Biochemistry
Ph.D.
A minimum of 78 semester hours is required for the Ph.D. No fewer than 36 semester hours must consist of course work and laboratory work, including six semester hours of BMS 5100 Biomedical Seminar. The remaining 42 semester hours normally will come from the dissertation and its associated research, but a portion may be devoted to additional course and laboratory work at the discretion of the student's advisory/dissertation committee.Of the required 36 semester hours of course and laboratory work, 14 semester hours are to come from the following courses:
| 6 semester hours | BMS 5100 | Biomedical Seminar |
| 3 semester hours | CHE 4341 | General Biochemistry |
| 3 semester hours | CHE 4342 | Topics of Human Biochemistry |
| 2 semester hours | CHE 4248 | General Biochemistry Laboratory |
| 9 semester hours from any of the following: | ||
| CHE 5346 | Biotechnology | |
| CHE 5347 | Physical Biochemistry | |
| CHE 5348 | Enzymology | |
| 3 semester hours | BMS 5343 | Studies in Intermediary Metabolism or |
| 3 semester hours | BMS 5344 | Clinical Chemistry |
The remaining 13 semester hours of required course and laboratory work may be in formal course work or laboratory research according to the determination of the student's advisory committee. The director of the institute will advise the student during the first semester after matriculation. Students who have had biochemistry may test out of CHE 4341, 4342 and/or 4248 with an appropriate score on the ACS standardized examination, the GRE Subject Test in biochemistry and/or a Baylor-generated examination. In such instances the student may substitute advanced biochemistry related elective(s) for the required course(s).
BMS 5100 Biomedical Seminar is required every semester. The course content changes from year to year, and only six semester hours are to count toward the Ph.D. degree.
The Ph.D. preliminary examination normally will be given at the end of the second year and will consist of a written and oral component. This examination will cover the basic literature in biochemistry and related topics and will cover enzymology, protein chemistry, nucleic acid and recombinant DNA technology, metabolism, clinical aspects of biochemistry, biochemical methodology, and lipid carbohydrate chemistry.
Because of the degree of flexibility under the proposed curriculum for the biochemistry option, representative curricula are provided on the next page. These sample curricula are not necessarily what the student's advisory committee will require, but represent possibilities as to what might a typical student might take.
| Biochemistry Track (Example I) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 semester hour | BIO 4100 | Genetics Seminar |
| 4 semester hours | BIO 5412 | Biometrics |
| 6 semester hours | BMS 5100 | Biomedical Seminar |
| 3 semester hours | BMS 5304 | Biochemical and Molecular Genetics |
| 3 semester hours | BMS 5308 | Biotechnology and Cell Biomedicine |
| 3 semester hours | BMS 5310 | Molecular Biology of the Cell |
| 2 semester hours | CHE 4248 | General Biochemistry Laboratory |
| 3 semester hours | CHE 4341 | General Biochemistry |
| 3 semester hours | CHE 4342 | Topics of Human Biochemistry |
| 3 semester hours | CHE 5346 | Enzymology |
| 22 semester hours | 5000-level work | |
| 9 semester hours | 4000-level work | |
| Biochemistry Track (Example II) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 semester hour | BIO 4107 | Laboratory Studies in Cell Physiology |
| 4 semester hours | BIO 4402 | Electron Microscopy |
| 4 semester hours | BIO 5412 | Biometrics |
| 6 semester hours | BMS 5100 | Biomedical Seminar |
| 3 semester hours | BMS 5306 | Structure and Function of Muscle |
| 2 semester hours | CHE 4248 | General Biochemistry Laboratory |
| 3 semester hours | CHE 4341 | General Biochemistry |
| 3 semester hours | CHE 4342 | Topics of Human Biochemistry |
| 3 semester hours | CHE 5346 | Biotechnology |
| 3 semester hours | CHE 5348 | Enzymology |
| 19 semester hours | 5000-level work | |
| 13 semester hours | 4000-level work | |
| Biochemistry Track (Example III) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 semester hour | BIO 4100 | Genetics Seminar |
| 1 semester hour | BIO 4107 | Laboratory Studies in Cell Physiology |
| 3 semester hours | BIO 4330 | Behavioral Genetics |
| 4 semester hours | BIO 4401 | General Bacteriology |
| 3 semester hours | BIO 5302 | Virology |
| 4 semester hours | BIO 5412 | Biometrics |
| 6 semester hours | BMS 5100 | Biomedical Seminar |
| 3 semester hours | BMS 5304 | Biochemical and Molecular Genetics |
| 2 semester hours | CHE 4248 | General Biochemistry Laboratory |
| 3 semester hours | CHE 4341 | General Biochemistry |
| 3 semester hours | CHE 4342 | Topics of Human Biochemistry |
| 3 semester hours | Elective | |
| 16 semester hours | 5000-level work | |
| 17 semester hours | 4000-level work | |
| 3 semester hours | Elective | |
