Nov 23, 2024

2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalog

2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalog This is not the most recent catalog version; be sure you are viewing the appropriate catalog year.

Biochemistry - General [BS]

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A Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry - General, is designed for students who have an interest in biochemistry or need some general biochemical knowledge for their future career, but who require a less extensive background in chemistry than that presented in the Biochemistry Major. Often selected by students interested pre-professional programs, this major is chosen also by those who desire a broader experience in other disciplines, or those who want to enter the workforce immediately after graduation.

Learn

A general Biochemistry major learns how to think about the complexity of life in chemical terms and acquires practical chemistry and biochemistry lab and problem-solving skills. Graduates of this program will have the biochemical foundation they need for a career in medicine, or in the chemical, biomedical or biotechnology industries.

Opportunities

In addition to taking both lecture and hands-on laboratory courses, many general Biochemistry majors choose to participate in individual mentored research with a faculty member. This training in research deepens their scientific knowledge and problem-solving skills and often includes opportunities to present research findings both to other EMU students as well as at regional or national conferences. This major provides a strong foundation for students interested in Pre-Medicine or Pre-Dentistry, or a diversity of other fields. It also is a good path to a job in industry.

This is a designated STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) program.

Important Information (click on link below for details)

Advising Flowchart

Department Information

Chemistry | Deborah Heyl-Clegg, Ph.D., Department Head | 541 Science Complex, 734.487.0106, dheylcle@emich.edu

Advisor Information

Steven Backues, Ph.D., 734.487.0106, sbackues@emich.edu

Brittany Albaugh, Ph.D., 734.487.0106, balbaug1@emich.edu

General Education Requirements:

For specific requirements, see General Education or print a worksheet .

Major Requirements: 60-62 hours

Required Courses: 55-57 hours

Biology
BIO 110 - Introductory Biology I [GEKN] 3 hrs
BIO 111 - Introductory Biology I Laboratory [GEKN] 2 hrs
BIO 301 - Genetics 3 hrs
Chemistry
CHEM 121 - General Chemistry I [GEKN] 3 hrs
CHEM 122 - General Chemistry I Laboratory [GEKN] 1 hr
CHEM 123 - General Chemistry II 3 hrs
CHEM 124 - General Chemistry II Laboratory 1 hr
CHEM 283 - Introduction to Analytical Chemistry 2 hrs
CHEM 284 - Introduction to Analytical Chemistry Lab 2 hrs
CHEM 361 - Fundamentals of Physical Chemistry 3 hrs
CHEM 371 - Organic Chemistry I 3 hrs
CHEM 372 - Organic Chemistry II 3 hrs
CHEM 373 - Organic Chemistry Laboratory 2 hrs
CHEM 383W - Fundamentals of Chemical Instrumentation [GEWI] 3 hrs
CHEM 451 - Biochemistry I 3 hrs
CHEM 452 - Biochemistry II 3 hrs
CHEM 453W - Biochemistry Laboratory [GEWI] 3 hrs
Mathematics
MATH 120 - Calculus I [GEQR] 4 hrs
Physics
Choose one course from the following:
PHY 221 - Mechanics, Sound and Heat [GEKN] 4 hrs
PHY 223 - Mechanics and Sound [GEKN] 5 hrs
Choose one course from the following:
PHY 222 - Electricity and Light 4 hrs
PHY 224 - Electricity and Light 5 hrs

Restricted Electives: 5 hours

Choose five credit hours from the following courses. At-least two credit hours must be at the 400-level or above.

BIO 305 - Cell and Molecular Biology 3 hrs
BIO 315 - Evolution 3 hrs
BIO 320 - General Microbiology 3 hrs
BIO 321 - General Microbiology Laboratory 2 hrs
BIO 326 - Human Physiology 4 hrs
BIO 443 - Developmental Biology 3 hrs ¹
BIO 446 - Genome Analysis 4 hrs ²
BIO 473 - Concepts in Animal Physiology 4 hrs ¹
BIO 476 - Mammalian Histology 4 hrs
CHEM 411 - Toxicology I 2 hrs
CHEM 455 - Neurochemistry 3 hrs
CHEM 456 - Cell Signaling and Disease 3 hrs
CHEM 457 - Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Design 3 hrs
CHEM 551 - Macromolecular Biochemistry 2 hrs
CHEM 554 - Protein Structure and Function 2 hrs
CHEM 558 - Chemical Biology 3 hrs
NSCI 301 - Introduction to Neuroscience 3 hrs
NSCI 401 - Advanced Neuroscience 4 hrs
Notes:

¹BIO 305 must be taken first as a prerequisite

²BIO 305 and CHEM 453W must be taken first as prerequisites.

