Biochemistry Major and Minor

Study the chemical processes and relationships at work in living organisms. Analyze data, conduct labs and experiments and develop an understanding of life at a molecular level.

Three students working in a lab on campus

Why Study Biochemistry at Albion?

As a Biochemistry Major, you’ll develop a solid foundation in chemical knowledge before pursuing advanced labs and courses in biochemistry. You’ll test theories and design research projects in our state-of-the-art laboratories, gaining technical skills to advance your scientific pursuits, both on campus and beyond.

You’ll contextualize everything you learn with courses in biology, mathematics and physics, tailoring your path of study based on what interests you most. And you’ll benefit from close mentorship from our faculty experts, who encourage students to approach challenges from a variety of angles in this truly interdisciplinary study.

What Will You Learn as a Biochemistry Major?

You’ll learn fundamental concepts in chemistry and biology, and use them to understand living systems through molecular and chemical models.

You’ll conduct lab research, mastering specialized biochemical laboratory techniques that you’ll use in individually designed projects.

You’ll grow in your critical thinking, communication, and teamwork abilities in our laboratory courses, which will require you to work, design, and analyze alongside your peers.

You’ll study, analyze and critique primary literature associated with your field.

Major Courses Minor Courses

Program Highlights

Research

Two students observing test tubes while wearing protective goggles.

We believe that involving students in research is as important to their education as classroom work. The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry has a long history of student-faculty collaborative research. This research is funded through a variety of different sources, including the National Science Foundation and the Foundation for Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity (FURSCA) at Albion College.

Laboratories

Our science complex includes state-of-the-art teaching and research laboratories. Our department’s instrumentation and equipment includes a fluorescence plate reader, surface plasmon resonance spectrometer, analytical and preparative HPLCs, six diode array UV-VIS spectrometers, 400 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, two gas chromatography-mass spectrometers, a fluorescence spectrometer, two Fourier-transform infrared spectrometers (with ATR sampling), IC chromatograph, a host of cloning and protein purification equipment, and cell culturing facilities for bacteria, yeast, and mammalian cells. Practical experience with this cutting-edge instrumentation at the undergraduate level is a unique feature of an Albion College education and highly sought-after by employers and graduate schools.

Scholarships and Awards

Two Albion students discussing writing on chalkboard.

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry presents several different awards and scholarships to students who demonstrate exceptional academic achievement. Some awards are based upon the year of study in the chemistry program, allowing students to receive multiple honors throughout their four years of study.

Off-Campus Study

Jessica Butchley with friends in Berlin, Germany

Gain real world experience in another culture by spending a semester studying off campus. You’ll have the opportunity to earn academic credit somewhere like Ireland or South Africa through Albion’s Center for International Education or spend a semester gaining hands-on experience working and studying in one of America’s oldest cities at the Philadelphia Center.

Careers & Outcomes

As a biochemistry major, you’ll develop a breadth of scientific knowledge that prepares you for a wide range of career paths. Biochemistry majors often go on to work in the chemical or pharmaceutical industries, attend graduate school, continue study in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, or pursue careers in fields like public health, forensics or law. Below are examples of some of the professions our students choose and employers our alumni have gone on to work for.