Department of Biochemistry

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Course Selection for Students Considering a Biochemistry Major

If you are a first- or second-year student interested in the biochemistry major, you should take science courses that fulfill some of the major requirements and prepare you for the advanced courses that Biochemistry majors take in their third and fourth years. This page provides some general guidance about which courses to take and when to take them. However, the optimal course choice will differ depending on a student’s other academic interests, their previous preparation in math and science, and other factors. If you have further questions after reading the information below, please contact your academic advisor or the Biochemistry Undergraduate Advising Head for course selection advice.

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I’m an incoming first year student. What courses should I register for if I am thinking about majoring in Biochemistry?

Most often students intending to be Biochemistry majors should take in their first year:

a full year of general chemistry (CHEM 11a,b with corresponding lab CHEM 18a,b or honors chemistry CHEM 15a,b with corresponding lab CHEM 19a,b); AND
a full year of calculus-based introductory physics (either PHYS 11a,b or PHYS 15a,b) and the accompanying lab, PHYS 19a,b.

However, these general recommendations are not appropriate for everyone. Students may want to enroll in different courses under certain circumstances. For example:

A student who placed into pre-calculus or differential calculus. These students cannot enroll in PHYS 11ab until they have finished MATH 5 and/or MATH 10a. Such students should take the math course(s) and General Chemistry in their first year, and possibly BIOL 15b as well.
Students who got the required Advanced Placement scores (or IB/A-level/French Bac credit) and intend to receive AP equivalent course credit for CHEM 11a,b, CHEM 18a,b, and/or PHYS 11a,b. These students have other options for first-year courses.
Students who intend to fulfill some of their major requirements with Summer School courses. These students also have other options for first-year courses.
Students who worry that taking two science courses and two labs in their first year while simultaneously adjusting to college life might be too demanding. Such students could put off taking PHYS 11a,b until later, but doing so might foreclose some opportunities for doing independent research in later years.

First-year students who placed into MATH 10b should take MATH 10b in their first semester and can take this course simultaneously with PHYS 11a.

Isn’t it a lot, taking two science courses plus labs (possibly plus math) in my first year?

The honors Biochemistry major requires 16 one-semester courses (not counting labs), so students must on average take two science lecture courses every semester. In addition, the major requires four lab courses, and it is highly desirable to complete as many of these as possible in the first two years, to allow more time for possibly doing independent research later.

Couldn't I take BIOL 14a and 15b in my first year and Phys 11a,b in my second year, instead of the other way around?

Unless one of the special circumstances (see the answer to the first question above) applies to you, you are most likely better off taking general chemistry and introductory physics in your first year and not taking BIOL 14a/15b. Why? Because it is important to take the lab courses at the same time as the corresponding lecture course (or, in the case of BIOL 18b, immediately after taking BIOL 15b.). Most biochemistry majors will not be able to do this if they take biology instead of physics in their first year (because that would necessitate taking three laboratory courses in the same semester in the second year, which is essentially impossible due to time constraints).

I need to take MATH 10a (or both MATH 5a and MATH 10a). Will this put me behind in fulfilling the major requirements for Biochemistry?

If you want to be a Biochemistry major, in your situation you should take MATH 5a (if needed) and MATH 10a in your first year and defer taking PHYS 11a,b until 2nd year. Instead of taking Physics in your first year, you should take 2 semesters of General Chemistry with lab and possibly BIOL 14a and BIOL 15b. If you can manage the two science lecture courses plus Math in your each of the first two semesters, you will not be behind on fulfilling the major requirements. If that seems like too daunting a schedule for your first year, you could also consider 1) another major (e.g., Biology) that does not require physics or calculus, 2) taking the math course(s) in summer school after your first two semesters, or 3) deferring physics until the junior year.

Why does the biochemistry major require so many introductory science courses?

To complete the requirements for the biochemistry BS degree students take a series of advanced courses in biochemistry: BCHM 100a, 101a, 103b, 104a, and 104b. These courses are based on, and assume prior knowledge of, material from introductory biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics courses. This document lists some of the things that students should know from their introductory courses before taking the advanced biochemistry curriculum.

I did not take the courses recommended in my first year. Is it still possible for me to be a biochemistry major?

I started mid-year. What courses should I take to be a biochemistry major?

Do I have to take BIOL18a, the second semester of Biology lab?

I did well on my Biology AP. Does that get me out of having to take BIOL 14 or BIOL 15?

Is there a lab course for Biochemistry?

Should I take advanced math courses?

There is no formal math requirement for the Biochemistry major. However, PHYS 11a, PHYS 11b, BCHM 104a, and BCHM 104b (which are biochemistry major requirements) have a calculus prerequisite. Skill at more advanced math can be extremely valuable and we strongly encourage students with an appetite for math to take as much as they can fit in their schedule. Areas of math that are particularly useful for biochemistry and other science majors are linear algebra, multivariate calculus, statistics, and differential equations. Computer programming is also very useful.

I got a C in Orgo (or Gen. Chem. or Intro Phys. or Calculus). Should I be a Biochemistry major?

To be frank, you are right to be concerned. The advanced courses required for the Biochemistry major are demanding and require a strong background in chemistry, physics, and mathematics. Biochemistry majors are typically students with excellent performance in the introductory courses in these subjects. This document lists some of the concepts and skills that students from the introductory courses that students need to have mastered before taking the advanced biochemistry curriculum. If you have questions about whether your preparation is strong enough to do well in the advanced courses, please feel free to ask the UAH and/or one of the UDRs.

Can I be a Biochem/Neuro double major?

Yes. The tricky part is that two required courses, BCHM 100a and NBIO 140b, are sometimes taught in the same block. When that is the case they both cannot be taken the Fall term of your Junior year.

To get around this problem, you can:

discuss with the BCHM 100 professor the possibility of taking that course and CHEM 25b concurrently in Spring semester of your sophomore year, or
take NBIO 140 in Fall semester of your sophomore year, or
in your Junior year take NBIO 140 in Fall and BCHM 100 in Spring.