About the Major
The interdisciplinary science major is designed to provide College of Science students with a broad base in the sciences. By combining a primary area of science study, an interdisciplinary science core, a supporting area of academic interest and the core curriculum shared by all College of Science programs, students explore how the disciplines of science come together to identify and solve scientific challenges.
The interdisciplinary science major in Biomolecular Design provides College of Science students with multidisciplinary depth in Biology, Chemistry and Computer Science. Discovery and manipulation of new biological molecules requires an understanding of biological systems as well as technologies used for measurement, analysis, and prediction, in order to optimize molecule exploration, testing and evaluation of efficacy. Successful biomolecule design and implementation also requires knowledge of computational tools and artificial intelligence for rapid molecule development, hypothesis generation, experimental design, and evaluation. Biomolecular Design combines the biotechnology and computational proficiency to train students for development of important biomolecules such as drugs for biomedicine or agriculture.
Students completing the interdisciplinary Biomolecular Design major are well-prepared for careers in medicine, the pharmaceutical industry, biomedical research, computational biology, agricultural engineering, and computational chemistry, among others. The combined advanced training in computer science, biology, and chemistry is rare among undergraduate programs and highly sought after by employers and graduate schools.
Biomolecular Design Major Change (CODO) Requirements
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:
- Major
- Science Core Curriculum
- 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. 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.
Degree Requirements
120 Credits Required
Interdisciplinary Science Foundation (73-84 credits)
These courses provide the science background to succeed in Biomolecular Design
Foundations in Mathematics (14-16 credits)
Required courses for mathematics background:
Foundations in Biology (13 credits)
Required courses for training in Biology
Foundations in Chemistry (19-22 credits)
Required courses for chemistry background: (Choose one track + CHM 43800)
Computing for Biomolecular Design (17 credits)
Required training in computing for biomolecular design.
Foundations in Physics (8 credits)
Required background in physics:
Foundation in Statistics (3 credits)
Choose one:
Upper level selective courses (6-9 credits)
At least 2 courses from the following list must be taken. Other 300+ level courses that align with the learning outcomes of Biomolecular Design may be discussed with the student’s advisor. No more than 9 credits will be accepted towards the major from these courses.
Research Analysis and Practice in Biomolecular Design (4-7 credits)
1. CHM 19400 or BIOL 11500 - 1 credit
2. At least 1 credit in BIOL 49500 or CHM 49000 or CHM 49400
3. At least 2 credits in BIOL 49400 or CHM 49900 (upper-level research) - No more than 6 credits may be obtained towards the major from this section.
Other Departmental/Program Course Requirements (17-37 credits)
College of Science Core Requirements
Composition and Presentation
- Technical Writing and Presentation (0-6 credits) - Students may elect to take one course, a combination of courses, or use approved experiences to meet the TWTP requirement. The list of approved courses and experiences can be found here.
Teambuilding and Collaboration (0-3 credits) Choose one option from this list. -Note: Transfer credit (including AP, IB, and A LEVEL credit) will not meet the Teambuilding and Collaboration requirement).
Language and Culture (1-9 credits) Complete one of the Options from this list.
Great Issues in Science (3 credits) Choose one from this list.
Science, Technology, and Society (1-3 credits) Choose one course from the University Core Science, Technology, and Society list here.
General Education (9 credits) Choose courses from this list to fulfill each General Education Option below to total 9 credits.
- General Education Option I
- General Education Option II
- General Education Option III
College of Science Additional Requirements
Computing (3-4 credits)
Met with required major courses.
Laboratory Science (6-8 credits)
Met with required major courses.
Mathematics (8-10 credits)
Met with required major courses.
Statistics (3 credits)
Met with required major courses.
Interdisciplinary Science Other Requirements
GPA Requirement
- Concentration and Supporting Area blocks require a minimum 2.00 GPA.
- 2.0 Graduation GPA required for Bachelor of Science degree.
Course Requirements and Notes
- All courses can share with the exception of the Great Issues, General Education and Cultural Diversity (Language & Culture) Courses.
Non-course / Non-credit Requirements
College of Science students may choose to complete one or more of following core Science requirements through approved learning experiences*, including, but not limited to: internships, co-ops, research, Study Abroad, Entrepreneurship and EPICS projects.
*Experiential Learning Contracts must be completed one semester prior to a student’s anticipated graduation date.
College of Science Pass/No Pass Option Policy
- Only electives and courses at the 50000-level general education requirement may be taken under the pass/no pass option.
- The pass/no pass grade mode may be entered for courses which are not required by a student’s major(s), minor(s) or science core curriculum.
- Grade mode Passing is equivalent to at a minimum grade of C- had a letter grade been awarded.
- Students may elect to use the pass/no pass option for no more than 20% of the 124/120 credit requirement for graduation and for no more than two courses per academic year (Fall-Summer).
- The pass/no pass option cannot be elected for a course that has already been completed with a letter grade. University Regulation.
- Students may take elective credit while abroad using the P/NP mode. In the case of universities which only post P/NP, the University will apply a calculation process to determine a letter grade.
- Department of Languages and Cultures P/NP policy and Language Placement results. Students must take advanced coursework for a letter grade to receive credit for lower-level language courses.
