Requirements

Biochemistry Major

A minimum of eleven courses from among the required and elective biochemistry courses must be completed for the major. Students placing into MATH 1800 Multivariate Calculus or higher must take MATH 1300 Biostatistics, MATH 1400 Statistics in the Sciences, or one math course at the 1800-level or above.

Students placing out of BIOL 1109 Scientific Reasoning in Biology, CHEM 1109 General Chemistry, PHYS 1130 Introductory Physics I, or PHYS 1140 Introductory Physics II must still complete a minimum of eleven courses related to biochemistry.

Additional Information and Program Policies

• Only one D grade is allowed in courses required for the major. This D must be offset by a grade of B or higher in another course also required for the major.
• Students may not count courses taken Credit/D/Fail toward the major.
• Advanced placement exams are used for placement in courses for the biochemistry major, but do not count toward the eleven courses required for the major.
• Biochemistry majors cannot minor or major in biology, chemistry, or neuroscience, and may only double-count courses to a second major or a minor with permission of the Biochemistry Program.
• Bowdoin does not offer a minor in biochemistry.
• Students may request transfer credit by talking with the program director the semester prior to enrolling in a course.
• Independent studies do not count as an elective, but can count as one of the eleven required courses for the major.
• Students may engage in independent study at the advanced (4000–4051) level. Majors pursuing honors in biochemistry are required to register for BIOC 4050 during the fall semester and BIOC 4051 during the spring semester of their senior year.