Biochemistry focuses on the chemical processes occurring in the wide variety of living systems and touches essentially all aspects of our own lives. Our Northeastern program engages you in two integrated paths to a career in biochemistry: rigorous course work that is designed to prepare you to interpret the ever-expanding knowledge base and hands-on learning that positions you to leverage cutting-edge technology to solve fundamental problems in the chemistry of life.
After required basic course work in biochemistry, biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics, our majors select elective courses that reflect many areas of biochemistry including neuroscience, bioorganic chemistry, stem cell and regenerative biology, microbial biotechnology, and systems biology and engineering.
In our interdisciplinary program, students take advantage of faculty-mentored research guided by investigators from bioengineering, biology, chemical engineering, chemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, physics, psychology, and other academic units.
Northeastern’s signature co-op program provides complementary opportunities in world-class biotechnology companies, hospitals, and research facilities as close as Boston and as far as your global interest takes you.
Our biochemistry program prepares students to enter the job market directly or go on to graduate, medical, veterinary, dental, law, or business school. Our graduates are qualified for a wide range of careers that span academics, industry, government, and medicine, working in laboratory or clinical research, regulation and quality control, production, marketing, or information systems.
Complete all courses listed below unless otherwise indicated. Also complete any corequisite labs, recitations, clinicals, or tools courses where specified and complete any additional courses needed beyond specific college and major requirements to satisfy graduation credit requirements.
Universitywide Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the Universitywide Requirements.
NUpath Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the NUpath Requirements.
Biochemistry Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction to College | ||
| BIOC 1000 | Biochemistry at Northeastern | 1 |
| or INSC 1000 | Science at Northeastern | |
| Biology Foundations | ||
| Foundations | ||
| BIOL 1107 and BIOL 1108 | Foundations of Biology and Lab for BIOL 1107 | 5 |
| Inquiries | ||
| BIOL 2299 | Inquiries in Biological Sciences | 4 |
| Techniques | ||
| BIOL 2309 | Biology Project Lab | 4 |
| Genetics and Molecular Biology | ||
| BIOL 2301 and BIOL 2302 | Genetics and Molecular Biology and Lab for BIOL 2301 | 5 |
| General Chemistry | ||
| CHEM 1161 and CHEM 1162 | General Chemistry for Science Majors and Lab for CHEM 1161 | 5 |
| Organic Chemistry 1 | ||
| CHEM 2311 and CHEM 2312 | Organic Chemistry 1 and Lab for CHEM 2311 | 5 |
| Organic Chemistry 2 | ||
| CHEM 2313 and CHEM 2314 | Organic Chemistry 2 and Lab for CHEM 2313 | 5 |
| Physical Chemistry | ||
| CHEM 3431 and CHEM 3432 | Physical Chemistry and Lab for CHEM 3431 | 5 |
| Biochemistry Courses | ||
| BIOL 3611 and BIOL 3612 | Biochemistry and Lab for BIOL 3611 | 5 |
| BIOL 4707 | Cell and Molecular Biology | 4 |
| Complete one of the following: | 3-5 | |
| Bioanalytical Chemistry and Lab for CHEM 3331 | ||
| Protein Chemistry | ||
| Experiential Learning Introduction | ||
| EESC 2000 | Professional Development for Co-op | 1 |
| Capstone | ||