College of Science Transfer Credit Policy
College of Science degree programs vary widely in their approval and use of non-Purdue originated credit (AP, IB, CLEP, and transfer credit). Students work closely with their academic advisors and degree plan audits to review the use and approval of each non-Purdue credit option. Transfer credit (including any/all undistributed credit, TR graded course, AP/IB credit, etc.) cannot be applied to the concentration.
University Requirements
University Core Requirements
For a complete listing of University Core Course Selectives, visit the University Senate Website.
- Human Cultures: Behavioral/Social Science (UCC: BSS)
- Human Cultures: Humanities (UCC: HUM)
- Information Literacy (UCC: IL)
- Oral Communication (UCC: OC)
- Quantitative Reasoning (UCC: QR)
- Science #1 (UCC: SCI)
- Science #2 (UCC: SCI)
- Science, Technology, and Society (UCC: STS)
- Written Communication (UCC: WC)
Civics Literacy Proficiency Requirement
The Civics Literacy initiative is designed to develop civic knowledge of Purdue students to graduate a more informed citizenry. For more information visit the Civics Literacy - Office of the Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning - Purdue University.
To obtain the Civics Literacy credential, all Baccalaureate degree seeking students will complete the Civics Literacy Podcast pathway - Complete 12 podcasts created by the Purdue Center for C-SPAN Scholarship & Engagement that use C-SPAN material and pass the required quizzes per episode. After the pathway has been successfully completed, students will take the Civics Literacy knowledge test. Civics Literacy does not impact a student’s GPA or bear any finical costs.
More details about each pathway and how to complete the requirement can be found on the Civics Literacy Student Dashboard in myPurdue.
Upper Level Requirement
- Resident study at Purdue University for at least two semesters and the enrollment in and completion of at least 32 semester hours of coursework required and approved for the completion of the degree. These courses are expected to be at least junior-level (30000+) courses.
- Students should be able to fulfill most, if not all, of these credits within their major requirements; there should be a clear pathway for students to complete any credits not completed within their major.
Fall 1st Year
- Calculus I Option - Credit Hours: 3.00 - 5.00
- CHEM 12900 - Credit Hours: 5.00
- Biology Lab 135 or 195: 2.00
- Science Core First-Year Composition - Credit Hours: 3.00 - 4.00
- Biology or Chemistry Seminar Elective : 1.00
Spring 1st Year
- CHEM 25500/01 - Credit Hours: 4.00
- BIOL 131 - Credit Hours: 3.00
- CS 18000 - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Calculus II Option - Credit Hours: 3.00 - 5.00
- Science Core Selection - Credit Hours: 3.00 - 4.00
Fall 2nd Year
- CHEM 25600/01- Credit Hours: 4.00
- Cell Biology Selective - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Cell Biology Laboratory: - Credit Hours: 2.00
- Science Core Selection - Credit Hours: 3.00 - 4.00
- CS 18200 - Credit Hours: 3.00
Spring 2nd Year
- CHEM 33900/01 - Credit Hours: 4.00
- Science Core Selection - Credit Hours: 3.00 - 4.00
- Supporting Area Course - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Introductory Statistics: - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Science Course: - Credit Hours: 3.00
Fall 3rd Year
- MATH 26500- Credit Hours: 3.00
- PHYS 172 or 233 - Credit Hours: 4.00
- Science elective - Credit Hours: 3.00-4.00
- Science Core Selection - Credit Hours: 3.00 - 4.00
- CS 24300 - Credit Hours: 3.00
Spring 3rd Year
- STAT 24200 - Credit Hours: 3.00
- PHYS 241 or 234 - Credit Hours: 4.00
- BIOL 490 or CHEM 494 - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Science Core Selection - Credit Hours: 3.00 - 4.00
- CHM 438 - Credit Hours: 3.00
Fall 4th Year
- Upper level BIOL or CHM elective - Credit Hours: 2.00-4.00
- Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Science elective - Credit Hours: 3.00-4.00
- CHM 490 or BIOL 494 - Credit Hours: 2.00-4.00
Spring 4th Year
- Upper level BIOL or CHM elective - Credit Hours: 2.00-4.00
- Liberal Arts Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Great Issues Course - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Science elective - Credit Hours: 3.00-4.00
- CHM 494 - Credit Hours: 1.00
- CHM 37200 - Physical Chemistry Credits: 4.00
- Supporting Area Course - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Science Core Selection - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
Pre-Requisite Information
For pre-requisite information, log in to mypurdue.purdue.edu and click here.
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.”
World Language Courses
World Language proficiency requirements vary by program. The following list is inclusive of all world languages PWL offers for credit; for acceptable languages and proficiency levels, see your advisor. (ASL-American Sign Language; ARAB-Arabic; CHNS-Chinese; FR-French; GER-German; GREK-Greek(Ancient); HEBR-Hebrew(Biblical); HEBR-Hebrew(Modern); ITAL-Italian; JPNS-Japanese; KOR-Korean; LATN-Latin; PTGS-Portuguese; RUSS-Russian; SPAN-Spanish)
Disclaimer
The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements. Consultation with an advisor may result in an altered plan customized for an individual student. The myPurduePlan powered by DegreeWorks is the knowledge source for specific requirements and completion.
Comparative information about Purdue University and other U.S. educational institutions is also available through the College Navigator tool, provided by the National Center for Education Statistics, and through the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
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