BS In Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology

The B.A. degree requires a minimum of five and one-half course credits beyond the prerequisites, including five lecture or seminar courses and one laboratory.

Requirements

Placement in MCDB courses is determined by examinations administered at Yale or by permission of the DUS. A student may place out of one or more courses in the BIOL 101–104 sequence. One or more of these foundational biology courses (or equivalent performance on the corresponding biological sciences placement examination) may be explicitly required as prerequisites for upper-level MCDB courses. Students that place out of two BIOL modules will be required to take an additional credit in MCDB’s core courses.

Placement in chemistry courses is arranged by the Department of Chemistry. Because required chemistry courses are prerequisite to several MCDB courses, students are strongly encouraged to take general and organic chemistry in the first and/or sophomore years. Students who place out of general chemistry may want to consider taking organic chemistry during the first year. Finishing the prerequisites early allows for a more flexible program in later years.

Acceleration credit awarded in chemistry, mathematics, or physics, or completion of advanced courses in those subjects, is accepted in place of the corresponding prerequisites for the MCDB major. Students who have mathematics preparation equivalent to MATH 115 or higher are encouraged to take additional mathematics courses, such as MATH 120, 121, 222, or 225, or ENAS 151 or 194. Students in the B.A. degree program who have satisfied one or more prerequisites with advanced placement must still complete three term courses in chemistry and physics at Yale, including at least one from each department.

For the B.A. degree, students must take a two-term lecture sequence in chemistry, usually in their first year, and a term course in physics numbered PHYS 170(Link is external) or higher usually in their junior year. 

  1. Two core courses selected from MCDB 200, 202, 205, 210, 290, 300 (or MB&B 300)
  2. Two general electives selected from MCDB courses numbered 250 or above, or two additional core courses from the list above. Two laboratory courses, either MCDB 342L and 343L or MCDB 344L and 345L, can be paired for a single elective credit. If used as an elective, these laboratories cannot also fulfill the laboratory requirement
  3. One special elective selected from MCDB courses numbered 350 or higher
  4. One laboratory from the biological sciences. Laboratories may be selected from MCDB, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, or Biomedical Engineering, or, with permission of the DUS, from Anthropology or Ecology & Evolutionary Biology


 

Choose One of the following which must be taken in Senior Year

  • MCDB 475 a or b (1 term of Independent Research);
  • Senior Essay (no credit)

Concentrations

In addition to the requirements for the B.A. degree or the B.S. degree programs, students interested in pursuing a concentration within the MCDB major must complete one required course and one elective from the list of approved courses as indicated. 

Find out details in the Yale course catalog.

Director of Undergraduate Studies and Registrar