Program Overview

The Department of Biochemistry in the School of Medicine offers a 15-21 month Master of Science (MS) degree. The program combines classroom and research experiences to prepare students for employment or further study. This degree may be combined with other degrees in several dual-degree programs: JD/MS, MS/MBA, and MS/MA in Patent Practice.

Biochemistry MS students follow a number of career paths after graduation:  entry into PhD and professional programs in the health sciences; employment in academic, government, hospital, and industrial laboratories; and employment in non-research jobs for which biomedical knowledge is crucial, in industries such as education, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, consulting, intellectual property, and media.

Biochemistry courses include lecture and laboratory courses, and the opportunity to be engaged in biomedical research.  Students acquire knowledge about topics that are fundamental in biochemistry, cover techniques and practices in biotechnology, and current studies in cancer biology, infectious diseases, metabolism, and drug discovery.   Students typically enroll in 9 credit hours for each of four semesters. 

Prerequisites for admission are one year each of chemistry, organic chemistry, calculus, biology and physics. Applicants must also have a BA, BS, or equivalent undergraduate degree. Students with excellent qualifications who lack some of the prerequisites may be conditionally admitted and allowed to make up the deficiencies.  Please visit the department’s web page for details about the application process.

Learning Outcomes

• Students will understand the central biochemical mechanisms that are important in human biology and medicine.
• Students will learn biochemical approaches that align with the understanding of normal physiology and disease.
• Students will become familiar with common experimental methods and documentation used in academic and industrial biomedical research laboratories.
• Students will have the opportunity to undertake experimental biomedical laboratory research including formulating hypotheses, applying methods and techniques, and obtaining, analyzing, and reporting data.
• Students will learn to read scientific literature, and to develop, write, and defend a novel biomedical research proposal.

Graduate Policies

For graduate policies and procedures, please review the School of Graduate Studies section of the General Bulletin.

Program Requirements

The Biochemistry MS program requires 36 hours of academic credit of which at least 18 credit hours must be graded coursework.  The required courses provide students with a strong foundation in biochemistry fundamentals and techniques, as well as flexibility in constructing a program that meets their interests.  Many students obtain hands-on research experience by working in the laboratory of a faculty mentor and taking up to 9 credit hours of BIOC 601.  All courses must be at the 400 level or higher; elective courses must be on the pre-approved list or be approved by the graduate program director.  The final requirement is completion of EXAM 600.

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Many students take 3-9 credit hours of BIOC 601 as part of their required 21 credit hours of electives.

Optional focus areas

To help guide students in selecting electives, we have created three optional focus areas:

Experimental Biotechnology Track

Many graduates of the Biochemistry MS program work as researchers in academia, government laboratories, and the biotechnology sector.  To prepare students for employment opportunities in biotech, the Experimental Biotechnology Track in the MS program prepares students for lab careers. Students take a laboratory-directed sequence in the first year: BIOC 407, BIOC 408, BIOC 502A, BIOC 502B, BIOC 502C, and BIOC 511. BIOC 511 presents information about the organization of biotechnology research in academic and industrial settings. It also covers product development, as well as the biotech and pharmaceutical industries. 

In the first year, students take BIOC 500, BIOC 501, BIOC 502A or BIOC 502B, and BIOC 511, which provide a solid foundation in lab skills and techniques. In the second year, students perform research in an academic or biotech laboratory as BIOC 601, providing hands-on experience to improve the skills they acquired in the first-year courses. Students in this track also take didactic Biochemistry courses to provide a strong base of knowledge to complement the laboratory experiences.

Sample Plan of Study 

 Sample Plan of Study: Experimental Biotechnology Track

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Students may take BIOC 502A, BIOC 502B, and BIOC 502C in the first and/or second year.

Dual Degree Options

• Biochemistry, MS/Business Administration, MBA
• Biochemistry, MS/Law, JD
• Biochemistry, MS/Patent Practice, MA