B.S. in Biophysical Chemistry
Harrisonburg, USA
DURATION
4 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline *
EARLIEST START DATE
Request earliest startdate
TUITION FEES
USD 6,434 / per semester **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* regular admission | November 1st, 2022: early admission
** in-state tuition fee | $15,076: out-of-state tuition fee. Additional fees may apply
Introduction
Biophysical chemistry uses physical science to understand complex biological systems.
Our biophysical chemistry major is extremely multidisciplinary and designed for intensive hands-on learning. Students in this major will develop a solid foundation in chemistry and physics in order to explore the inner workings of biological systems. Our faculty is dedicated to engaging students outside the classroom in mentored research projects, and students are trained in the use of equipment and instrumentation found in top research laboratories.
This rigorous major allows the exceptional student to focus on a solid foundation in chemistry with a study of biological systems, emphasizing hands-on learning, and leading to a career in biochemistry, chemistry, medicine, and interfaces with other areas such as materials science and engineering. Students take foundational lecture and laboratory courses in all sub-disciplines of chemistry: analytical, biochemistry, inorganic, organic, and physical: as well as biology, calculus and physics. The department also offers a major in chemistry and minors in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Materials Science.
Gallery
Admissions
Curriculum
Required Courses
- General Education 41 Credit Hours 1
- Quantitative requirement (in addition to General Education) 3 Credit Hours 2
- Scientific Literacy requirement (in addition to General Education) 3-4 Credit Hours 2
- Major requirements and electives 85-87 Credit Hours
Footnotes
1 The General Education program contains a set of requirements each student must fulfill. The number of credit hours necessary to fulfill these requirements may vary. Some courses that are required for this major will meet General Education requirements.
2 The quantitative and scientific literacy requirements for this degree are met by courses required for the major. As a result, the total credit hours earned for the degree will be 131.
Major Requirements
- CHEM 131. General Chemistry I [C3PP] Credits: 3.00
- CHEM 132. General Chemistry II Credits: 3.00
- CHEM 135L. Special General Chemistry Laboratory I Credits: 1.00 1
- CHEM 136L. Special General Chemistry Laboratory II Credits: 2.00 1
- CHEM 270. Inorganic Chemistry I Credits: 3.00
- CHEM 241. Organic Chemistry I Credits: 3.00
- CHEM 242. Organic Chemistry II Credits: 3.00
- CHEM 287L. Integrated Inorganic/Organic Laboratory I Credits: 2.00 2
- CHEM 288L. Integrated Inorganic/Organic Laboratory II Credits: 2.00 2
- CHEM 351. Analytical Chemistry Credits: 4.00
- CHEM 361. Biochemistry I Credits: 3.00
- CHEM 363. Biophysical Chemistry Credits: 3.00 (Literature & Seminar included)
- CHEM 367L. Biochemistry Laboratory Credits: 2.00 (fall)
- CHEM 368L. Biophysical Chemistry Laboratory Credits: 2.00 (spring)
- CHEM 331. Physical Chemistry I Credits: 3.00
- CHEM 432. Physical Chemistry II Credits: 3.00
- CHEM 336L. Applied Physical Chemistry Laboratory Credits: 2.00
- BIO 140. Foundations of Biology I [C3NS] Credits: 3.00 and
- BIO 140L. Foundations of Biology I Laboratory [C3L] Credits: 1.00
- BIO 240. Genetics Credits: 3.00 and
- BIO 240L. Genetics Laboratory Credits: 1.00
- BIO 480. Advanced Molecular Biology Credits: 3.00
Physics and Mathematics Background Courses: 24 Credit Hours
- MATH 235. Calculus I [C3QR] Credits: 4.00
- MATH 236. Calculus II Credits: 4.00
- MATH 237. Calculus III Credits: 4.00
or - MATH 231. Calculus
with Functions I [C3QR] Credits: 3.00 - MATH 232. Calculus with Functions II Credits: 3.00
- MATH 236. Calculus II 4.00
- MATH 237. Calculus III 4.00
- MATH 238. Linear Algebra with Differential Equations Credits: 4.00
- PHYS 240. University Physics I [C3PP] Credits: 3.00
- PHYS 250. University Physics II Credits: 3.00
