Major / Minor Overview

Biochemistry Majors can earn a B.S. degree through the Department of Biochemistry. An honors program is available.ÌýBelow you can find information about these degrees and special programs.

Advising

All majors are expected to schedule regular appointments with their academic advisor. For more information please look at theÌýUndergraduate Advising page.

Ìý

Notice of Course Change

Course pre-fixes were updated from CHEM to BCHM for several courses starting in Fall 2019. For questions or concerns about how these changes effect your degree status, please schedule an appointment with an academic advisor.

Program Requirements

The biochemistry major provides interdisciplinary training, education and experience in the chemical and biological sciences. Biochemistry focuses on understanding the chemical processes of living organisms,the reaction pathways that sustain life, the principles of how structure defines function, and the physical basis of biomolecular interactions. Students who major in Biochemistry are prepared for diverse careers in medicine, scientific research, biotechnology, pharmacy, biomedical consulting, teaching and education, among other professions.Ìý

The undergraduate degree in Biochemistry emphasizes knowledge and understanding of:

  • Foundational principles of biology and chemistry
  • The building blocks of life (DNA, RNA and proteins), how they evolved, how they interact, and how organisms make and degrade these building blocks
  • How living organisms maintain homeostasis and regulate metabolism
  • The molecular mechanisms of how living systems respond to changes, such as environmental perturbations, disease, and chemical therapeutics
  • How chemical reactions impact human health

The undergraduate degree in Biochemistry also emphasizes and cultivates development of the following skills:

  • Quantitative problem solving
  • Critical thinking and analytical reasoning
  • Communication of scientific concepts and ideas

Because biochemistry connects to scientific disciplines ranging from genetics, human physiology, microbiology, neuroscience, cell biology, chemistry, and geology, Biochemistry majors are given the freedom to explore advanced electives in many of these subjects. Additional information about the Biochemistry B.S. can be found on the Biochemistry Department website.

Biochemistry major students are prepared for many different careers after graduation. Ìýoffers a number of programs and services designed to help students plan their career, including workshops, internships, and placement services after graduation. For an appointment with a career counselor or for more information, call 303-492-6541 or stop by Center for Community, N352.
Ìý

Additional Opportunities

Undergraduate Research

Undergraduates are encouraged to participate in research to prepare themselves for graduate school, professional school, or industry. There are multiple opportunities for undergraduates to be involved in research within the Department of Biochemistry. For more information, visit our Departmental Undergraduate research page.

Study Abroad

The experience of studying abroad can prove invaluable. For information about study abroad programs, visit the Ìýwebsite.

Teaching Certification

Biochemistry majors can also earn certification as teachers through the School of Education. The program for a secondary school science-teaching certificate is challenging requiring a broad, strong background in science, as well as coursework in education and practice teaching. It usually requires at least five years of study. Students interested in teacher certification are encouraged to contact the .

Requirements for Major

Program Requirements

The biochemistry major provides interdisciplinary training in the biological and chemical sciences, including courses in general chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry and biochemistry, as well as in biology, calculus and physics.

Students must complete the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences and the required courses listed below. No more than 66 credits of CHEM and BCHM courses can be applied to the 120-credit minimum to graduate. All courses counted towards the major must be completed with a grade of C- or better and none of the courses may be taken for a pass/fail grade. The cumulative GPA in courses that can count toward the major must be at least 2.000.

Transfer students who plan to complete a BS degree in biochemistry must complete at the ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß campus a minimum of 12 credits of upper-division courses in biochemistry.

StudentsÌýmay want to consult each semester'sÌý, as well as theÌýÌýfor further information about course offerings and faculty.

