Courses

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 2024
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

100 Freshman Biochemistry Seminar

  • Typically offered: Fall, Spring
  • Sample syllabus

104 Molecules to Life and the Nature of Science

  • Typically offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
  • Sample syllabus

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

550 Principles of Human Disease and Biotechnology (also Nutr Sci 560)

  • Typically offered: Spring
  • Sample syllabus

551 Biochemical Methods

  • Typically offered: Fall, Spring
  • Sample syllabus

570 Computational Modeling for Biological Systems

  • Typically offered: Fall, 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

630 Cellular Signal Transduction Mechanisms (also PHMCOL-M/ZOOLOGY 630)

  • Typically offered: Fall

631 Plant Genetics and Development (Also GENETICS 631)

  • Typically offered: Fall of odd-numbered years
  • Sample syllabus

645 Molecular Control of Metabolism and Metabolic Disease

  • Typically offered: Fall
  • Sample syllabus

665 Biophysical Chemistry (also CHEM 665)

  • Typically offered: Fall, Spring of odd-numbered years
  • 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

  • Next offered: Spring 2025
  • 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

912 Seminar – Molecular Mechanisms of Development (Advanced)

  • Typically offered: Fall

913 Seminar – Ribogroup (Advanced) (also BMOLCHEM 913)

  • Typically offered: Spring

914 Seminar – Molecular Biosciences (Advanced) (also MICRO/BMOLECHEM/MM&I 914)

  • Typically offered: Fall, 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: Spring

990 Research

  • Typically offered: Fall, Spring, Summer