Biochemistry, B.A.

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About the Biochemistry Bachelor’s Program

The B.A. in Biochemistry degree requires 120 credit hours for graduation and is primarily designed to prepare an undergraduate student for entry into medical school or other medically related professional schools. Graduates with a B.A. in Biochemistry are also qualified for industrial employment in areas in which a strong biochemistry background is an asset, such as technical sales or management. The B.A. degree provides sufficient background in biochemistry and chemistry for admission to a graduate program in biochemistry or biotechnology.

Communication Literacy Requirement. Chemistry & Biochemistry majors must complete three Communication Literacy courses (one of which must be CHEM 4101 ). Courses that fulfill the CL requirement are CHEM 3107 , CHEM 3108 , CHEM 3141 , CHEM 3251 , CHEM 3313 , CHEM 4114 , and CHEM 4101 . See individual degree plans for specific courses required for each major.

Recommended Curriculum

First Year

Fall

CHEM 1307 - Principles of Chemistry I 3 Semester Credit Hours
CHEM 1107 - Experimental Principles of Chemistry I 1 Semester Credit Hours
BIOL 1403 - Biology I 4 Semester Credit Hours (See Below)
American History 3 Semester Credit Hours*
ENGL 1301 - Essentials of College Rhetoric 3 Semester Credit Hours

Total: 14

Spring

CHEM 1308 - Principles of Chemistry II 3 Semester Credit Hours
CHEM 1108 - Experimental Principles of Chemistry II 1 Semester Credit Hours
BIOL 1404 - Biology II 4 Semester Credit Hours (See Below)
American History 3 Semester Credit Hours*
ENGL 1302 - Advanced College Rhetoric 3 Semester Credit Hours
Personal Fitness and Wellness 1 Semester Credit Hour*

Total: 15

Second Year

Fall

CHEM 3105 - Experimental Organic Chemistry I 1 Semester Credit Hours
CHEM 3305 - Organic Chemistry I 3 Semester Credit Hours
Personal Fitness and Wellness 1 Semester Credit Hour*
CHEM 3341 - Analytical Chemical Methods 3 Semester Credit Hours ^†
CHEM 3141 - Experimental Analytical Chemical Methods 1 Semester Credit Hours ^† ^‡
MATH 1451 - Calculus I with Applications 4 Semester Credit Hours (See Below)
Foreign Language (See Below) 3 Semester Credit Hours

Total: 16

Spring

CHEM 3106 - Experimental Organic Chemistry II 1 Semester Credit Hours
CHEM 3306 - Organic Chemistry II 3 Semester Credit Hours
Foreign Language (See Below) 3 Semester Credit Hours
BIOL 3416 - Genetics 4 Semester Credit Hours ^§
MATH 1452 - Calculus II with Applications 4 Semester Credit Hours (See Below)

Total: 15

Third Year

Fall

PHYS 1408 - Principles of Physics I 4 Semester Credit Hours
OR
PHYS 1403 - General Physics I 4 Semester Credit Hours
English 3 Semester Credit Hours*
POLS 1301 - American Government 3 Semester Credit Hours
Creative Arts 3 Semester Credit Hours^{* #}
CHEM 3311 - Biological Chemistry I 3 Semester Credit Hours
CHEM 3111 - Biological Calculations 1 Semester Credit Hours

Total: 17

Spring

CHEM 3312 - Biological Chemistry II 3 Semester Credit Hours
CHEM 3313 - Experimental Biological Chemistry 3 Semester Credit Hours ^‡
CHEM 3314 - Biological Chemistry III 3 Semester Credit Hours
POLS 2306 - Texas Politics and Topics 3 Semester Credit Hours
Creative Arts Elective 3 Semester Credit Hours* ^#

Total: 15

Fourth Year

Fall

CHEM 4311 - Physical Chemistry for the Biological Sciences 3 Semester Credit Hours
Social & Behavioral Sciences Elective 3 Semester Credit Hours* ^#
BIOL 3320 - Cell Biology 3 Semester Credit Hours ^§
Oral Communications 3 Semester Credit Hours
Minor (BIOL 3000 Level) 3 Semester Credit Hours ^§

Total: 15

Spring

CHEM 4101 - Chemistry and Communication 1 Semester Credit Hours ^‡
English 3 Semester Credit Hours ^†
Language, Philosophy, & Culture Elective 6 Semester Credit Hours ^{† #}
Social and Behavioral Sciences 3 Semester Credit Hours ^{† #}

Total: 13

Total Hours: 120

* Select from Arts and Sciences General Requirements  for B.A. degree.
^† Can substitute CHEM 3351  and CHEM 3251  for CHEM 3341  and CHEM 3141
^‡ Communication Literacy Course
^§ BIOL 3416   and BIOL 3320 , plus the 3000-level BIOL minor course will complete a minor in the biological sciences
^# At least one should also be multicultural. If not, students must complete an additional course from the university’s Multicultural list.

Biology

Failure to complete BIOL 1403 and BIOL 1404 in the first year will make the B.A. degree difficult to complete in four years without taking courses during summer sessions.

Calculus

Adequate training in algebra, trigonometry, and analytic geometry is a prerequisite for calculus. A score of 7 on the Math Placement Exam is necessary to take calculus the first year. Scores below 7 will require additional coursework.

Foreign Language

A student must complete 6 hours at the sophomore level or above in a single language. The prerequisite for all sophomore language courses is credit for the freshman level. This credit can be determined through a credit by examination. The score attained on the exam will determine whether the student is placed in a second-year course, a 5-hour review course, or in some cases the first or second semester of a beginning (first-year) language course. See Arts and Sciences General Degree Requirements for further explanation.