Undergraduate Resources

Note: Starting Fall 2023, students in Biochemistry will choose one of three focus options: Research & Biotechnology; Pre-Medicine; or Biophysics. Thus, all of the information below may not apply to students entering before Fall 2023. Please contact your Advisor, Faculty Mentor, or the BBMB Undergraduate Program Coordinator if you have questions about your program of study.

People

Each BBMB undergraduate is supported by an Academic Advisor and a Faculty Mentor.

• Meet BBMB's Academic Advisors. You can find your assigned Advisor on AccessPlus under "Student"->"Current Stdnt Info."
  • Schedule an appointment with Ben Noack.
  • Schedule an appointment with Elizabeth Zimmerman.
• You can find your Faculty Mentor in Navigate, which you can access through your "Student" tab in AccessPlus. Your Faculty Mentor will be listed as part of your Success Team.
  • BBMB students are assigned a first-year Faculty Mentor, which is discussed in BBMB 110.
  • Students get to know faculty in their first year and will select a Faculty Mentor to work with in their second year and beyond.

Quick Links

• For new students:
  • Incoming Student Resources
  • Orientation Walkthrough
• Planning your course of study:
  • Academic Calendar
  • Schedule of Classes 
  • Approved Course Lists for focus option upper-level electives
  • 4-Year Planning Sheet (printable / digital) -- for students entering before Fall 2023
  • Course placement and options:
    • Chemistry
    • English
    • Math
  • University Requirements:
    • U.S. Diversity Requirement Approved List
    • International Perspectives Approved List
• Succeeding in your course of study (Academic Success):
  • Resources for Studying & Time Management
  • Map of Study Spots
  • Supplemental Instruction
• Adjusting your course of study:
  • Degree Audit Adjustment Procedure
  • Forms
    The following changes should be processed through your Academic Advisor:
    • Change of Major (If you change majors, please inform Claire Kruesel)
    • Incomplete Contract
    • Minor
    • Multiple Curricula
    • Withdrawal

Biochemistry Major and Focus Options

Biochemistry majors choose their focus option and College.

What are my choices for focus option?

Each focus option prepares students for their area of interest while meeting core biochemistry-major requirements. 

• Research & Biotechnology (sample 4-year plan)
• Pre-Medicine (sample 4-year plan); suitable for students interested in Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, and other Pre-Health careers
• Biophysics (sample 4-year plan)

_{For detailed focus option requirements, see Biochemistry (CALS) Requirements, Biochemistry (LAS) Requirements, and upper-level core course electives for each focus option.}

What's the difference between focus options?

A few core and general education courses vary among focus options reflect strategic preparation for your professional interests. For example, students focusing in pre-medicine will take psychology course as part of their gen eds to meet medical school admission requirements, whereas students focusing in biophysics will take a computer science course as one of their core courses. Students may switch focus options at any time.

Regardless of focus option, every biochemistry student will build a rigorous foundation of core courses in biochemistry, biology, chemistry, math, and physics. 

Regardless of focus option, every biochemistry student has access to extracurricular opportunities like BBMB Club, Stupka Symposium, and research.

What are my choices for College?

You may study Biochemistry in either the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) or the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS). All three biochemistry focus options are available in both CALS and LAS.

• CALS Biochemistry: Program Requirements
• CALS Biochemistry: Sample 4-year plans
• LAS Biochemistry: Program Requirements
• LAS Biochemistry: Sample 4-year plans

What's the difference between Colleges?

As colleges, CALS and LAS have different structures and focuses. To learn more about the student experience and resources in each college, check out these pages:

• The CALS student experience
• CALS Academic Services
• The LAS student experience
• LAS Academic Services

Within biochemistry, the upper-level core course electives for each focus option differ slightly to reflect each College's specializations.

CALS and LAS have slightly different requirements outside the core Biochemistry major. For example, CALS has a speech fundamentals requirement and LAS has a World Language requirement. 

Regardless of College, all undergraduate students seeking a degree from Iowa State University complete a common set of general education requirements.

What if I'm a transfer student?

BBMB welcomes transfer students and provides options for making efficient use of your previous study. More information:

• Future Transfer Students
• Transfer Plans by College
• Evaluation of Transfer Credits 

General Education Requirements

All Iowa State University Students must meet the U.S. Diversity Requirement and International Perspectives Requirement.

Each College also has general education requirements:

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS)

• Arts & Humanities (12 cr. req'd)
• Mathematical Disciplines (3 cr. req'd)--click to 2nd tab; may be met by biochemistry-major core courses.
• Natural Sciences (8 cr. req'd)--click to 3rd tab; may be met by biochemistry-major core courses.
• Social Sciences (9 cr. req'd)--click to 4th tab

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS)

• Humanities (3 cr. req'd)
• Social Science (3 cr. req'd)
• Ethics (3 cr. req'd)
• CALS Life Science, Math, Physics, and Statistics requirements may be met by biochemistry-major core courses.

For general questions about the BBMB undergraduate program not addressed by the above, contact Claire Kruesel, BBMB Undergraduate Program Coordinator: kruesel@iastate.edu