Our courses are the backbone of our world-class programs. The Department of Biochemistry offers a wide range of courses for students doing the undergraduate Biochemistry major, undergraduate students doing other majors, graduate students in the Integrated Program in Biochemistry and graduate students in other programs.
The courses listed below include when a course is typically offered and a sample syllabus for each course, if available. You can also find the complete official list of Biochemistry courses in the UW–Madison Guide with official course descriptions, number of credits, requisites, and more.
Upper-level Biology courses for the undergraduate Biochemistry major
Spring 2025
Summer 2024
Fall 2024
Please contact the Undergraduate Advising Hub for questions about Biochemistry major requirements, including Upper-Level Biology courses for the undergraduate Biochemistry major.
Courses
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100 Level Courses
200 Level Courses
299 Independent Study
- Typically offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
- For more information, including the Independent Study Agreement Form, click here and scroll to “Enroll in Research for Credit”
300 Level Courses
301 Survey of Biochemistry
- Typically offered: Spring
- Sample syllabus
400 Level Courses
The department does not offer 400 level courses.
500 Level Courses
501 Introduction to Biochemistry
- Typically offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
- Sample syllabus
507 General Biochemistry I
- Typically offered: Fall, Spring
- Sample syllabus
508 General Biochemistry II
- Typically offered: Fall, Spring
- Sample syllabus
510 Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolism (also NUTR SCI 510)
- Typically offered: Fall, Spring
- Sample syllabus
551 Biochemical Methods
- Typically offered: Fall, Spring
- Sample syllabus
560 Principles of Human Disease and Biotechnology (also Nutr Sci 560)
- Typically offered: Spring
- Sample syllabus
575 Biology of Viruses (also M M & I 575)
- Typically offered: Spring
- Sample syllabus
600 Level Courses
601 Protein and Enzyme Structure and Function
- Typically offered: Fall
- Sample syllabus
609 Mathematical Methods for Systems Biology (also MATH/BMI/BMOLCHEM 609)
- Typically offered: Fall of odd-numbered years
- Sample syllabus
612 Prokaryotic Molecular Biology (also MICRO/GENETICS 612)
- Typically offered: Fall
- Sample syllabus
619 Advanced Nutrition: Intermediary Metabolism of Macronutrients (also NUTR SCI 619)
- Typically offered: Spring
- Sample syllabus
620 Eukaryotic Molecular Biology (also CRB 620)
- Typically offered: Spring
- Sample syllabus
621 Plant Biochemistry (also BOTANY 621)
- Typically offered: Fall of odd-numbered years
- Sample syllabus
625 Mechanisms of Action of Vitamins and Minerals
- Typically offered: Spring
- Sample syllabus
631 Plant Genetics and Development (Also GENETICS 631)
- Typically offered: Fall
- Sample syllabus
645 Molecular Control of Metabolism and Metabolic Disease
- Typically offered: Fall
- Sample syllabus
681/682 Senior Honors Thesis
- Typically offered: Fall, Spring
691/692 Senior Thesis
- Typically offered: Fall, Spring
699 Special Problems
- Typically offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
- For more information, including the Independent Study Agreement Form, click here and scroll to “Enroll in Research for Credit”
700 Level Courses
701 Responsible Conduct in Bioscience Research (also BMOLCHEM 701)
- Typically offered: Fall
704 Chemical Biology (also CHEM 704)
- Typically offered: Fall
719 From Atoms to Molecules
- Typically offered: Fall
721 Biochemical Communication
- Typically offered: Fall
729.001/002 Fall/Spring Advanced Topics (also BMOLCHEM 901)
- Typically offered: Fall, Spring
- Topic: IPiB Seminar
729.002/005 Fall/Spring Advanced Topics
- Typically offered: Fall, Spring
- Topic: Practicum in Undergraduate Teaching
- Sample syllabus
729.007 Advanced Topics
- Typically offered: Fall
- Topic: Foundations of Biotechnology
729.008 Advanced Topics
- Typically offered: Fall, Spring
- Topic: Responsible Conduct of Research
729.011 Advanced Topics
- Typically offered: Spring
- Topic: Macromolecular and Cellular Electron Tomography
729.012 Biochemical Applications of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
- Typically offered: Spring
- Undergraduates accepted with consent of instructor
800 Level Courses
872 Selected Topics in Macromolecular and Biophysical Chemistry (also CHEM 872)
- Typically offered: Fall, Spring
900 Level Courses
901 Seminar – Nutrition and Metabolism (Advanced) (also NUTR SCI 901)
- Typically offered: Fall
906 Topics in Modeling for Biochemical Systems (Advanced)
- Currently on hiatus
910 Seminar – Molecular Virology (Advanced)
- Typically offered: Fall, Spring
913 Seminar – Ribogroup (Advanced) (also BMOLCHEM 913)
- Typically offered: Spring
915 Seminar – Computation and Informatics in Biology and Medicine (also BME/BMI/CBE/COMP SCI/GENETICS 915)
- Typically offered: Spring
916 Seminar – Cellular Mechanisms of Protein and Membrane Biogenesis and Trafficking (Advanced)
- Typically offered: Spring
917 Seminar – Regulation of Gene Expression (Advanced) (also MICRO 917)
- Typically offered: Fall, Spring
918 Seminar – Single Molecule Approaches to Biology (also CHEM 918)
- Typically offered: Fall
919 Seminar – Synthetic Biology
- Typically offered: Fall, Spring
924 Seminar – Membrane Protein Structure and Function
- Typically offered: Spring
932 Seminar – Biotechnology Training Program (also MICRO/CBE 932)
- Typically offered: Fall, Spring
945 Seminar – Chemical Biology (Advanced) (also CHEM 945)
- Typically offered: Fall
990 Research
- Typically offered: Fall, Spring, Summer