Chemistry Major, Biochemistry Specialization

Program Requirements

  • Total units required: 61-62

Required Courses

To prepare for a major in chemistry with a specialization in biochemistry, students will take the following:

Chem 111AGeneral Chemistry I *3
Chem 112AGeneral Chemistry II *3
Chem 151General Chemistry Laboratory I2
Chem 152General Chemistry Laboratory II2
Chem 261Organic Chemistry I with Lab4
Chem 262Organic Chemistry II with Lab4
Biol 2960Principles of Biology I4
Biol 2970Principles of Biology II4
Physics 191Physics I **3
Physics 191LPhysics I Laboratory **1
Physics 192Physics II **3
Physics 192LPhysics II Laboratory **1
Math 131Calculus I ***3
Math 132Calculus II ***3
Math 233Calculus III ***3
Total Units43
*

In certain instances, students may substitute Chem 105 Principles of General Chemistry I and Chem 106 Principles of General Chemistry II for Chem 111A General Chemistry I and Chem 112A General Chemistry II. Please consult the department's director of undergraduate studies for details.

**

Physics 193 Focused Physics I may replace Physics 191 Physics I, Physics 194 Focused Physics II may replace Physics 192 Physics II, Physics 193L Focused Physics I Laboratory may replace Physics 191L Physics I Laboratory, and Physics 194L Physics II Laboratory may replace Physics 192L Physics II Laboratory.

***

Math 203 Honors Mathematics I may replace both Math 131 Calculus I and Math 132 Calculus II. Math 204 Honors Mathematics II may replace Math 233 Calculus III.

Majors in chemistry with a specialization in biochemistry must take a minimum of 18 units of advanced courses in chemistry or biochemistry, among which the following must be included:

Chem 481General Biochemistry I3
Chem 482General Biochemistry II3
Chem 401Physical Chemistry I3
Chem 402Physical Chemistry II3
Chem 461Inorganic Chemistry3
Total Units15

In addition, at least one advanced lab must be chosen from the following list:

Chem 358Advanced Organic Laboratory4
Chem 435Nuclear and Radiochemistry Lab3
Chem 445Instrumental Methods: Physical Chemistry3
Chem 462Synthetic Polymer Chemistry Laboratory3
Chem 470Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory3
Biol 4522Laboratory in Protein Analysis, Proteomics, and Protein Structure3
Biol 4523Molecular Methods in Enzyme Analysis4

All required chemistry course work must be taken in residence at Washington University to be applied toward the chemistry major. A minimum grade of C- must be earned in each course to count toward the chemistry major.

Note: Per the College of Arts & Sciences guidelines, for students who also pursue a minor or more than one major or minor program, only introductory (100- and 200-level) courses may be counted, when relevant, toward the requirements of both programs. All advanced (300- and 400-level) courses must be unique to each program. In other words, no advanced course may be "double-counted" for the course work needed to fulfill either program's minimal requirements. Should a student's major and minor programs require the same course, a departmentally sanctioned elective must be chosen to replace the course in one of the programs.

Additional Information

Study Abroad

Study Abroad programs are available both for chemistry and pre-medical studies. Details of these programs can be found at the Overseas Programs website: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~overseas/. For chemistry programs, you may be able to receive elective/research (Chem 490 Introduction to Research) credit for courses taken/research done abroad. It is strongly advised that you contact the Department of Chemistry Study Abroad Advisor, Prof. Richard Mabbs (mabbs@wustl.edu) as soon as possible after you declare your major to discuss study abroad plans.

Latin Honors for the Major in Chemistry With a Specialization in Biochemistry

  • Total units required: 64-66

To qualify for Latin Honors, students must complete a minimum of 21 units in advanced courses, including one of the following six courses:

Chem 410Special Topics in Physical Chemistry3
Chem 453Bioorganic Chemistry3
Chem 464Inorganic Biochemistry3
Chem 475Chemical Biology3
Chem 483Protein Biochemistry3
Chem 485Nucleic Acids3
Chem 510Chemical Dynamics of Biological Pathways3
Biol 334Cell Biology3
Biol 349Microbiology4

or a second advanced laboratory course in chemistry or biology chosen from the following list:

Chem 358Advanced Organic Laboratory4
Chem 435Nuclear and Radiochemistry Lab3
Chem 445Instrumental Methods: Physical Chemistry3
Chem 462Synthetic Polymer Chemistry Laboratory3
Chem 470Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory3
Biol 4522Laboratory in Protein Analysis, Proteomics, and Protein Structure3
Biol 4523Molecular Methods in Enzyme Analysis4

All required chemistry course work must be taken in residence at Washington University to be applied toward the chemistry major. A minimum grade of C- must be earned in each course to count toward the chemistry major.

Departmental Honors for the Major in Chemistry With a Specialization in Biochemistry

To be eligible for Departmental Honors, a student must complete the Latin Honors program in chemistry. To graduate "with distinction," a student must maintain a chemistry grade point average of 3.5 and complete the equivalent of at least 3 units of Chem 490 Introduction to Research. To graduate "with high distinction," a student must maintain a chemistry GPA of 3.65 and complete the equivalent of at least 3 units of Chem 490 and one semester of Chem 495 Advanced Undergraduate Research in Chemistry. To graduate "with highest distinction," a student must maintain a chemistry GPA of 3.8 and complete the equivalent of at least 3 units of Chem 490 and one semester of Chem 495. Chemistry research is defined as a research project performed under the direction of a chemistry faculty member or a research project approved by the Chemistry Department Undergraduate Work Committee. The chemistry GPA is calculated from the grades received in chemistry courses and prerequisites for the chemistry major. The level of Departmental Honors that a student achieves will appear on the student's final transcript.

Visit the Chemistry page
for additional information about this program.

Contact Info

Phone:314-935-6530
Email:chemistry@wustl.edu
Website:http://chemistry.wustl.edu