can i apply to biochemistry programs as a biology major?

[teletubbie]

i havent taken many chemistry and math classes, just introductory calculus and organic chemistry. can i apply to biochemistry programs?

[bsharpe269]

This depends on your research experience/interests. If you have research experience in an area relevent to biochem and interest in continuing that area then I think you should be fine. If you want to be sure, take the biochem GRE.

[BostonBio153]

You can probably apply to some umbrella programs (like Harvard BBS), where there are concentrations in specific areas like Biochemistry. However, I would think that for most straight Biochemistry grad programs, you would need to have taken a certain amount of chemistry/biochemistry classes.

 

For example, I found this on the Tufts Biochem PhD program admissions page:

 

Prospective students must have completed a minimum of one year of college level biology, mathematics and inorganic and organic chemistry. Although not required, successful completion of courses in biochemistry, cell biology and genetics are considered assets for graduate studies in biomedical science.

 

 

But I would look into the programs you're specifically interested in and see what there requirements are for applicants.

 

Good luck! 

[ion_exchanger]

I have a degree in biology, and am in a biochem phd program. I also took a year of biochem in undergrad, but those courses weren't required for my program.

[rexzeppelin]

Bio major here.

 

I only had one semester of organic and biochemistry each. I had the same concerns you did, and one of my interviewers (at program I was accepted) said I had an "interesting background" not sure if that was a euphemism for poor preparation, or if having a broader understanding of plant biology and ecology with an interest in getting into biochem/biophysics was seen as an asset. Who knows?!

 

Anyway don't count yourself out! and I would advise against taking the biochem GRE unless you seriously devote yourself to preparing for it. Play to your strengths, much better to nail the biology GRE than get an average biochem score, or even worse, bomb it

 

For the record, my favorite science class ever was field botany, nothing to make you feel close to Darwin than keying out wildflowers on a hilltop meadow

[elanorci]

Not exactly the same situation, but I'm a biology major and I successfully applied to biophysics programs. As long as you have the preparatory courses that the programs (usually) list on their website, I think you'll be fine. Good luck! 

[djlewis]

I think it strongly depends on your research interests, expertise, and ability to pick up new material, as well as how you mesh with the faculty at the school you are applying to.  I went from semiconductor physics into biomedical engineering from undergrad to masters and it took a lot of work to catch up on unfamiliar areas but I did it.  No reason not to at least apply and see what happens.

[teletubbie]

okay, thanks for your input everyone

[structuralBio]

Speaking ss a biochem major, you could be able to do this provided you have taken a thorough general biochem class. It may not be strictly speaking required but a p chem course on thermodynamics and kinetics would also be good. I will assume you have taken 2 semesters of physics? your 2 semesters of calculus and 2 of organic are sufficient in those areas. Can I also assume you have taken a cell bio course? if you haven't you really should. other than that, what other people have been saying is true, your research matters a lot. if you were working in say an ecology lab, while that doesn't rule you out, it may put you at a disadvantage compared to working in a lab that does biochemistry or cell biology (my research was in biochem and now I want to do biophysics so I'm in such a situation where your research isn't as directly related as it maybe should be)

[structuralBio]

You can probably apply to some umbrella programs (like Harvard BBS), where there are concentrations in specific areas like Biochemistry. However, I would think that for most straight Biochemistry grad programs, you would need to have taken a certain amount of chemistry/biochemistry classes.

 

For example, I found this on the Tufts Biochem PhD program admissions page:

 

Prospective students must have completed a minimum of one year of college level biology, mathematics and inorganic and organic chemistry. Although not required, successful completion of courses in biochemistry, cell biology and genetics are considered assets for graduate studies in biomedical science.

 

 

But I would look into the programs you're specifically interested in and see what there requirements are for applicants.

 

Good luck! 

inorganic? their biochem program must be through a chem department because honestly knowledge of inorganic chemistry is fairly trivial for most biochemistry