Who Are Hiram’s Biochemistry Students?
The biochemistry program is hands on and lab focused. “I’m a big believer in ‘you learn science by doing science,’ and I think that philosophy carries through to my majors,” says Professor Steven Romberger.
Successful Hiram biochemistry students are curious, hard-working and engaged, starting research early in the program. First-year students quickly join a professor’s lab, where they invoke critical thinking and imaginative problem solving. Students can work with faculty on independent research as early as their first year, and paid opportunities are available each summer.
About the Biochemistry Degree Program
Biochemistry is flexible and interdisciplinary: you’ll take course work in not only biochemistry but also biology, chemistry and physics. When you take upper-level biochemistry courses, you’ll spend your class time doing the following:
- examining case studies
- reading scientific literature
- analyzing real data
- designing experiments
You’re required to take several upper-level science courses, but those courses can be chosen from different departments so you can customize your degree to your future plans. You can also enhance your experience at Hiram by pursuing a minor. Recently, students have chosen minors in biology, chemistry, physics, biomedical humanities, and even creative writing.
A Career-Focused Biochemistry Major
Before you graduate, you’re required to complete an independent research project or an internship. By the time you graduate with your degree in biochemistry, you’ll have a wealth of laboratory and research experience. You’ll be adept at assimilating new information and ideas, and you’ll have a deep understanding of how biochemists discover and use that information. For example, you won’t learn every metabolic pathway in your classes; instead, you’ll learn how we know metabolic pathways by analyzing experiments and data. You’ll also develop an appreciation for all the sciences and the ability to communicate with all types of scientists.
After Hiram, most biochemistry alumni go on to graduate school. You could go to medical school, pharmacy school, or choose to pursue a different master’s or Ph.D. program. Most students end up working as doctors, pharmacists, and research scientists (both in academia and the industry).
For more details about the biochemistry program requirements, visit the program page. If you have any questions about the biochemistry degree program, contact our faculty and staff.
