Biochemistry is the study of biological molecules, their roles in the cell, and the chemistry of their reactions in living systems. The Integrated Program in Biochemistry (IPiB) is the merged graduate program between the Department of Biochemistry (in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences) and the Department of Biomolecular Chemistry (in the School of Medicine and Public Health). The program trains the next generation of biochemists and prepares them for 21st-century challenges in science. IPiB offers a PhD degree with a major in biochemistry. Although an MS degree is officially offered, students are not admitted for a terminal master's degree.
From atoms and cells to plants and animals, biochemistry research in IPiB is at the forefront of modern science. We are home to around 100 graduate students and 50 world-class faculty pursuing cutting-edge research in all areas of biochemistry, including cell and developmental biology, chemical biology, endocrinology, enzymology, immunology, metabolism, molecular genetics, molecular medicine, physical biochemistry and biophysics, quantitative biology, structural biology, systems and synthetic biology, and virology. The program teaches critical thinking skills, applicable to a wide range of professional fields that students pursue after graduation.
The size and breadth of IPiB provide unique opportunities for graduate students who want to pursue a degree in one of the top biochemistry graduate programs in the nation. Our modern facilities are filled with labs carrying out groundbreaking research in a collaborative, friendly, and inspirational atmosphere. Welcome to IPiB, and we hope that you can share our enthusiasm for the biochemical sciences!
Dual Degrees
The program participates with the School of Medicine and Public Health in offering a dual degree program for students wishing to complete both the MD and PhD degrees. For the prerequisites and degree requirements for the MD degree, as well as the online application form, see Medical Scientist Training Program.
Admissions
Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.
Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online.
| Fall Deadline | December 1 |
| Spring Deadline | This program does not admit in the spring. |
| Summer Deadline | This program does not admit in the summer. |
| GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) | Not required. |
| English Proficiency Test | Refer to the Graduate School: Minimum Requirements for Admission policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1241. |
| Other Test(s) (e.g., GMAT, MCAT) | n/a |
| Letters of Recommendation Required | 3 |
To qualify for admission to the program, an applicant must complete a bachelor's degree at a regionally accredited college or university. The basic background for graduate study in biochemistry ordinarily would be provided by an undergraduate degree in biochemistry, chemistry, physics, or in one of the biological or medical sciences. The Admission Committee assesses a candidate’s potential for success in the program by taking all aspects of their application into consideration. Most successful applicants have completed a rigorous undergraduate curriculum that includes courses in biology, chemistry, physics, and math. Most have also had a substantive laboratory experience that demonstrates commitment and talent for research. The applicant's undergraduate grade point average must be at least 3.0 (4.0 scale). For more information, please visit the Prospective Students tab on the program's website.
Funding
Graduate School Resources
The Bursar’s Office provides information about tuition and fees associated with being a graduate student. Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.
Program Resources
IPiB students receive a full stipend as well as tuition remission and comprehensive health insurance. The stipend rates can be found here and can take the form of traineeships, research assistantships, or fellowships, and are guaranteed for all IPiB PhD candidates in good academic standing and making satisfactory research progress. IPiB also assists its graduate students with outstanding academic records in competing for university or national awards.
Minimum Graduate School Requirements
Review the Graduate School minimum degree requirements and policies, in addition to the program requirements listed below.
Major Requirements
Mode of Instruction
| Face to Face | Evening/Weekend | Online | Hybrid | Accelerated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | No | No | No |
Mode of Instruction Definitions
Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion. Students typically take enough credits aimed at completing the program in a year or two.
Evening/Weekend: Courses meet on the UW–Madison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends to accommodate typical business schedules. Students have the advantages of face-to-face courses with the flexibility to keep work and other life commitments.
Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus.
Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats. Contact the program for more specific information.
Online: These programs are offered 100% online. Some programs may require an on-campus orientation or residency experience, but the courses will be facilitated in an online format.
