{"id":174,"date":"2019-05-13T14:13:52","date_gmt":"2019-05-13T18:13:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/?page_id=174"},"modified":"2025-05-21T14:57:02","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T18:57:02","slug":"fall-registration-guide-biochemistry-molecular-biology","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/fall-registration-guide-biochemistry-molecular-biology\/","title":{"rendered":"Registration Guide: Biochemistry &#038; Molecular Biology"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Students majoring in BMB will ordinarily, through coursework in the major, satisfy BU Hub requirements in Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning, as well as some of the requirements in the Intellectual Toolkit. In addition, the Historical Consciousness Hub requirement is earned through the required CAS BI 216\/206 course if taken at BU<\/span>. Remaining BU Hub requirements will be satisfied by selecting from a wide range of available courses outside the major or, in some cases, cocurricular experiences<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>A typical first semester Biochemistry &amp; Molecular Biology schedule looks like:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Chemistry course<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Mathematics course <\/strong><em>or<\/em><strong> Biology course<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Language course<\/strong> <em>or<\/em>\u00a0<strong>Course of interest<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Writing course<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><em>Optional add-on:<\/em><span>\u00a0<strong>First-Year Seminar<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Please see below for more detailed suggestions on each course:<\/strong><o:p><\/o:p><\/p>\n<p><strong><div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h5 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Course #1: Chemistry Course<\/h5><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"> <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Chemistry course: <\/strong>Most BMB majors take <strong>CAS CH 109 <\/strong>General and Quantitative Analytical Chemistry (offered fall only), however, it is appropriate to take <strong>CAS CH 101<\/strong> General Chemistry instead, if you have not had the proper high school preparation or if you are starting in the spring semester. Please review further information below before registering for a chemistry course:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>CAS CH 109 General and Quantitative Analytical Chemistry 1<\/strong> (offered fall semester)\n<ul>\n<li>Students in CAS CH 109 are expected to have taken <strong>at least<\/strong> one full year of high school chemistry. CAS CH 109 starts where high school chemistry leaves off, so students will be expected to recall their high school material. Many students registering for CAS CH 109 have taken more than one year of chemistry in high school. Additionally, students in CAS CH 109 are expected to have strong math and algebra skills.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em><strong>-OR-<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>CAS CH 101 General Chemistry 1<\/strong> (offered either semester) <em>or <\/em><strong>CH 102 General Chemistry 2<\/strong><span>\u00a0(prerequisite CAS CH 101, offered either semester)<\/span><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>These courses assume little prior knowledge of chemistry, so they are appropriate for someone who has not taken chemistry in high school or who is not confident in their recall of the material. Students in CH 101 are expected to have a firm grasp of algebra and general physical science concepts from high school.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Important note: <\/strong>BMB majors who complete the CH 101\/102 sequence are also required to complete CAS CH 201 Quantitative Analytical Chemistry Laboratory.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>You may view the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/chemistry\/undergrad\/general-chemistry\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chemistry Department\u2019s General Chemistry Advising page<\/a> for more information about chemistry levels and recommendations.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Please note: if you are <strong>entering in the spring semester<\/strong>, you won\u2019t be able to take CAS CH 109 General and Quantitative Analytical Chemistry (fall only), which means you also won&#8217;t be able to take CAS CH 110 General and Quantitative Analytical Chemistry 2 (since CH 109 is the pre-requisite course). We recommend you take CAS CH 101 General Chemistry 1 (or CAS CH 102 General Chemistry 2 if you have CAS CH 101 course equivalency through advanced credit).<\/em><em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h5 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Course #2: Mathematics <em>or<\/em> Biology Course<\/h5><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Mathematics course: <\/strong>The BMB major requires two mathematics or computer science courses (one of which\u00a0must be calculus or statistics), so if you&#8217;re starting in the fall semester, we recommend your second course be one of the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Calculus 1: <strong>CAS MA 121<\/strong>\u00a0<em>or\u00a0<\/em><strong>CAS MA 123<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Statistics 1: <strong>CAS MA 115<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Calculus 2: <strong>CAS MA 122\u00a0<\/strong>(prerequisite: CAS MA 121)\u00a0<em>or\u00a0<\/em><strong>CAS MA 124<\/strong>\u00a0(prerequisite: CAS MA 123)<\/li>\n<li>Statistics 2: <strong>CAS MA 116\u00a0<\/strong>(prerequisite: CAS MA 115)<\/li>\n<li>Computer Science:\u00a0<strong>CAS CS 105<\/strong>,\u00a0<strong>CAS CS 108<\/strong>,\u00a0<em>or\u00a0<\/em><strong>CAS CS 111<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>If you have AP, IB, or other external credit\u00a0for\u00a0<em>one<\/em>\u00a0of the above mathematics courses, you can register for another mathematics course or a computer science course.