Program Overview

Program Overview

The Biochemistry program is an interdepartmental program that offers a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in biochemistry. The program is based on faculty resources and research facilities in the departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry. The curriculum is designed to prepare students for a career in biochemical research, graduate study in biochemistry or molecular biology, or professional education in medicine, dentistry, or other health sciences.

Program Details

The specialized research facilities for cellular and analytical biochemistry at Oakland University include:

• Tissue culture facilities
• An ultracentrifugation laboratory
• Isotope laboratories with beta and gamma counters
• Equipment for gas and high-pressure liquid chromatography
• GC/MS, UV-vis, fluorescence, NMR, EPR, laser Raman, and atomic absorption spectrometers
  • Recent biochemical instrumentation acquisitions include:
    • A flow cytometer
    • A radioisotopic image analyzer
    • Automated capillary electrophoresis
    • A confocal microscope
    • A DNA sequencer

Research Opportunities

Undergraduate students in the biochemistry program have access to faculty research laboratories and are encouraged to participate in various ongoing research programs, such as:

• Studies in metabolism
• Gene expression
• Hormone action
• Immunochemistry
• Molecular biology
• Molecular genetics
• Macromolecular structure

Program Requirements

The minimum requirement for a B.S. in biochemistry is 124 credits, including coursework in:

• Biological sciences (16 credits)
• Chemistry (32 credits)
• Biochemistry (12 credits) Note: No more than 8 credits of coursework used to fulfill the requirements of a major or minor in biology or chemistry may be used to fulfill the requirements of a major in biochemistry.

Program Honors and Scholarships

Program honors may be granted to graduating seniors in biochemistry on the basis of high academic achievement (minimum 3.60 overall grade point average) and excellence in biochemical research at Oakland University. The Professional Biochemistry Scholarship sponsored by Oxford Biomedical Research Inc. will be awarded to a junior biochemistry major who shows promise for achievement in the field based on performance in BCM 4254/4256/4257 and evaluation by the Biochemistry Committee.