BSc Biochemistry

While we regard Biology as the ‘science of life’, it is important to acknowledge that Chemistry is the essence of Biology. Biological reactions are more or less chemical reactions within life forms, occurring to maintain the life practices of those beings. The interdisciplinary specialization of Biochemistry is a blend of the disciplines of Biology and Chemistry. As the name suggests, Biochemistry deals with both Life Science and Synthetic Science, and everything in between. It investigates the science of living creatures and the sub-atomic reasons for the progressions happening in living cells. Through this blog, we aim to provide you with a comprehensive guide on BSc Biochemistry, top universities offering this course, and the career scope it encompasses.

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Introduction to BSc Biochemistry

B.Sc Biochemistry is a 3-year degree course offered at the undergraduate level to science students. This aims to explore every single organic procedure happening on the planet down to its chemical composition. Research in Biochemistry is massively useful for finding the best medical treatments for different diseases and ailments in humans, animals, plants, and other living beings. This field also helps find ways such illness might be dealt with or relieved. Furthermore, advances in these zones have made it easier to integrate Biology with innovation, synthetic designing, and natural chemistry. Biochemists are intrigued by the functioning of explicit atoms, for example, proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, nutrients, and hormones under a synthetically controlled environment, helping them with research on the manipulation and synthesis of bio elements. Specific accentuation is the guideline for compound responses in living cells. Moreover, Biochemistry is a crucial part of understanding the ideology of reactions occurring inside living organisms.

BSc Biochemistry: Eligibility Criteria

The actual course requirements might vary as per the course and university, here are the basic eligibility criteria for BSc Biochemistry:

• The students should have finished 10+2 from a recognised educational institution with Science stream comprising of PCB/PCM/PCMB subjects. 
• Some universities have an entrance exam for admission into BSc Biochemistry and applicants need to qualify the same to get shortlisted.
• If students wish to pursue their degree abroad, they must take the relevant aptitude tests like the SAT. Good scores in English proficiency tests like IELTS, TOEFL, etc. with SOP and LORs.

Indian Entrance Examinations

Some of the entrance exams to qualify for the BSc Biochemistry course are mentioned below, along with their scheduled dates.

Name of the Exam	Date of the Exam
NPAT	January 04 to May 31, 2023
CUET	May 21 to 31, 2023
CUCET	November 28 to May 30, 2023
SET	May 06, 2023 May 14, 2023

Top Global Universities

Being a specialised degree course, BSc Biochemistry is offered across numerous leading Universities across the world. As Biochemistry is inter-disciplinary and technical in nature, the quality of education offered at a prospective university really impacts the student’s overall learning experience. Here are some of the top universities offering BSc Biochemistry: 

University	Country	QS Rankings 2023
Stanford University	USA	3
Harvard University	USA	5
University of Oxford	UK	4
University of Cambridge	UK	2
University of Birmingham	UK	91
Lancaster University	UK	146
Michigan State University	USA	159
Swinburne University of Technology	Australia	296
The University of California- San Francisco	USA	_

BSc Biochemistry: Fee Structure

Here is the fee structure of BSc Biochemistry of some of the top universities in the world:

University	Fees
Stanford University	$18491 (INR 13,78,000)
Harvard University	$13240 (INR 9,86,700)
University of Oxford	£26,770 (INR 23,54,550)
University of Cambridge	£24,789 (INR 21,80,310)
University of Birmingham	£19,020 (INR 16,72,900)
Lancaster University	£24,070 (INR 30,96,000)
Michigan State University	$41330 (INR 3,080,080)
Swinburne University of Technology	A$35,200 (INR 19,57,900)
The University of California- San Francisco	$52920 (INR 39,43,815)

BSc Biochemistry: Subjects

As the course name suggests, most of the subjects covered under BSc Biochemistry are centered towards the scientific disciplines of Chemistry and Biology. Arising from this, many subjects are interdisciplinary, like Hormone Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biochemical Techniques. Here are some of the commonly offered subjects in BSc Biochemistry:

Biomolecules	Biophysics	Chemistry	Biochemical techniques
Mathematics	Proteins and Enzymes	Metabolism of Carbohydrates & Lipids	Cell Biology
Molecular Biology	Bioenergetics	Metabolism of Amino acids & Nucleotides	Membrane Biology
Hormone Biochemistry	Immunology	Genetics & Genomics	Recombinant DNA Technology
Molecular Physiology	Neurophysiology	Tumour Immunology	Membrane Dynamics

Future Prospects of BSc Biochemistry

As Biochemistry is an advancing field of study, there are a plethora of opportunities that arise for students after finishing BSc Biochemistry. Further, if you are keen to study the specialized field of Chemistry and want to integrate it with the clinical space of Biology, you can choose to pursue Biochemistry Engineering for higher studies. You can find a variety of professional profiles in various employment areas such as Bioinformatics, the Medical field, the Education sector, Research labs, Agriculture, and Pharmaceutical companies.

Employment Opportunities and Salary

Here are a few selected work profiles and jobs that students can choose after BSc Biochemistry:

• Lab Supervisor
• Technician
• Teacher
• Scientist
• Consulting Physicist
• Analytical Chemist
• Clinical Researcher
• Biochemist
• Medical Coder
• Assistant Professor
• Medical Review Officer

The average salary of a Clinical Researcher is INR 3 lakh, while that of a Scientific Editor is INR 3 to 5 lakh.

Advanced Study

Apart from job prospects, there are numerous higher study options. Here are the most prominent ones:

• MSc Biochemistry
• MSc Molecular Biology
• MSc Pharmaceutical Chemistry
• MSc Medical Biochemistry
• Post Graduate Diploma in Biochemistry

Recommended Books

For BSc Biochemistry, refer to the below-mentioned books.

• Principles of Biochemistry by Albert L. Lehninger
• Harper’s Illustrated Biochemistry by Robert K. Murray
• Essentials of Biochemistry by Mushtaq Ahmad
• Biochemistry by U. Satyanarayana
• Lippincott’s Illustrated Reviews: Biochemistry by Pamela C. Champe

FAQs

Biochemistry is a fast-advancing field of science with many advanced career options. Hence, we hope this blog was helpful to answer your doubts. If you are planning to pursue BSc Biochemistry but are unsure about selecting the right university, our Leverage Edu experts are just a click away. Sign up for a free career counselling session with us and we will help you explore the best universities as per your preferences and interests!