Required Courses and Credits

Course List
CodeTitleCredit Hours
General ChemistryÌý

&Ìý
Foundations of Chemistry
and Foundations of Chemistry Lab (Recommended)
5
orÌý
&Ìý
&Ìý
&Ìý
General Chemistry 1
and Laboratory in General Chemistry 1
and General Chemistry 2
and Laboratory in General Chemistry 2
Organic ChemistryÌý
Organic Chemistry 1 for Chemistry and Biochemistry Majors (Recommended)4
orÌýOrganic Chemistry 1
Laboratory in Organic Chemistry 11
Organic Chemistry 2 for Biochemistry Majors (Recommended)4
orÌýOrganic Chemistry 2 for Chemistry Majors
orÌýOrganic Chemistry 2
Laboratory in Organic Chemistry 21-2
orÌýLaboratory in Advanced Organic Chemistry
BiochemistryÌý
Foundations of Biochemistry4
Metabolic Pathways and Human Disease4
Biochemistry of Gene Transmission, Expression and Regulation 14
Biochemistry Laboratory3
Physical ChemistryÌý
Core Concepts in Physical Chemistry for Biochemists 24
Advanced Major ElectivesÌý
Select three of the following elective courses:9-12

&Ìý
Engineering RNA Aptamers
and Literature-based Co-seminar for BCHM 3100 CURE Laboratory Course
3
Genetic Engineering: Science, Technology, and Society3
Chemical Biology and Molecular Therapeutics3
Mechanisms of Cancer (cannot also count as a required Advanced Major Elective)3
Principles of Pharmacology and Toxicology3
Quantitative Optical Imaging3
Modern Biophysical Methods3
Computational Genomics Lab (cannot also count as a required Advanced Major Elective)3
Current Topics in Biochemical Research3
Therapeutic and Diagnostic Nucleic Acids3
Matrix Methods and Applications3
Applied Probability3
Biogeochemical Oceanography3
Modern Inorganic Chemistry3
Instrumental Analysis - Lecture and Laboratory 13
Instrumental Analysis - Lecture and Laboratory 23
Applied Data Analysis3
Genetics: Molecules to Populations (cannot also count as a required ancillary course or an advanced elective)4
Conservation Biology4
Evolutionary Biology4
Global Ecology3
Tropical Marine Ecology3
Animal Behavior4
Microbiology3
The Art and Strategy of Science Communication: Branding Climate Change3
Plants and Society4
Parasitology4
Animal Diversity: Invertebrates4
Limnology3
Landscape Ecology3
Freshwater Phycology4
Plant Ecology3
Ecosystem Ecology4
Phylogenetics and Comparative Biology4
Biological Statistics (cannot also count , , or as a required Advanced Major Elective)4
Computational Biology3
Animal Developmental Diversity4
Plant Biodiversity and Evolution4
Plant Anatomy and Development4
Critical Thinking in Biology3
Geomicrobiology3
Microbial Planet Laboratory4
Introduction to Geochemistry3
Geomicrobiology3
Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry3
Cosmochemistry3
Isotope Geology3
Intro to Data Science and Biostatistics (cannot also count , or as a required Advanced Major Elective)4
Human Anatomy3
Human Physiology4
Introduction to Epidemiology3
Endocrinology4
Biology of Human Reproduction3
Immunology (cannot also count as a required Advanced Major Elective)3
Neurophysiology4
Introduction to Statistics (cannot also count , or as a required Advanced Major Elective)3
Introduction to Mathematical Statistics3
Principles of Genetics (cannot also count as a required ancillary course or an advanced elective)3
Cell Biology3
Biology of the Cancer Cell (cannot also count as a required Advanced Major Elective)3
Infectious Disease3
Microbial Planet Laboratory4
Fertility, Sterility, and Early Mammalian Development3
Biological Data Science (cannot also count as a required Advanced Major Elective)3
Structural Methods for Biological Macromolecules3
The Brain - From Molecules to Behavior3
Introduction to Systems Biololgy for Biologists3
Geomicrobiology3
The Python Project3
Immunology (cannot also count as a required Advanced Major Elective)4
Microbial Genetics and Physiology3
Quantitative Optical Imaging3
Microbial Diversity and the Biosphere3
Human Molecular Genetics3
Cell Signaling and Developmental Regulation3
Cellular Basis of Disease3
Mechanisms of Gene Regulation in Eukaryotes3
Bioinformatics and Genomics3
Biology of Stem Cells3
Developmental Biology3
Animal Virology3
Molecular Neurobiology3
Oocytes, Stem Cells, Organisms: Experiments to Discoveries3
Introduction to Neuroscience I: Foundations4
Neurobiology of Learning and Memory3
Neural Circuits of Learning and Decision Making3
Behavioral Neuroendocrinology3
Neuropharmacology3
Neurobiology of Addiction3
Environmental Ethics (cannot also count as a required Advanced Major Elective)3
Bioethics (cannot also count as a required Advanced Major Elective)3
Behavioral Genetics3
Total Credit Hours43-47
1 can be waived upon completion of the MCDB major.
2 and can be taken together in place of BCHM 4400.