Curricular Requirements
| Minimum Credit Requirement | 54 credits |
| Minimum Residence Credit Requirement | 42 credits |
| Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement | 48 credits must be graduate-level coursework. Refer to the Graduate School: Minimum Graduate Coursework (50%) Requirement policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1244. |
| Overall Graduate GPA Requirement | 3.00 GPA required. Refer to the Graduate School: Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirement policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1203. |
| Other Grade Requirements | n/a |
| Assessments and Examinations | Deposit of the doctoral dissertation in the Graduate School is required. |
| Language Requirements | n/a |
| Graduate School Breadth Requirement | Doctoral students must complete the program’s required coursework plus a minimum of 6 credits of approved breadth coursework in the physical, biological, and/or quantitative sciences (3 credits each from two of these categories). Students who opt for the Option A or B doctoral minor or a graduate/professional certificate must complete the program’s required coursework, the requirements of the minor or certificate program, and a minimum of 6 credits of approved breadth coursework in the physical, biological, and/or quantitative sciences. The latter might be waived with approval from the Education and Career Development Committee. |
Required Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Program Course Requirements | ||
| BIOCHEM/BMOLCHEM 701 | Responsible Conduct in Bioscience Research (taken fall of first year) | 2 |
| BIOCHEM 719 | From Atoms to Molecules (taken fall of first year) | 3 |
| BMOLCHEM 720 | Experimental Design and Paradigms in Cellular Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (taken spring of first year) | 3 |
| BIOCHEM 721 | Biochemical Communication (taken fall of second year) | 2 |
| Research Requirements | ||
| Complete the following for 33 credits: | 33 | |
| Research | ||
| Advanced Biomolecular Chemistry and Research | ||
| Breadth Requirements | ||
| Students must complete a minimum of two additional graduate-level (Grad 50%) courses from the following list of didactic or laboratory courses in order to fulfill their breadth requirements, and a minimum of 6 total credits is required. In consultation with their committee, students must complete courses from at least 2 of the following categories: physical sciences, biological sciences, or quantitative sciences. One-credit seminars do not satisfy the breadth requirements. | 6 | |
| Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolism | ||
| Biology of Viruses | ||
| Protein and Enzyme Structure and Function | ||
| Mathematical Methods for Systems Biology | ||
| Prokaryotic Molecular Biology | ||
| Advanced Nutrition: Intermediary Metabolism of Macronutrients | ||
| Eukaryotic Molecular Biology | ||
| Plant Biochemistry | ||
| Mechanisms of Action of Vitamins and Minerals | ||
| Molecular Control of Metabolism and Metabolic Disease | ||
| Microbiology at Atomic Resolution | ||
| Advanced or Special Topics in Biomolecular Chemistry (Topic: Biochemical Methods for Genome Maintenance) | ||
| Chemical Biology | ||
| From Atoms to Molecules | ||
| Experimental Design and Paradigms in Cellular Biochemistry and Molecular Biology | ||
| Biochemical Communication | ||
| Advanced Topics (Topics: Membrane Protein Structure and Function (Advanced); Foundations of Biotechnology; Biochemical Applications of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) | ||
| Statistical Methods for Bioscience I | ||
| Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience | ||
| Microscopy of Life | ||
| Genomic Science | ||
| Biophysical Chemistry | ||
| Proteomics Approaches for Biologists | ||
| Fundamentals of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology | ||
| General Virology-Multiplication of Viruses | ||
| Bioinformatics for Microbiologists | ||
| Biophysical Spectroscopy | ||
| Purification and Characterization of Protein and Protein Complexes | ||
| Selected Topics in Physiology | ||
| Carcinogenesis and Tumor Cell Biology | ||
| Cellular and Molecular Biology/Pathology | ||
| Biology of Aging | ||
| Advanced Bioinformatics | ||
| Bioinformatics for Biologists | ||
| Methods in Quantitative Biology | ||
| Molecular and Cellular Principles in Pharmacology | ||
| Design of Biological Molecules | ||
| Special Topics in Biostatistics and Biomedical Informatics (Topic: Computational Network Biology) | ||
| Plant Cell Biology | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Advanced Genomic and Proteomic Analysis | ||
| Seminar Requirement | ||
| PhD students must take at least five semesters of seminars and present in three of those. Students select 1-credit seminars in consultation with their committee. | 5 | |
| Total Credits | 54 | |
Teaching/Professional Development Requirement
IPiB students are required to teach one semester and to complete a professional development requirement of at least 60 total hours duration. The Professional Development (PD) experience allows students to acquire specialized training that aligns with their career aspirations.
Graduate School Policies
The Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures serve as the official document of record for Graduate School academic and administrative policies and procedures and are updated continuously. Note some policies redirect to entries in the official UW-Madison Policy Library. Programs may set more stringent policies than the Graduate School. Policies set by the academic degree program can be found below.
Major-Specific Policies
Prior Coursework
Graduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions
For well-prepared advanced students, the program may accept up to 12 credits of prior graduate coursework from an uncompleted degree from other institutions towards the minimum graduate degree credit and minimum graduate coursework (50%) requirement. The minimum graduate residence credit requirement can be satisfied only with courses taken as a graduate student at UW–Madison.
Undergraduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions or UW-Madison
No undergraduate credits earned at other institutions or at UW–Madison are allowed to transfer toward the graduate degree.
Credits Earned as a Professional Student at UW-Madison (Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Veterinary careers)
Refer to the Graduate School: Transfer Credits for Prior Coursework policy.
