Major in Biochemistry
Traditionally considered a specific discipline within the broad field of chemistry, a degree in Biochemistry from Elizabethtown College helps students to integrate the perspectives of chemistry and biology. Key to our approach is getting students to think like a biochemist! By developing and fine-tuning critical thinking skills through intentional course work (both in the classroom and especially in the laboratory), our Biochemistry majors develop the ability to apply chemical principles towards better understanding biological function.
Students looking to pursue pre-medical, and other health professional program studies, have found that studying Biochemistry at E-town College has provided them with the education, practical experience, and critical thinking skills necessary to enter into top medical schools like the Penn State Hershey College of Medicine, Wake Forest, and the University of Pennsylvania. The Biochemistry major through E-town College is also accredited by the American Chemical Society's Committee on Professional Training. The American Chemical Society is the largest scientific society in the world!
Where do our graduates go?
40%
into workforce
30%
enter graduate school
30%
enter professional school
Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry
The Biochemistry program is geared towards getting you into chemistry and biology labs early and often. By the time you begin your first biochemistry lab in your junior year you will have completed laboratory experiences in general chemistry and general biology, organic chemistry, chemical instrumentation, and genetics, to name a few. Through these multi-disciplined lab experiences, you gain confidence and mastery in a variety of relevant laboratory techniques, instrumental methods, and data analysis. You will also gradually develop more autonomy in the design of experimental work and the use of state of the art instrumentation. All biochemistry majors in the Department will complete faculty-supervised research as a part of their capstone experience. But faculty-supervised research is not relegated to senior level departmental majors--you could begin formal independent research as early as your first year!
See the full academic requirements for the Biochemistry major.
Regardless of what path you intend to follow once you graduate, we recognize that first and foremost you will be a professional citizen of the department. As such, we are intentional in developing a strong sense of professionalism, especially in the areas of ethics, scientific writing, and oral communication. Our students routinely present the results of their independent research at professional meetings ranging from the local through national levels.
Students in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry have the opportunity to complete off-campus study programs, including international summer research! You can spend a semester at programs such as the University of Otago in New Zealand, recently named in the top 200 universities in the world, through our on campus study abroad office! While studying abroad, you will have the opportunity to complete relevant, international, field work and practicums that will give you real-world experience, making you competitive in a global market.
After Graduation
As one of the top liberal arts colleges in the northeast, we integrate cross-curricular courses to ensure our graduates understand, and can practice, their area of study in the context of the world around them. We understand that students studying biochemistry have a variety of professional/career interests once they leave us. Some may elect to go directly into the workforce, while others will formally extend their education by pursuing studies in graduate school, medical or dental school, optometry school, or physician's assistant programs. Our graduates have found careers in all the major sectors including academic, medical, industrial, and government. Regardless of their intended career path, our majors are prepared to make a difference in the world around them once they graduate!