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Undergraduate Research Information

*ALL students who plan to receive a degree with Honors MUST take at least six hours of BMB:4999 after BMB:3120/ 3130/ 3140/3150

Juniors planning to take Advanced Undergraduate Biochemistry Research-BMB:4999: BMB:4999 - Advanced Undergraduate Biochemistry Research can be taken by B.S. and B.A. majors to meet the research requirement or to qualify for honors.  The prerequisites for BMB:4999 are BMB 3120, 3130, 3140, and 3150 with grades of B- or better and previous research experience (such as BMB:3993).  Students usually start 4999 either in the summer after their junior year or in the fall of their senior year.  Students interested in 4999 should speak to their research mentor during the spring semester.

If you have questions about 4999 or are doing research outside of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, please contact Lori Wallrath (Honors Advisor).

Remember that Development of Senior Research Project-BMB:3150-is a prerequisite for BMB:4999.  If you are a junior B.A. or B.S. major and are planning to take BMB:4999, you need to take Development of Senior Research Project this spring.

In some cases, students who do not meet the grade prerequisites may be allowed to take BMB:4999 with the permission of a faculty sponsor and the approval of the Honors Advisor. Any student concerned about this is advised to discuss it in advance with the Honors Advisor.

* It is expected that for each semester hour of credit, the student will devote to research at least 3-5 hrs/week/s.h. during the fall and spring semesters, and 6-10 hrs./week/s.h. in the summer semester. How this is accomplished varies by laboratory and should be discussed with your faculty mentor. Other expectations, such as participation in regularly scheduled meetings of the laboratory, maintaining a laboratory notebook and other records of research progress, and making presentations of progress, should also be discussed.

CLAS independent study/research hours policy:  The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology strongly advises students interested in research to start research early during their undergraduate experience.  We know that many students get involved in research during their first or second year.  This is a great way to get an outstanding research experience.  However, we want to make sure that students realize that the CLAS does not allow more than 9 s.h. of independent study/research courses to count toward the minimum 120 s.h. needed for graduation.  This has not been an issue for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology majors because students who take more than 9 s.h. of BMB:3993 and BMB:4999 usually graduate with more than 120 s.h. However, the Department wants to make sure Biochemistry and Molecular Biology majors doing research know about this policy.  

Honors research: Students who plan to graduate with honors MUST take at least six hours of BMB:4999.  If you have questions about 4999 or are doing research outside of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, please contact Lori Wallrath (Honors Advisor).

Honors thesis and symposium:  All students who wish to graduate with Honors in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology will write an Honors Thesis and present a seminar on their work at the spring Lata Honors Symposium.  A symposium is also organized in the Fall semester for those graduating in December.