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The Biochemistry B.S. at the University of Colorado Boulder combines biology and chemistry to explore how chemical processes, biomolecules and molecular interactions sustain life and influence human health. It is a strong fit for students interested in medicine, biotechnology, scientific research, pharmacy, biomedical consulting, agriculture or education, while building quantitative problem-solving, critical-thinking and scientific communication skills.
Curriculum Structure
Year 1: Students begin with a strong foundation in chemistry and mathematics through CHEM 1400 Foundations of Chemistry, CHEM 1401 Foundations of Chemistry Lab, and MATH 1300 Calculus 1 or an approved calculus alternative. The year also introduces students to the major through BCHM 1020 A Path to Success: Introduction to the Biochemistry Major, followed by Organic Chemistry 1 and its laboratory.
Year 2: Students progress into more specialized chemistry and biological sciences with BCHM 3491 Organic Chemistry 2 for Biochemistry Majors, MCDB 1150 Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology or General Biology 1, and hands-on options such as MCDB 1161 From Dirt to DNA: Phage Genomics Laboratory I. They then move into BCHM 2700 Foundations of Biochemistry and genetics, establishing the molecular foundation for advanced study.
Year 3: The program moves into advanced biochemical mechanisms and their connection to human health through BCHM 4720 Metabolic Pathways and Human Disease and BCHM 4740 Biochemistry of Gene Transmission, Expression and Regulation. Students also complete PHYS 1110 General Physics 1, PHYS 1120 General Physics 2 and PHYS 1140 Experimental Physics 1, strengthening their quantitative and experimental science background.
Year 4: Students complete advanced biochemical training through BCHM 4400 Core Concepts in Physical Chemistry for Biochemists and BCHM 4761 Biochemistry Laboratory, alongside three advanced major electives. Elective choices can extend into areas such as bioinformatics and genomics, human molecular genetics, immunology, neuropharmacology, cellular disease, quantitative optical imaging and computational biology.
Focus areas
Biochemistry, biological chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, molecular biology, genetics, metabolism, biomolecular structure and function, human disease, chemical biology, pharmacology, toxicology, biotechnology, bioinformatics, genomics, neuroscience and quantitative science.
Learning outcomes
Students develop mastery of general and organic chemistry and apply these principles to biological systems; explain the synthesis, structure and function of biomolecules; understand cellular regulation, metabolism and biomolecular interactions; analyze scientific data and evaluate research rigor and reproducibility; conduct scientific investigations; and communicate scientific information in written, oral and visual formats.
Professional alignment (accreditation)
The B.S. provides interdisciplinary preparation for medicine, scientific research, biotechnology, pharmacy, biomedical consulting, teaching and education. CU Boulder does not identify a separate program-specific professional accreditation for the Biochemistry B.S. on its current official program or catalog pages.
Reputation (employability rankings)
CU Boulder’s official Biochemistry page reports a $69,900 median salary for biochemistry students 6–10 years after graduation and identifies laboratory researcher, biological scientist, lab manager, pharmacy technician and teacher among common graduate job titles. The university also highlights the department's research strength, including a Nobel laureate, five National Academy of Sciences members and three Howard Hughes Investigators; institution-wide, CU Boulder is ranked No. 46 among U.S. public universities in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report rankings.
The Biochemistry B.S. gives students multiple ways to move beyond classroom learning and work directly with research methods and scientific equipment. CU Boulder encourages undergraduate research for students preparing for graduate school, professional school or industry, and students can undertake independent research through BCHM 4901 Independent Study, with faculty research groups available for the 2026–27 academic year.
Students can also gain workplace experience through BCHM 4906 Internship in Biochemistry, a course introduced to provide academic credit for internships with life-science companies and other organizations. Students can earn one credit for every 45 hours of internship work, with up to six internship credits applicable toward the major; the department is actively developing partnerships with life-science companies to expand these opportunities.
Research training is supported by CU Boulder’s advanced instrumentation environment, including mass spectrometry, NMR spectroscopy, cell culture, fluorescence and EPR spectroscopy, biomolecular X-ray crystallography and other shared research technologies.
