Biochemistry - B.S.

CIP Code

26.0210

Saumya Ramanathan, PhD., Discipline Coordinator

 

Undergraduate students in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major have opportunities to work with faculty on mentored research projects, with the expectations that undergraduate students will participate in research six of their 8 semesters during the academic year as well as during the summer, at Fisk University or academic laboratories nationally. Students engaged in research typically present papers at regional and national scientific meetings.

At the undergraduate level, students may elect to major in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in preparation for a career in biomedical research, teaching, or medicine.

The goals of the undergraduate program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology are to prepare students for:

• Entry into graduate schools in the biological and biomedical sciences and related areas the work force;
• Entry into health professional schools, particularly MD or MD/PhD programs; and
• Other professions which require a background in biochemistry and molecular biology, including teaching, that through their activities contribute to the welfare and development of society.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology minor, the student will:

• Explain the scope of life sciences in both qualitative and quantitative terms including various aspects of basic and biomedical research;
• Demonstrate knowledge of key principles and theories of biochemistry and molecular Biology and the integration of those with relevant computational and mathematical disciplines and skills;
• Demonstrate appropriate development of contemporary laboratory skills in biochemistry and molecular Biology; and
• Apply principles and theories of biochemistry and molecular Biology to real life problems.

Program Requirements

Requirements for the undergraduate biochemistry and molecular Biology major, in addition to the University degree requirements outlined within this Bulletin, are:

Required courses relevant to biochemistry and molecular biology [36 credits], including:

NSCI 361	BIOCHEMISTRY I	3
	And
NSCI 361L	BIOCHEMISTRY I LABORATORY	1
NSCI 362	BIOCHEMISTRY II	3
	And
NSCI 362L	BIOCHEMISTRY II LABORATORY	1
BIOL 360	MOLECULAR CELL BIOLOGY	3
	And
BIOL 360L	MOLECULAR CELL BIOLOGY LAB	1
BIOL 410	MOLECULAR METHODS	3
	And
BIOL 410L	MOLECULAR METHODS LAB	1
CHEM 341	PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY I	3
	And
CHEM 341L	PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY I LAB	1
NSCI 285	BIOINFORMATICS I	4
	And
NSCI 285L	BIOINFORMATICS I LABORATORY	0
NSCI 360	STATISTICS	4
NSCI 361	BIOCHEMISTRY I	3

Four to eight additional elective credits in biology are required. These courses should be chosen in consultation with biology academic advisor and can include, but not limited to:

BIOL 256	VERTEBRATE BIOLOGY (Development)	4
	And
BIOL 256L	VERTEBRATE BIOLOGY (Development) LAB	0
BIOL 270	MICROBIOLOGY	3
	And
BIOL 270L	MICROBIOLOGY LABORATORY	1
BIOL 350	GENETIC PRINCIPLES	3
	And
BIOL 350L	GENETIC PRINCIPLES	1
BIOL 420	INTRODUCTION TO NEUROBIOLOGY	3
	And
BIOL 420L	INTRODUCTION TO NEUROBIOLOGY LAB	1
BIOL 440	ESSENTIAL DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY	3
	And
BIOL 440L	ESSENTIAL DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY LAB	1
NSCI 290	UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH	1-4
CHEM 470	ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY	3
	And
CHEM 470L	ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY LAB	1
CHEM 582	Special Topics in Chemistry	2-4

Required cognates [32 credits]

Note: 4 credits are given as part of the CORE curriculum.

BIOL 101	GENERAL BIOLOGY I	3
	And
BIOL 101L	GENERAL BIOLOGY I LABORATORY	1
BIOL 102	GENERAL BIOLOGY II	3
	And
BIOL 102L	GENERAL BIOLOGY II LABORATORY	1
CHEM 113	GENERAL CHEMISTRY I	3
	And
CHEM 103	EXPERIMENTS IN GENERAL CHEMISRY I	1
CHEM 114	GENERAL CHEMISTRY II	3
	And
CHEM 104	EXPERIMENTS IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY II	1
CHEM 233	ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I	3
	And
CHEM 203	EXPERIMENTS IN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I	1
CHEM 234	ORGANIC CHEMISTRY II	3
	And
CHEM 204	EXPERIMENTAL ORGANIC CHEMISTRY II	1
PHYS 130	UNIVERSITY PHYSICS I	3
	And
PHYS 130L	EXPERIMENTS IN GENERAL PHYSICS I	1
PHYS 140	UNIVERSITY PHYSICS II	3
	And
PHYS 140L	EXPERIMENTS IN GENERAL PHYSICS II	1
CSCI 110	INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE I	4

Mathematics requirement [4 credits]

In addition to Bio calculus I (MATH 121), Biochemistry and Molecular Biology majors will either take Calculus II or an approved substitute, such as Mathematical Modeling (MATH 280) or Statistics (NSCI 360).

