Mar 29, 2025  
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
Catalog Navigation
Catalog Home
Archived Catalogs
General Catalog Information
Majors and Combined Degrees
Minors, Certificates and Micro-Credentials
Departments & Programs
Courses
UB Curriculum (General Education)
Academic Policies and Procedures
Academic Calendar
Campus Facilities and Instructional Spaces
Financial and Scholarship Information
Admissions
Student Records and Registration
Academic Advising
Learning Outside the Classroom
Study Abroad
myUB
HUB Academic Advisement Report
Accreditations
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Biochemistry BS

 Trying to choose between bio and chem? Why not both? This major is for people who want to understand the chemistry behind biological processes, so you can do things like look for the causes of Alzheimer’s disease, develop more efficient crops and understand the impact of viruses like COVID-19. Whether you’re thinking about going to med school or dental school, or you want to start your career right after graduation, a biochemistry degree from UB will help set you apart.

Visit the Biochemistry academic program page for more information about the academic experience, who you will learn from, opportunities outside of class and what you can do with this degree.

Visit the Biochemistry department page  for contact information, a brief overview of the department and the curricular options.

Admission Criteria

  • Minimum major GPA of 3.000 required

Current UB students who are interested in applying to the Biochemistry BS in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences should submit the Program Application.

Course Requirements

Biochemistry Core (72-73 credits)

One Chemistry Elective (3 credits)

Upper Division Restricted Electives (15 credits)

Complete 15 credits of Upper Division Restricted Electives from the following list:

Total Credits Required for Major: 90-91

Additional Degree Requirements Include:

  • Additional coursework to fulfill UB Curriculum requirements
  • Elective courses as needed to complete the 120 credit hour total

Total Credits Required for Graduation: 120

Total Credit Hours Required represents the minimum credits needed to complete this program, and may vary based on a number of circumstances. This should not be used for financial aid purposes.

Academic Requirements

Minimum major GPA of 3.000 required. Students will be assigned a Biochemistry faculty member as their academic advisor. It is the student’s responsibility to meet each semester with the advisor to discuss required coursework, fulfillment of the research requirement and discussion of career goals.

 

Program Honors

Students must prepare a research paper on their BCH 498  research project. The paper should be written in the format of a research article consisting of an Abstract (one page maximum); Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (minimum 5 pages, double spaced); Data - Figures with Figure Legend and/or Tables; and a Reference Section with a minimum of 5 papers with authors, year, article title, journal, volume and inclusive page numbers. The honors paper is due no later than 3 days after the end of the examination period. Students must also meet the remaining criteria outlined in the Academic Honors policy. Students who successfully complete the honors program and meet the criteria will have the appropriate notation on their official transcript.

Curricular Plan

A Curricular Plan provides a roadmap for completing this academic program and the UB Curriculum on time. Your actual plan may vary depending on point of entry to the university, course placement and/or waivers based on standardized test scores, earned alternative credit and/or college transfer credit.

First Year Fall

Total Credits: 17

First Year Spring

Total Credits: 17

Second Year Fall

Total Credits: 16

Second Year Spring

Total Credits: 16

Third Year Fall

Total Credits: 14

Third Year Spring

Total Credits: 13

Fourth Year Fall

Total Credits: 15

Fourth Year Spring

Total Credits: 12

Total Credits Required: 120

Note: Some classes may count toward both a major and UB Curriculum requirement.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of all requirements, the student will have knowledge to:

  • Understand the chemical nature of important biological macromolecules, the principles underlying their structural organization, and how their structure determines function.
  • Gain familiarity with the scientific literature, including using online databases; understand the creation and testing of scientific hypotheses, and critical evaluation of experimental data.
  • Learn specific laboratory skills relevant to future careers.

 

(HEGIS: 04.14 BIOCHEMISTRY, CIP: 26.0202 Biochemistry)