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TRACKS
Pre-Dental
Pre-Medicine
Pre-Optometry
Pre-Pharmacy
Biochemistry (B.S.)
Biochemistry is the study of the chemical processes that take place in living things. Inside a living cell, an astounding number of very carefully-regulated chemical reactions are occurring all the time. Biochemists are the individuals who work to bridge the gap between chemistry and biology.
The Biochemistry degree is a common degree obtained by those interested in pre-health professions, especially those studying pre-dental, pre-med, pre-pharmacy and pre-physician assistant programs. It builds on the strong interdisciplinary approach in educating students, a distinctive feature of the Natural & Health Sciences Department at the University of St. Francis. Biochemists plan and conduct complex projects in basic and applied research; they manage laboratory teams and monitor the quality of their work; they research the effects of substances such as drugs, hormones, and nutrients on tissues and biological processes; they prepare technical reports, research papers, and recommendations based on their research findings and they present those findings to scientists, engineers, and other colleagues.
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What attracted me to biochemistry was its diversity. With this degree, I can pursue a clinical career as a physician or pharmacist, or I can pursue an academic career as a professor or researcher. I have enough foundational knowledge in both biology and chemistry that I can work with animals, plants, raw elements and compounds with equal degrees of confidence. This helps me to see a bigger picture that makes learning more enjoyable but also makes me more marketable in future endeavors.
— Ellie Savant
WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH THIS DEGREE?
The job market for biochemists and relatedprofessionals— including those in the health professions—is strong. Biochemists have a wide variety of employment options both with a bachelor’s degree and with further study. With a bachelor’s degree, a biochemistry major can work as a lab technician, research scientist, or on the business side of the chemical or pharmaceutical industry. Employment of biochemists and biophysicists is projected to increase 15 percent between 2021 and 2031. Biochemists and biophysicists are expected to be needed to do basic research that increases scientific knowledge and to research and develop biological products and processes that help to improve people’s lives.
GROW THROUGH REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE
From dissecting human cadavers, to assisting faculty with compelling research projects, to doing internships at nationally-acclaimed research facilities such as Argonne National Laboratory, Shedd Aquarium and Morton Arboretum—USF prepares students for competitive careers in science. USF’s Science Fellows Program represents another way to get involved in science, and of course, you’ll get the feel of a research laboratory by using the lab equipment in the LaVerne & Dorothy Brown Science Hall. Outfitted with modern resources, students are encouraged to use them to collect, analyze and synthesize data, design and conduct experiments and discover how living things work and interact.
ACCREDITATIONS
The University of St. Francis is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, and is authorized to operate as a post-secondary institution by the Illinois Board of Higher Education (ibhe.org).
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