Biochemistry, BS (L&S)

The Biochemistry, BS gives students opportunities to connect classroom science with laboratory research, independent study, scientific communication and global experiences. Students can conduct research for academic credit or pay, apply for the Biochemistry Scholars Program, participate in departmental activities and undertake international academic experiences including short-term field experiences, summer research and semester-long exchanges.

The program also sits within a research environment with specialized biochemical instrumentation and computational resources, allowing students who become involved in research to encounter techniques and tools used in modern molecular science. Practical opportunities include:

• Biochemistry Scholars Program: First-year Biochemistry majors can apply for a program providing hands-on research experience; accepted students can participate in one or more research projects for up to three years.

• BIOCHEM 551 — Biochemical Methods: The required capstone course gives students dedicated training in biochemical methods as part of the major.

• Senior research and thesis: BIOCHEM 681/682 and BIOCHEM 691/692 can be used for senior thesis, independent study or laboratory work; the two-semester senior honors thesis is required for students completing honors in the major.

• Research for credit or pay: The department explicitly encourages students to participate in research in Biochemistry and related life-science or chemistry departments, with opportunities available for either course credit or pay.

• Biophysics Instrumentation Facility: The facility provides access to advanced equipment for characterizing biological molecules, including microscale thermophoresis, mass photometry, isothermal titration calorimetry, differential scanning calorimetry and microplate reading.

• Biochemistry Computational Research Facility: Research computing resources include the Biochemistry Computational Cluster and access to high-throughput computing. Departmental workshops cover tools and areas including PyMOL, Chimera, SybylX, MODELLER, R and Python.

• Wisconsin Institute for Discovery: Students involved in research can benefit from an interdisciplinary research environment with computational infrastructure and high-throughput computing resources for data-intensive science.

• International experiences: Biochemistry majors can participate in short-term field experiences, summer research opportunities and semester-long exchange programs at universities around the world.

• Biochemistry Student Club / ASBMB chapter: The student chapter provides opportunities to learn about careers and jobs, research opportunities, volunteering and science outreach.

• Research presentation: UW–Madison provides undergraduate research opportunities that can culminate in research presentations and symposium participation, helping students develop scientific communication skills.

The Biochemistry, BS prepares students for science and science-related careers while also providing a strong foundation for graduate and professional education. UW–Madison specifically identifies medical school, veterinary school and graduate study in biochemistry and related fields such as biology, bacteriology, genetics, molecular biology and oncology as progression routes.

Typical career directions include: Biochemist, Research Scientist, Laboratory Scientist, Biotechnology Scientist

Students can build their professional pathway through:

• Biochemistry advising: Departmental advisors help students navigate the major, research opportunities, academic planning and opportunities available within the department.

• Career exposure through ASBMB: The UW–Madison ASBMB student chapter provides information about careers and job opportunities and connects students with research, volunteer and outreach opportunities.

• Research experience: Students can conduct research for academic credit or pay, building practical experience that can support employment or applications to graduate and professional programs.

• Industry-linked environment: UW–Madison's Biophysics Instrumentation Facility provides advanced biomolecular characterization equipment not only to university researchers but also to scientists from other institutions and local biotechnology companies, creating a connection between academic research and biotechnology applications.

• Documented alumni pathways: UW–Madison Biochemistry alumni have progressed into areas including drug research and development, oncology research and development, clinical research and biotechnology. The department highlights an undergraduate alumna who built a career at Promega focused on research and development of drugs to treat disease.

• Research and innovation ecosystem: UW–Madison reports a national #5 research expenditure ranking, while CALS research spans areas including human health, bioenergy, sustainable agriculture and biotechnology-related innovation.

• University-wide graduation outcomes: UW–Madison reports a 96.3% first-year retention rate and an 89.7% six-year graduation rate for the Fall 2019 cohort. These are university-wide figures and are not Biochemistry-specific employment outcomes.

• Employment and salary data: The official Biochemistry sources reviewed do not publish a current Biochemistry-specific employment rate or median salary. Therefore, no university-wide salary figure has been presented as if it were specific to this major.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into master's or doctoral study in biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, bacteriology, biology, oncology and related fields. The major is also specifically positioned as preparation for professional programs such as medical and veterinary school, while students interested in research can strengthen their applications through undergraduate research, independent study and senior thesis opportunities.