Interested in pursuing a career in the sciences? Consider the many options open to you with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. As a biochemistry major, you’ll learn the scientific theories and techniques that focus on the chemistry of living organisms.
This major includes a wide range of courses from both chemistry and biology, so it’s an ideal choice if you’re interested in graduate education in biochemistry, chemistry or biology; a career in medicine or medical research; or employment in food science, agricultural research or the biotechnology industry.
The quality of our program is reflected by the track record of our graduates, many of whom have achieved success at some of the nation’s top graduate and professional schools and in the job market. In fact,George Fox biology and biochemistry graduates have an 84% acceptance rate into medical school – considerably higher than the national average of 43% (AAMC, 2025-26).
Our graduates are chemistry professors, pharmacists, research scientists, physicians and chemical engineers all over the country.
George Fox is one of the 11 universities in the U.S. that receives funding for the Richter Scholars program, which supports independent student research projects conducted under the guidance of a faculty mentor.
While not limited to the sciences, biochemistry students may apply to the program. Often, participants get the opportunity to present their research at regional conferences.
Recent George Fox Richter research projects include:
Anna’s Hummingbird physiology
Investigating the effective treatment of breast cancer cells
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Partnership with A.T. Still University
Your Pathway to Medical School Starts Here
The path to medical school is highly competitive, requiring exceptional grades, strong MCAT scores and meaningful clinical experience. Through 最新麻豆视频's Pathway Scholars program with A.T. Still University-School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (ATSU-SOMA), students gain a distinct advantage in a highly competitive process.
Students will be given preferential consideration for an admissions interview for the ATSU-SOMA Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program, which means less uncertainty and more focus on developing the knowledge, skills and character needed to become an exceptional physician.
You’ll have the chance to do cutting-edge research with professors and present your findings at national conferences.
Participate in a research-based senior capstone laboratory course, just one of your opportunities to turn theory into practice.
Be mentored by caring and knowledgeable faculty who are actively involved in chemistry. All your professors are Christians, who believe that faith and science are not mutually exclusive, but better together.
Choose from a variety of internship and research opportunities, including the Richter Scholars Program.
Courses / Curriculum What Will I Study?
You’ll engage in a series of courses that cover general biology and chemistry, analytical chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, and thermodynamics.
As a senior, you will enroll in a chemistry seminar course that focuses on searching and reading chemical literature in order to design an independent research project.
Your studies will culminate with an experimental chemistry lab course that integrates synthetic techniques, instrumental methods, reaction kinetics, thermodynamics, spectroscopy and an original research project.
Your curriculum will include eight hours each in calculus and physics courses.
You’ll have the option to customize your degree by choosing between electives in genetics, molecular biology, cell biology, advanced inorganic chemistry, advanced organic chemistry, and quantum chemistry.
The Cornerstone Core is a set of 12 courses across 10 academic disciplines that undergraduate students take at George Fox to cultivate their character within the Christian context.
This course covers fundamental chemical principles, reactions, and mode theories. Special emphasis is given to the role of chemistry in everyday life. Three lectures and one laboratory period per week. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisite:
Successful completion of MATH 190 Precalculus Mathematics (or equivalent).
This course covers fundamental chemical principles, reactions, and mode theories. Special emphasis is given to the role of chemistry in everyday life. Three lectures and one laboratory period per week. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisite: CHEM 211 General Chemistry I.
This course covers the principles and techniques of quantitative analysis in biochemical and chemical systems. The subject matter includes: the use of statistical methods of data analysis; the primary methodologies for conducting quantitative experiments; and the use of modern instrumentation for quantitation of chemical and biochemical compounds. The laboratory component focuses on the development of specific skills used in the laboratory and the use of spectroscopic, electrochemical, and chromatographic methods for quantitative analysis. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisites: CHEM 211 General Chemistry I and CHEM 212 General Chemistry II.
A study of principles, structure, bonding, reactions, and energy as related to carbon chemistry. The laboratory stresses materials, equipment, and skills in synthesis, purification, and identification of representative groups of organic compounds. Three lectures and one three-hour laboratory per week. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisites: CHEM 211 General Chemistry I and CHEM 212 General Chemistry II.
A systematic and theoretical study of the biochemical activities of living cells. Topics to be covered will include: the structure, properties, and molecular interactions of biomolecules, metabolic pathways, bioenergetics, and metabolism of biomolecules, and RNA, DNA, and protein synthesis. Three lectures and one three-hour laboratory per week. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisites: CHEM 331 Organic Chemistry I.
A systematic and theoretical study of the biochemical activities of living cells. Topics to be covered will include: the structure, properties, and molecular interactions of biomolecules, metabolic pathways, bioenergetics, and metabolism of biomolecules, and RNA, DNA, and protein synthesis. Three lectures and one three-hour laboratory per week. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisites: CHEM 341 Biochemistry I.