| Please complete one of the following options to fulfill the capstone requirement: | 4-5 | |
One-semester research options: | ||
| Research and Biochemistry Capstone | ||
| Internship and Biochemistry Capstone | ||
| Senior Research | ||
Two-semester research option (Honors in the Discipline). Second semester will be: | ||
| Junior/Senior Honors Project 2 | ||
Non-research option: | ||
| Biology Capstone | ||
Biology and Chemistry Advanced Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete 3 courses for a total of at least 10 semester hours. One must be a lecture-based BIOL course and one must be a lecture-based CHEM course. The third may be BIOL, CHEM, or Research: | 10 | |
| Biology | ||
BIOL 2311 to BIOL 5999 | ||
| Chemistry | ||
CHEM 2310 to CHEM 5999 | ||
| Research Option | ||
| Up to 4 semester hours may be biochemistry-related research for credit: | ||
| Junior/Senior Honors Project 1 | ||
| Research | ||
| Internship | ||
Biochemistry Breadth Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics Courses | ||
| MATH 1341 | Calculus 1 for Science and Engineering | 4 |
| MATH 1342 | Calculus 2 for Science and Engineering | 4 |
| Physics Courses | ||
| Physics 1 | ||
| Complete a lecture and lab set for Physics 1: | 5 | |
| Physics for Life Sciences 1 and Lab for PHYS 1145 | ||
| Physics for Engineering 1 and Lab for PHYS 1151 and Interactive Learning Seminar for PHYS 1151 | ||
| Physics 1 and Lab for PHYS 1161 | ||
| Physics 1 for Bioscience and Bioengineering and Lab for PHYS 1171 and Interactive Learning Seminar for PHYS 1171 | ||
| Physics 2 | ||
| Complete a lecture and lab set for Physics 2: | 5 | |
| Physics for Life Sciences 2 and Lab for PHYS 1147 | ||
| Physics for Engineering 2 and Lab for PHYS 1155 and Interactive Learning Seminar for PHYS 1155 | ||
| Physics 2 and Lab for PHYS 1165 | ||
| Physics 2 for Bioscience and Bioengineering and Lab for PHYS 1175 and Interactive Learning Seminar for PHYS 1175 | ||
| Statistics | ||
| Complete one course from the following list. Students who receive transfer credit for the Advanced Placement Statistics exam may complete the 1 semester hour PSYC 2315 course (requires Psychology Department permission): | 4-5 | |
| Bioengineering Measurement, Experimentation, and Statistics and Lab for BIOE 2365 | ||
| Biostatistics and Lab for ENVR 2500 and Recitation for ENVR 2500 | ||
| Probability and Statistics | ||
| Foundations of Biostatistics | ||
| Statistics in Psychological Research | ||
Writing Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENGW 1111 | First-Year Writing | 4 |
| or ENGW 1102 | First-Year Writing for Multilingual Writers | |
| ENGW 3307 | Advanced Writing in the Sciences | 4 |
| or ENGW 3315 | Interdisciplinary Advanced Writing in the Disciplines | |
NUpath Requirements Met by Major
- Analyzing and Using Data (AD)
- Conducting Formal and Quantitative Reasoning (FQ)
- Demonstrating Thought and Action in a Capstone
- Engaging with the Natural and Designed World (ND)
- Integrating Knowledge and Skills Through Experience
- Writing Across Audiences and Genres
Biochemistry Major Credit/GPA Requirements
Complete 86 semester hours in the major. A minimum 2.000 GPA in the following course codes is required: BIOL, CHEM, MATH, PHYS.
Due to overlap in course content, double majoring in biochemistry and biology, biochemistry and cell and molecular biology, biochemistry and behavioral neuroscience, or biochemistry and chemistry is not permitted.
Program Requirement
136 total semester hours required
Sample Plans of Study
