My time at Goshen College nurtured curiosity, compassion, humility, critical thinking, and commitment to peace and justice, laying a strong foundation for my work as a physician. Cross-cultural engagement, including time in Senegal and Morocco, broadened my perspectives and taught me the power of connection while the campus community’s culture of support showed me the importance of growing deep roots. I’m deeply grateful for GC’s enduring commitment to helping each student grow, learn, and thrive.
Bachelor of Arts
Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
Major
Why study molecular biology and biochemistry at Goshen?
You do real chemistry and lab work early, so you graduate with the proof med schools, grad programs and employers look for.
The Molecular Biology and Biochemistry program at Goshen College studies the structure and function of proteins, DNA and RNA in living systems. In a recent five-year stretch, 86% of applicants headed to medical school were accepted.
With small classes and faculty who mentor you by name, you learn how gene expression is regulated and how biological macromolecules behave. That preparation points you toward medical school, graduate research, biotechnology or the life sciences.
Built around your life
If you are the first in your family to head into science, you belong here. Pursue the full major, with small classes that mean you are never just a face in a lecture hall.
Many students commute from nearby Indiana counties, and staying close to home is the norm here, not a compromise. Whether you are a 30-minute drive away, or come from across the hemisphere, you will find a place in our Goshen College labs.
What you’ll study
CORE and elective courses cover the molecular machinery of life: Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Microbial Biology, Molecular Genetics and Organic Chemistry. You learn the science by doing it, in weekly labs from early on.
You will finish with a collaborative research project that serves as your senior thesis, the kind of work you can name on a med-school or graduate-school application. View the complete program requirements in our catalog.
Joelle Friesen, M.D. '17
Chief Medical Resident at Mayo Clinic
Where graduates go
Graduates are prepared for roles such as biomedical engineer, clinical lab technologist, geneticist, molecular biologist, or surgeon and research scientist. Alumni have gone on to graduate from medical schools and now work in research institutions, hospitals and biotech companies.
Many students go directly into health professions. Others enter master’s or doctoral programs in molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics or related life sciences, where the lab experience you gain at Goshen helps you stand out.
If you would rather start working right after graduation, you will be ready for lab and research roles in universities, hospitals, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, and government and public health agencies. Whichever path you choose, you will leave with strong lab skills, the ability to analyze data and solve problems, and faculty support every step of the way.
Pay for Goshen College
Scholarships make up a large part of most financial aid packages at Goshen, averaging almost $26,000 per student. Academic scholarships of $14,000 to $20,000 per year are awarded automatically to admitted first-year students based on their academic record.
You can also apply for achievement scholarships that recognize your interests, leadership and promise, including the President’s Leadership Award, the First Gen Leadership Award and awards for music and athletics. Transfer students have their own scholarships too. Applications for several of the largest awards are due January 15, so talk with your admissions counselor early to find the best fit.
Facilities & resources
Common questions about molecular biology and biochemistry
Yes. Many Goshen students commute from nearby Indiana counties, and staying close to home is the norm here, not a compromise. The campus sits in Goshen, Indiana, and small classes mean you are known by name whether you live on campus or drive in for labs and lectures.
Graduates pursue medical school, graduate research, biotechnology and life-science careers, working as geneticists, molecular biologists, research scientists, pharmacologists, biomedical engineers and clinical lab technologists. Over a recent five-year average, 86% of applicants to medical school were accepted, and 93% of graduates were employed, in grad school or in service within a year.
Goshen College is a small, values-centered community where students who arrive from across the world find people quickly. Students work alongside faculty in the same small labs regardless of where they are from, or what they believe in. If you are an international student, contact Goshen admissions and the international student office directly for visa, advising and scholarship details.
Ready to get started?
Jonathon Schramm
Professor of Sustainability and Environmental Education
Department ChairDan Smith
Professor of Chemistry
Department ChairRaquel Montanez Gonzalez
Associate Professor of Biology
Phil Allman
Professor of Marine Biology
Andy Ammons
Professor of Biology
