Penn State Berks has recently received approval from the University to offer the Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology to its academic programs, beginning in the fall semester of 2014. Penn State Berks will be the only campus outside University Park to offer the B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
"The Biochemistry and Molecular Biology degree is poised to become the most highly enrolled of the Berks degrees related to biology,? states Dr. Maureen Dunbar, Program Coordinator for the degree program. ?Many positions in the healthcare field rely on biochemistry and molecular biology. Students interested in medical school will need biochemistry because the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test) will include biochemistry in 2015. The Biochemistry and Molecular Biology degree gives our students great preparation for the widest variety of career paths."
Biochemistry applies the basic principles of chemistry and physics to the study of living cells and their components to explain biology at molecular, genetic, and cellular levels. Students will develop a strong foundation in quantitative and analytical biological sciences, including molecular biology, biochemistry, enzymology, metabolism, cell biology, and molecular genetics.
Students at Penn State Berks will have the ability to customize their degree program by choosing either the Biochemistry Option or the Molecular and Cell Biology Option.
The Biochemistry Option is tailored for students who are interested in the structures, properties, and functions of macromolecules, and in the quantitative and analytical techniques used to characterize these macromolecules. Students graduating with this option will be well prepared for careers in the pharmaceutical industry and biotechnology and health-related industries, including government, academic, and private laboratories. Students will also be prepared for graduate and professional school.
The Molecular and Cell Biology Option is for students whose interests relate to the growth, reproduction and differentiation of cells and to signaling processes that occur in multicellular systems that activate and modulate these processes. The curriculum is designed to prepare students for advanced study leading to careers in research, medicine, and education, or to secure employment in biotechnology and health-related industries, including government, academic, and private laboratories.
The Biochemistry and Molecular Biology degree will join the college?s fifteen other baccalaureate degree programs, providing a full complement of diverse and varied baccalaureate degree programs to meet the needs of students in the Berks County community and beyond. For more information about the B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology program, contact program coordinator Dr. Maureen Dunbar at 610-396-6328 or via e-mail at [email protected].
