Planning Your Program

Richmond offers two majors through the biochemistry and molecular biology program. Once students declare the major, typically some time during their sophomore year, they are assigned a faculty member who will serve as their advisor and help them develop a program of study to achieve their educational goals.

Just as the program brings together fundamental principles of both biology and chemistry, the curriculum includes introductory sequence courses in both biology and chemistry. Students take introductory chemistry focusing on structure, dynamics and synthesis as well as physical chemistry, and introductory biology classes, focusing on organic chemistry, genetics, evolution and diversity of life, cell and molecular biology. 

First-year students can choose to take advantage of the University’s integrated quantitative (IQ) science program, a year-long course developed as part of a $1.4 million grant the University received from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The IQ science course is team taught by 10 professors and combines material from the introductory courses in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and computer science. Students complete the course prepared to enter the second course in the biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics or computer science majors and receive funding to  participate in an undergraduate summer research experience.

Once students have an introductory understanding of both biology and chemistry, they conquer interdisciplinary courses that introduce concepts relevant to biochemistry and molecular biology, including biochemistry, biochemistry and biophysical chemistry of nucleic acids and protein structure, function and biophysics.

In addition to demanding coursework, students enjoy unparalleled opportunities for research and experiential learning that reinforce the material they are learning in the classroom. This dual emphasis in classical learning and research is what makes University of Richmond biochemistry and molecular biology majors so successful after graduation.

Check out the current courses students are taking in the Department of Biology.