Established in 1978, the chemical biology bachelor’s program was the first undergraduate program of its kind and Stevens remains one of the few universities in the country that offers this unique area of study. Chemical Biology is the application of chemistry to the understanding and utilization of biological phenomena. Chemical biology represents an approach to understanding biology through the underlying chemical interactions of biological macromolecules and provides students with the essential tools to reveal the logic of how biological systems operate as well as engineering changes in those systems.
The program is a complete education in chemistry with additional mathematics and physics training to ensure a solid foundation in quantitative physical sciences. It also includes a set of biology courses that introduce the key elements of cellular, molecular, and physiological biology. It can effectively launch students into careers in chemistry, biochemistry, biotechnology, forensic science or biology. With this degree program, students gain the training necessary for admission to professional schools in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or other health professions as well as graduate school.
Our chemical biology laboratories are equipped with sophisticated instrumentation that allow you to study biological phenomena under controlled conditions and explore the mechanisms governing growth, differentiation, behavior, evolution and aging.
Chemical Biology Curriculum
Term I
| CAL 103 | Writing and Communications Colloquium | 3 |
| CH 115 | General Chemistry I | 3 |
| CH 117 | General Chemistry Laboratory I | 1 |
| CH 179 | Career Pathways in Chemical and Biological Sciences | 1 |
| MA 121 | Differential Calculus | 2 |
| MA 122 | Integral Calculus | 2 |
| PEP 111 | Mechanics | 3 |
| | | |
| CS 105 | Introduction to Scientific Computing | 3 |
| | Or | |
| CS 115 | Introduction to Computer Science | 4 |
| | | |
Term II
| BIO 281 | Biology and Biotechnology | 3 |
| CAL 105 | CAL Colloquium: Knowledge, Nature, Culture | 3 |
| CH 116 | General Chemistry II | 3 |
| CH 118 | General Chemistry Laboratory II | 1 |
| CH 189 | Seminar in Chemistry and Biology | 1 |
| MA 125 | Vectors and Matrices | 2 |
| MA 126 | Multivariable Calculus I | 2 |
| PEP 112 | Electricity and Magnetism | 3 |
Term III
| BIO 381 | Cell and Molecular Biology | 4 |
| CH 243 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CH 245 | Organic Chemistry Lab I | 1 |
| HUM | Humanities | 3 |
| MA 221 | Differential Equations | 4 |
| PEP 221 | Physics Lab I for Scientists | 1 |
Term IV
| BIO 382 | Biological Systems | 4 |
| CH 244 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| CH 246 | Organic Chemistry Laboratory II | 1 |
| CH 301 | Professional Ethics in Chemical Research | 1 |
| CH 321 | Thermodynamics | 3 |
| PEP 222 | Physics Lab II for Scientists | 1 |
| HUM | Humanities | 3 |
Term V
| BIO 484 | Molecular Genetics | 4 |
| CH 362 | Instrumental Analysis I - Spectroscopy and Chromatography | 4 |
| CH 580 | Biochemistry I - Cellular Metabolism and Regulation | 3 |
| | | |
| BT 243 | Macroeconomics | 3 |
| | Or | |
| BT 244 | Microeconomics | 3 |
| | | |
| HUM | Humanities | 3 |
Term VI
| CH 398 | Research Proposals for Undergraduate Research | 1 |
| CH 461 | Instrumental Analysis II - Electrochemistry | 4 |
| CH 581 | Biochemistry II: Biomolecular Structure and Function | 3 |
| PEP 242 | Modern Physics | 3 |
| | | |
| MA 222 | Probability and Statistics | 3 |
| | Or | |
| ENGR 241 | Probability and Statistics with Data Science Applications | 4 |
| | | |
| HUM | Humanities | 3 |
Term VII
Term VIII
| | | |
| CH 497 | Chemistry Project II | 3 |
| | Or | |
| CH 499 | Chemical Research II | 3 |
| | | |
| CH 582 | Biophysical Chemistry | 3 |
| G.E. | General Elective | 3 |
| HUM | Humanities | 3 |
| | Technical Elective | 3 |
Note:
Inorganic Chemistry, CH 412, is required for ACS certification and only offered in Spring semester and if you are interested in this can be taken in term V or term VII. It can be taken to fulfill a general elective or technical elective in addition to the ACS certification
General Education Electives: Chosen by the student, can be any approved 3 or 4 credit course including ones needed towards a minor, major concentration; research course; independent study; language course or course taken during an international experience.
Technical elective: BIO 586, Immunology, is a suggested elective but electives can be selected from available CH and BIO 4XX and 5XX that are not part of your degree program (examples include CH 520 Advanced Physical Chemistry, BIO 568 Computational Biology, BIO 526 Cancer Biology). If you see a course in another department that you are interested in taking and is related to chemical biology, please contact your academic advisor.
Humanities requirements can be found in the College of Arts and Letters, Humanities Requirements.
Bioinformatics Concentration Curriculum
Bioinformatics Concentration
New and powerful techniques have been developed for determining the structures of biological molecules and manipulating biomolecular sequences which results in large amounts of data. Bioinformatics makes use of mathematical and computer science techniques to process this data so it can be used for further scientific advances. The Stevens Bioinformatics track is built on the foundations of chemical biology. Students elect CS115 as an introduction to computing in the freshman year in place of CS105. After the first two years in the Chemical Biology Program, the Bioinformatics student begins replacing certain electives with mathematics and computer science courses. The Stevens Bioinformatics track concentrates on giving students the ability to contribute to building the software and analytical infrastructure of the field.