An introduction to life science for those majoring in biology and bioscience-related fields. Topics include basic concepts in chemistry and biological molecules, an introduction to cellular structure, function and metabolism, genetics and theories of inheritance, and an introduction to prokaryotic cells and viruses. Three lectures and one two-hour laboratory per week. Additional course fee is required.
An introduction to life science for those majoring in biology and bioscience-related fields. Topics include a taxonomic survey of protists, fungi, plants, and animals with emphasis on the development, anatomy, and physiology of plants and animals. Three lectures and one three-hour laboratory per week. Prerequisite: BIOL 211 or instructor permission. Additional course fee is required.
A general genetics course covering Mendelian genetics, population genetics, and an introduction to molecular biology. This course fulfills the requirement for biology majors, and is appropriate for those with an interest in current topics in genetics, including inheritable diseases, cloning, and other recent scientific breakthroughs. Three lectures and one three-hour laboratory per week. Prerequisites: BIOL 211 and BIOL 212 or instructor permission. Additional course fee is required.
The class is a study of limits of functions, applications of derivatives, and an introduction to integration. Prerequisite: MATH 190 Precalculus Mathematics or sufficient score on Math Placement Exam (See Mathematics Department).
A foundational course for the study of computer science and information systems. The course covers an overview of programming methodology and gives the student an ability to write computer programs using standard style and structure. Programming projects are completed in one or more high-level languages. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisite: High school algebra or equivalent.
This course covers the topics of integration techniques, applications of integrals, and infinite series. Other topics potentially covered include polar coordinates, parametric equations, and differential equations. Prerequisite: MATH 201 Calculus I.
An introduction to probability and statistics with content and application directed toward the natural and physical sciences. Topics to be covered include methods of describing data, probability, random variables and their distributions, estimation, hypothesis testing, linear regression, and correlation. Prerequisite: MATH 180 College Algebra or equivalent.
Mechanics, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, wave motion and optics, and modern physics, using algebraic methods for analysis. Three lectures and one lab per week. Additional course fee is required.
Prerequisite: MATH 190 Precalculus Mathematics.
Mechanics, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, wave motion and optics, and modern physics, using algebraic methods for analysis. Three lectures and one lab per week. Additional course fee is required.
Prerequisite: PHYS 201 General Physics I.
Mechanics, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, wave motion and optics, and modern physics, using calculus methods for analysis. Three lectures and one lab per week. Additional course fee is required.
Prerequisite: MATH 201 Calculus I.
Mechanics, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, wave motion and optics, and modern physics, using calculus methods for analysis. Three lectures and one lab per week. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisite: PHYS 211 General Physics with Calculus I.
An introduction to the origin and maintenance of biodiversity for students majoring in Biology. This project-based course will provide foundational exposure to the process of scientific discovery, twenty-first century science practices, and the fields of ecology and evolutionary biology. Three lectures and one three-hour laboratory per week. Prerequisites: BIOL 211 General Biology I, BIOL 212 or instructor permission. Additional course fee is required.
Investigation of physiological principles in animals, with 4 hours. A majors-level course is intended to meet the physiology requirement of graduate/professional programs in health-care fields. Investigation of physiological principles in humans/mammals, with emphasis on mechanisms of integration and homeostasis at cellular, organ, and system levels. Topics include muscular, neural, vascular, excretory, and endocrine interactions. Three lectures and one three-hour laboratory per week. Prerequisites: BIOL 211, BIOL 212, BIOL 311 and BIOL 350, or instructor permission. Additional course fee is required.
A course for biology majors in the structure, metabolism, classification and health aspects of microorganisms. Special emphasis will be given to microbial diversity, the molecular physiology and genetics of prokaryotes, and the human immune response to infection. Methods of microbiological investigation are emphasized and include current techniques and experiences within the field of Microbiology. Prerequisites: BIOL 211, BIOL 212 and BIOL 350, or instructor permission. Additional course fee required.
This course integrates the disciplines of plant diversity, plant physiology, plant systematics and plant ecology by surveying the structure and function of plants from the organismal to the ecosystem levels. Students will receive a comprehensive survey of concepts in plant biology with an emphasis on mechanisms of development and growth, ecophysiology, identification and classification, and current global issues that are rooted in plant biology. Two lectures and one laboratory per week. Prerequisites: BIOL 211, BIOL 212, BIOL 311 and BIOL 350, or instructor permission. Additional course fee is required.