- PHYS 240L. University Physics Laboratory I [C3L] Credits: 1.00
- PHYS 250L. University Physics Laboratory II Credits: 1.00
Choose at least two of the following electives: 6-8 Credit Hours
- CHEM 375. An Introduction to Materials Science Credits: 3.00
or - PHYS 375. An Introduction to Materials Science Credits: 3.00
or - MATS 375. An Introduction to Materials Science Credits: 3.00
- CHEM 362. Biochemistry II Credits: 3.00
- CHEM 440. Intermediate Organic Chemistry Credits: 3.00
- CHEM 445. Polymer Chemistry Credits: 3.00
- CHEM 470. Inorganic Chemistry II Credits: 3.00
- BIO 324. Human Genetics Credits: 3.00
- BIO 445. Neurobiology Credits: 4.00
- BIO 475. Advanced Cell Biology Credits: 3.00
- PHYS 260. University Physics III Credits: 3.00
- PHYS 270. Modern Physics Credits: 3.00 and
- PHYS 270L. Modern Physics Laboratory Credits: 1.00
- PHYS 326. Biophysics Credits: 3.00
- PHYS 381. Materials Characterization (Lecture/Lab) Credits: 3.00
- BIO 342. Mathematical Models in Biology Credits: 3.00
or - MATH 342. Mathematical Models in Biology Credits: 3.00
- CHEM 390A. Problems in Chemistry Credits: 1.00-3.00
- CHEM 390B. Problems in Chemistry Credits: 1.00 - 3.00
or - CHEM 497A. Undergraduate Chemical Research Credits: 1.00
or - CHEM 499A. Honors Credits: 1.00
- BIO 494. Internship in Biology Credits: 1.00 - 2.00
or - BIO 497. Biological Research Credits: 1.00
- PHYS 398. Independent Study in Physics or Astronomy Credits: 1.00 - 3.00
or - PHYS 498R. Undergraduate Research in Physics or Astronomy Credits: 1.00 - 4.00
or - PHYS 499. Honors Credits: 1.00 - 3.00
- MATH 497. Undergraduate Research Credits: 1.00 - 4.00
or - MATH 498. Independent Study
or - MATH 499A/MATH 499B/MATH 499C
- ANY 300-400 level CHEM, PHYS or MATH course pre-approved by adviser
Footnotes
1 CHEM 131L-CHEM 132L may be substituted.
2 CHEM 242L may be substituted.
Recommended Schedule for Majors
First Year
- CHEM 131. General Chemistry I [C3PP] Credits: 3.00
- CHEM 132. General Chemistry II Credits: 3.00
- CHEM 135L. Special General Chemistry Laboratory I Credits: 1.00
- CHEM 136L. Special General Chemistry Laboratory II Credits: 2.00
or - CHEM 131L. General Chemistry Laboratory [C3L] Credits: 1.00
- CHEM 132L. General Chemistry Laboratory Credits: 1.00
- BIO 140. Foundations of Biology I [C3NS] Credits: 3.00 and
- BIO 140L. Foundations of Biology I Laboratory [C3L] Credits: 1.00
- MATH 235. Calculus I [C3QR] Credits: 4.00
- MATH 236. Calculus II Credits: 4.00
- General Education courses or electives 10 Credit Hours
Second Year
- CHEM 241. Organic Chemistry I Credits: 3.00
- CHEM 242. Organic Chemistry II Credits: 3.00
- CHEM 270. Inorganic Chemistry I Credits: 3.00
- CHEM 287L. Integrated Inorganic/Organic Laboratory I Credits: 2.00
- CHEM 288L. Integrated Inorganic/Organic Laboratory II Credits: 2.00
- BIO 240. Genetics Credits: 3.00 and
- BIO 240L. Genetics Laboratory Credits: 1.00
- MATH 237. Calculus III Credits: 4.00
- PHYS 240. University Physics I [C3PP] Credits: 3.00
- PHYS 250. University Physics II Credits: 3.00
- PHYS 240L. University Physics Laboratory I [C3L] Credits: 1.00
- PHYS 250L. University Physics Laboratory II Credits: 1.00
- General Education courses or electives 3 Credit Hours
Third Year
- CHEM 331. Physical Chemistry I Credits: 3.00
- CHEM 336L. Applied Physical Chemistry Laboratory Credits: 2.00
- CHEM 351. Analytical Chemistry Credits: 4.00
- CHEM 361. Biochemistry I Credits: 3.00
- MATH 238. Linear Algebra with Differential Equations Credits: 4.00
- General Education courses or electives 14 Credit Hours
Fourth Year
- CHEM 363. Biophysical Chemistry Credits: 3.00
- CHEM 367L. Biochemistry Laboratory Credits: 2.00
- CHEM 368L. Biophysical Chemistry Laboratory Credits: 2.00
- CHEM 432. Physical Chemistry II Credits: 3.00
- BIO 480. Advanced Molecular Biology Credits: 3.00
- General Education courses or electives 12 Credit Hours
Career Opportunities
A successful career and a meaningful life is what it’s all about. Whether it’s an internship, a great first job or a top graduate school appointment, JMU Dukes make their dreams ignite. You will, too.
