Mar 28, 2024  
2019-2020 University Catalog 
    
2019-2020 University Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Biochemistry Honors, BS


About the Program

Biochemistry investigates the chemical and molecular foundations of life processes. A student may study the transfer of genetic information into biological structures, the conversion of nutrients into cell constituents and their utilization as sources of energy, the storage of memory, and the chemical nature of neural processes. Laboratory techniques include electrophoresis, chromatography, Western blotting, protein sequence analysis, and peptide mapping. Understanding the development and application of enzymatic assays is fundamental to this field of study. This rigorous curriculum is excellent preparation for a number of careers in both academic and industrial research, including cancer and AIDS research, medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, structural biology, genetics, and medicinal chemistry and drug development.

Biochemistry Website

Degree Requirements


120 Credits Required

Curriculum and Degree Requirements for College of Science


A College of Science degree is conferred when a student successfully completes all requirements in their degree program.  Students will complete coursework or approved experiential learning activities to meet the following three degree components:

  1. Major
  2. Science Core Curriculum
  3. Electives

Students may use any of the following options to meet College of Science degree requirements:

  • Purdue Coursework
  • Ap, IB, and CLEP credit.  The use of AP and IB coursework varies between College of Science degree plans.
  • Transfer Credit. Students should consult the Admissions Transfer Credit Resource page for all available transfer options.

College of Science degree programs vary widely in their approval and use of the proceeding options and thus students are strongly encouraged to work closely with their academic advisors and to regularly consult their MyPurduePlan to view the use of each option in their degree plan. 

Most College of Science degree programs contain elective credits students may use to pursue courses that relate to their interests or which support their major area of study. The elective area of a degree plan may also be used to complete minors, second majors and certificates such as the Entrepreneurial Certificate. With the exception of courses on the No Count List, any Purdue course may be used to meet the elective area of a student’s degree plan.

College of Science Core Requirements

All Students starting Purdue University Fall semester, 2007 or later are required to pursue the 2007 Science Core curriculum.

The College of Science Core Curriculum requires the completion of approved coursework and/or experiential learning opportunities in the following academic areas:

Earning Core Curricular Requirements through Experience

Students may meet selected core curriculum requirements through approved experiential learning opportunities. Interested students should contact their academic advisor for more information on this option and incorporating experiential learning into their four-year program of study. For more information on earning requirements through experience, please click here.

Departmental/Program Major Courses (42-45 credits)


A 3.0 or higher graduation index is required to graduate in the Biochemistry Honors Curriculum

A minimum 2.0 average in all biology courses is required for this major.  

Each student must take at least one 500-level BIOL course other than BIOL 54200  or a BIOL 59500  lab.

Additional Biology Requirements: Intermediate, Base Lab, Biology Selective


Click Biology Selectives List for Biochemistry  for additional lists.

Click Base Lab Requirements for all Biology majors  for additional lists.

Click Intermediate Selectives for all Biology majors   for additional lists.

Other Departmental Requirements: (70-79 credits)


Additional Other Requirements


Electives (1-8 credits)


University Core Requirements


  • Human Cultures Humanities
  • Human Cultures Behavioral/Social Science
  • Information Literacy
  • Science #1
  • Science #2
  • Science, Technology, and Society
  • Written Communication
  • Oral Communication
  • Quantitative Reasoning

For a complete listing of course selectives, visit the Provost’s Website.

Prerequisite Information:


For current pre-requisites for courses, click here.


 

Program Requirements


Fall 1st Year


17-18 Credits


Spring 1st Year


17-19 Credits


Fall 2nd Year


15 Credits


15 Credits


Fall 3rd Year


15-16 Credits


Spring 3rd Year


15 Credits


Fall 4th Year


12-16 Credits


Spring 4th Year


  • Physical Chemistry Selective - Credit Hours: 4.00
  • Great Issues in Science Selective - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Base Lab Requirement- Credit Hours: 2.00 - 4.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 2.00

14-16 Credits


Notes


  • 3.0 Graduation GPA required for Biochemistry Honors major.
  • 2.0 Graduation GPA required for Bachelor of Science degree.

Foreign Language Courses


Foreign Language proficiency requirements vary by program. 

For acceptable languages and proficiency levels, see your advisor: American Sign Language, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, (ancient) Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish

Critical Course


The ♦ course is considered critical.

In alignment with the Degree Map Guidance for Indiana’s Public Colleges and Universities, published by the Commission for Higher Education (pursuant to HEA 1348-2013), a Critical Course is identified as “one that a student must be able to pass to persist and succeed in a particular major.  Students who want to be nurses, for example, should know that they are expected to be proficient in courses like biology in order to be successful.  These would be identified by the institutions for each degree program”. 

Disclaimer


The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements.

The myPurduePlan powered by DegreeWorks is the knowledge source for specific requirements and completion.