO 105Marine Biology

4 units

BIO 110Organisms on Earth

4 units

BIO 115General Zoology

4 units

 

One course from:

BIO 221Molecular Biology

4 units

BIO 224Genetic Analysis

4 units

BIO 226Cell Biology

4 units

 

And one course from:

BIO 320Developmental Biology

4 units

BIO 323Histology

4 units

BIO 325Microbial Diversity

4 units

BIO 326Molecular Phylogenetics

4 units

BIO 330Immunology

4 units

BIO 333Neurobiology

4 units

BIO 336Microbial Pathogenesis

4 units

BIO 340Sensory Biology and Neurophysiology

4 units

BIO 345Virology

4 units

KINE 306Biochemistry of Exercise and Energy

4 units

Chemistry Component

CHEM 120Foundations of General Chemistry

4 units

Or

CHEM 130Advanced Placement General Chemistry

4 units

 

CHEM 220Organic Chemistry I

4 units

CHEM 221Organic Chemistry II

4 units

CHEM 240Integrated Concepts in General Chemistry

4 units

CHEM 350Biochemistry

4 units

 

CHEM 300Physical Chemistry I

4 units

Or

CHEM 301Biophysical Chemistry

4 units

Mathematics Component

Students are required to take both courses listed below:

Calculus 1

4 units

Calculus 2

4 units

Physics Component

One course from:

PHYS 110Introductory Mechanics

4 units

PHYS 115General Physics I

4 units

 

And one course from:

PHYS 125General Physics II

4 units

PHYS 230Introductory Electricity and Magnetism

4 units

Senior Seminar

Students are to enroll in BICH 490 (2 units) each semester of their senior year.

BICH 490Senior Seminar

2 units

Honors in the Major

In addition to the requirements for College honors (see the Awards section), the student will successfully defend a written thesis based upon the outcome of his or her laboratory research effort as an undergraduate as detailed below.

 

Guidelines for College Honors in Biochemistry

Requirements

  • Students typically will have worked on a research project for at least 2 semesters (or 1 semester + summer session), before applying for honors.
  • Students must have an average GPA of 3.25 (college policy).

Application Process

  • Students should discuss doing Honors with their research mentor, get their approval, and submit an official Letter of Intent to the Biochemistry Chairperson(s) by the beginning of their senior year, or sooner.
  • Letters of intent should include a summary of research results (realized and projected), as well as significance of the research and any projects in progress at the time of submission.
  • Applications will be evaluated by the biochemistry program faculty.
  • Students nominated for honors will be notified by the Biochemistry Chairperson(s).

Completion Process

  • After nomination, by September 30th each candidate will select an honors thesis committee of two Biochemistry program faculty members (excluding Chairperson(s)), in addition to their faculty mentor. This committee will be available for guidance and to help throughout the honors process.
  • Mentors will check in with Chairperson(s) during the first week of classes in the Spring semester to confirm that honors candidates have enough content to proceed.
  • Candidates will work with their mentor, committee members, and Chairperson(s) to establish a timeline for the completion of the written thesis and honors presentation. This timeline must conform to the guidelines below and any college requirements for the completion of honors. This timeline is due to the Chairperson(s) before March.
  • Requirements for receiving honors:
    • The candidate must complete a written thesis of their work. Draft deadlines must allow ample time for revision. The final thesis must be completed before the honors presentation.
    • Honors candidates will give a presentation on their research. These presentations will last approximately 15-20 minutes, with 5-10 min for questions (20-30 minutes total). Honors presentations are typically scheduled during Senior Seminar in the middle of April.
  •   Honors are recorded as Pass/Fail and are reported to the registrar by the Chairperson(s). The Chairperson(s) will inform the    students of their performance when it is decided upon by the committee. The deadline for submitting honors results is announced by the registrar in the yearly academic calendar (usually end of April).