Biochemistry Program (BS/MS)

BS/MS Joint Program in Chemistry or Biochemistry

Students in the BS/MS program complete all of the requirements for the approved American Chemical Society (ACS) certified Bachelor of Science degree in either Chemistry or Biochemistry. The BS/MS program requirements beyond the BS degree requirements total 27 credit hours. The program is research intensive, requiring students to perform a total of 16 credit hours of research under the mentorship of a faculty advisor. Students are also required to produce and defend a graduate thesis, as well as to present an advanced seminar. Students who have been accepted into the BS/MS program will begin chemical research at the CHM 499 level and move into CHM 599 research as they progress in their studies. An advanced special topics course (CHM 592) includes advanced current topics within the major chemical sub-disciplines of Analytical, Inorganic, Organic and Physical Chemistry and Biochemistry, depending on the faculty member teaching the course in a given semester. Students will be allowed to take up to 9 credits of CHM 592, where each course offering is focused on a different advanced topic.

Program Mission and Assessment

The mission of the Master of Science Program is to prepare better students for their first industrial position or to go onto graduate school.  The Program participates in the University-wide effort to assess its academic programs. Information on assessment plans, including goals, methods and outcomes is available at http://www.umflint.edu/assessment/.

Admission to the Program

For acceptance into the BS/MS program, students must have a minimum overall GPA of 2.75 and a minimum GPA of 2.75 in chemistry courses. Students interested in the BS/MS program will apply at the start of their junior year. Students must have completed the Organic Chemistry sequence (CHM 330 , CHM 331 , CHM 332 , CHM 333 ) in order to gain admission to the program.

Thesis Committee

During the junior year (based on credit hours completed), a student in the program will choose a thesis committee consisting of at least three faculty members, including two from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. This committee will be responsible for helping to direct the student’s academic career, reviewing and evaluating thesis work, and monitoring progress in the program.

Academic Standing

A minimum overall GPA of 5.0 must be maintained in all graduate chemistry/biochemistry courses to remain in good standing. A student who does not achieve or maintain this GPA will be on “probation” and will be required to correct the deficiency by the end of the next semester. If a GPA of 5.0 is still not achieved, the student’s thesis committee will decide what action should be taken. Possible actions include extension of probation or withdrawal from the graduate level of the BS/MS program.

BS Requirements.

1. Core courses (28 credits). CHM 260 , CHM 261 , CHM 262 , CHM 263  or CHM 265 , CHM 310 , CHM 330 , CHM 331 , CHM 332 , CHM 333 , CHM 340 , CHM 341 , CHM 344 , CHM 366 , CHM 367  (2 cr.), CHM 410 .
2. Advanced courses (26-29 credits). .CHM 442 , CHM 443 , CHM 450 , CHM 451 , CHM 452 , CHM 453 , CHM 455  or CHM 458 , CHM 460 , CHM 461 , CHM 472 , CHM 473 , CHM 499  (1-4 cr.).
3. CHM 468  strongly recommended.
4. Biology (12 credits). BIO 113 , BIO 326 , BIO 328 .
5. Mathematics (8 credits). MTH 121 , MTH 122 .
6. Physics (8 credits). PHY 143 , PHY 145 .
7. All requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)  Bachelor of Science degree, including general education requirements  and completion of at least 124 credits. 

The program prepares the student for American Chemical Society (ACS) certification. The student may elect to stop the program and graduate with a BS. However, without the graduate-level courses, the student will not qualify for ACS certification.

MS Requirements.

1. CHM 510 - Graduate Seminar.  (1 credit). 
2. Research (15 credits). CHM 499  (3 cr.) CHM 599  (12 cr.), elected in consecutive semesters with at least one credit per semester
3. CHM 555 - Enzymology.  or CHM 558 - Proteomics-Structure/Function of Proteins.  (3 credits), not elected as part of the BS program.
4. BIO 504 - Biostatistics.  (4 credits).
5. Graduate thesis and defense (2 credits). CHM 600 , CHM 610 .
6. Electives (3 credits). Any 500-level CHM course approved by the graduate committee.