Make a Difference in Pharmaceutical Research and Medicine
Be part of the front lines in battling illness and infection by discovering how diseases work and conducting research to find a cure — or by helping your patients understand, improve and take care of their health.
Why earn your Biochemistry degree at St. Edward’s?
Whether you’re looking to enter medical or dental school or a graduate program in chemistry, biochemistry or pharmacology, one thing is certain: The advantages of your St. Edward’s education will prepare you to succeed. You’ll find opportunities in and outside the classroom to learn, give back and achieve your goals. And your mentors will support you every step of the way.
Build relationships with your professors
You’ll learn in small classes taught by award-winning professors who make a point of getting to know you and becoming your trusted advisors. They’ll help you identify and focus on your goals, and provide guidance and insight during and after your college years.
Conduct graduate-level research
You’ll have the opportunity to engage in faculty-mentored research in the university’s state-of-the-art labs — or Wild Basin Creative Research Center in Austin, a nature preserve managed by St. Edward’s — and present your work at academic conferences and for publication.
Gain knowledge as a teaching assistant
You’ll have the chance to serve as a teaching assistant for a laboratory course where you’ll learn more about biochemistry and practical laboratory applications, and enhance your leadership and teamwork skills — all while helping fellow students.
Get involved in The American Chemical Society professional community
The American Chemical Society (ACS) student chapter on campus opens doors to exploring internships, research opportunities and careers in the chemical sciences, and connecting with people who love biochemistry as much as you do.
Reap the Rewards of Austin
Austin is a fast-growing technology hub and emerging center of life-sciences research and innovation. As a Biochemistry major, you can explore career paths and practical application of your studies through internships and interactions within the greater Austin community.
What do our graduates do?
Biochemistry majors go on to a variety of careers and graduate schools from St. Edward’s. Here’s a sample.
- Senior data scientist at USAA
- Hospital pharmacist, after earning a PharmD from the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy
- Chemistry staff scientist at Vernier Software & Technology, after earning a PhD from the University of California at Davis
- Medical student at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston
- Postdoctoral associate at Harvard University
Explore Details About a Degree in Biochemistry
Major Requirements: The Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry requires 71 hours of major courses, which include a combination of chemistry, biology, math and physics courses.
General Education Requirements: In addition to the major program requirements, all students must satisfy the general education requirements. Talk with your success coach and faculty advisor about which courses are right for you.
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What You Will Learn
You’ll learn to utilize chemical knowledge to study cellular processes at the molecular level — including structure, function and regulation — and how cells work together to promote growth or fight illness. You’ll also examine experimental disciplines that use chemical knowledge to solve biological problems.
A few examples of courses students take in this major:
- Organic Chemistry – Experiment with the use of organometallic reagents inorganic synthesis, multistep synthesis techniques, a peptide synthesis, chromatographic separation techniques, and spectroscopic identification of organic compounds.
- Biochemistry I – Survey of the fundamentals of biochemistry. Topics include structure of proteins, nucleic acids, lipids and carbohydrates, catalysis, kinetics, bioenergetics and information pathways. Gain an overview of the field through in-depth coverage of protein structure and enzyme catalysis.
Microbiology – Study microorganisms with an emphasis on their structure, function and role in sickness, health and research.
Skills You Will Gain
Upon completing the Biochemistry program, you’ll be ready to …
- Search, access, contextualize and effectively summarize readings of discipline-specific literature.
- Apply basic principles of experimental design in the development of an experimental procedure in the appropriate subdiscipline of chemistry.
- Use in the appropriate context quantitative tools for data collection and analysis.
- Explain the purpose of general laboratory safety guidelines and their implementation in various lab settings.
- Explain the principles governing the functioning and mechanisms behind key experimental and instrumental techniques in chemistry.
- Use appropriate experimental techniques and instruments in the context of designing and executing an experiment.
- Communicate the findings of independent research in a manner appropriate to the audience, including oral presentations and the writing of experiments, research manuscripts, poster presentations, and research proposals.
- Demonstrate the ability to collaborate and arrive at a common goal within a team.