The Biochemistry Program
The Biochemistry Undergraduate Major Program provides a challenging and exciting introduction to the chemical basis of biological phenomena.
The major is designed to prepare students who intend to pursue graduate study, attend health-related professional schools, pursue secondary school teaching careers, and fill entry-level positions in private, state, and federal laboratories or in pharmaceutical and biotechnical industries.
The undergraduate curriculum provides a fundamental background in biology, chemistry, genetics, cell biology, and biochemistry, with courses in mathematics and physics necessary for advanced understanding of this broad field. Students may not declare a double major among biochemistry, biology, and pharmacology majors.
Requirements for the Major in Biochemistry (BCH)
All courses offered for the major must be taken for a letter grade. A minimum grade of C must be obtained in all courses in requirements A, B, and C below. Completion of the major requires approximately 70 to 74 credits.
Transfer students who wish to complete the requirements for the Biochemistry major must take Biochemistry I and II (BIO 361 and BIO 362) and must complete at least a minimum of nine additional credits at Stony Brook in required upper-division Biology courses (BIO 310, BIO 320, or BIO 365) and/or approved upper-division Biology elective courses.
A. Courses in Related Fields
B. Core Courses in Biology
C. Advanced Courses in Biology
Note 1. BIO 361 and BIO 362 must be taken in order. A grade of C or higher in BIO 202 and CHE 321 & CHE 326 or CHE 322 is required to enroll in BIO 361 and BIO 362.
Note 2. BIO 321 or EBH 302 can be used to satisfy EITHER the upper division BIO elective or the Genetics requirement (not both).
D. Upper-Division Writing Requirement
The advanced writing component of the major in Biochemistry requires registration in the 0-credit BIO 459 and approval of either a BIO 365 laboratory report, or a manuscript written for a readings or research course in biology or chemistry at Stony Brook. To obtain approval, the original graded writing sample and the writing requirement registration form, signed by both the student and instructor, should be submitted to the Undergraduate Biology office. The Writing Center will evaluate the submission and contact the student directly if remedial efforts are needed. Students are urged to submit appropriate materials in their junior year, or by the end of their next-to-last term, in order to allow for evaluation and possible revision. Later submissions are considered, but may delay graduation. If material is rejected, the student will be instructed by the Writing Center before resubmitting the writing sample.
Students should consult with the department advisor to ensure that their plan for completing the Upper Division Writing Requirement is consistent with
university graduation requirements for General Education. Students completing the Stony Brook Curriculum (SBC) must complete a course that satisfies the "Write Effectively within One's Discipline" (WRTD) learning objective to graduate. The Upper Division Writing Requirement is consistent in most cases with the SBC learning outcomes for WRTD.
Honors Program in Biochemistry
Graduation with Honors in Biochemistry requires the following:
1. A cumulative g.p.a. of at least 3.50 in all courses required for the major.
2. Presentation of an acceptable thesis based on laboratory research project. Students interested in graduation with Honors must contact the Biochemistry Honors Coordinator for more detailed information no later that the second week of classes during their last semester.
Bachelor of Science Degree in Biochemistry/Master of Science Degree in Chemistry Program
A student interested in this research intensive graduate program, intended to prepare students for professional employment in the chemical or pharmaceutical industries, may apply for admission at the end of the junior year. The program leads to a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biochemistry at the end of the fourth year, followed by a Master of Science in Chemistry at the end of the fifth year. During the senior year the student is expected to take two 500-level CHE courses and begin research. In the fifth year, the student works full-time on research, earning 24 credits in CHE 599. The two 500-level CHE courses taken during the senior year may be counted toward the two electives required by the Biochemistry major. Please visit the Chemistry website http://stonybrook.edu/chemistry for further information on the Chemistry graduate degree.
| FRESHMAN |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| First Year Seminar 101 | 1 |
| WRT 101 | 3 |
| CHE 131/CHE 133 | 5 |
| MAT 125 or MAT 131 | 3-4 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 15-16 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| First Year Seminar 102 | 1 |
| WRT 102 | 3 |
| BIO 201 or BIO 202 | 3 |
| CHE 132/CHE 134 | 5 |
| MAT 126 or MAT 132 | 3-4 |
| Total | 15-16 |
| SOPHOMORE |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| BIO 203 | 3 |
| CHE 321 | 4 |
| MAT 127 (if MAT 125, MAT 126, MAT 127 sequence taken) | 3 |
| BIO 204 | 2 |
| BIO 458 | 0 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| BIO 201 or BIO 202 | 3 |
| CHE 322 | 4 |
| CHE 327 | 2 |
| BIO 205 or BIO 207 | 2 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 14 |
| JUNIOR |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| BIO 361* | 3 |
| PHY 121 | 4 |
| BIO 365 | 2 |
| BIO 459 | 0 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| BIO 362* | 3 |
| BIO 320 | 3 |
| PHY 122 | 4 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 16 |
| SENIOR |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| BIO elective*** | 3 |
| SBC or BIO elective*** | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| BIO 310 | 3 |
| CHE 312** | 3 |
| BIO elective*** | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
*BIO 361 and 362 should be taken in sequence.
**Physical Chemistry I (CHE 301) or Physical Chemistry (short course) (CHE 312) may be taken to fulfill the one semester Biochemistry Major physical chemistry requirement. CHE 301 is offered only in the fall but has very limited enrollment capacity; CHE 312 is offered only in the spring.
***Two BIO electives are required for the major and must be chosen from the approved list.
Electives not on the list must be approved by a Biochemistry major.
Major in Biochemistry
Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology; College of Arts and Sciences
Chairperson: Aaron Neiman
Director of Undergraduate Studies:
Bernadette Holdener
Email:
bernadette.holdener@stonybrook.edu
Assistant to the Chair: Carol Juliano
Office: 450 Life Sciences Building
Phone: (631) 632-8550
Web address: http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/biochem/
Minors of particular interest to students majoring in Biochemistry: Biomaterials (BES), Bioengineering (BNG), Chemistry (CHE)