Program Requirements and Opportunities
Published annually, the Course Catalog sets out the requirements of the academic programs--the majors, minors, and concentrations. Each 911ºÚÁÏÍø student must declare a major before the end of the sophomore year. Students may also declare a minor or a concentration, but neither is required for the A.B. degree. Students must comply with the requirements published in the Course Catalog at the time when they declare the major, minor and/or concentration.
The Course Catalog also sets out the College requirements. Students must comply with the College requirements published at the time they enter 911ºÚÁÏÍø.
For more information, visit the Catalog Homepage to view the current content. To view Catalogs from previous academic years, visit the Catalog Archives page.
Students may complete a major in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. Required courses are drawn principally from the Biology and Chemistry Departments and those interested in the Biochemistry & Molecular Biology major should consult both Biology and Chemistry web pages. Students may double major in Biology and Chemistry, but are not permitted to double major in Biology and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology or Chemistry and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. There is no minor in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. Students majoring in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology are not permitted to minor in Biology or Chemistry. No more than two non-Tri-Co courses may be counted towards the major.
The Biochemistry & Molecular Biology major allows the student to progress through a series of courses that emphasize understanding life at the molecular level and utilize experimental approaches. Research can be a valuable experience for students considering graduate or professional studies or for those planning research or teaching careers. Any Biology or Chemistry professor may be selected as a research adviser and students are encouraged to consult departmental advisers for information on how to join research groups. Students may begin conducting research at any point in their undergraduate experience with the approval of a faculty member.
With careful advanced planning a student may enroll in Study Abroad. Typically a Biochemistry & Molecular Biology major will select a one-semester program in an English-speaking country such as England, Wales, Australia or New Zealand; other programs are possible.
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Requirements and Opportunities
A student may qualify for an A. B. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (BCMB) by completing courses in Biology and Chemistry with the following distribution. Students should be mindful that some courses have pre-requisites. Students interested in the BCMB major should complete CHEM 103/104 in their freshman year. Students should see the BCMB major adviser if they believe they qualify for advanced placement.
Fundamental Courses
- Biology 110: Biological Exploration I
- Chemistry 103 and 104: General Chemistry
- Chemistry 211/216 and 212/217 (lecture/lab): Organic Chemistry
Major Writing Requirement
Students will complete two writing-attentive laboratory courses before the end of their junior year. To satisfy this requirement, students typically select two courses from the following list: Biology 375, Biology 376, Chemistry 251&n