Students can build practical experience through:
BCHM 4901 Independent Study for faculty-mentored research
BCHM 4906 Internship in Biochemistry for credit-bearing industry or institute experience
BCHM 4761 Biochemistry Laboratory
MCDB 1161 From Dirt to DNA: Phage Genomics Laboratory I
MCDB 1171 Antibiotics Discovery Through Hands-on Screens I
MCDB 2171 Chemotherapeutic Discovery Through Hands-On Screens
Undergraduate research in departmental faculty laboratories
Biochemistry Undergraduate Research Scholar Award opportunities
Wuttke & Beckman Foundation Biochemical Sciences Research Award support
Central Analytical Laboratory and Mass Spectrometry Core Facility
NMR Spectroscopy Facility
Shared Instrument Core, including EPR, circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy, DLS, Sec-MALS and ITC
Cell Culture Facility
Biomolecular X-ray Crystallography Facility
The Biochemistry B.S. prepares graduates for pathways spanning scientific research, biotechnology, medicine, pharmacy, biomedical consulting, agriculture and education. CU Boulder reports that most of its Biochemistry undergraduates go into industry, with graduates working in areas including biotech, environmental science, scientific writing and patent law.
Typical job roles include:
Laboratory Researcher
Biological Scientist
Lab Manager
Biotechnology Researcher
Students can build their career through:
Career Services: CU Boulder Career Services provides career workshops, internships and placement services to help Biochemistry students plan and pursue employment.
Employment and salary information: CU Boulder reports a $69,900 median salary for Biochemistry students 6–10 years after graduation. Across CU Boulder, a recent university survey found that 91% of graduates reported being employed and/or pursuing further education, with a $50,000 median salary for bachelor's graduates; the latter is university-wide rather than Biochemistry-specific.
Industry connections: The department introduced BCHM 4906 to connect students with life-science companies and is continuing to build partnerships with companies that can provide undergraduate internship opportunities.
Research-to-career preparation: Undergraduate research opportunities are specifically promoted as preparation for graduate school, professional school and industry.
Alumni network: The department maintains an alumni community designed to provide networking opportunities and connections relating to employment and scientific careers.
Teaching pathway: Students can add a secondary-school science teaching certification through the School of Education, typically as part of a five-year plan.
Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into graduate study in biochemistry, chemistry, molecular biology, biotechnology and related scientific disciplines, or pursue professional education in medicine, pharmacy and other health professions. Students intending to continue into graduate-level biochemistry are encouraged by CU Boulder to take additional advanced chemistry, biology and mathematics coursework.
Applicants apply through the Common Application and must submit their high school/secondary school transcripts, essay and short-answer response, and one letter of recommendation.
SAT/ACT scores are not required (but may be submitted), and CU Boulder evaluates first-year applications holistically, considering academic performance, course rigor and other application information. US universities use a holistic admissions review. Beyond grades and standardized test scores, they weigh the strength of your overall profile to understand who you are as a student and a person.
Profile Assessment: Science applicants are generally assessed on the rigour of their Mathematics and laboratory-science coursework. Relevant preparation may include Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Calculus or Statistics, depending on the intended field. Research, science fairs, Olympiads, laboratory exposure, independent investigation and environmental or community-science projects can demonstrate scientific curiosity and analytical thinking.Advanced Placement(AP) Guidance: AP availability depends on the student's school. Relevant APs can strengthen an application and may earn university credit, but are not compulsory unless the university or programme explicitly requires them.Essays & recommendations: Personal essays and teacher/counselor recommendations give context to your achievements and help demonstrate fit with the program.Biological ScientistBiochemistLab ManagerBiotechnology ResearcherBiomedical ResearcherPharmaceutical ResearcherBiomedical ConsultantAgricultural ScientistScientific WriterPatent Law ProfessionalPharmacy TechnicianScience TeacherResearch ScientistClinical Researcher
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University of Colorado Boulder
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