Accelerated B.S./ M.S. Biochemistry Program

Application Process

Before applying for the accelerated B.S./M.S. program, students should talk with the Biochemistry Graduate Program Director, Dr. Timothy Durrett. Applicants should be conducting research in a lab on campus with a research mentor who is willing to supervise their M.S. degree program.

Students should apply via Slate after they have completed their second year and before they have taken BIOCH 755, 765, and 775. There is no application deadline for this program. The application must include three letters of recommendation, including one from their undergraduate research mentor. Minimum standards for admission and retention in the program are a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and a GPA of 3.0 in required math and science courses.

Degree requirements

Departmental course requirements

The total number of hours required for graduation is approximately 150 credit hours. The following course requirements are for the B.S. Biochemistry track; the B.S. Medical Biochemistry and B.S. Biochemistry and Molecular Biophyiscs tracks have slightly different requirements. Talk with our biochemistry advisor, Devon Hoffman-Colburn, about B.S. degree tracks, the possibility of taking higher level options for introductory chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics, and for information about electives, outside concentrations, overlays, minors, and College of Arts & Sciences and K-State Core requirements.

Biochemistry courses

BIOCH 110 - Biochemistry & Society (3 credit)
BIOCH 521 - General Biochemistry (3 credits)
BIOCH 522 - General Biochemistry Lab (3 credits)
*BIOCH 755 - Biochemistry 1 (3 credits)
*BIOCH 765 - Biochemistry 2 (3 credits)
*BIOCH 775 - Molecular Biophysics (3 credits)
*Need to be taken as graduate level courses (9 credits)

Chemistry courses

CHM 210 - Chemistry 1 (4 credits)
CHM 230 - Chemistry 2 (4 credits)
CHM 350 - General Organic Chemistry (3 credits)
CHM 351 - General Organic Chemistry Laboratory (2 credits)
CHM 371 - Chemical Analysis (4 credits)
CHM 500 - General Physical Chemistry (3 credits)

Biology Courses

BIOL 198 - Principles of Biology (4 credits)
BIOL 255 - General Microbiology (4 credits)
BIOL 398 - Principles of Genetics (4 credits)
BIOL 541 - Cell Biology (3 credits)

Physics courses

PHYS 113 - General Physics 1 (4 credits)
PHYS 114 - General Physics 2 (4 credits)

Mathematics courses

MATH 220 - Analytic Geometry and Calculus 1 (4 credits)
MATH 221 - Analytic Geometry and Calculus 2 (4 credits)

Statistics Course

STAT 200 level or higher (3 credits)

Graduate level courses

Bioch 806 - Biochemistry Seminar (1 credit)
Upper level Biochemistry, Biology or other appropriate electives as approved by the student’s M.S. supervisory committee (12-14 credits)
Bioch 899 - Research in Biochemistry 1 (6 - 8 credits)

Research requirement

Must do research leading to a satisfactory M.S. thesis

Thesis requirement

Must write and defend a Master's thesis