Required Ancillary Coursework from Outside Biochemistry

Course List
CodeTitleCredit Hours
PhysicsÌý
General Physics 14
General Physics 24
Experimental Physics 11
CalculusÌý
Calculus 14-5
orÌýCalculus for Life Sciences
orÌýCalculus 1 for Engineers
Calculus 24-5
orÌýCalculus 2 for Engineers
Biology Sequence with LabsÌý
Lectures (One of the following sequences)6

&Ìý
Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology
and Principles of Genetics
6

&Ìý
General Biology 1
and General Biology 2
6
Labs (One of the following sequences)2
From Dirt to DNA: Phage Genomics Laboratory I2
orÌýAntibiotics Discovery Through Hands-on Screens I
orÌýChemotherapeutic Discovery Through Hands-On Screens

&Ìý
General Biology Laboratory 1
and General Biology Laboratory 2
2
Total Credit Hours25-27

All students, and especially those intending to go onto graduate school in biochemistry, will benefit from additional advanced courses. Recommended electives include graduate courses in various fields of chemistry, or advanced courses in biology or mathematics.

Students in the undergraduate biochemistry major are required to take three advanced major electives for a total of at least 9 credits to complete the biochemistry major. Below is a list of all approvedÌýelectives that can be taken to satisfy the advanced major electives requirement.
Ìý

Advanced Major Electives

Select three of the following elective courses:

BCHM 3100

Ìý & BCHM 3110

Engineering RNA Aptamers

Ìý Ìýand Literature-based Co-seminar for BCHM 3100 CURE Laboratory Course

BCHM 3300Genetics Engineering: Science, Technology, and Society
BCHM 3400Mechanisms of Cancer
BCHM 3450Principles of Pharmacology and Toxicology
ÌýÌý
BCHM 4491Modern Biophysical Methods
BCHM 4631Computational Genomics Lab
BCHM 4751Current Topics in Biochemical Research
BCHM 4850Therapeutic and Diagnostic Nucleic Acids
BCHM 4901*Independent Study in Biochemistry
BCHM 5341Chemical Biology and Drug Design
APPM 3310Matrix Methods and Applications
APPM 3570Applied Probability
APPM 4360Methods in Applied Mathematics: Complex Variables and Applications
ATOC 4200ÌýBiogeochemical Oceanography
ÌýÌý
CHEM 4011Modern Inorganic Chemistry
CHEM 4171Instrumental Analysis- Lecture and Laboratory 1
CHEM 4181Instrumental Analysis- Lecture and Laboratory 2
CHEN 3010Applied Data Analysis
CHEN 3200Chemical Engineering Fluid Mechanics
CHEN 3210Chemical Engineering Heat and Mass Transfer
EBIO 2070Genetics: Molecules to Populations
(cannot also count MCDB 2150 as a required ancillary course or an advaced elective)
EBIO 3040Conservation Biology
EBIO 3080Evolutionary Biology
EBIO 3180Global Ecology
EBIO 3190Tropical Marine Ecology
EBIO 3240Animal Behavior
EBIO 3400Microbiology
EBIO 3523The Art and Strategy of Science Communication: Branding Climate Change
EBIO 3590Plants and Society
EBIO 3630Parasitology
EBIO 3850Animal Diversity: Invertebrates
EBIO 4030Limnology
EBIO 4060Landscape Ecology
EBIO 4080Freshwater Phycology
EBIO 4140Plant Ecology
EBIO 4155Ecosystem Ecology
EBIO 4290Phylogenetics and Comparative Biology
EBIO 4410Biological Statistics
EBIO 4420Computational Biology
EBIO 4440Animal Developmental Diversity
EBIO 4500Plant Biodiversity and Evolution
EBIO 4510Plant Anatomy and Development
EBIO 4800Critical Thinking in Biology
GEOL 3320Introduction to Geochemistry
GEOL 4160Introduction to Biogeochemistry
GEOL 4270Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry
GEOL 4330Cosmochemistry
GEOL 4670Isotope Geology
GEOL 4675Stable Isotopes in Paleoclimate and Paleoecology
ÌýÌý
IPHY 3410Human Anatomy
IPHY 3430Human Physiology
IPHY 3490Introduction to Epidemiology
ÌýÌý
IPHY 4440Endocrinolgy
IPHY 4470Biology of Human Reproduction
IPHY 4600Immunology
(cannot also count MCDB 4300 as a required Advanced Major Elective)
IPHY 4720Neurophysiology
MATH 4520Introduction to Mathematical Statistics
MCDB 2150Principles of Genetics
(cannot also count EBIO 2070 as a required ancillary course or an advanced elective)
MCDB 3000Synthetic Biology: Engineering Biomolecular Systems in the Laboratory
MCDB 3145Cell BiologyÌý
MCDB 3150Biology of the Cancer Cell
MCDB 3160Infectious Disease
MCDB 3350Fertility, Sterility, and Early Mammalian Development
MCDB 3450Biological Data Science
MCDB 3501Structural Methods for Biological Macromolecules
MCDB 3650The Brain- From Molecules to Behavior
MCDB 3990Introduction to Systems Biology for Biologists
MCDB 4202The Python Project
MCDB 4300Immunology
(cannot also count IPHY 4600 as a required Advanced Major Elective)
MCDB 4310Microbial Genetics and Physiology
ÌýÌý
MCDB 4350Microbial Diversity and the Biosphere
MCDB 4410Human Molecular Genetics
MCDB 4426Cell Signaling and Developmental Regulation
MCDB 4444Cellular Basis of Disease
MCDB 4471Mechanisms of Gene Regulation in Eukaryotes
MCDB 4520Bioinformatics and Genomics
MCDB 4615Biology of Stem Cells
MCDB 4650Developmental Biology
MCDB 4750Animal Virology
MCDB 4777Molecular Neurobiology
MCDB 4790Oocytes, Stem Cells, Organisms: Experiments to Discoveries
NRSC 2125Introduction to Neuroscience I: Foundations (formerly NRSC 2100)
NRSC 4032Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
NRSC 4082Neural Circuits of Learning and Decision Making
NRSC 4092Behavioral Neuroendocrinology
NRSC 4132Neuropharmacology
NRSC 4545Neurobiology of Addiction
PHIL 3140Environmental Ethics
(cannot also count PHIL 3160 as a required Advanced Major Elective)
PHIL 3160Bioethics
(cannot also count PHIL 3140 as a required Advanced Major Elective)
PSYC 3102Behavioral Genetics

Ìý

*BCHM 4901 must be approved by the Biochemistry Associate Chair for Undergraduate Affairs. To be eligible students must have a minimum of 120 hours of independent research prior to applying for BCHM 4901 as an advanced elective. BCHM 4901 can only count once as an advanced elective. It must be taken as a 3-credit course and a final paper is required.