Here are current openings available to JMU students.
Jobs for JMU Students
Laboratory
- Postdoctoral Appointee - Computer Science Research Institute at Sandia National Laboratories
- Research Associate I – Tissue Processing at Allen Institute
- 2023 Buck Institute Gap-Year Research Program at The Buck Institute for Research on Aging
- Sample Prep Technician at Eurofins
- Organic Prep Analyst 1 - Environment Testing at Eurofins
- Sample Registration Technician at Eurofins
- Laser/Optical Technologist at Sandia National Laboratories
- Assistant Supervisor, LAR at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
- Entry Level Sales Executive (Virginia Beach, VA) 3585 at Genesis Biotechnology Group
- Medical Laboratory Scientist (Recent Graduates) at Natera
- Postdoctoral Scholar at University of California San Francisco
- Communications Specialist at Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU)
- Scientist, Analytical Chemistry at Eurofins
- Laboratory Technician - St. Louis, MO at Eurofins
- Laboratory Analyst at Eurofins
- Microbiologist/Environmental Engineer/Chemist-ORD at U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Study Technician- Animal Operations at Labcorp
- SRNL R&D Sr. Engineer, Tritium Technologies at Savannah River National Laboratory
- SRNL Sr. Polymer Engineer, Tritium Technologies at Savannah River National Laboratory
Pharmaceutical
- Market Research Analyst - Healthcare & Life Science - Remote Opportunity at Proactive Worldwide
- Associate Neuroscience Specialty Representative (Queens, NY) at Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc.
- Neuroscience Specialty Representative (Queens, NY) at Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc.
- Manufacturing Engineer at Fresenius Kabi
- Mechanical Engineer (Entry Level) at L&T Technology Services
- Clinical Trial Coordinator at Merck & Co., Inc.
- Organic Prep Analyst 1 - Environment Testing at Eurofins
- Sample Registration Technician at Eurofins
- Automation Engineering, Future Leaders Program, US, 2023 at GSK
- Associate Scientist / Scientist - Mammalian Expression at PPD, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific
- Scientist- Cell Line Development and Engineering at AstraZeneca
- 336852 Senior Scientist, Cell Biologist at GSK
- Validation Engineer at Fresenius Kabi
- Manufacturing Engineer - Packaging at Fresenius Kabi
- Associate Scientist at Fresenius Kabi
- Scientist, Analytical Chemistry at Eurofins
- Study Technician- Animal Operations at Labcorp
- Associate Neuroscience Specialty Representative (Flint, MI) at Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc.
- Neuroscience Specialty Representative (Flint, MI) at Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Research
- Research Assistant (MARAD) at Jefferson Consulting Group
- Postdoctoral Appointee - Computer Science Research Institute at Sandia National Laboratories
- Research Analyst at FRANdata
- Director of Research and Development at Ortho Molecular Products
- Market Research Analyst - Healthcare & Life Science - Remote Opportunity at Proactive Worldwide
- Research Associate I – Tissue Processing at Allen Institute
- 2023 Buck Institute Gap-Year Research Program at The Buck Institute for Research on Aging
- Research Tech II - Center for Craniofacial Innovation- Liao Lab at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
- Research Tech IV - Pediatric Acute Myeloid Leukemia-Richard Aplenc Lab at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
- Research Data Web Developer at Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU)
- Research Associate – Emerging Contaminants at Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU)
- Research Associate at Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
- Research Scientist - Peptide Chemist at SRI International
- Analyst at Aurora Energy Research
- Interview Session: Research Technicians-Wednesday, October 5th-12:30 pm-3 pm (EST) Please join us for a virtual recruitment event for Research Techs on October 5th at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
- Research Analyst at University of California San Francisco
- PHLEBOTOMIST/ LAB ASSISTANT- Mattox Lab at Scripps Research
- Research Assitant at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
- PhD Research Scientist, Deep Learning Perception at TuSimple
Internships for JMU Students
Laboratory
- Materials Engineering Intern at Trane Technologies
- Student Trainee (Biological Sciences & Natural Resources) (CEI) (Bismarck, ND) at Army Civilian Careers
- Student Trainee (Biological Sciences & Natural Resources) (CEI) (Chicago, IL) at Army Civilian Careers
- Software Engineering Coop (Spring 2023) at Carrier
- USDA-ARS Biological Sciences Research Internship at Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
- USDA-ARS Research Fellowship in Microbiology and Pathobiology at Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
- Study Technician- Animal Operations Summer Internship at Labcorp
- Clinical Vet Tech Intern at Labcorp
- 2023 Buck Institute Summer Internship at The Buck Institute for Research on Aging
- Technical Intern - Systems Integration & Test at Ball Aerospace
- Technical Intern - Data Scientist at Ball Aerospace
- Technical Intern - Thermal Engineer at Ball Aerospace
- Technical Intern - Optical Engineer at Ball Aerospace
- R9528 Graduate (Year-Round) Internship - Electrochemical Devices (Electrolysis, Fuel Cell, CO2 or N2 Reduction), Electrochemistry, or Mass Spectrometry at National Renewable Energy Laboratory
- Building Performance Intern at Affiliated Engineers, Inc.