Credits Earned as a University Special Student at UW–Madison
No credits taken as a University Special student are allowed to transfer toward the graduate degree.
Probation
Refer to the Graduate School: Probation policy.
Advisor / Committee
Every graduate student must have a faculty thesis advisor in the program. The thesis advisor advises the student about coursework, supervises the student's research, and acts as a mentor to the student through the student’s graduate career. The thesis advisor must approve the student's coursework before registration for a given semester and must also approve any subsequent changes to it.
A PhD thesis committee is composed of at least four graduate University faculty members, including the thesis advisor. The thesis committee is empowered by the program to advise the student about certification, administer the preliminary examination, oversee annual progress reports, approve thesis composition, and conduct the final PhD examination.
Credits Per Term Allowed
A maximum of 12 credits in fall and spring semesters and 2 credits in summer semesters is permitted for non-dissertators; 3 credits in fall, spring, and summer semesters for dissertators.
Time Limits
Refer to the Graduate School: Time Limits policy.
Grievances and Appeals
These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:
- Bias or Hate Reporting
- Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures
- Hostile and Intimidating Behavior Policies and Procedures
- Employee Assistance (for personal counseling and workplace consultation around communication and conflict involving graduate assistants and other employees, post-doctoral students, faculty and staff)
- Employee Disability Resource Office (for qualified employees or applicants with disabilities to have equal employment opportunities)
- Graduate School (for informal advice at any level of review and for official appeals of program/departmental or school/college grievance decisions)
- Office of Compliance (for class harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence)
- Office Student Assistance and Support (OSAS) (for all students to seek grievance assistance and support)
- Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (for conflicts involving students)
- Ombuds Office for Faculty and Staff (for employed graduate students and post-docs, as well as faculty and staff)
- Title IX (for concerns about discrimination)
Program Grievance Policy
If a student feels unfairly treated or aggrieved by faculty, staff, or another student, the University offers several avenues to resolve the grievance. When possible, students’ concerns about unfair treatment are best handled by speaking directly with the person responsible for the objectionable action. If the student is uncomfortable speaking with the individual(s) involved, or if such discussions do not resolve the issue, the student should contact the direct supervisor of the person responsible for the objectionable action. For example, if it is a lab member, the aggrieved student should contact the PI of the lab. If the PI is the source of the grievance, the student should contact the PI’s department chair. The student may also contact the IPiB program director and/or the Office of Student Assistance and Support (OSAS; https://osas.wisc.edu/).
In addition, hostile or intimidating behavior (HIB) may be reported directly to campus via this web site: https://hr.wisc.edu/hib/
If the action taken by the supervisor in response to the grievance is deemed inadequate by the student, the student may submit a written report of the grievance to the relevant department chair within sixty calendar days of the event that created the grievance. Within ten working days of receipt of the written report, the department chair will refer the matter to a committee comprised of a subset of the IPiB Steering Committee. This subcommittee will request a written response to the complaint from the person to whom the complaint is directed within twenty working days at which time the response will be shared with the student who lodged the complaint. The department chair will provide a written decision to the student and the respondent on the action recommended by the subcommittee within ten working days of receiving the recommendation.
If either party involved in the dispute is not satisfied with the decision of the subcommittee, they have five working days from the receipt of the decision to contact the office of the Dean of the Graduate School (gsacserv@grad.wisc.edu) in writing to register an intention to appeal the decision.
Other
All students, both US and international, receive an annual stipend and tuition remission for the duration of their studies, provided satisfactory progress is made toward their degree. Comprehensive medical coverage is also offered. In addition, some students are supported on fellowships or training grants. Students are chosen based on criteria specified by the different training grants.
Students may matriculate only in the fall semester.
Professional Development
Graduate School Resources
Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career.
Learning Outcomes
- Gain a broad understanding of the biochemical principles that underlie all biological processes.
- Become aware of the current limitations of the state of understanding of this discipline and the strategies that are required to advance the field.
- Formulate and design new approaches that extend and apply biochemical principles beyond their current boundaries.
- Conduct independent research using a diverse breadth of biochemical processes.
- Think critically to address research challenges using a broad range of the theories, research methods, and approaches to scientific inquiry.
- Collaborate with investigators within the program, university, and beyond since current and future advances in the biomolecular sciences demand interdisciplinary skills.
- Foster professional and ethical conduct in the sciences, including but not limited to: exposition of the scientific method; ethical design of experimental protocols; reproducibility in science; professional behavior in industrial, government, and academic settings; documentation of scientific results; communication to other scientists and the public; peer review; and confidentiality.
- Develop communications skills that enable the articulation of research to fellow scientists and non-scientists.
- Explore career development opportunities in industry, government and academia to realize professional goals and paths.
- Develop teaching and mentoring skills in both lecture and laboratory settings.