From decoding DNA to developing tomorrow’s medicines, breakthroughs in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB) happen at the intersection of both Biology and Chemistry.
As a BMB major, you’ll gain the knowledge, hands-on experience, and collaborative mindset needed to tackle real-world challenges and shape the future of science.
Life's most fundamental processes, metabolism, genetics, cellular function, happen at the molecular level. Understanding them requires chemistry, biology, physics, and mathematics working together. That is exactly what FSC's Biochemistry and Molecular Biology program is built around.
The BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is an interdisciplinary program that follows guidelines specified by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), providing a firm foundation in both chemistry and biology while giving you the flexibility to tailor your coursework and experiences to match your interests. From discovering new antibiotics to designing your own research project, you will work closely with faculty mentors using state-of-the-art instrumentation and advanced techniques — tools most students do not encounter until graduate school. Graduates are well prepared to enter medical, dental, pharmacy, and veterinary schools, graduate programs in biochemistry and molecular biology, and careers in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
FSC's Biochemistry and Molecular Biology program has sent graduates to medical schools, doctoral programs, and research institutions across the country. Here is what makes that possible.
The Goldwater Scholarship is the preeminent undergraduate science honors in the country. Both of FSC's Goldwater Scholarship recipients were BMB majors, going on to pursue doctoral and MD/PhD programs in bioengineering and biomedical research.
FSC's agreements with Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) and Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine (OCOM) give qualifying students streamlined pathways to professional school.
Every major in BMB does a research project with a faculty mentor, and many have earned summer research positions at places like The Scripps Research Institute.
Small classes mean your faculty mentor knows your goals, and every BMB major completes at least a year of research, often one-on-one.
An interdisciplinary program that reflects the complex study of life at the cellular level. Use the resources and perspectives of chemistry, biology, physics, and mathematics to solve complex problems — and experience firsthand the collaborative nature of scientific research.
All freshman applicants to Florida Southern Colleges full-time degree programs must submit the following information:
Applying to Florida Southern as a transfer student is easy. Submit:
If transferring fewer than 24 credits, also include your official high school transcript and SAT/ACT scores.
Learn More about transfer admissionsFSC's BMB curriculum follows the guidelines specified by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), reflecting the interdisciplinary and collaborative nature of modern scientific research. Drawing on chemistry, biology, mathematics, and physics, the program ensures students engage with the full scope of tools and perspectives needed to study life at the cellular level.
Intensive laboratory courses introduce the methods and procedures used in studying biochemical processes, with students preparing their own samples, making their own measurements, and operating professional instruments firsthand under faculty guidance. Every BMB student also completes an original research project in collaboration with a faculty mentor — engaging in the scientific method, presenting findings at regional and national conferences, and in some cases being listed as co-authors on peer-reviewed journal publications.
The BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is a 124-credit hour degree built around an intensive interdisciplinary core that draws equally from chemistry and biology, supported by mathematics and physics requirements that reflect the quantitative rigor of the field.
Science Core
All BMB majors complete a comprehensive sequence spanning both disciplines — foundational biology and chemistry, two semesters of organic chemistry with laboratory, physical chemistry, calculus, and two semesters of calculus-based physics. The biochemistry sequence covers structure and function, metabolism, and laboratory techniques, building the deep mechanistic understanding of living systems that graduate and professional programs expect. The upper level biology covers molecular biology, genetics and cell biology.
Research Requirement
All BMB majors complete four to six hours of original research, choosing from molecular biology, a full year of biochemistry or chemistry research leading to a thesis, or an honors senior thesis with departmental approval. Students select their research pathway in consultation with their faculty mentor based on their specific interests and career goals.
Advanced Electives
Students choose 11 additional hours from an advanced elective list spanning both biology and chemistry — covering areas such as immunology, bioinformatics, microbiology, medicinal chemistry, forensic chemistry, anatomy, and techniques in protein purification and tissue culture. No more than eight hours may come from a single prefix, ensuring graduates maintain the interdisciplinary breadth the program is built around.
Special Requirements
Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the program, BMB majors are not permitted to double major in Biology, Integrative Biology, or Chemistry, and may not minor in Biology or Chemistry.
BMB students at FSC are part of a close-knit scientific community with access to a rich network of student organizations spanning preprofessional, honor, and disciplinary societies. Get involved with:
Student organizations host social, educational, and professional programs throughout the year, offering leadership roles, faculty mentorship, and scientific outreach opportunities with local schools and the FSC community.
At FSC, every Biochemistry and Molecular Biology student works one-on-one with a faculty mentor to explore an original research project. This is not a simulation or a pre-designed lab exercise — it is real scientific inquiry, using the same state-of-the-art instrumentation and advanced techniques you will encounter in graduate school and professional settings.
