Biochemistry


Your Future In Biochemistry

Do you enjoy biology or chemistry and working in the laboratory? Do you have strong oral and written communication skills? Are you patient and practice self-discipline? Then you should pursue a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry at the University of North Texas.

Many of our Biochemistry majors accept research positions with government agencies, clinics and hospitals, and nonprofit and private laboratories. Other potential employers include:

  • Agricultural chemical manufacturers
  • Biotechnology companies
  • Consulting agencies
  • Cosmetic manufacturers
  • Educational institutions
  • Environmental organizations and labs
  • Food manufacturers
  • Independent research firms
  • Pharmaceutical companies
  • Utility companies

To be considered a professional researcher and teach at a university, you will need to earn a master’s and possibly a doctoral degree in biochemistry, biology or chemistry.

This major also prepares you to enter dental, medical or veterinary school or a training program to become an allied health care professional such as a pharmacist.

What we offer

Our success is measured by your success and the quality of our contributions to improve society. We offer course work leading to a:

  • Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry degree (B.S.B.C.) if you are planning a research or medical career in biochemistry, medicine, clinical chemistry or other health related areas of biochemistry
  • Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Biochemistry that prepares you for a teaching career at the high school level in biochemistry, chemistry or biology or if you wish to enter professional programs, including medical school

We also administer a joint program that allows you to combine college and medical school. This saves you money and time by reducing the usual eight-year program to seven.

You will learn from faculty members who are dedicated to excellence in teaching and represent a wide range of interests in life sciences. Many have been honored nationally by various organizations.

In addition, UNT’s decision to invest in collaborative research clusters has attracted new senior faculty while allowing our current faculty to pool their knowledge and interests in key areas and extend their research strengths.

Through our affiliation with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science Education Alliance, we provide you opportunities to receive hands-on experience in complex research at the undergraduate level.

Course credit is available by working on a project in one of our research centers or laboratories. For example, you may study plant biochemistry in the Center for Plant Lipid Research or the Nitrogen Fixation Laboratory. Other research may include exploring avian genomes, cyanide biodegradation, molecular motors and response of organisms to stress.

The new Life Sciences Complex is a state-of-the-art research facility for biochemistry and molecular biology, developmental physiology and genetics, and plant science. It features an open research laboratory concept, a climate-controlled rooftop research greenhouse for advanced plant science research, and an aquatics lab that incorporates fresh and salt water facilities.

What to expect

As a Biochemistry major, you will take courses focusing on:

  • Cell biology
  • Chemical reactions
  • Compounds and solutions of chemical elements
  • Electrochemistry
  • Macromolecules
  • Metabolic pathways
  • Molecular biology of genes
  • Organic chemistry
  • The periodic table
  • Physical chemistry
  • Quantitative analysis in chemistry

You will also be required to take technical writing, calculus-based physics and calculus courses. To become eligible to major in Biochemistry, you must complete specific pre-major courses in biology, chemistry and mathematics with minimum acceptable grades and grade point averages. Consult the UNT Undergraduate Catalog for specific requirements.

Our Career Center and professional academic advisors are among the many valuable resources that are available to you at UNT. The Career Center can provide advice about internships, future employment opportunities and getting hands-on experience in your major. Academic advisors will help you plan your class schedule each semester.

How to enroll at Unt

High school students

We encourage you to fulfill the graduation requirements for the Recommended Program or the Distinguished Achievement Program in high school. In your junior year, take the SAT or the ACT and have your scores sent to UNT.

In your senior year, apply for admission at www.applytexas.org by March 1 and request that your high school transcript be sent to the UNT admissions office.

Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses can count toward college credit at UNT. For details, visit www.unt.edu/credit.

Transfer students

If you're attending a Texas community college, you should consult our Transfer Articulation web page, the UNT Undergraduate Catalog and an academic counselor/advisor to review your degree plan. Proper planning allows you to receive the maximum amount of transfer credits.

Our Transfer Center will help you make a successful transition to college life at UNT by connecting you to a peer mentor and other campus resources. Each year, we welcome more transfer students than any other institution in the state. The center is in the University Union, Room 320. More information is at transition.unt.edu.