College of Arts and Sciences
Biochemistry Concentration Information
Box 70695
Phone: (423) 439-4367
Web Address: http://www.etsu.edu/cas/chemistry/
In simplest terms, chemistry is the science of matter. Anything that can be touched, tasted, smelled, seen or felt is made of chemicals. Chemists are the people who transform the everyday materials around us into amazing things. Some chemists work on cures for cancer while others monitor the ozone layer protecting us from the sun. Still others discover new materials to make our homes warmer in the winter, or new textiles to be used in the latest fashions. There are a multitude of careers available to chemists including positions in industry, academics, government and medical careers.
ACS Biochemistry Concentration
This is a joint concentration with the Department of Biological Sciences and Chemistry (College of Arts and Sciences) and the Department of Biochemistry (Quillen College of Medicine) for the Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences. The students may major in either biology or chemistry, but not both, and coursework is required in both departments. The Chemistry Department’s biochemistry concentration is approved by the American Chemical Society (ACS) and as such it is subject to change upon notice from the ACS. The student should consult frequently with an advisor to ensure completion of the major in a judicious manner.
This program requires 120 credit hours. A minor is not required with this concentration. An overall 2.0 GPA is required for all major courses.
Advising
Students with 0-59 earned credit hours:
Contact the Center for Advisement and Student Excellence (CASE) to schedule an appointment with your advisor. Visit the CASE website (http://www.etsu.edu/cas/case/) or call (423) 439-5602.
Students with 60 or more earned credit hours will meet with a chemistry faculty advisor, who is assigned to you by your last name:
A-F: Greg Love
439-4088
G-M: Paula Moody
439-6912
N-Z: Greg Bishop
439-6915
All honors students should meet with Abbas Shilabin 423-439-6917
Transfer Students
Transfer students majoring in chemistry should contact the chair of the department for advising as soon as possible. This will ensure that the student’s previous work will be coordinated efficiently with ETSU requirements.
For general information about the department or courses, contact Dr. Cassandra Eagle, Chair (eaglec@etsu.edu; (423) 439-4367).
General Program Information
To earn a degree from ETSU, there are specific course requirements established by ETSU, by the East Tennessee State University Board of Trustees, by each college, and by each department. All students must meet the degree requirements at each of these levels outlined in the following list:
University-level Degree and Graduation Requirements
College of Arts and Sciences B.S. Degree Requirements
Students majoring in the College of Arts and Sciences must meet the following requirements for the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. Some requirements must be taken in addition to the General Education Core, whereas others specify which courses from the General Education Core must be taken.
General Education Requirements: 42 Credit Hours
Listed below are the categories and courses specified under East Tennessee State University Board of Trustees General Education Requirements. Note that certain courses are required for this degree, specific to this major. Thus, these courses will satisfy both a General Education requirement AND a requirement of this major. (Other majors may require different General Education courses.) Where specific courses are required for this major, only those courses are listed under the category. If there are no specific major requirements for a category, all course options appear.
Communication
9 credits, consisting of 6 credits of written composition and 3 credits of oral communication.
Written Composition
Complete both of the following:
Oral Communication
Note: Other courses from this block are acceptable, but this course satisfies the Reasoning requirement for the BS degree in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Humanities and Fine Arts
9 credits, consisting of 3 credits of literature, 3 credits of fine arts, and 3 credits of humanities electives.
Literature
Complete one of the following:
Fine Arts
Complete one of the following:
Humanities
Note: Other courses from this block are acceptable, but this course satisfies the Philosophy of Science requirement for the BS degree in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Social and Behavioral Sciences
6 credits, consisting of two of the following:
History
6 credits, consisting of both of the following:
Natural Sciences
8 credits, consisting of the following:
Mathematics
Students will enroll in the appropriate general education math course during their first calendar year of enrollment at ETSU. Students required to complete learning support in mathematics must enroll in a learning support-designated section (L01-L99) of MATH 1530 during their first 15 hours at ETSU (not including summer) unless they are also required to complete learning support in reading or writing. Students needing learning support in reading or writing in addition to learning support in math should enroll in MATH 1530-Lxx immediately upon completing their other learning support requirements. Additional information may be found on the University Advisement Center website www.etsu.edu/uac/learningsupport/
Note:
MATH 1910 Calculus I, PHIL 2640 Science and the Modern World, and SPCH 2320 Argumentation and Debate are requirements for obtaining a Bachelor of Science Degree. These courses satisfy the TBR General Education Requirements in their corresponding categories.
Chemistry Core: 14 Credit Hours
Biochemistry Concentration Requirements: 59-64 Credit Hours
Note:
** These labs may be taken in any order, two of three required.
“Biochemistry of Macromolecules” (BIOL 4147 ) or “Biochemistry of Metabolism” (BIOL 4167 ) have a prerequisite of BIOL 1110 /BIOL 1111 .
The chemistry major with a biochemistry concentration must select one (1) non-duplicated course from the following:
Electives: 2-7 Credit Hours
Total Hours Required for Degree: 120 Credit Hours
Graduation Requirements
Graduation in this major/concentration requires a minimum of 120 credits, including General Education requirements, CSCI 1100 , college degree requirements, major requirements, and minor requirements.
Passing the CSCI 1100 proficiency test produces no credit, but satisfies the graduation requirement (see http://www.etsu.edu/cbat/computing/uit/). If the total credits from these areas are less than 120 credits, students may use free electives to complete the requirement.
Teacher Education
Students interested in pursuing a teacher education program for certification as a teacher will major in the subject they wish to teach and minor in Secondary Education. They should see their major advisor AND an advisor in the College of Education Office of Student Services, 321 Warf-Pickel Hall. The Teacher Education program has separate admission requirements, and teaching certification has these additional requirements:
- Professional Education requirements met through the Secondary Education Minor
- Fulfillment of Teaching Content Area requirements
- Successful completion of CUAI 4580 “Residency II”
- Praxis II for content area
- PLT Praxis
- Recommendation for Licensure
All students desiring to complete a teacher education or other public school licensure program (for initial licensure, add-on endorsement, or advanced study in education) must file a Declaration of Intent in the College of Education Office of Student Services, 321 Warf-Pickel Hall. The Declaration of Intent should be filed before 30 credit hours of coursework has been completed or, in the case of transfer and post-baccalaureate students, in the first semester at ETSU. Delay or failure to file the Declaration of Intent may result in incomplete advisement. Students who have not filed the Declaration of Intent will not be considered for admission to teacher education and may be ineligible to enroll in many professional education courses.
Additional Information
Click here to view the Suggested Course Sequence for Biochemistry Concentration, CHEM .
Additional coursework in chemistry is recommended.
Approved students may enroll in one of the following courses in the Department of Biochemistry (Quillen College of Medicine) during their last semester of coursework:
- BIOC 5100 Protein Structure and Function (3 credits)
- BIOC 5350 Molecular Immunology (3 credits)
- BIOC 5600 Genetics and Molecular Biology (4 credits)
- BIOC 5700 Macromolecular Interactions (3 credits)
A research experience is strongly advised for students with good academic records, especially those planning advanced study. The student should consult with an advisor concerning research opportunities. The following courses are recommended:
- (2 credits)
- (1-5 credits)
- BIOC 4900 Special Topics in Biochemistry (1-4 credits)
- (1-3 credits)