From working to discover new antibiotics to designing your own research project, you will engage in the scientific method from the start. FSC BMB students present their findings at regional and national conferences, have been listed as co-authors on articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, and have been co-inventors on U.S. patents.
Through FSC's agreement with Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM), one of the nation's most renowned medical colleges, qualifying BMB students may apply to be granted early acceptance into medical, dental, or pharmacy school. This pathway gives FSC students a meaningful advantage in one of the most competitive application processes in higher education.
The interdisciplinary nature of the BMB program prepares graduates for a broad spectrum of career paths. Recent FSC graduates have gone on to medical school, earned doctoral degrees, and continue to conduct research at leading institutions. Within six months of graduating, 100% of FSC’s Biochemistry and Molecular Biology students are employed or in graduate school.
The most common path from FSC's BMB program. Graduates have been accepted to top professional programs at Duke University, the University of Miami, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Washington, Auburn University, and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. FSC's LECOM agreement provides a direct early acceptance pathway for qualifying students.
FSC BMB graduates pursue masters and doctoral programs in biochemistry, chemistry, molecular biology, bioengineering, and biomedical research at universities across the country. FSC's two Goldwater Scholarship recipients, both BMB majors, went on to doctoral and MD/PhD programs in bioengineering and biomedical research.
The pharmaceutical and biotech industries depend on scientists who understand biochemical processes at the molecular level. FSC's rigorous laboratory curriculum and research experience prepare graduates to step into industry roles with the technical skills and scientific judgment these employers require.
BMB graduates pursue careers in public health, epidemiology, and health policy — fields that depend on the same biological and analytical foundations the program develops. Sabrina Hendrick '19 works as a surveillance epidemiologist for the Georgia Emerging Infections Program and Ashley Bolding ’20 works as a senior specialist at the Association of Public Health Laboratories.
A BMB degree is not limited to laboratory careers. The analytical thinking, research skills, and scientific literacy developed through the program translate naturally into careers in intellectual property law, science policy, biotechnology entrepreneurship, and science communication.
From one-on-one faculty research and NSF summer programs at Brookhaven and Stanford to internships at Lakeland Regional Health and Florida Chemical, FSC BMB students are always working at the frontier of the discipline. Every experience builds the scientific credibility and professional network that biochemistry and molecular biology careers demand.
Research-grade microbiology labs are typically reserved for graduate students. At FSC, the Berend Labs put professional instrumentation, proper laboratory techniques, and real antibiotic research right in your hands.
Meet the educators who will shape the scientist you become.
Department Chair, Professor of Chemistry, QEP Director, PLU National Secretary, Pre-Pharmacy Coordinator
Department Chair, Professor of Biology
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Yes, and it is one of the strongest. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology covers the foundational science that medical, dental, and pharmacy school curricula are built on, including organic chemistry, genetics, cell biology, and biochemical processes. FSC BMB graduates have been accepted to top professional programs at Duke, Penn, the University of Miami, and beyond, and qualifying students can apply for early acceptance to medical, dental, or pharmacy school through FSC's agreement with Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Quite a lot. BMB graduates pursue masters and doctoral programs in biochemistry, molecular biology, pharmaceutical science or chemistry, and bioengineering, careers in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, public health and epidemiology, science policy, intellectual property law, and science communication. The analytical thinking and research skills the program develops transfer across a remarkable range of fields.
The Barry Goldwater Scholarship is the most prestigious undergraduate science awards in the country, recognizing students who show exceptional promise in natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering research. Both of FSC's Goldwater Scholarship recipients were Biochemistry and Molecular Biology majors, going on to pursue doctoral and MD/PhD programs in bioengineering and biomedical research.
Students applying for the BMB program must have a GPA of 3.0 in basic biology and chemistry courses by the end of their freshman year. All BMB majors must earn a grade of C or better in all biology and chemistry courses throughout the program.
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Read the latest from FSC's BMB program, from student research presentations and graduate school acceptances to Goldwater Scholarship achievements and faculty publications.
At FSC, you are the focus. Our team loves connecting with prospective students to answer questions about the BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and explore how the program can be a fit for your goals.
Department Chair, Professor of Chemistry, QEP Director, PLU National Secretary, Pre-Pharmacy Coordinator
If you are drawn to the sciences, FSC offers additional programs that pair naturally with a BMB foundation or take your interests in a different direction.
From discovering new antibiotics to fast-tracking to medical school, a BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Florida Southern opens doors that few undergraduate programs can match. Take your next step today.
