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Curriculum Requirements

The BCBP program offers two tracks, Biochemistry and Biophysics, allowing students to tailor their training to their research interests and career goals. While all students complete the core BCBP requirements, each track includes specific coursework and training expectations that provide deeper expertise in the principles, methods, and applications of their chosen discipline.   

See UNC’s Program Requirements for Biochemistry and Biophysics in the university catalog.  

See UNC’s Graduate School Handbook for university degree requirements and grading policies for graduate programs.  

See a listing of BCBP courses offered by term:  

Required coursework for all BCBP students

Students can track individual course progress through Tar Heel Tracker.  

Departmental Cores

  • BIOC 704 Seminars in Biochemistry and Biophysics (spring, 2.0)  
  • BIOC 710 Scientific Communication (fall, 2.0)  
    • enroll in course twice: 2nd year grant writing, 4th year scientific presentation  

Research Courses

  • BBSP 705 Rigor and Reproducibility (1st year) (spring, 1.0)  
  • BIOC or GNET 888 Responsible Conduct for Research (4th year) (spring, 1.0)  

Additional Biochemistry Track Course Requirements

Required BC Track Cores 

Complete 6.0 credit hours from the core course options listed below:  

  • BIOC 631 Advanced Molecular Biology I (spring, 4.0)  
  • BIOC 655 Principles of Cellular and Molecular Biochemistry (fall, 3.0)  
  • BIOC 706 Biochemistry of Human Disease (fall, 3.0)  
  • BIOC 740-745 Contemporary Topics in Cell Signaling (spring, 1.0 each)  
    • 740-742 offered in odd years and 744-745 in even years  
  • BIOC 650-652 Biophysics core courses (fall, 1.0 each)  

Electives

Complete a minimum of 4.0 credit hours. 

Choose from any graduate-level course in a discipline supportive of biomedical research training (can include list of cores above, but courses taken as a core requirement in the department and BBSP cannot count as an elective). Suggested electives listed below are examples of coursework that would satisfy the elective requirements.  

Choose from modules listed in the Biophysics Program Modules

Elective examples:  

  • NBIO 722 Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology (fall, 2.0)  
  • BIOC 805 Molecular Modeling (fall, 3.0) – combined course w/MEDC 805  
  • CHEM 733 (Special topics course) Advances in Macromolecular Structure and Function (fall, 3.0)  
  • MCRO 614 Immunobiology (fall, 3.0)  
  • MCRO 630 Virology (fall, 3.0)  

Additional Biophysics Track Course Requirements

Required BP Track Cores

  • BIOC 650 Basic Principles: From basic models to collections of macromolecules (fall, 1.0)  
  • BIOC 651 Macromolecular Equilibria: Conformation change and binding (fall, 1.0)  
  • BIOC 652 Macromolecular Structure & Dynamics (fall, 1.0)  
  • BIOC 662 Macromolecular Interactions or BIOC 670 Structural Bioinformatics (spring, 1.0)  
    • This is only required for students who matriculated 2023 and after.  

Additional Required Courses

  • BIOC 716 Biophysics Colloquium (fall/spring, 0.5)  
    • Enroll in course 4 times for a total of 2.0 credits  
    • This course is required for students who matriculated 2023 and after.  

Choose 3 Biophysics Modules

  • BIOC 662 Macromolecular Interactions (spring, 1.0)  
  • BIOC 663A and 663B Macromolecular NMR and Theory (spring, 1.0 each)  
  • BIOC 664/CHEM 791 Macromolecular Spectroscopy: Principles and Applications (spring, 1.0)  
  • BIOC 665 Advanced NMR (spring, 1.0)  
  • BIOC 666 X-ray Crystallography of Macromolecules (spring, 1.0)  
  • BIOC 667 Macromolecular Crystallographic Methods (spring, 3.0)  
  • BIOC 669 Advanced Macromolecular Crystallographic Methods (spring, 1.0)  
  • BIOC 670 Structural Bioinformatics (spring, 1.0)  
  • BIOC 673 Proteomics, Protein Identification & Characterization by Mass Spec. (spring, 1.0)  
  • BIOC 675 Fundamentals of Cryo-Electron Microscopy (spring, 1.0)  
  • BCB 715: Mathematical and Computational Approaches to Modeling Signaling Pathways and Regulatory Networks (fall, 1.0)  
  • BCB 750 Molecular Dynamics (1.0) 
  • BMME 490/890: Super Resolution – imaging beyond limits (fall, 1.0)  
  • PHCO 750 Proteomics Methods and Applications (spring, 1.0)  

Electives

Complete a minimum of 3.0 credit hours. For students matriculating before 2023, a minimum of one elective credit hour is required  

Choose from any graduate-level course in a discipline supportive of biomedical research training (can include list of cores above, but courses taken as a core requirement in the department and BBSP cannot count as an elective). Suggested electives listed below are examples of coursework that would satisfy the elective requirements.  

Elective examples:  

  • BIOC 631 Advanced Molecular Biology I (spring, 4.0) 
  • BIOC 706 Biochemistry of Human Disease (fall, 3.0)  
  • BIOC 740-745 Contemporary Topics in Cell Signaling (spring, 1.0) *740-742 offered in odd years and 743-745 in even years