Term V
| CH 580 | Biochemistry I - Cellular Metabolism and Regulation | 3 |
| CH 362 | Instrumental Analysis I - Spectroscopy and Chromatography | 4 |
| CS 135 | Discrete Structures | 4 |
| CS 284 | Data Structures | 4 |
| HUM | Humanities | 3 |
Term VI
| CH 398 | Research Proposals for Undergraduate Research | 1 |
| CH 461 | Instrumental Analysis II - Electrochemistry | 4 |
| CH 581 | Biochemistry II: Biomolecular Structure and Function | 3 |
| | | |
| MA 222 | Probability and Statistics | 3 |
| | Or | |
| ENGR 241 | Probability and Statistics with Data Science Applications | 4 |
| | | |
| PEP 242 | Modern Physics | 3 |
| HUM | Humanities | 3 |
Term VII
Term VIII
| BIO 368 | Fundamentals of Computational Biology | 3 |
| BIO 486 | Fundamental Immunology | 3 |
| CH 497 | Chemistry Project II | 3 |
| CH 582 | Biophysical Chemistry | 3 |
| CS 442 | Database Management Systems | 3 |
| HUM | Humanities | 3 |
Note:
The Bioinformatics Concentration requires CS 115 in place of CS 105.
For CS 284: CS 115 must have been chosen in Freshman year.
CH 497: Project/Research can either be a project (CH 496/497) or thesis (CH 498/499) and can be done either in the junior/senior or senior year.
CH 421, Chemical Dynamics, can be taken in term V instead of term VII.
General Education Electives: Chosen by the student, can be any approved 3 or 4 credit course including ones needed towards a minor, major concentration; research course; independent study; language course or course taken during an international experience.
Technical elective: can be selected from available CH and BIO 4XX and 5XX that are not part of your degree program (examples include CH520 Advanced Physical Chemistry, CH 550 Spectra and Structure, BIO 568 Computational Biology, BIO 526 Cancer Biology, BIO 584 Pathophysiology). If you see a course in another department that you are interested in taking and is related to biology, please contact your academic advisor.
Humanities requirements can be found in the College of Arts and Letters, Humanities Requirements.
Bioanalytical Chemistry Concentration Curriculum
Bioanalytical Chemistry Concentration
Biological systems are characterized by presence of large, complex biological molecules arrayed as collections of genes, transcripts, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and associated metabolites. Whereas a comprehensive chemical definition of biological systems was once beyond the realm of possibility, we can now envision the treatment of biological cells, tissues, and even complete organisms in terms of their chemical composition and interactions. Bioanalytical chemistry comprises the techniques and instrumentation necessary to separate and analyze the chemical composition of biological systems. Bioanalytical chemists have already made tremendous contributions in the areas of genomics, gene expression analysis, and disease gene/protein identification, as well as drug discovery and forensic science. In addition to further contributions in these fields, bioanalytical chemists will be increasingly needed to improve the practice of medicine through chemically- defined diseases states, and to protect our general public through surveillance for illicit drugs, explosives, and pathogens. The track in bioanalytical chemistry is built on the foundations of chemical biology. After the first two years in the regular chemical biology program, the bioanalytical chemistry student begins concentrating on analytical techniques relevant to biological macromolecules such as mass spectrometry, magnetic resonance imaging, flow cytometry, and genome and transcriptome array analysis.
Term V
| BIO 484 | Molecular Genetics | 4 |
| | | |
| BT 243 | Macroeconomics | 3 |
| | Or | |
| BT 244 | Microeconomics | 3 |
| | | |
| CH 362 | Instrumental Analysis I - Spectroscopy and Chromatography | 4 |
| CH 580 | Biochemistry I - Cellular Metabolism and Regulation | 3 |
| HUM | Humanities | 3 |
Term VI
| CH 461 | Instrumental Analysis II - Electrochemistry | 4 |
| CH 581 | Biochemistry II: Biomolecular Structure and Function | 3 |
| CH 398 | Research Proposals for Undergraduate Research | 1 |
| | | |
| MA 222 | Probability and Statistics | 3 |
| | Or | |
| ENGR 241 | Probability and Statistics with Data Science Applications | 4 |
| | | |
| PEP 242 | Modern Physics | 3 |
| HUM | Humanities | 3 |
Term VII
| CH 662 | Separation Methods in Analytical and Organic Chemistry | 3 |
| CH 666 | Modern Mass Spectrometry | 3 |
| | | |
| CH 496 | Chemistry Project I | 3 |
| | Or | |
| CH 498 | Chemical Research I | 3 |
| | | |
| BT 244 | Microeconomics | 3 |
| | Or | |
| BT 243 | Macroeconomics | 3 |
| | | |
| HUM | Humanities | 3 |
Term VIII
| HUM | Humanities | 3 |
| CH 660 | Advanced Instrumental Analysis | 3 |
| CH 412 | Inorganic Chemistry I | 4 |
| CH 582 | Biophysical Chemistry | 3 |
| | | |
| CH 497 | Chemistry Project II | 3 |
| | Or | |
| CH 499 | Chemical Research II | 3 |
Note:
CH 662, CH 666, and CH 660: Requires advisor’ approval.
CH 496 and CH 497: Project/Research can be either a project (CH 496/497) or thesis (CH 498/499) and can be done either in the junior/senior year or senior year.
MA 222: E243 Engineering Statistics may be substituted.
General Education Electives: Chosen by the student, can be any approved 3 or 4 credit course including ones needed towards a minor, major concentration; research course; independent study; language course or course taken during an international experience.
Technical elective: can be selected from available CH and BIO 4XX and 5XX that are not part of your degree program (examples include CH520 Advanced Physical Chemistry, CH 550 Spectra and Structure, BIO 568 Computational Biology, BIO 526 Cancer Biology, BIO 584 Pathophysiology). If you see a course in another department that you are interested in taking and is related to biology, please contact your academic advisor.
Humanities requirements can be found in the College of Arts and Letters, Humanities Requirements.