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.

 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 BA can be found on the Biochemistry Department website.

Biochemistry major students are prepared for many different careers after graduation. Career Services offers 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.

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 Education Abroad website.

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 School of Education.

Requirements

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 45 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 Grade Point Average (GPA) in courses that can count toward the major must be at least 2.0.

Transfer students who plan to complete a BA degree in biochemistry must complete at the Boulder campus a minimum of 12 credits of upper-division courses in biochemistry covering at least two of the sub-disciplines in their major: organic, physical and biochemistry.

Students may want to consult each semester's Registration Handbook and Schedule of Courses, as well as the Professor Performance Guide for further information about course offerings and faculty.

Required Courses and Credits

General Chemistry
CHEM 1400
CHEM 1401
Foundations of Chemistry
and Foundations of Chemistry Lab (Recommended)
5
or CHEM 1113
CHEM 1114
CHEM 1133
CHEM 1134
General Chemistry 1
and Laboratory in General Chemistry 1
and General Chemistry 2
and Laboratory in General Chemistry 2
Organic Chemistry
CHEM 3451Organic Chemistry 1 for Chemistry and Biochemistry Majors (Recommended)4
or CHEM 3311 Organic Chemistry 1
CHEM 3321Laboratory in Organic Chemistry 11
BCHM 3491Organic Chemistry 2 for Biochemistry Majors (Recommended)4
or CHEM 3471 Organic Chemistry 2 for Chemistry Majors
or CHEM 3331 Organic Chemistry 2
CHEM 3341Laboratory in Organic Chemistry 21-2
or CHEM 3381 Laboratory in Advanced Organic Chemistry
Biochemistry
BCHM 2700Foundations of Biochemistry4
BCHM 4720Metabolic Pathways and Human Disease4
BCHM 4740Biochemistry of Gene Transmission, Expression and Regulation 14
BCHM 4761Biochemistry Laboratory3
Physical Chemistry
BCHM 4400Core Concepts in Physical Chemistry for Biochemists 24
Advanced Major Electives
Select three of the following elective courses:9-12
Matrix Methods and Applications
Applied Probability
Methods in Applied Mathematics: Complex Variables and Applications
Biogeochemical Oceanography
Modern Biophysical Methods
Statistical and Computational Analysis of the Human Genome
Current Topics in Biochemical Research
Chemistry and Biology of Nucleic Acids
Chemical Biology and Drug Design
Modern Inorganic Chemistry
Instrumental Analysis - Lecture and Laboratory 1
Instrumental Analysis - Lecture and Laboratory 2
Applied Data Analysis
Chemical Engineering Fluid Mechanics
Chemical Engineering Heat and Mass Transfer
Principles of Genetics (cannot also count EBIO 2070 as a required ancillary course or an advanced elective)
Synthetic Biology: Engineering Biomolecular Systems in the Laboratory
Cell Biology
Biology of the Cancer Cell
Infectious Disease
Fertility, Sterility, and Early Mammalian Development
Biological Data Science
Structural Methods for Biological Macromolecules
The Brain - From Molecules to Behavior
Introduction to Systems Biololgy for Biologists
Immunology (cannot also count IPHY 4600 as a required Advanced Major Elective)
Microbial Genetics and Physiology
Microbial Diversity and the Biosphere
Human Molecular Genetics
Cell Signaling and Developmental Regulation
Cellular Basis of Disease
Mechanisms of Gene Regulation in Eukaryotes
Bioinformatics and Genomics
Biology of Stem Cells
Animal Virology
Oocytes, Stem Cells, Organisms: Experiments to Discoveries
Genetics: Molecules to Populations (cannot also count MCDB 2150 as a required ancillary course or an advanced elective)
Conservation Biology
Evolutionary Biology
Global Ecology
Tropical Marine Ecology
Animal Behavior
Microbiology
The Art and Strategy of Science Communication: Branding Climate Change
Plants and Society
Parasitology
Animal Diversity: Invertebrates
Limnology
Landscape Ecology
Freshwater Phycology
Plant Ecology
Ecosystem Ecology
Phylogenetics and Comparative Biology
Biological Statistics
Computational Biology
Animal Developmental Diversity
Plant Biodiversity and Evolution
Plant Anatomy and Development
Critical Thinking in Biology
Human Anatomy
Human Physiology
Introduction to Epidemiology
Endocrinology
Biology of Human Reproduction
Immunology (cannot also count MCDB 4300 as a required Advanced Major Elective)
Neurophysiology
Introduction to Mathematical Statistics
The Python Project
Developmental Biology
Molecular Neurobiology
Introduction to Neuroscience
Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
Neural Circuits of Learning and Decision Making
Behavioral Neuroendocrinology
Neuropharmacology
Neurobiology of Addiction
Behavioral Genetics
Behavioral Genetics II
Introduction to Geochemistry
Introduction to Biogeochemistry
Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry
Cosmochemistry
Isotope Geology
Stable Isotopes in Paleoclimate and Paleoecology
Environmental Ethics (cannot also count PHIL 3160 as a required Advanced Major Elective)
Bioethics (cannot also count PHIL 3140 as a required Advanced Major Elective)
Total Credit Hours43-47
Required Ancillary Coursework from Outside Biochemistry
Physics
PHYS 1110General Physics 14
PHYS 1120General Physics 24
PHYS 1140Experimental Physics 11
Calculus
MATH 1300Calculus 14-5
or MATH 1310 Calculus for Life Sciences
or APPM 1350 Calculus 1 for Engineers
MATH 2300Calculus 24-5
or APPM 1360 Calculus 2 for Engineers
Biology Sequence with Labs
Lectures (One of the following sequences)6
Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology
and Principles of Genetics
Core Concepts in Biology I: Evolutionary, Molecular and Cell Biology
and Core Concepts in Biology II: Genes, Genetics and Phenotypes
General Biology 1
and General Biology 2
Labs (One of the following sequences)2
From Dirt to DNA: Phage Genomics Laboratory I
Antibiotics Discovery Through Hands-on Screens I
Chemotherapeutic Discovery Through Hands-On Screens 2
General Biology Laboratory 1
and General Biology Laboratory 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.

