Courses & Programs of Study

Advisers for B.S. Degree Program in Biological Chemistry:

Laurie Butler, RI 207A, 702-7206, ljb4@uchicago.edu

Vera Dragisich, GHJ 222, 702-3071, vdragisi@uchicago.edu

Adviser for Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology:

Theodore L. Steck, CLSC 157, 702-1329, t-steck@uchicago.edu

Web: chemistry.uchicago.edu

Program of Study

The Department of Chemistry, in conjunction with the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BCMB) in the Division of the Biological Sciences, offers a B.S. degree in Biological Chemistry. The program is designed to prepare students to enter a variety of interdisciplinary fields in biochemical and biophysical sciences. Undergraduate research is strongly encouraged. By combining the resources of both departments, the students in this program are given the opportunity to study chemistry and physics of macromolecules, mechanisms of actions of enzymes and hormones, molecular and cellular biology, biotechnology, and other related fields.

Summary of Requirements

General CHEM 11101-11201 or 11102-11202 or equivalent†*

Education MATH 15100-15200 or 16100-16200† or a grade of A- or higher in MATH 13100-13200

BIOS 20191-20192 or AP credit, if an

AP 5 Fundamental Sequence is completed+

Major 1 CHEM 11301 or 11302 or equivalent†*

1 MATH 15300 or 16300† or a grade of A- or higher in MATH 13300

2 MATH 20000-20100

3 PHYS 13100-13200-13300 or higher†

1 CHEM 20100

3 CHEM 22000-22100-22200/22000-23100-23200

3 CHEM 26100-26200, 26700

1 course from CHEM 20200, 23300, or 26300

1 appropriate 20000-level (under the category Advanced-Level Courses) course in biology

2 BIOS 20200 and 21317

1 approved 30000-level biochemistry

__ or chemistry course

† Credit may be granted by examination.

* See "Advanced Placement" and "Honors Chemistry Placement Test"
in Chemistry section of this catalog.

+ Students with a score of 5 on the AP biology test receive one credit. They are eligible to register for a three-quarter AP 5 Fundamental Sequence. Upon completion of the sequence, students receive an additional AP credit, for a total of two, to meet the general education requirement. Students majoring in Biological Chemistry will count the AP 5 Fundamental Sequence as three electives.

NOTE: Students may not substitute Analysis in Rⁿ (MATH 20300-20400-20500) or other 20000-level courses in mathematics for Mathematical Methods for Physical Sciences (MATH 20000-20100) without also passing an equivalency exam on the material in MATH 20000-20100 that is not covered in these courses. Students should meet with the departmental counselor to obtain prior approval for such substitutions.

NOTE: The BIOS 20191 - 20192 sequence may not be taken in the same year as the CHEM 20100 - 20200 sequence due to overlapping lecture hours for CHEM 20100 and BIOS 20192.

Grading. Students majoring in Biological Chemistry must receive quality grades in all courses required in the degree program. To qualify for the B.S. degree, students must: (1) achieve a GPA of 2.0 or higher; and (2) receive no grade lower than C- in the 20000-level or higher Chemistry, Biology, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology courses that are found on the preceding list.

Honors and Undergraduate Research. By their third year, all students majoring in Biological Chemistry are strongly encouraged to participate in research with a faculty member. More information on research opportunities is available at chemistry.uchicago.edu/programs.shtml.

Excellent students who pursue a substantive research project with a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry or the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology should plan to submit an honors thesis. Students typically begin research during their third year, and they continue their research activities through the following summer and their fourth year. To be considered for honors, students are expected to receive approval from the program adviser before the end of their third year.

A B.S. with honors in Biological Chemistry requires students to write a creditable honors paper describing their research. The paper must be approved by the program advisers in the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and it must be submitted before the deadline established by the department. In addition, an oral presentation of the research is required.

To earn a B.A. or B.S. degree with honors in chemistry, students must also have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Joint Degree Program. A four-year joint degree program leading to a concurrent award of the B.S. in Biological Chemistry and the M.S. in Chemistry is available for a select group of students who have achieved advanced standing through their performance on placement or on accreditation examinations. Special programs are developed for such students. For details, contact Laurie Butler at ljb4@uchicago.edu or Vera Dragisich at vdragisi@uchicago.edu.

For a list of faculty, see the Chemistry section of this catalog.

Courses: Biological Chemistry (bchm)

29900. Advanced Research in Biological Chemistry. PQ: Consent of a faculty sponsor and the program adviser. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. Typically taken for a quality grade. This course provides advanced, individually guided research for College students, both those who are majoring in Biological Chemistry and those who are not. Students may submit a written report covering their research activities to be considered for departmental honors. Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring.

30400. Protein Fundamentals. (=CHEM 32600) PQ: BCMB 30100 or consent of instructor. The focus of this course is on the physico-chemical phenomena that define protein structure and function. Topics include (1) the interactions/forces that define polypeptide conformation; (2) the principles of protein folding, structure, and design; and (3) the concepts of molecular recognition and enzyme catalysts. C. Correll. Autumn.