Biochemistry

Degree Options: Major, Minor
Locations: Lincoln Center, Rose Hill
Visit the Biochemistry Program

Study the chemical processes that serve as the foundation of all life.

As a major in biochemistry, you will gain a rich understanding of the structure and function of biological molecules that make up living systems. You will also learn about metabolic pathways and their clinical implications in diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and cancer, and more importantly, how these pathways are connected. The biochemistry major will give you a strong foundation to pursue a career in medicine, biotechnology, bioengineering, biochemistry, and other growing biomedical science-related fields.

Modern scientific research is increasingly interdisciplinary, and undergraduate science programs at Fordham are designed to reflect that. The biochemistry major is an interdisciplinary major in the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Biological Sciences that draws on the natural sciences as well.

At Fordham, in-class instruction is only the beginning of your collaboration with faculty. As a biochemistry major, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in research activities with faculty in the biology and chemistry departments, gaining hands-on lab experience with faculty mentors in fields such as tissue engineering and bioprinting, tumor targeting, peptide biochemistry, human papillomavirus research, DNA replisome and its mechanisms, and many more. Successful students often become co-authors of journal articles and present their research at national and regional conferences, where they have also received awards.

If you are interested in pursuing pre-health-related careers or graduate studies in biochemistry, bioengineering, or biomedical sciences, the biochemistry major at Fordham will prepare you for further learning and career opportunities in this exciting field.

Of course, you’ll learn more than biochemistry here. You’ll also study philosophy, theology, history, mathematics, languages, and the performing arts through Fordham’s common core curriculum, the centerpiece of our liberal arts education. We want you to excel in your field—and as a human being.

  • Students can study biochemistry as a major or a minor. As a biochemistry major, you’ll take at least six courses, including:

    • Biochemistry I with Lab
    • Biochemistry II
    • General Genetics with Lab 
    • Molecular Biology 
    • Electives such as:
    • Microbiology with lab
    • Cell Biology
    • Quantitative Analysis
    • Physical Chemistry II
    • Biomimetic Chemistry
    • Bionanotechnology & Nanomedicine
    • Immunology with lab
    • Pharmacological Chemistry
    • Neurochemistry
    • Cell & Developmental Biology (lab optional)
    • Advanced Microbiology with lab

    Students can study biochemistry as a major or a minor.

  • At Rose Hill, many chemistry faculty members conduct research and teach in newly renovated labs in John Mulcahy Hall. Students and faculty members also pursue research endeavors in Larkin Hall,a 27,000-square foot facility housing 16 modern laboratories. 

    We also have three research centers biochemistry majors may connect with:

    • At the Center for Urban Ecology, you can study the intersection of nature and the city with scientists researching the impact of urbanization on regional ecosystems and the role people play in physiological, ecological, and evolutionary processes.
    • At the Center for Cancer, Genetic Diseases, and Gene Regulation, you’ll get an up-close view of molecular cancer research. The center nurtures the development of next-generation scientists researching the molecular basis of certain diseases—and developing treatments for them.
    • At the Calder Center Biological Field Station, a 114-acre expanse of forest, lakes, and wetlands in nearby Armonk, New York, you can take ecology classes and conduct field research alongside a selected number of biologists who focus on water management and conservation for government and industry.
    • At these facilities, students will gain hands-on experience and learn from their research mentors the use of state of the art instrumentation such as 3D bioprinters, scanning electron microscopes, atomic force microscopes (which allow us to view cells and biomaterials at the nanoscale), surface plasmon resonance, single molecule imaging microscopes, MALDI (which stands for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization), and more.

  • Fordham students have completed internships at:

    • Regeneron
    • Weill Cornell Medicine
    • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
    • NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center
    • Mount Sinai Health System
    • Northwell Health
    • MD Anderson
    • Columbia University
    • NYU
    • Cornell University
    • Yale University
    • UCLA

    Our students have also won Fulbright and DAAD fellowships.

  • A background in biochemistry will prepare you for work in a variety of settings, including:

    • biomedical engineering
    • biotechnology
    • clinical biochemistry
    • cosmetics
    • dentistry
    • DNA analysis
    • food and nutritional sciences
    • forensic science
    • medicine
    • nursing
    • physician associate practice

Learn More About the Biochemistry Program

Visit the Biochemistry Program