Suggested Program Plan for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Majors (B.S. degree)

First Year, Fall Semester [16 credits]

CORE 100	NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION SEMINAR	1
CORE 150	COMPOSITION I	3
CHEM 113	GENERAL CHEMISTRY I	3
BIOL 101	GENERAL BIOLOGY I	3
	And
BIOL 101L	GENERAL BIOLOGY I LABORATORY	1
MATH 101	COLLEGE ALGEBRA	3

First Year, Spring Semester [17 credits]

CORE 120	CRITICAL THINKING	2
CORE 160	COMPOSITION II	3
CHEM 114	GENERAL CHEMISTRY II	3
BIOL 102	GENERAL BIOLOGY II	3
	And
BIOL 102L	GENERAL BIOLOGY II LABORATORY	1
MATH 110	PRECALCULUS	3

Second Year, Fall Semester [18 credits]

CHEM 233	ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I	3
MATH 121	BIOCALCULUS I	4
BIOL 360	MOLECULAR CELL BIOLOGY	3
	And
BIOL 360L	MOLECULAR CELL BIOLOGY LAB	1
NSCI 290	UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH	1-4
CORE 220	THE CREATIVE ARTS	3

CORE 220: or other Group C CORE course

Second Year, Spring Semester [18 credits]

CHEM 234	ORGANIC CHEMISTRY II	3
CHEM 204	EXPERIMENTAL ORGANIC CHEMISTRY II	1
CSCI 110	INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE I	4
NSCI 360	STATISTICS	4
	Or
MATH 130	CALCULUS II	3
NSCI 290	UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH	1-4
SPAN 101	ELEMENTARY SPANISH I	3
	Or
FREN 101	ELEMENTARY FRENCH I	4

Third Year, Fall Semester [17 credits]

NSCI 361	BIOCHEMISTRY I	3
	And
NSCI 361L	BIOCHEMISTRY I LABORATORY	1
PHYS 130	UNIVERSITY PHYSICS I	3
PHYS 130L	EXPERIMENTS IN GENERAL PHYSICS I	1
CORE 201	INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP	3
NSCI 290	UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH	1-4
SPAN 102	ELEMENTARY SPANISH II	3
	Or
FREN 102	ELEMENTARY FRENCH II	4

Third Year, Spring Semester [17 credits]

NSCI 362	BIOCHEMISTRY II	3
	And
NSCI 362L	BIOCHEMISTRY II LABORATORY	1
NSCI 285	BIOINFORMATICS I	4
	And
NSCI 285L	BIOINFORMATICS I LABORATORY	0
PHYS 140	UNIVERSITY PHYSICS II	3
PHYS 140L	EXPERIMENTS IN GENERAL PHYSICS II	1
NSCI 290	UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH	1-4
SPAN 200	INTENSIVE INTERMEDIATE SPANISH	3
	Or
FREN 200	INTENSIVE INTERMEDIATE FRENCH	4

Fourth Year, Fall Semester [18 credits]

BIOL 410	MOLECULAR METHODS	3
	Biochemistry/Biology Elective	4
CHEM 341	PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY I	3
	And
CHEM 341L	PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY I LAB	1
	Senior Seminar	1
	CORE A: Cultural Exposure	3
NSCI 290	UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH	1-4

Fourth Year, Spring Semester [18 credits]

	Biochemistry/Biology Elective	4
PSY 180	GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY	4
	General Elective	3
NSCI 290	UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH	1-4
CORE 360	THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLES	3
	Senior Seminar	1

PSY 180: or other CORE E selection

Foreign language: (0-12 credits)

Dependent upon the foreign language placement scores. Note that students demonstrating proficiency beyond the beginner level (101) are required to take a general university elective in order to meet the 120 hours required for graduation.

CORE Requirements

The cafeteria style CORE curriculum will be chosen from one of the courses in each of the following groups, A-E.

GROUP A (Choose one of the following):

ART 291	AFRICAN AMERICAN ART	4
ART 292	AFRICAN ART	4
ENG 275	AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE TO 1919	4
HIS 180	AFRICAN HISTORY	4
HIS 270	AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY	4
MUS 206	CROSSCURRENTS IN AFRICAN AND AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSIC	2

GROUP B (Choose one of the following):

CORE 132	ESSENTIAL MATHEMATICS FOR A CONTEMPORARY WORLD II	3
BAD 200	APPLIED CALCULUS	4
BAD 260	APPLIED STATISTICS	4
MATH 125	DISCRETE MATHEMATICS	3
NSCI 360	STATISTICS	4

GROUP C (Choose one of the following):

CORE 220	THE CREATIVE ARTS	3
MUS 207	TWENTIETH CENTURY MUSIC	2
MUS 208	HISTORY OF JAZZ	2
ART 207	ARTS AND IDEAS I	4
ART 208	ARTS AND IDEAS II	4
MUS 205	MUSIC IN AMERICA	2

GROUP D (Choose CORE 240 or any two science courses from the list below):

CORE 240	NATURAL SCIENCE	4
	Or
BIOL 101	GENERAL BIOLOGY I	3
	And
BIOL 101L	GENERAL BIOLOGY I LABORATORY	1
CHEM 113	GENERAL CHEMISTRY I	3
	And
CHEM 103	EXPERIMENTS IN GENERAL CHEMISRY I	1
PHYS 130	UNIVERSITY PHYSICS I	3
	And
PHYS 130L	EXPERIMENTS IN GENERAL PHYSICS I	1

GROUP E (Choose one of the following):

ECON 230	PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS	3
ECON 240	PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS	3
HIS 160	UNITED STATES HISTORY	4
PSCI 122	AMERICAN POLITICAL SYSTEMS	4
PSY 180	GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY	4
SOC 100	INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY	3

Total hours required for graduation (B.S.): 139-144 credits