<\/li>\n<li>If you have advanced credit for <em>two<\/em> mathematics, or a mathematics and computer science course, you have fulfilled this requirement. In this case, you should consider a course of interest, as explained below.<\/li>\n<li>Please note, students cannot take more than one Calculus 1 course (CAS MA 121 and MA 123) for units toward graduation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em><strong>-OR-<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Biology course: <\/strong>If you&#8217;re starting in the spring semester, your second course should be <strong>CAS BI 108 General Biology 2<\/strong> (spring semester). If you have advanced credit (such as AP or IB scores) equivalent to CAS BI 108, you can instead take a math course, as explained above.<\/p>\n<p>Please note: <strong>You should not take<\/strong> <strong>chemistry, biology, <em>and<\/em> mathematics in one semester.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<ul><\/ul>\n<ul><\/ul>\n<p><strong><div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h5 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Course #3: Language Course <em>or<\/em> Course of interest<\/h5><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><b>CAS Language Course<\/b><span>: CAS students must exhibit proficiency through the fourth-semester level of a language other than English. If you have not already done so, please review the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/cas\/programs\/second-language-requirement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <span>full language policy here<\/span><\/a><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>If you plan to fulfill this language requirement through coursework at BU, then your next course should be a language course:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span>If you\u2019re <\/span><b>new to the language<\/b><span>, you\u2019ll start with the first-semester level (usually coded as 111 \u2013 for example, Spanish 1 is CAS LS 111, Arabic 1 is CAS LY 111, etc.).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span>If you have <\/span><b>previously studied the language<\/b><span>, you will need to take a placement test to determine what level to start with (for instance, CAS LS 112 Spanish 2, CAS LY 211 Arabic 3, CAS LK 212 Korean 4, etc.). <\/span><b>Please review the<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas\/academics\/undergraduate-education\/academic-advising\/advising\/language-advising\/foreign-language-requirement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <b>CAS Language Requirement page<\/b><\/a><b> for detailed information about placement tests and appropriate levels.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>If you\u2019ll fulfill the language requirement through <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/admissions\/apply\/faqs-helpful-forms\/advanced-credit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><b>advanced credit (such as AP\/IB scores)<\/b><\/a><b> or through native proficiency of another language<\/b><span>, you have fulfilled your language requirement and can instead take a course of interest (as seen below). <\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>-OR-<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><b>Course of Interest<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Select a course that interests you \u2013 perhaps based on subjects you\u2019ve enjoyed in the past or a new subject you\u2019re excited to try for the first time! If you&#8217;re not sure where to start, you can review our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/registration-instructions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Registration Instructions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for tips on browsing by topic or Hub requirement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Please note: if you are taking both chemistry and biology as your first and second course, and you are done with your language requirement, <\/strong>we advise that you do not take a mathematics or computer science course as your course of interest. The nature of these courses, along with two science courses in your first semester, is a heavy course load that is not advisable for your first semester.<em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em><div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h5 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\"><\/em>Course #4: Writing Course<\/h5><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Your fourth course should be a writing course:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>If you did not apply to BU with a TOEFL\/IELTS score,<\/strong> you can take either:\n<ul>\n<li><strong>CAS WR 120<\/strong> First-Year Writing Seminar. Each section of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/writingprogram\/curriculum\/schedule\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">WR 120 focuses on a specific topic\/theme<\/a>, so you should register for a section that pairs with your interests.<\/li>\n<li><strong>CAS CC 101<\/strong> Core Humanities 1: Ancient Worlds: (offered fall only): An interdisciplinary study of the origins of civilization, from Mesopotamia and the Hebrew Bible to the development of Greek civilization through Homer, Greek tragedy, and the philosophy of Plato. You should enroll in CAS CC 101 if you are considering the<span>\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/core\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Core Curriculum<\/a>. <em>This course fulfills a single requirement in each of the following Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, First-Year Writing Seminar, Creativity\/Innovation.