Associate in Science, Emphasis in Biochemistry

The Associate in Science (AS), Emphasis in Biochemistry provides the first two years of a four-year curriculum for students who wish to specialize in biochemistry or are preparing for graduate programs in the area. With an associate's degree, students may qualify as a chemical technician. With a bachelor's degree, students may pursue a career as a biochemist or biochemical engineer. With a graduate degree, students may pursue a career as a medical research scientist.

Details

Field of Interest
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
Degree Type
Associate in Science (AS)
Academic Plan
Associate in Science, Emphasis in Biochemistry (DEG)
Academic Plan Code
8610
Total credits required
60-64
Catalog Year
2024-2025
Effective Term
Fall 2024
Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

Students at any Maricopa Community College may need to complete courses at more than one of our colleges.

What You'll Learn
  • Apply fundamental theories of physical, chemical, and life sciences to construct models to demonstrate an understanding of fundamental biochemical principles, such as the structure/function of biomolecules, metabolic pathways, and the regulation of biological/biochemical processes.
  • Utilize basic laboratory techniques and technology in both chemistry and biology to apply the scientific inquiry to the processes of experimentation and hypothesis testing.
  • Adhere to standard safety protocols when performing experiments and collecting data.
  • Critically evaluate primary scientific research.
  • Apply and effectively communicate scientific reasoning and data analysis in both written and oral forums.
  • Demonstrate professional and ethical behavior appropriate to scientific research.
  • Collaborate with other scientists, including people of diverse backgrounds.
  • Integrate social and ethical responsibility in decision making and actions.
  • Serve the community by assisting in the care of underserved populations.
  • Apply relevant knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to seek career opportunities in the field.
Career Statistics

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based wages* for this degree. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Biochemists and Biophysicists
$97,350
Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers
$120,970
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
$42,540
Chemical Technicians
$54,180
Chemists
$83,410
Forensic Science Technicians
$64,780
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists
$78,890

* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources. Sources

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.

Pathway Map Options

There are multiple options available for this pathway map. These options vary depending on the available transfer institutions and what degrees you may be able to transfer into.

These pathway map options may share some common coursework. To explore what additional coursework may be required, select your desired option from the list below. Once selected, the list of courses and any associated details will be automatically updated in the course sequence below. The differences between individual pathway map options may only be a few courses.

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas
  • In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements:
    • Cultural [C] and
    • Global [G] or Historical [H]
  • Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
(CHM150 and
CHM151LL) or
CHM150AA or
(CHM151 and
CHM151LL) or
CHM151AA		 (General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory) or General Chemistry I or (General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory) or General Chemistry I with Lab Critical course Gateway course SQ in combo w/ CHM151LL and SQ in combo w/ CHM150 or CHM151 or SQ or SQ in combo w/ CHM151LL and SQ in combo w/ CHM150 or CHM151 or SQ 4–5
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
MAT220 or
MAT221		 Calculus with Analytic Geometry I or Calculus with Analytic Geometry I Critical course MA or MA 4–5
SB Social & Behavioral Sciences SB 3
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 101 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
CHM152AA or
(CHM152 and
CHM152LL)		 General Chemistry II with Lab or (General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Laboratory) Critical course SQ or SQ in combo w/ CHM152LL and SQ in combo w/ CHM152 4
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking L 0–3
Transfer Option Transfer Option SQ 4
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 102 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
(CHM235 and
CHM235LL) or
CHM235AA		 (General Organic Chemistry I and General Organic Chemistry I Laboratory) or General Organic Chemistry I with Lab 4
Transfer Option Transfer Option SQ 4
BIO181 or
BIO181XT		 General Biology (Majors) I or General Biology (Majors) I Subject Option SQ or SQ 4
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design HU 3
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 201 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
(CHM236 and
CHM236LL) or
CHM236AA		 (General Organic Chemistry II and General Organic Chemistry II Laboratory) or General Organic Chemistry II with Lab 4
BIO182 or
BIO182XT		 General Biology (Majors) II or General Biology (Majors) II SG or SG 4
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM225 or
COM230		 Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication COM Requirement, Recommend selecting a course that satisfies COM and SB or COM and L requirements simultaneously SB or SB or L or SB 0–3

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas
  • In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements:
    • Cultural [C] and
    • Global [G] or Historical [H]
  • Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3
(CHM150 and
CHM151LL) or
CHM150AA or
(CHM151 and
CHM151LL) or
CHM151AA		 (General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory) or General Chemistry I or (General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory) or General Chemistry I with Lab Critical course Gateway course SQ in combo w/ CHM151LL and SQ in combo w/ CHM150 or CHM151 or SQ or SQ in combo w/ CHM151LL and SQ in combo w/ CHM150 or CHM151 or SQ 4–5
MAT220 or
MAT221		 Calculus with Analytic Geometry I or Calculus with Analytic Geometry I Critical course MA or MA 4–5

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
CHM152AA or
(CHM152 and
CHM152LL)		 General Chemistry II with Lab or (General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Laboratory) Critical course SQ or SQ in combo w/ CHM152LL and SQ in combo w/ CHM152 4

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
BIO181 or
BIO181XT		 General Biology (Majors) I or General Biology (Majors) I Subject Option SQ or SQ 4
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
BIO182 or
BIO182XT		 General Biology (Majors) II or General Biology (Majors) II SG or SG 4
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking L 0–3

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
(CHM235 and
CHM235LL) or
CHM235AA		 (General Organic Chemistry I and General Organic Chemistry I Laboratory) or General Organic Chemistry I with Lab 4
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM225 or
COM230		 Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication COM Requirement, Recommend selecting a course that satisfies COM and SB or COM and L requirements simultaneously SB or SB or L or SB 0–3
SB Social & Behavioral Sciences SB 3
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 101 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
(CHM236 and
CHM236LL) or
CHM236AA		 (General Organic Chemistry II and General Organic Chemistry II Laboratory) or General Organic Chemistry II with Lab 4
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design HU 3
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 102 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
Transfer Option Transfer Option SQ 4
SB Social & Behavioral Sciences SB 3
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 201 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency
Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

  • C = Cultural Diversity in the US
  • CS = Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application
  • FYC = First Year Composition
  • G = Global Awareness
  • H = Historical Awareness
  • HU = Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design
  • L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
  • MA = Mathematics
  • SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
  • SG = Natural Sciences General
  • SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative
Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm10?id=190021).

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.

Previous Catalog Years

The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. All previous catalog years for this pathway map are available at the link below.

Previous catalog years for Associate in Science (AS) in Associate in Science, Emphasis in Biochemistry