<p>Are there any advantages or disadvantages of majoring in one over the other. I would assume they contain extremely similar if not the same course load, but biochem is in CLS and chemical biology is in CoC.</p>
<p>It really depends on what your interests are and what you want to do after graduation. Biochemistry/BMB as part of MCB are in L&S. All L&S majors offer a B.A. degree since you have much fewer major-required classes, in addition to the seven-course breadth requirement. You would be taking 1A for gen chem, the 3 series for o-chem, and a few upper-div MCB classes/electives. Do BMB if you are interested in biochemistry and molecular biology (as the title of the major suggests…), if you are interested in biology at the DNA/protein/cell signaling level. Most MCB students are pre-med because the requirements align nicely.</p>
<p>Chemical Biology in CoC results in a B.S. degree. There are many more major-required classes, and in fact, the Chemical Biology degree differs from the straight Chemistry degree by only a few classes. You would be taking the 4 series for general chem, the 112 series for o-chem, the 120 series for p-chem, and a few more upper-division chem classes. Do Chem Bio if you love chem and are also interested in its applications to biology, whether through organic, organometallic, or similar chemistry. Most Chem Bio students are not pre-med because CoC is a GPA killer.</p>
<p>At this point I am less interested in pre-med as I am graduate school. If I am looking to go to grad school, is a higher GPA and a BA better than a lower GPA and a BS?</p>
<p>If you join Chem Biology, we can form a massive study group together! If you want to attend graduate school, the BA would probably be better(even though you’ll be competing with cut-throat premeds). A BS is better than a BA provided your GPAs in both are the same, but since this may not happen, the Chem Bio BS may hurt your GPA pretty badly(depending on who you are).</p>
<p>If you’re looking into grad school, you’d want a decent GPA (>3.5), good research experience, and good letters of rec.</p>
<p>I’m thinking I’ll take my basic science/math GEs and some o-chem and see how well I handle those then decide whether I can handle Chem Bio. I think I can but I don’t want to make the decision without any kind of basis for judgment. Are you majoring in chem bio Sagert?</p>
<p>Chem Engineering, but if you take a look here:
<a href=“http://chemistry.berkeley.edu/student_info/undergrad_info/publications/chem_09_10.pdf[/url]”>http://chemistry.berkeley.edu/student_info/undergrad_info/publications/chem_09_10.pdf</a></p>
<p>We’ll pretty much be taking the same courses at least for lower division.</p>
<p>Watch out if you really want to go to grad school don’t let the pre-med hype suck you in! Btw anything in the CoC is prettty hard haha if that’s a factor in your decision. Going biochem is no cake walk either, but the CoLS has a lot more interesting pre-reqs. and other majors.</p>
<p>For grad school, the actual undergrad degree you have (BA vs. BS) doesn’t matter so much as your research experience, letters of rec, and lastly your performance in classes relevant to the area you want to go to grad school for. As I said, the academic focus of BMB is quite different from that of Chem Bio. </p>
<p>If you love chem (it may take a few classes at Berkeley to figure out what it is you like, as you said) and are excited about taking a lot of upper-div chem classes in organic, physical, theoretical, inorganic, and analytical chemistry, then Chem Bio is the major for you. This is also the reason why Chem Bio requires you to take Math 53 and 54 and recommends the Physics 7 series over 8, because you’ll have to apply the more advanced math and physics you learn in p-chem later on here.</p>
<p>In contrast, any MCB track has considerably fewer required upper-division classes, and those requirements are mostly offered through the MCB department. If you are Chem Bio, you can still take the MCB classes you are interested in to fulfill the Allied Subject (elective) requirement in addition to the required MCB 110/L.</p>
<p>I think I may stick to Biochem, just because I’m interested in stem cell research, cloning, etc.</p>
<p>I still plan on taking upper division math and physics classes anyway.</p>
<p>What are you majoring in AppleJuice?</p>
<p>And what is “Allied Subject” I couldn’t find it online.</p>