- University of Washington Neurological Surgery Summer Student Program (NSSSP) at University of Washington Neurological Surgery Summer Student Program
- Technical Research and Development Summer Intern 2023 (Paid) at BNSF Railway
- CDC Clinical Chemistry Internship at Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
- Clinical Vet Tech Intern at Labcorp
Pharmaceutical
- 2023 Summer STEM Internships at Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research at Novartis
- ALLEX Program Participant - Large Industries, Plant Engineer Base Operations Track Chemical, Electrical, or Mechanical Engineering Majors at Air Liquide
- ALLEX Program Participant - Large Industries, Pipeline Base Operations Track Civil or Mechanical Engineering Majors at Air Liquide
- ALLEX Program Participant - Large Industries, Smart Innovative Operations Base Operations Track Mechanical or Data Analytics Engineering Majors at Air Liquide
- ALLEX Program Participant - Large Industries, Base Operations Track Electrical Engineering Major at Air Liquide
- Accounting Intern at iA
- Electrical Engineering Intern at iA
- Study Technician- Animal Operations Summer Internship at Labcorp
- Clinical Vet Tech Intern at Labcorp
- Health Scientist Summer Intern at Cardno
- Clinical Vet Tech Intern at Labcorp
- Surgery Team - Animal Operations Intern at Labcorp
- Study Technician - Anatomical Pathology Summer Intern at Labcorp
- Immunology & Immunotoxicology Summer Intern - Internship at Labcorp
- Immunology & Immunotoxicology Intern - Internship at Labcorp
- Clinical Pathology Intern at Labcorp
- Preclinical Oncology Intern at Labcorp
- Elanco Summer Intern- Manufacturing Scientist at Elanco Animal Health
- Elanco Summer Intern- Manufacturing Engineer at Elanco Animal Health
Research
- MRCTV Paid Internship - Spring 2023 at Media Research Center
- 2023 Summer STEM Internships at Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research at Novartis
- MRC Free Speech America Paid Internship - Spring 2023 at Media Research Center
- MRC Culture Paid Internship - Spring 2023 at Media Research Center
- MRC NewsBusters Paid Internship - Spring 2023 at Media Research Center
- CNSNews Paid Internship - Spring 2023 at Media Research Center
- International Research Analyst at Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)
- Research Analyst at Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)
- USDA-ARS Biological Sciences Research Internship at Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
- USDA-ARS Research Fellowship in Microbiology and Pathobiology at Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
- UX Designer / UX Researcher Intern - Summer 2023 Internship (Meraki) at Cisco
- Analyst Summer Intern at Rystad Energy
- 2023 Buck Institute Summer Internship at The Buck Institute for Research on Aging
- User Experience Intern at Santander Bank, N.A.
- Research & Development Intern (Summer 2023) at Schreiber Foods
- Friends of Puerto Rico Volunteer Manager at AmeriCorps
- Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of Cryogenic Propellant Transfer at NASA Glenn Research Center Office of STEM Engagement
- Superconducting Coil Testing and Modeling for Future Electric Aircraft at NASA Glenn Research Center Office of STEM Engagement
- Engineering Assistant for Power and Propulsion Element Avionics at NASA Glenn Research Center Office of STEM Engagement
Scholarships and Funding
Madison awards more than 400 one- to four-year scholarships each year to incoming students. The primary criterion for merit-based scholarships is exceptional academic performance. Other selection criteria may include leadership, involvement, and career goals.
The Madison Scholarships Hub is the application center for all JMU Foundation scholarships at James Madison University. To access the Madison Scholarships Hub, log in to MyMadison. Under the Applicant tab, click on the Madison Scholarships Hub logo.
All students are encouraged to fill out the General Application in the Madison Scholarships Hub to be considered for various scholarship opportunities. Qualifications for the majority of our scholarships are based on the General Application information as well as information pulled directly from your admissions application.
Review the criteria carefully for any recommended scholarship opportunities you are presented with and if you meet the qualifications, click apply to submit the additional required information. Deadlines vary across departments so be sure to complete the General Application as soon as possible to receive full consideration. Some scholarship opportunities become available starting in the fall while others open later so be sure to check back in January, February and March.
English Language Requirements
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