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 69 to 74 credits.
Transfer students who wish to complete the requirements for the Biochemistry major must take Biochemistry I and II (BIO 361and
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 322is 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 Upper Division Writing Requirement for the Biochemistry major is consistent with the University Graduation Requirements for General Education, and successful completion will satisfy the Stony Brook Curriculum (SBC) learning outcomes for "Write Effectively within One's Discipline" (WRTD) .
Registration: To satisfy the Upper-Division Writing requirement for the major in Biochemistry, students must co-register for the 0-credit BIO 459 course with either BIO 365 (Biochemistry lab) or an alternate approved advanced course in biological sciences or chemistry (see below). Students MUST enroll in BIO 459 at the same time they are registering for the respective advanced course. To receive WRTD credit and a satisfactory grade in BIO 459, either a BIO 365 lab report or term paper from another approved advanced biology/chemistry course must be submitted for writing evaluation prior to the end of the term and pass the review process.
How to submit writing sample: After submitting their lab report or term paper for BIO course credit, students should submit the same document via Brightspace to BIO 459 “Assignments” for writing evaluation. It is the student’s responsibility to submit their writing sample early in the semester to allow adequate time for review and revision before end of term. Students are encouraged to submit their upper division writing requirement in their junior year or by the end of their next-to-last semester, since submission in the final semester could delay graduation clearance.
Review process: The Program in Writing and Rhetoric will evaluate the BIO 459 submission, provide feedback, and will contact the student directly if remedial efforts are needed. Satisfactory completion of BIO 459 will fulfill the Stony Brook Curriculum (SBC) “Writing in the Discipline” WRTD learning objectives . If the writing assignment is initially found to be unsatisfactory, the student will be instructed by The Program in Writing and Rhetoric before resubmitting a revised version of their original paper.
Alternate approved advanced courses: While BIO 459 co-registration with BIO 365 is highly recommended for Biochemistry majors, other upper division courses that routinely offer writing assignments which fulfill the WRTD requirement with co-registration in BIO 459 are listed below. When considering alternate courses, students should take into consideration the limited enrollment opportunities for biochemistry majors in upper division laboratory courses other than BIO 365 and verify that they have the required pre-or co-requisites. Students considering registering for an approved alternative course are strongly encouraged to discuss this option with the Biochemistry Undergraduate Program Director at biochem_ugpd@stonybrook.edu or make an appointment with a Division of Undergraduate Biology Advisor using Navigate .
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 | 3 |
| BIO 459 | 0 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 16 |
| 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
Chair: Wali Karzai
Director of Undergraduate Studies: Bernadette Holdener
Email:
biochem_ugpd@stonybrook.edu
Assistant to the Chair: Carol Juliano
Office: 450 Life Sciences Building
Phone: (631) 632-8550
Website: http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/biochem/
Minors of particular interest to students majoring in Biochemistry: Biomaterials (BES), Bioengineering (BNG), Chemistry (CHE)