Requirements for Minor

A minimum of 21 credits is required for the minor, at least 9 of which must be upper-division. The College of Arts & Sciences will allow a maximum of 9 hours of transfer credit, including 6 upper-division credit hours to count toward a minor. Students may transfer courses through organic chemistry only. All courses required for the minor must be completed with a grade ofÌýC-Ìýor better, and the overall GPA in all BCHM and CHEM courses taken must be a 2.00.

Students who have takenÌýÌýandÌýÌýmay substitute them forÌýÌýand CHEM 1114. Engineering students who have takenÌýÌýmay NOT use this to satisfy the physical chemistryÌýrequirement.
Ìý

General Chemistry

5-10Ìý

CHEM 1113
Ìý & CHEM 1114

and

CHEM 1133
Ìý & CHEM 1134

General Chemistry 1
and Laborartory in General Chemistry 1

and

General Chemistry 2
and Laborartory in General Chemistry 2

ÌýÌý
ÌýorÌýÌý
CHEM 1400
Ìý & CHEM 1401
Foundations of Chemistry
and Foundations of Chemistry Lab
ÌýÌý

Organic Chemistry

10-11Ìý
CHEMÌý3311
Ìý orÌýCHEMÌý3451
Organic Chemistry 1
Organic Chemistry 1 for Chemistry and Biochemistry Majors
ÌýÌý
CHEM 3321Laboratory in Organic Chemistry 1ÌýÌý
CHEMÌý3331
orÌýCHEMÌý3471
orÌýCHEMÌý3391
Organic Chemistry 2Ìý
Organic Chemistry 2 for Chemistry Majors
Organic Chemistry 2 for Biochemistry Majors
ÌýÌý
CHEMÌý3341
orÌýCHEMÌý3381
Laboratory in Organic Chemistry 2Ìý
Laboratory in Advanced Organic Chemistry
ÌýÌý

Biochemistry *

6-8Ìý
select one of the following:ÌýÌý
BCHM 2700Foundations of BiochemistryÌýÌý
BCHM 4611Principles of BiochemistryÌýÌý
select one of the following:ÌýÌý
BCHM 3300Genetic Engineering: Science, Technology, and SocietyÌýÌý
BCHM 3400Mechanisms of CancerÌýÌý
BCHM 3450Principles of Pharmacology and ToxicologyÌýÌý
BCHM 4400Core Concepts in Physical Chemistry for BiochemistsÌýÌý
BCHM 4631Computational Genomics LabÌýÌý
BCHM 4720Metabolic Pathways and Human DiseaseÌýÌý
BCHM 4740Biochemistry of Gene Transmission, Expression and RegulationÌýÌý
BCHM 4850Therapeutic and Diagnostic AcidsÌýÌý

Total Credit Hours

21-29
*Must be completed at CU ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß.Ìý

Ìý

Academic Planning:

Students who declared aÌýbiochemistry major before Fall 2017Ìýshould follow the requirements as listed in their audit.

Course pre-fixes were updated from CHEM to BCHM for several courses starting in Fall 2019. For questions or concerns about how these changes effect your degree status, please schedule an appointment with an Academic Advisor.

Grades

All required courses and ancillary courses must be completed with a grade of C- or better. In addition, the College of Arts and Sciences requires at least 30 hours of C- or better in the major and requires an average GPA of 2.00 or higher in all classes attempted in the major department.

Credit Hours

Students who do all their major courses at CU ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß will more than meet the College requirements for the minimum total (30 credits) and upper division (18 credits) hours in the major.

AP, Advanced Placement in Chemistry

The following will be allowed for advanced placement in chemistry. Score of 5: credit for general chemistry 1 with lab (CHEM 1113 and 1114 or). Students may register for general chemistry 2 with lab (CHEM 1133/1134). Students should consult a departmental advisor before registering for a second semester general chemistry course.

IB, International Baccalaureate in Chemistry

The following will be allowed for IB-higher in chemistry. Score of 7: credit for general chemistry 1 and 2 with lab (CHEM 1113/1114 and 1133/1134).; students may register for CHEM 3311/3321 or 3451/3371. Score of 6: credit for general chemistry 1 (CHEM 1113/1114); students may register for CHEM 1133/1134. Students should consult a departmental advisor before registering organic chemistry or for a second semester general chemistry course.