Please note that these are sample plans of study. While the requirements are the same for all students, individual schedules may vary.
Four Years, Two Co-ops in Summer Second Half/Fall
| Year 1 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| BIOC 1000 or INSC 1000 | 1 | BIOL 2299 | 4 | BIOL 2301 | 4 | Elective 3 | 4 |
| BIOL 1107 | 4 | CHEM 2311 | 4 | BIOL 2302 | 1 | Elective 4 | 4 |
| BIOL 1108 | 1 | CHEM 2312 | 1 | Elective 2 | 4 | ||
| CHEM 1161 | 4 | ENGW 1111 or 1102 | 4 | ||||
| CHEM 1162 | 1 | MATH 1342 | 4 | ||||
| CHEM 1163 | 0 | ||||||
| MATH 1341 | 4 | ||||||
| Elective 1 | 4 | ||||||
| 19 | 17 | 9 | 8 | ||||
| Year 2 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| BIOL 2309 | 4 | BIOL 3611 | 4 | BIOL 4707 | 4 | Co-op | 0 |
| CHEM 2313 | 4 | BIOL 3612 | 1 | Elective 8 | 4 | ||
| CHEM 2314 | 1 | EESC 2000 | 1 | ||||
| PHYS 1151 | 3 | PHYS 1155 | 3 | ||||
| PHYS 1152 | 1 | PHYS 1156 | 1 | ||||
| PHYS 1153 | 1 | PHYS 1157 | 1 | ||||
| Elective 5 | 4 | Elective 6 | 4 | ||||
| Elective 7 | 4 | ||||||
| 18 | 19 | 8 | 0 | ||||
| Year 3 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| Co-op | 0 | CHEM 3431 | 4 | ENGW 3307 or 3315 | 4 | Co-op | 0 |
| CHEM 3432 | 1 | Elective 10 | 4 | ||||
| CHEM 5620 or 3331 and 3332 | 3-5 | ||||||
| ENVR 2500 and ENVR 2501 and ENVR 2502 (or other statistics course) | 5 | ||||||
| Elective 9 | 4 | ||||||
| 0 | 17-19 | 8 | 0 | ||||
| Year 4 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||||
| Co-op | 0 | CHEM 4750 (or BIOL 4701 or BIOC 4971 or xxxx4991+BIOC 4900) | 4 | ||||
| BIOL or CHEM advanced elective | 5 | ||||||
| BIOL or CHEM advanced elective | 5 | ||||||
| BIOL or CHEM advanced elective | 5 | ||||||
| 0 | 19 | ||||||
| Total Hours: 142-144 | |||||||
Four Years, Two Co-ops in Spring/Summer First Half
| Year 1 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| BIOC 1000 or INSC 1000 | 1 | BIOL 2299 | 4 | BIOL 2301 | 4 | Elective 3 | 4 |
| BIOL 1107 | 4 | CHEM 2311 | 4 | BIOL 2302 | 1 | Elective 4 | 4 |
| BIOL 1108 | 1 | CHEM 2312 | 1 | Elective 2 | 4 | ||
| CHEM 1161 | 4 | ENGW 1111 or 1102 | 4 | ||||
| CHEM 1162 | 1 | MATH 1342 | 4 | ||||
| CHEM 1163 | 0 | ||||||
| MATH 1341 | 4 | ||||||
| Elective 1 | 4 | ||||||
| 19 | 17 | 9 | 8 | ||||
| Year 2 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| BIOL 2309 | 4 | Co-op | 0 | Co-op | 0 | BIOL 3611 | 4 |
| CHEM 2313 | 4 | BIOL 3612 | 1 | ||||
| CHEM 2314 | 1 | Elective 6 | 4 | ||||
| EESC 2000 | 1 | ||||||
| PHYS 1151 | 3 | ||||||
| PHYS 1152 | 1 | ||||||
| PHYS 1153 | 1 | ||||||
| Elective 5 | 4 | ||||||
| 19 | 0 | 0 | 9 | ||||
| Year 3 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| ENGW 3307 or 3315 | 4 | Co-op | 0 | Co-op | 0 | BIOL 4707 | 4 |
| PHYS 1155 | 3 | Elective 8 | 4 | ||||
| PHYS 1156 | 1 | ||||||
| PHYS 1157 | 1 | ||||||
| ENVR 2500 and ENVR 2501 and ENVR 2502 (or other statistics course) | 5 | ||||||
| Elective 7 | 4 | ||||||
| 18 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
| Year 4 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||||
| CHEM 3431 | 4 | CHEM 4750 (or BIOL 4701 or BIOC 4971 or xxxx4991+BIOC 4900) | 4 | ||||
| CHEM 3432 | 1 | BIOL or CHEM advanced elective | 5 | ||||
| CHEM 5620 or 3331 and 3332 | 3-5 | BIOL or CHEM advanced elective | 5 | ||||
| BIOL or CHEM advanced elective | 5 | Elective 10 | 4 | ||||
| Elective 9 | 4 | ||||||
| 17-19 | 18 | ||||||
| Total Hours: 142-144 | |||||||
Five Years, Three Co-ops in Summer Second Half/Fall
| Year 1 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| BIOC 1000 or INSC 1000 | 1 | BIOL 2299 | 4 | BIOL 2301 | 4 | Vacation | |