Graduating in Four Years

Consult the Four-Year Guarantee Requirements for information on eligibility. The concept of "adequate progress" as it is used here only refers to maintaining eligibility for the four-year guarantee; it is not a requirement for the major. To maintain progress in biochemistry, students should declare the biochemistry major in the first semester.

Students must consult with a major advisor to determine adequate progress toward completion of the major.

Recommended Four-Year Plan of Study

Through the required coursework for the major, students will fulfill all 12 credits of the Natural Sciences area of the Gen Ed Distribution Requirement, including the required laboratory or field experience, and the QRMS component of the Gen Ed Skills Requirement.

Plan of Study Grid
Year One
Fall SemesterCredit Hours
CHEM 1400 Foundations of Chemistry 4
CHEM 1401 Foundations of Chemistry Lab 1
MATH 1300
Calculus 1
or Calculus for Life Sciences
or Calculus 1 for Engineers
4-5
Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Social Sciences) 3
Gen. Ed. Skills course (example: Lower-division Written Communication) 3
 Credit Hours15-16
Spring Semester
CHEM 3451 Organic Chemistry 1 for Chemistry and Biochemistry Majors 4
CHEM 3321 Laboratory in Organic Chemistry 1 1
MATH 2300
Calculus 2
or Calculus 2 for Engineers
4-5
Gen. Ed. Distribution/Diversity course (example: Arts & Humanities/US Perspective) 3
Gen. Ed. Distribution/Diversity course (example: Social Sciences/Global Perspective) 3
 Credit Hours15-16
Year Two
Fall Semester
BCHM 3491 Organic Chemistry 2 for Biochemistry Majors 4
CHEM 3341 Laboratory in Organic Chemistry 2 1
MCDB 1150
Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology
or Core Concepts in Biology I: Evolutionary, Molecular and Cell Biology
or General Biology 1
3
MCDB 1161
From Dirt to DNA: Phage Genomics Laboratory I
or Antibiotics Discovery Through Hands-on Screens I
or General Biology Laboratory 1
2
Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Social Sciences) 3
Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Arts & Humanities) 3
 Credit Hours16
Spring Semester
BCHM 2700 Foundations of Biochemistry 4
MCDB 2150
Principles of Genetics
or Core Concepts in Biology II: Genes, Genetics and Phenotypes
or General Biology 2
3
MCDB 1171
Antibiotics Discovery Through Hands-on Screens I
or Chemotherapeutic Discovery Through Hands-On Screens 2
or General Biology Laboratory 2
2
Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Social Sciences) 3
Elective 3
 Credit Hours15
Year Three
Fall Semester
BCHM 4720 Metabolic Pathways and Human Disease 4
PHYS 1110 General Physics 1 4
Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Social Sciences) 3
Elective 3
 Credit Hours14
Spring Semester
BCHM 4740 Biochemistry of Gene Transmission, Expression and Regulation 4
PHYS 1120 General Physics 2 4
PHYS 1140 Experimental Physics 1 1
Gen. Ed. Skills course (example: Upper-division Written Communication) 3
Elective 3
 Credit Hours15
Year Four
Fall Semester
BCHM 4400 Core Concepts in Physical Chemistry for Biochemists 4
Advanced Major Elective 3
Advanced Major Elective 3
Gen. Ed. Distribution (example: Arts & Humanities) 3
Elective 3
 Credit Hours16
Spring Semester
BCHM 4761 Biochemistry Laboratory 3
Advanced Major Elective 3
Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Arts & Humanities) 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
 Credit Hours15
 Total Credit Hours121-123

Learning Outcomes

Upon completing the program, students will be able to:

  • Master the foundational concepts of general and organic chemistry, including equilibrium, kinetics, bonding (covalent and non-covalent) and reactivity and apply these concepts to biological systems.
  • Explain how biomolecules (DNA, RNA, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and metabolites) are synthesized and control biological processes.
  • Identify the factors that determine the three-dimensional structures of biological macromolecules (DNA, RNA, proteins), and membranes (including organelles) and explain how structure relates to function.
  • Describe how cells sense their environment and use this information to regulate cellular functions such as DNA replication, gene expression, signal transduction, cell division and cell death.
  • Develop a conceptual, mechanistic and mathematical understanding of biomolecular interactions, including binding and catalysis.
  • Explain how energy is stored, transformed and harnessed in biological systems.
  • Analyze data, interpret graphs, solve quantitative problems to interpret results of scientific studies. Evaluate the rigor and reproducibility of scientific results.
  • Learn and apply the rigorous scientific methods on which (bio)chemical knowledge is built: making observations, formulating hypotheses, executing experiments, evaluating rigor and reproducibility.
  • Effectively communicate scientific information in oral, written and visual formats to specialized and general audiences.