Transfer Credits

Students may transfer courses in chemistry that are equivalent to courses given at CU ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß but carry fewer credit hours. They must take sufficient courses in chemistry so that the total credits for graduation is at least 30. An academic advisor should be consulted regarding this type of deficiency.

Transfer Students

Transfer students should note that the College of Arts & Sciences requires at least 18 hours of upper-division credits in the major. Lower division courses at other institutions will transfer as lower division credit, even if the corresponding CU ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß courses are upper division. For example, organic chemistry taken at a community college or as lower division at a four-year college will only carry lower division credit if it is accepted by the department to satisfy CHEM 3311, 3321, 3331, and 3341. AÌýbiochemistry major with such transfer credit will need to take additional upper division chemistry courses to complete the required 18 hours in the major and 45 upper division hours.

Transfer students who plan to complete a B.A. degree in the Biochemistry Department must complete at the ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß campus a minimum of 12 credit hours of upper-division courses in chemistry covering at least 2 of the sub-disciplines in their major.Ìý The sub-disciplines for a biochemistry major are organic, physical, and biochemistry. Course work to satisfy this minimum requirement may NOT include CHEM 4901 and must be completed after matriculation into the College of Arts and Sciences.

Undergraduate majors in the Biochemistry Department must plan their courses carefully since there are specific prerequisites for advanced courses that must be completed in an orderly sequence during the freshman through the junior years. In addition, the College of Arts & Science Core curriculum must be worked into the schedule. Suggestions for majors include:

  • Math should be started the first year and continued without a break.
  • Math courses are a serious hurdle for many biochemistry majors. It is much better to start Pre-Calculus Math 1150, doing a fair bit of review work, and earn A's or B's than to try Calculus l, (MATH 1300 or APPM 1350) and receive a D or F. Even students that have some calculus in high school may have difficulty with MATH 1300 if their algebra, geometry, and trigonometryÌýbackgrounds are weak. When biochemistry students fail to achieve a good grade record their first year at CU ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß it is most commonly due to a weak math background.
  • Chemistry should be taken the first year, and should take precedence over general biology if biology is also required in the student's course work.
  • Students are very strongly advised against taking General Physics 1 until they have completed Calculus 1, and preferably both Calculus 1 and Calculus 2.
  • Most first year students should take no more than 16 hours per semester and preferably less. Students who are working may want to consider taking even fewer hours per semester. Taking 16 hrs/sem while working more than 20 hrs/week is likely to hurt academic performance.
  • Quality is better than quantity. Thus, undergraduates who complete a degree with a grade point average greater than 3.4 will have many job and graduate school opportunities even though they may have taken only 12-14 hours each semester. Whereas students who take 18-22 hours each semester, with a G.P.A. less than 3.0 while working 10 hrs/week, will find few or no graduate school openings. Students, who must work outside of school, should consider taking a lighter course load.
  • University study requires an intensive effort on a student's part for at least nine months a year. Students should therefore use their summers wisely. Summer may be a good time to catch up on coursework or credits; many required and elective courses are taught during summer school. On the other hand, many students find it advantageous to have a change of pace during the summer, and many need to earn some money. A chemistry-related job can be a great experience. Some large and small chemical or health-related companies hire undergraduates during summers. Career Services can be helpful in locating a suitable position. Some schools around the country have undergraduate research participation programs open to outside students. CU ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß offers the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) to a limited number of students.
  • The majors organic chemistry courses are also only taught once a year. Plan ahead for these courses. Most graduate courses are taught once a year, with a few taught every other year.
  • Students taking biology should realize that EBIO 1230 is taught only in the Fall semester, and the second-semester biology course EBIO 1240, is taught only in the Spring. The EBIO sequence is also taught during the summer.Ìý The MCDB 1150 is not taught in the summer.