Plan ahead for courses where students have earned lower grades.
Lowest historical GPA first. At least 100 letter grades over the five years through the selected term. Grades reflect past outcomes, not workload or a guaranteed result.
15 courses
Ranked courses have at least 100 recorded letter grades.
Biology of Viruses covers animal virology at the molecular level, focusing on virus structure, replication/lifecycle, pathogenesis, and prevention.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Andrew Mehle
The course was described as tough, with detailed lecture slides that could feel overwhelming, though students advised focusing on general concepts rather than every tiny detail.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Covers biosynthesis, signal transduction, nucleic acid metabolism, protein synthesis, and molecular/cellular biology.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Sebastian York Bednarek
Exams rely heavily on irrelevant details, requiring students to memorize specific enzyme and cofactor names. Success demands consistent study habits rather than last-minute cramming.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Survey of Biochemistry explores chemical properties of biomolecules, metabolism, and DNA processes, linking them to disease, drug design, and gene therapy; it does not prepare students for advanced biochemistry or med/vet admission.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Paul Friesen
Homework was graded on completion, though points were deducted for brief answers to questions.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026General Biochemistry I covers the chemistry of biological materials, intermediary metabolism, and protein structure.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Timothy Grant
Lectures alone were insufficient for mastering the course content, so students needed to supplement their learning by reading the assigned textbook.
EUKARYOTIC MOLECULAR BIOLOGY focuses on basic molecular mechanisms regulating DNA, RNA, and protein metabolism in eukaryotes, including a thesis research project.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolism covers biochemical and physiological fundamentals of nutrition, including protein, fat, carbohydrate, energy, minerals, and vitamins in nutrition and metabolism.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Introduction to Biochemistry covers the chemistry, nutrition, and metabolism of biological systems, emphasizing biomolecular structures, genetic information processes, and central metabolic pathways.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Mario Pennella
Students reported that Mario Pennella’s section was dense and required a lot of time to understand the material well enough to succeed on the multiple-choice exam.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Biochemical Methods introduces modern biochemical laboratory techniques and literature, featuring student seminar presentations that parallel lab experiments.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Lynne Prost
One student found the lectures and exams easy, though they described the lab component as difficult and annoying, with presentations accounting for 15% of the grade.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026First-year seminar introducing the discipline of biochemistry, the UW Biochemistry Department, faculty research projects, university resources, and career options for students with a biochemistry background.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Seminar on computation and informatics in biology and medicine.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Introduction to molecular life mechanisms and evolutionary diversity, exploring current topics like gene editing, genomics, and biotechnology to evaluate scientific claims.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Mario Pennella
Homework required about 30 minutes per week, and exams tested material presented in class.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Graduate course covering selected topics in contemporary macromolecular or biophysical chemistry, focusing on discussing current topics of active interest in molecular biophysics.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Alessandro Senes
The course was rated as moderately difficult, with clear expectations set by the instructor.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Advanced Topics covers specialized subjects of current interest in biochemistry.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Seminar where Biotechnology Training Program trainees present research and internship work for critical review and discussion of industrial biotechnology applications.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Independent Study involves research work under the direct guidance of a Biochemistry faculty member.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026