BIOCHEMISTRY MAJOR
Degree: Bachelor of Science
MISSION STATEMENT
The biochemistry program at Coastal Carolina University is an interdisciplinary program
housed within the Department of Chemistry and Physics. The mission of the biochemistry program is to develop strong student competencies in biochemistry through a selective blending of biology and chemistry coursework, and to develop strong critical reasoning skills in students that they can apply to all areas of study. The program’s faculty is committed to providing meaningful undergraduate experiences for both majors and non-majors through high-quality, student-centered teaching and undergraduate research mentoring. Students completing a degree in biochemistry should be well prepared for entering a career, graduate school or medical school.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
When students complete the program in biochemistry, they will be able to:
1. Explain the principles and application of biochemistry in a technology-rich, interactive environment that requires a multidisciplinary approach between chemistry and biology.
2. Analyze and interpret research data and scientific literature in pursuit of independent lines of inquiry in biochemistry.
3. Design their own experiments to solve scientific questions using applicable course content and laboratory skills.
4. Use biochemical concepts to explain the functional role of small biological molecules and complex processes such as metabolic pathways or diseases.
5. Use effective communication skills to transfer their scientific knowledge to peers and to the larger community to successfully compete in industry or succeed in medical/graduate school.
Students must earn a grade of ‘C’ or better in all foundation and major electives.
BIOCHEMISTRY MAJOR (120 Credits)
I. CORE CURRICULUM (39-44 Credits) 39-44
II. FRESHMAN GRADUATION REQUIREMENT (0-3 Credits)
Minimum grade of ‘C’ is required.
UNIV 110 The First-Year Experience 0-3
UNIV 110 is required for all new entering freshmen and for new transfer students with fewer than 12 transfer credits unless the transfer student has satisfactorily completed a college transition course.
III. FOUNDATION COURSES (60 Credits)*
Minimum grade of ‘C’ required for all foundation courses.
BIOL 121/121L* Biological Science I/Laboratory 4
BIOL 122/122L* Biological Science II/Laboratory 4
BIOL 340/340L Cell Biology/Laboratory 4
BIOL 350/350L Fundamentals of Genetics/Laboratory 4
CHEM 111/111L* General Chemistry I/Laboratory 4
CHEM 112/112L General Chemistry II/Laboratory 4
CHEM 331/331L General Organic Chemistry I/Laboratory 4
CHEM 332/332L General Organic Chemistry II/Laboratory 4
CHEM 351/351L Biochemistry I/Laboratory 4
CHEM 352/352L Biochemistry II/Laboratory 4
CHEM 353/353L Physical Biochemistry/Laboratory 4
MATH 160* Calculus I 4
PHYS 211/211L Essentials of Physics I 4
PHYS 212/212L Essentials of Physics II 4
Choose one from the following: (4 Credits) 4
STAT 201/201L* Elementary Statistics/Laboratory (4) PSYC 225/225L* Psychological Statistics/Laboratory (4)
*Credits for courses taken as part of the core curriculum are not counted elsewhere in the major.
IV. AJOR ELECTIVES (12 Credits) 12
Minimum grade of ‘C’ required for all major electives. Select at least one course from each group:
BIOLOGY GROUP
BIOL 330/330L Microbiology/Laboratory (4)
BIOL 343/343L Comparative Physiology/Laboratory (4) BIOL 349/349L Plant Physiology/Laboratory (4)
BIOL 405/405L Immunology/Laboratory (4)
BIOL 410/410L Developmental Biology/Laboratory (4) BIOL 411/411L Virology/Laboratory (4)
BIOL 432/432L Parasitology/Laboratory (4)
BIOL 442/442L Advanced Genetics/Laboratory (4) BIOL 450/450L Molecular Biology/Laboratory (4) BIOL 451 Molecular Techniques (4)
CHEMISTRY GROUP
CHEM 321/321L Quantitative Analysis/Laboratory (4) CHEM 422/422L Instrumental Analysis/Laboratory (4)
CHEM 433/433L Advanced Organic Chemistry/Laboratory (4) CHEM 441/441L Physical Chemistry I/Laboratory (4)
CHEM 442/442L Physical Chemistry II/Laboratory (4)
MSCI 355/355L Introduction to Environmental Ecotoxicology/Laboratory (4) V. GENERAL ELECTIVES (4-14 Credits) 4-14
TOTAL CREDITS REQUIRED 120