Minor Requirement:

This major does not require a minor.

Program Total:

Students must earn a minimum total of 124 credits at the 100-level or above.

Beginning in Fall 2022, all baccalaureate degree programs for all undergraduates (regardless of catalog year) will require a minimum of 120 credit hours for completion.

Critical Graduation Information

Each undergraduate student will be responsible for the fulfillment of the requirements or their equivalents of the Eastern Michigan University catalog in force at the time of their initial registration at a college or university or a subsequent catalog including the one in effect at the time of their graduation.

In the event an undergraduate student does not complete the degree requirements within seven years of the date of their original registration at a college or university, the student may be required to have their credits re-evaluated by the academic department(s) of their major/minor in keeping with catalog requirements in force during the year of their graduation.

The following are minimum requirements for all bachelor’s degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University. Some majors and minors require more than the minimum in one or more of the areas below; students are urged to consult the online catalog for the requirements of their particular programs.

Earn a minimum total of 124 credits at the 100-level and above. Courses with numbers below 100 will not be counted toward this degree requirement. At most 8 credit hours of physical education (PEGN) activity courses will be counted toward this requirement.
Meet the requirements of the General Education program (see information below).
Complete a Writing Intensive (GEWI) Course in your major.
Earn a minimum of 60 credits from a four-year college or university; courses taken at community colleges cannot be used to meet this requirement. (Some formal program-to-program articulation agreements modify this requirement. See specific agreements for details.)
Earn a minimum of 30 credits from courses taken at EMU.
Complete 10 of the last 30 hours for the degree from courses taken at EMU.
Have a minimum of 30 unique credit hours in their major and 20 unique credit hours in their minor for a total of at least 50 unique credit hours between them. Some majors that require 50 or more hours themselves do not require a minor; students should check requirements of the selected major in the undergraduate catalog to see if a minor is required.
Earn no more than 60 credit hours in one subject area (prefix). Credits in excess of the 60 maximum will not be counted toward the minimum of 124 credits required for a bachelor’s degree.
Earn the minimum number of credits in 300-level and above courses in each major and minor as specified below - these credits must be earned in distinct courses; that is, no course can be used to fulfill this requirement in more than one major or minor.
- Earn a minimum of 6 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each minor
- Earn a minimum of 9 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that requires a minor.
- Earn a minimum of 15 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that does not require a minor
Transfer credit will be awarded for courses taken at colleges and universities that are accredited by one of the recognized regional accrediting bodies only if the courses are college-level (equated to 100-level or above at EMU) and the student earned a “C” (or 2.0 on a 4 point scale) or better. Transfer credit may be awarded on a case-by-case basis for college-level courses in which a “C” (2.0) or better was earned at institutions outside the U.S. or at non-accredited U.S. institutions; individual departments/schools conduct the internal review of such courses within EMU, and additional documentation may be required. Please note: EMU awards only credit for transferred courses; grades are not used in the calculation of an EMU GPA.
Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in courses taken at EMU in order to graduate. In addition, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 must be reached in each major and minor. Only courses taken at EMU and those applied to a student’s major or minor will be used in the calculation of their major and minor cumulative GPAs. (Note: some programs may require a higher GPA - check with your program advisor.)

General Education Requirements EMU’s General Education Program requires students to choose from a menu of approved courses in several different areas; do not assume that other courses in the same department or with similar names will fulfill these requirements. A detailed description of General Education requirements is available in the General Education section of the catalog.

Students who transferred to EMU may have modified general education requirements based on Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) or articulation agreements; consult your academic advisor for additional information.