The University of Arizona
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics home page

Biochemistry Senior Capstone

The Senior Capstone in Biochemistry is designed to provide the student with laboratory research experience. Participation in research helps in choosing careers, develops mentoring relationships with faculty and other members of research groups, and is the best way to learn science. Students in the Honors College can use the senior capstone thesis toward both the Biochemistry degree and for the required Honors Thesis. A minimum of two semesters of laboratory work (including a minimum of 6 units total of BIOC 498/498H credit) is required, which begins during a student’s penultimate semester. It is usually comprised of focused research work, followed by a semester of writing a thesis.

Students are responsible for making their own arrangements with a faculty mentor with whom to conduct research and who will oversee writing of the thesis, referred to hereafter as the Research Faculty Mentor. It is recommended that students identify a mentor no later than the semester before the senior capstone research is to begin and preferably two semesters before. For guidance on the selection process refer to Approach to Selecting a Thesis Advisor.

The student, with the aid of the chosen research mentor, must write a Senior Capstone Prospectus of not more than two pages that includes: 1) a statement of the problem, 2) background information, 3) methods to be used, 4) expected outcomes, and 5) references. Students can sign up for credit through the Biochemistry Academic Affairs office in BSW 360 after obtaining signatures from the proposed Research faculty mentor and one of the members of the BIOC Faculty Advisors**. Students wanting to work in laboratories of faculty who are not part of the Chemistry & Biochemistry Department must obtain permission from their Biochemistry Faculty Advisor. The process of obtaining approval of the Senior Capstone must be completed prior to the start of the first semester of research. This would normally be in the spring semester of the junior year.

There are no exams for BIOC498(H). After one semester of research, students must submit a revised Prospectus to their Biochemistry Faculty Advisor. It is expected that the research faculty mentor will work with the student as the student prepares and writes the thesis. Writing should be an ongoing process during the second semester, so that there is ample time to work on the thesis drafts with input from the research faculty mentor.  At least 2 weeks prior to the completion of classes for the second semester, the student must submit a thesis in “scientific paper format” (see guideline) for approval by the research mentor and by the Biochemistry faculty advisor. The thesis is not only the documentation of your research project, but also a scientific writing assignment. Before submission of the senior thesis, the research faculty mentor must sign the title page of the thesis (with date), signifying approval of the thesis for both scientific content, scope of the thesis, and writing style. The student should then bring the thesis to their assigned BIOC faculty advisor for their approval and signature. The BIOC faculty advisor will only approve the thesis after they have read the document. Once approved by the BIOC faculty advisor the thesis is turned in to Biochemistry student program office, BIOW 360.

Students graduating in the spring semester must also present a poster of their senior thesis at a special presentation sponsored by the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry during the last week of classes. 

Starting and Finishing Your Senior Capstone Research Experience

  1. First, secure a Research Faculty Mentor.

  2. Discuss an arrangement for the capstone experience with your research mentor. Determine what your project should entail and what tasks you will be required to do over the next two semesters.  Also, check the Honors College’s web site for information regarding your thesis if you are an Honors student:

    3. http://www.honors.arizona.edu/HonorsAcademics/Requirements/thesis.htm

  3. At the start of your first semester complete and submit the Registration Form Capstone– First Semester.

  4. At the end of your first semester, your research mentor will assign you a grade based on the agreed upon criteria in the registration form.  Before your second semester of thesis/capstone begins, touch base with your research mentor. Clarify what you should be focusing on for this final semester.

  5. At the start of your second semester, complete and submit the Registration Form for Capstone – Second Semester. Use the form to help you plan out your writing tasks for this semester.
  6. At the end of the semester, honors students must submit their Senior Honors Thesis to the Honors College by the last day of classes. The deadline to submit your thesis is usually one week before finals. Research advisors/mentors will assign grades for the senior experience.