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>If you applied to BU with a TOEFL\/IELTS score<\/b><span>, you should take the\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/writingprogram\/writing-program-curriculum\/placement\/placement-faqs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span>Multilingual Writer Placement<\/span><\/a><span> (instructions will be sent via email) before you register for a writing course. The writing placement is a suggestion, but it will help you make an informed decision about the most appropriate level for you. Depending on what level WR course you register for, you will fulfill the following Hub requirements<\/span>:\n<ul>\n<li><strong>CAS WR 111<\/strong> Academic Writing for ESL Students 1 \u2013 fulfills\u00a0<em>The Individual in Community\u00a0<\/em>Hub<\/li>\n<li><strong>CAS WR 112<\/strong> Academic Writing for ESL Students 2 \u2013 fulfills <em>Global Citizenship &amp; Intercultural Literacy <\/em>Hub<\/li>\n<li><strong>CAS WR 120<\/strong> First-Year Writing Seminar \u2013 fulfills <em>First-Year Writing Seminar<\/em> Hub (If you place into WR 120, you are welcome to take CC 101 Core Humanities 1 instead to fulfill your <em>FYW <\/em>Hub.) <em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h5 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Optional Course #5: First-Year Seminar<\/h5><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><b>First-Year Seminar: FY 101<span>\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span>(1 unit)<\/span><b><span>\u00a0<\/span>\u2013 Optional<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas\/student-life\/undergraduate-students\/ospl\/the-first-year-experience\/fy101\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span>FY101<\/span><\/a><span> is a one-unit, low stress, non-academic class that serves as a semester-long introduction to BU and college life. FY101 helps you get a head start on making connections at BU. Each section is taught by a student peer mentor and a staff instructor.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span>FY101 classes are small and are for new students only, so they provide a great way to get to know other first-years!<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span>Your peer mentor and instructor will provide resources to create a more successful and meaningful college experience and help you get ahead in your first semester here.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>FY101 includes free, optional trips around Boston.<\/b><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span>There are specialty sections based on major and identity (e.g., Undeclared, Natural Sciences, First Generation, etc ) so be sure to choose the one that\u2019s right for you!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/casreg\/files\/2025\/05\/Natural-Science-636x636.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"636\" height=\"636\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8372\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/files\/2025\/05\/Natural-Science-636x636.png 636w, https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/files\/2025\/05\/Natural-Science-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/files\/2025\/05\/Natural-Science-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/files\/2025\/05\/Natural-Science-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/files\/2025\/05\/Natural-Science.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 636px) 100vw, 636px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b><i>\u00a0-OR-<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>First-Year Career Development Seminar: FY 102<span>\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span>(offered spring only, 1 unit)\u00a0<\/span><b>\u2013 Optional<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas\/student-life\/undergraduate-students\/ospl\/the-first-year-experience\/fy102\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">FY102<\/a> will help first-year students get started on utilizing the Career Development Cycle to maximize their time at BU. During this course, students will create a plan of action towards choosing a major, creating a resume, finding an internship, and preparing for a career they will love. Seminars are offered in various fields of interest and include guest speakers from different industries. <\/span><span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h5 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Interested in Pursuing the Core?<\/h5><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">If you are interested in the <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/the-core-program\/\"><span class=\"s2\">Core Curriculum<\/span><\/a>, we recommend registering for CAS CC 101 for your writing course (see above in Course #4). There are additional natural science Core courses offered; however, we do not typically recommend these for natural science majors who are already taking a lab course this semester. If you have questions about completing additional Core courses beyond CAS CC 101, please talk about this with your academic advisor!<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Find out more about the Core Curriculum, the Hub, and registration <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/the-core-program\/\"><span class=\"s2\">here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Ready to register?\u00a0<span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/registration-instructions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Let\u2019s go \u2013 click here!<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span>For more information about your specific major requirements click\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/cas\/programs\/biochemistry-molecular-biology\/ba\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a><span>!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Students majoring in BMB will ordinarily, through coursework in the major, satisfy BU Hub requirements in Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning, as well as some of the requirements in the Intellectual Toolkit. In addition, the Historical Consciousness Hub requirement is earned through the required CAS BI 216\/206 course if taken at BU. Remaining BU Hub [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4971,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":22,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/174"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4971"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=174"}],"version-history":[{"count":50,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/174\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8386,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/174\/revisions\/8386"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}