Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry

Our students become interdisciplinary scientists who work at the juncture of biology and chemistry and who enjoy careers in medicine, scientific research, biotechnology, pharmacy, biomedical consulting, agricultural sciences, teaching and education.

The biochemistry major provides students with interdisciplinary training in the biological and chemical sciences. The undergraduate degree emphasizes knowledge and understanding of living organisms, living systems, changes to a system's environment and chemical reactions that can affect human health.

  • Learn how to do cutting-edge research across the breadth of the discipline, which provides some of the basis for advances in human and veterinary medicine, agriculture and biotechnology
  • Develop quantitative problem-solving skills, critical thinking and analytical reasoning
  • Refine how you communicate scientific concepts and ideas

Consistently rated among the best biochemistry programs in the United States

Learn from acclaimed faculty, including a Nobel laureate, five members of the National Academy of Sciences and three Howard Hughes Investigators

State-of-the-art Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotechnology Building for student and faculty research

Be successful.

Be prepared to meet the needs of 21st-century society by applying your knowledge of biochemistry in industry or academia.

 
$69,900

Median salary of CU Boulder biochemistry students 6–10 years after graduation

 

Laboratory researcher, biological scientist, lab manager, pharmacy technician and teacher are common job titles of our graduates

 

Work in medicine, scientific research, biotechnology, pharmacy, biomedical consulting, agricultural sciences, teaching and education

Academic Plan & Requirements

The biochemistry major requires 26 hours of upper-division coursework. General, organic and physical chemistry are requirements, as are calculus and physics. Additional courses in biochemistry and biology are also required.

Because biochemistry connects to scientific disciplines including genetics, human physiology, microbiology, neuroscience, cell biology, chemistry and geology, biochemistry majors are given the freedom to explore advanced electives in many of these subjects.

And an additional degree option for biochemistry students:

  • Teaching certification: We offer an optional K–12 teaching certification with the School of Education. This certification is part of a student’s five-year educational plan.

Community & Involvement

We offer students many opportunities to network with peers and faculty, further their studies, and get the most out of their undergraduate experience.

Be inspired.

The Department of Biochemistry has an extensive alumni network working in a variety of fields across the globe.

Some alumni of the program include:

Joanna S. Fowler

(PhD'67) 
A scientist emeritus at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York. Previously, she served as professor of psychiatry at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and director of Brookhaven's Radiotracer Chemistry, Instrumentation and Biological Imaging Program. She has received many awards for her pioneering work, including the National Medal of Science.

Jennifer Doudna

(Lucille P. Markey Postdoctoral Scholar working with Thomas Cech, 1991–94)
A professor in the departments of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) since 1997. She directs the Innovative Genomics Institute where she has been a leading figure in the development of CRISPR Cas9-mediated genome editing.

Bruce Walker

(BA'76)
Professor of medicine and director of the Division of AIDS at Harvard Medical School, and director of the Ragon Institute, a joint institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, MIT and Harvard. He also is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, adjunct faculty member at Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, South Africa, and a founding scientist at the KwaZulu-Natal Research Institute for Tuberculosis and HIV.

David Goeddel

(PhD'77)
One of the first four scientists hired by Genentech and used genetic engineering to develop some of the company’s first blockbuster drugs, including synthetic insulin, human growth hormone and interferons. He is now a managing partner with The Column Group, a San Francisco-based venture-capital firm.

News & Stories

College of Arts & Sciences magazine cover