[Updated 2017] Whether you would like to see if you’d truly be interested in a career in biochemistry or you’re just passionate about the topic and you have some free time that you want to dedicate to it, attending an online course is a great way to start. Without further ado, choose the best online biochemistry course from the selection we have prepared for you today!
1. Principles of Biochemistry from Harvard University
This course from Harvard University may very well be the best online biochemistry course out there. You will be introduced to the structure of macromolecules and how cells function from a purely biochemical approach. Students also learn about protein function by looking at some of the most important metabolic pathways, how they connect to each other, and how drugs and mutations can manipulate them. Furthermore, you will explore red blood cells and tissues such as liver and muscle in order to understand how metabolic complexity progresses. Overall, you will be provided with very useful analytical and problem solving skills that will be of great help to you in the future.
The two authors of the course, Alain Viel and Rachelle Gaudet, both teach at Harvard University, and they have devised this free online biochemistry course for anyone who is interested in learning the basics of biochemistry. If you are successful, you have the possibility of also getting a certificate to attest to your efforts.
Website: Harvard.edu.
Certificate: Yes (for $199).
Exam: Yes.
Cost: Free.
2. Introductory Biochemistry from UC Berkeley Extension
Another introductory class for people who want to learn more about biochemistry, this online biochemistry course offered by UC Berkeley is targeted to people who already took classes in elementary chemistry and biology. Moreover, they also recommend you to take at least one semester of organic chemistry before you sign up for this class. Once you enroll, you have between 90 and 180 days to finish the course and pass the final exam.
The course is all about how humans and other life forms survive and grow due to physical, biological, and chemical processes. You will learn about biological macromolecules and what their basic chemistry and structure is. Furthermore, the class offers an outlook on some processes such as energy production, photosynthesis, or biological oxidation. Finally, you will also understand how the environment influences biological systems.
Website: Berkeley.edu.
Certificate: No.
Exam: Yes.
Cost: $1,050.00.
3. Biochemistry from Carnegie Mellon University
This online biochemistry course is designed for people who are either biology majors or chemical engineering majors. However, the course is introductory, so you don’t have to have any prior knowledge of biochemistry. At the end of this course, you will be able to understand how biological molecules interact from a thermodynamic, structural, and molecular point of view. What are the effects of these interactions on systems and their biochemical properties? The course will answer this question as well.
This course lasts for a whole semester, during which you have to go through 3 modules every week. You will need to have some programs installed on your computer, such as Java or Flash, but they are free of charge, so you don’t have to worry about that. The best news is that this course is also free of charge, so you can learn the basics of biochemistry without paying any money.
Website: CMU.edu.
Certificate: No.
Exam: Checkpoints and quizzes.
Cost: Free.
4. Biochemistry: the Molecules of Life from Future Learn
This is a free online biochemistry course that last for 3 weeks, and where you are expected to work for 3 hours each week. So it doesn’t really take a lot of your time, and you can also get a certificate at the end, which is always great news.
You will learn about the history and general background of biochemistry, as well as what it means for life sciences today. The course guarantees that once you are done with it, you will be able to understand how biochemistry borrows a little bit from all of the natural sciences. Moreover, you will be taught what are the most relevant people and important events you should know from this field, and how biochemistry advanced in time. You will also discuss the importance of biochemistry for our future, and how people who are interested in this field have plenty of job opportunities to look forward to.
Website: FutureLearn.com.
Certificate: Yes (for $74).
Exam: No (to receive the certificate, you only need to mark 90% of the steps on the course as complete).
Cost: Free.
5. Principles of Biochemistry from Colorado State University
Colorado State University offers another great online biochemistry course that you might be interested in. This one focuses on how biological molecules are structured and how they function. You will also learn about biocatalysis, gene expression, energy transduction, and so on. So if you are studying engineering, health sciences, or biological sciences, this is a really good course for you to sign up for.
However, in order to be able to attend this class, you have to have taken other classes as well, such as organic chemistry or animal biology. You can check the full list on their website. It is possible to get accepted without these classes, but there is no guarantee.
Website: Online.Colostate.edu.
Certificate: Yes.
Exam: No.
Cost: $1,848.
6. Introduction to Biochemistry by UC San Diego Extension
Another introductory course to biochemistry, this time coming from UC San Diego, this one aims to make you understand how living organisms are driven by molecules. You will look at life from a molecular and atomic point of view, and you will also look at the 4 main biomolecules that help sustain living organisms: lipids, proteins, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates.
Furthermore, this online biochemistry course also takes a look at food and how we can find bioenergy there. Another great thing you will be taught is how people inherit certain genetic traits that come as DNA, and that are a decisive factor in how our cells function. You are eligible to take this course whether you have never before studied biochemistry or you have, but you want to remember the basics. If you already have some knowledge of chemistry and biology, this will be seen as a added bonus.
Website: UCSD.edu.
Certificate: Yes (the certificate registration fee is $95.00).
Exam: No.
Cost: $625.
7. Online Biochemistry Course from UNE Online
Finally, the last online biochemistry course we have prepared for you today looks at the main concepts related to biochemistry, and how we can apply them to health and disease. You will also look at some medical literature, and will be taught to recognize the kind of biochemistry you find there.
You get 16 weeks to finish this course, but you might be able to do it faster, depending on how much free time you have. However, since this is an online course, you don’t have to worry about sticking to a schedule. You can learn whenever you can or want. You also have to take some exams, and the course comes with certain prerequisites related to past experience that you can find on their website.
Website: Online.UNE.edu.
Certificate: No.
Exam: Yes.
Cost: $1385.
Summing up
As in the case of every online course out there, you can attend an online biochemistry course without worrying too much that you have to follow a schedule or go to university. On the contrary, you can work from the comfort of your own home. However, the fact that the courses are online does not mean they are less valuable than a traditional course. As we hope we’ve managed to prove with the list above, there are plenty of great and interesting options that you can choose from.
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Hello,
Based on the online biochemistry courses. Are all of them accepted for graduate schools and medical schools?
Best,
Monica Plasencia