B.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biochemistry
The Bachelor of Science in Cellular and Molecular Biochemistry is an innovative program that will provide students in the border region with the opportunity to receive intensive training in state-of-the-art techniques widely used in biomedical research, therefore providing them with the technical skills and knowledge required for high-skilled employment opportunities in the biomedical sciences. The courses incorporated into this program are divided into four areas including general education courses (48 credit hours), major core courses (44 credit hours), required chemistry courses (23 credit hours), and elective courses in specialized areas (5 credit hours). Various courses offered in the major core courses are unique to this program. These courses include a cellular biochemistry lab, a new biochemistry lecture course, and a seminar course focusing on advanced research techniques in biochemistry. The cellular and molecular biochemistry degree plan will differ from those degrees currently offered within the Department of Biological Sciences primarily through a focus on research theory and practice in biochemistry. Existing courses chosen for this degree plan are aimed at providing a broad general knowledge base in the biomedical sciences. The proposed new courses will focus on the research methodologies and the applications required to solve scientific problems relevant to human disease. It is important to point out that the proposed degree plan is designed in such a way that students will have the freedom and the background to choose majors in biology, microbiology, chemistry, or biochemistry after their first two years of study. In addition, students pursuing this degree option will be well prepared for the medical professions.
Students in the BS in Cellular and Molecular Biochemistry program will interact closely with faculty members from the Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, and will enjoy a training oriented toward the development of problem solving skills and critical thinking, tightly intertwined with the development of practical laboratory skills. Students graduating from this program will have a thorough education in basic biology and chemistry, and an in depth knowledge of molecular biology, cellular biology, and cellular and molecular biochemistry. At the practical level, students graduating from this program will have extensive knowledge of basic laboratory techniques, including preparation of reagents, solutions, and media for bacterial, cellular, and biochemical analyses, and will be competent in the most-extensively used techniques in the cellular, molecular, and biochemical laboratory environments, including protein and DNA purification and analysis methods, tissue culture, and recombinant DNA technologies. A degree in Cellular and Molecular Biochemistry will provide a sound preparation for graduate studies in biochemistry, molecular biology, cellular biology, cancer, infectious diseases, medicine, and other health-related fields, and provide the student with the technical and intellectual skills to pursue employment in areas related to biotechnology and biomedical research in the academic, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology industries.