MS Biochemistry (Medicinal Chemistry) at Arizona State University

Programme overview

You choose thesis, applied project or capstone pathways. These specialized pathways equip you with the analytical, computational, and communication competencies needed to serve as a leader in the biotechnology workforce or excel in competitive doctoral, medical and professional health programs. Housed in the School of Molecular Sciences, this concentration lets you pivot your focus between wet-lab synthetic screening, high-throughput biochemical assays and advanced computational molecular modeling.

What you will study

30 credit hours and a thesis, or 30 credit hours including the required applied project course (CHM 593 or BCH 593), or 30 credit hours including the required capstone course (BCH 597) Required Core (4 credit hours) BCH 501 Current Topics in Biochemistry or CHM 501 Current Topics in Chemistry (4) Concentration (3 credit hours) CHM 535 Medicinal Chemistry (3) Electives (9 or 15 credit hours) Other Requirements (5, 6 or 8 credit hours) BCH 501 Current Topics in Biochemistry (2) or CHM 501 Current Topics in Chemistry (2) BCH 591 Seminar (3) BCH 592 Research (6 or 8) Culminating Experience (2, 3 or 6 credit hours) BCH 593 Applied Project or CHM 593 Applied Project (2) BCH 597 Capstone (3) BCH 599 Thesis 6) Additional Curriculum Information For the required core, students complete four credit hours of any combination of BCH 501 and CHM 501 special topics.

Career pathways

Professionals with knowledge and skills gained in this program have opportunities in six general areas: health care (prephysician training, medical or clinical laboratory support), industry (research and development, quality control), academia (high school and higher education), government (research, policy), nonprofit (policy, public education) and entrepreneurship (consulting, startups).

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in chemistry, biochemistry or a closely related field from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program. All applicants must submit: graduate admission application and application fee official transcripts personal statement three letters of recommendation proof of English proficiency Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency. Applicants interested in pursuing the accelerated degree program should review the requirements and submit a pre-application found on the School of Molecular Sciences website before submitting a formal graduate admission application to the degree program.

Domestic applicants: USD 13,327 a year (2026-27). Arizona resident tuition. Tuition only for the graduate on-campus (Tempe/Downtown Phoenix/Polytechnic/West Valley) rate band in the ASU tuition estimator, 2026-27: Fall 2026 plus Spring 2027 term tuition summed (full-time flat rate; part-time credit loads Source

International applicants: USD 24,780 a year (2026-27). International tuition. Tuition only for the graduate on-campus (Tempe/Downtown Phoenix/Polytechnic/West Valley) rate band in the ASU tuition estimator, 2026-27: Fall 2026 plus Spring 2027 term tuition summed (full-time flat rate; part-time credit loads ar Source

Entry terms: Fall, Spring and Summer; the terms available for each programme are listed in Degree Search.

Graduate application deadlines are set by each programme office and listed in Degree Search; the application opens almost a year before the start term. The nonrefundable application fee is $75 for U.S. citizens, permanent residents, DACA and international online students outside the U.S., and $120 for international students on a nonimmigrant visa studying in the U.S. Apply with ASU's graduate application (Law applicants use the law college's site); GRE/GMAT requirements vary by programme.

Apply through the official page: https://admission.asu.edu/apply/graduate/admission

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