| BIOL 1107 | 4 | CHEM 2311 | 4 | BIOL 2302 | 1 | ||
| BIOL 1108 | 1 | CHEM 2312 | 1 | Elective 2 | 4 | ||
| CHEM 1161 | 4 | ENGW 1111 or 1102 | 4 | ||||
| CHEM 1162 | 1 | MATH 1342 | 4 | ||||
| CHEM 1163 | 0 | ||||||
| MATH 1341 | 4 | ||||||
| Elective 1 | 4 | ||||||
| 19 | 17 | 9 | 0 | ||||
| Year 2 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| BIOL 2309 | 4 | BIOL 3611 | 4 | BIOL or CHEM advanced elective | 4 | Co-op | 0 |
| CHEM 2313 | 4 | BIOL 3612 | 1 | Elective 6 | 4 | ||
| CHEM 2314 | 1 | EESC 2000 | 1 | ||||
| PHYS 1151 | 3 | PHYS 1155 | 3 | ||||
| PHYS 1152 | 1 | PHYS 1156 | 1 | ||||
| PHYS 1153 | 1 | PHYS 1157 | 1 | ||||
| Elective 3 | 4 | Elective 4 | 4 | ||||
| Elective 5 | 4 | ||||||
| 18 | 19 | 8 | 0 | ||||
| Year 3 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| Co-op | 0 | CHEM 3431 | 4 | Vacation | Co-op | 0 | |
| CHEM 3432 | 1 | ||||||
| ENVR 2500 and ENVR 2501 and ENVR 2502 | 5 | ||||||
| ENGW 3307 or 3315 | 4 | ||||||
| Elective 7 | 4 | ||||||
| 0 | 18 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Year 4 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| Co-op | 0 | CHEM 5620 or 3331 and 3332 | 3-5 | Vacation | Co-op | 0 | |
| BIOL or CHEM advanced elective | 5 | ||||||
| Elective 8 | 4 | ||||||
| Elective 9 | 4 | ||||||
| 0 | 16-18 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Year 5 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||||
| Co-op | 0 | BIOL 4707 | 4 | ||||
| CHEM 4750 (or BIOL 4701 or BIOC 4971 or xxxx4991+BIOC 4900) | 4 | ||||||
| BIOL or CHEM advanced elective | 5 | ||||||
| Elective 10 | 4 | ||||||
| 0 | 17 | ||||||
| Total Hours: 141-143 | |||||||
Five Years, Three Co-ops in Spring/Summer First Half
| Year 1 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| BIOC 1000 | 1 | BIOL 2299 | 4 | BIOL 2301 | 4 | Vacation | |
| BIOL 1107 | 4 | CHEM 2311 | 4 | BIOL 2302 | 1 | ||
| BIOL 1108 | 1 | CHEM 2312 | 1 | Elective 2 | 4 | ||
| CHEM 1161 | 4 | ENGW 1111 or 1102 | 4 | ||||
| CHEM 1162 | 1 | MATH 1342 | 4 | ||||
| CHEM 1163 | 0 | ||||||
| MATH 1341 | 4 | ||||||
| Elective 1 | 4 | ||||||
| 19 | 17 | 9 | 0 | ||||
| Year 2 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| BIOL 2309 | 4 | Co-op | 0 | Co-op | 0 | BIOL 3611 | 4 |
| CHEM 2313 | 4 | BIOL 3612 | 1 | ||||
| CHEM 2314 | 1 | Elective 4 | 4 | ||||
| EESC 2000 | 1 | ||||||
| PHYS 1151 | 3 | ||||||
| PHYS 1152 | 1 | ||||||
| PHYS 1153 | 1 | ||||||
| Elective 3 | 4 | ||||||
| 19 | 0 | 0 | 9 | ||||
| Year 3 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| ENVR 2500 and ENVR 2501 and ENVR 2502 (or other statistics course) | 5 | Co-op | 0 | Co-op | 0 | Vacation | |
| PHYS 1155 | 3 | ||||||
| PHYS 1156 | 1 | ||||||
| ENGW 3307 or 3315 | 4 | ||||||
| PHYS 1157 | 1 | ||||||
| Elective 5 | 4 | ||||||
| 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Year 4 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| BIOL 4707 | 4 | Co-op | 0 | Co-op | 0 | Vacation | |
| CHEM 3431 | 4 | ||||||
| CHEM 3432 | 1 | ||||||
| CHEM 5620 or 3331 and 3332 | 3-5 | ||||||
| Elective 6 | 4 | ||||||
| 16-18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Year 5 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||||
| BIOL or CHEM advanced elective | 5 | CHEM 4750 (or BIOL 4701 or BIOC 4971 or xxxx4991+BIOC 4900) | 4 | ||||
| BIOL or CHEM advanced elective | 5 | BIOL or CHEM advanced elective | 5 | ||||
| Elective 7 | 4 | Elective 9 | 4 | ||||
| Elective 8 | 4 | Elective 10 | 4 | ||||
| 18 | 17 | ||||||
| Total Hours: 142-144 | |||||||