An introduction to the modern field of molecular biology. We will examine the structure, organization, and transfer of genetic information at the molecular level and its requirement for life processes. Viral, prokaryotic, and eukaryotic systems will be examined. Major themes include transcriptional regulation, post-transcriptional events (RNA processing), and regulation of translation. The laboratory is designed to include current techniques and experiences within the field of molecular biology. Prerequisites: BIOL 211, BIOL 212 and BIOL 350, or instructor permission. Additional course fee is required.
This course includes the study of cell physiology, energetics, neurobiology, muscle biology, and cell signaling. Other topics that will be discussed are cancer and immunology at the cellular level. Laboratory will focus on current cell culturing and analysis techniques. Three lectures and one three-hour laboratory per week. Prerequisites: BIOL 211, BIOL 212 and BIOL 350, or instructor permission. Additional course fee is required.
A majors-level course intended to meet the anatomy requirement of graduate/professional programs in health-care fields. A course presenting a systemic approach to the study of the human body. Lecture presentations begin with an introduction of anatomical terminology, tissue classification, and developmental origins to systems. Body structure will be studied by organ systems and will include histology. Laboratory work will follow a regional gross anatomy of the human body through cadaver dissection, human skeletal collections and preserved specimens. Prerequisites: BIOL 211, BIOL 212 and BIOL 350, or instructor permission. Additional course fee is required.
A study of principles, structure, bonding, reactions, and energy as related to carbon chemistry. The laboratory stresses materials, equipment, and skills in synthesis, purification, and identification of representative groups of organic compounds. Three lectures and one three-hour laboratory per week. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisites: CHEM 331 Organic Chemistry I.
These courses offer a rotating list of advanced topics relevant to student interests for example: Environmental Chemistry & Nanotoxicology and Nutrition and Food Chemistry. Designed to help students in the Department of Biological and Molecular Science become acquainted with latest ideas on advanced topics in biochemistry. Emphasis on analysis of key concepts in the field with reference to classical papers and recent literature. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisites: CHEM 211 General Chemistry I, CHEM 212 General Chemistry II, and CHEM 331 Organic Chemistry I.
This course focuses on the intersection of energy and biochemical and biological systems from the molecule to the ensemble. An overview of kinetics, thermodynamics, and statistical mechanics is presented, with an emphasis on real-world biochemical and biological applications such as assembly of cell membranes, macromolecular structure and stability, ligand binding, and enzyme kinetics. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisites: CHEM 211 General Chemistry I, CHEM 212 General Chemistry II, and MATH 201 Calculus I.
Philosophy:The opportunity to pursue a chemistry thesis is an honor. Consequently, the thesis option will be noted on a student's transcript. The thesis is designed to enhance a student's preparation for graduate or professional school. The heart of the thesis is original research conducted under the guidance of a chemistry faculty member.
Eligibility:The thesis option may be pursued by any chemistry major in good academic standing. Students wishing to pursue a thesis must:
Consult with their research advisor about an acceptable research project.
In writing, notify the chemistry thesis committee (composed of the chemistry department faculty) of their intention to conduct research. The thesis committee must receive notification by the end of the fall semester of the student's junior year.
After the beginning of the spring semester of a student's junior year, students must petition the department thesis committee for permission to pursue thesis research. Students who pursue the thesis option must:
Enroll in at least 1 hour of Chemical Research (CHEM 465) each semester, beginning the spring semester of their junior year, through the spring semester of their senior year.
Submit the first copy of a written thesis to the thesis committee by April 1 of their senior year. The final, edited copy is due to the thesis committee the last day of classes during the spring semester.
Prepare a poster and give an oral presentation of their research.
In some cases, students may apply research conducted off campus to the CHEM 465 requirement. Students who participate in off-campus research programs may petition the thesis committee for special consideration of the thesis option. The thesis committee must receive the petition by the beginning of the fall semester of the student's senior year. The thesis committee may elect to substitute the off-campus experience for a portion of the CHEM 465 requirement.
Our spaces/Where Will I Learn?
Edwards-Holman Science Center
Our biochemistry laboratories, housed in the Edwards-Holman Science Center, are well-equipped for teaching and research with modern instrumentation, including a 400 MHz JEOL Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrophotometer, SEC Size Exclusion Chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography equipment, and much more. Get hands-on experience starting in your first semester!
Employment of biochemists and biophysicists is projected to % from 2024 to 2034, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, faster than the average for all occupations. The research biochemists conduct is used to develop biological products and processes that improve people’s lives. The majority typically work in laboratories and offices to conduct experiments and analyze the results.
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Meisi Settle, Class of 2026
As a biochemistry major, I believe the tight-knit community within the department has really helped me become who I am today. I have been able to make long-lasting friendships within my major, and connect deeply with the professors in the department. They truly invest in the Be Known promise--I bet the majority of the professors in the Biology and Biochemistry Department could name something personal about me, without my prompting. The professors also have pushed me academically, and have made me a good student.
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