At the end of freshman year, the student has the option of continuing with the faculty fellow advisor assigned for the first year or of choosing a new faculty advisor for the sophomore year. MCDB majors should find an advisor in the program as soon as they decide on the major. Students in the MCDB major should contact the MCDB Undrgraduat Registrar: Andrea.Chamba@yale.edu to be assigned an advisor or they can select any member of the MCDB faculty as an advisor, either a fellow of their residential college or an individual with common interests. A list of primary faculty, fellows and their affiliated colleges is presented on page 44 of this booklet. Students in the neurobiology, biotechnology or quantitative biology tracks should consult the advisors specified above with the tracks. The sophomore year advisor usually remains a student’s advisor for the following two years as well, but it is possible to switch if a student prefers another individual. Note: It is possible to switch areas of concentration, especially in the first two years. If a student changes area, he/she should also change to an appropriate advisor for that area. Students might find it most convenient to consult with the MCDB Undergraduate Registrar to identify an appropriate primary faculty advisor. However a primary faculty advisor is identified, communicating that choice to the MCDB Undergraduate Registrar will ultimately be useful to both you and the Department. The MCDB faculty advisor’s role is four-fold. First, the advisor ensures that the student selects and fulfills the requirements needed for graduation. Second, the advisor ensures that the major’s distributional requirements are fulfilled. Third, the advisor gives guidance on the student’s curriculum and future career plans. Finally, the faculty advisor may be asked to write letters of recommendation if the student should so desire.
The regular faculty advisor should handle most routine issues, including signing schedules. Certain matters require the attention of the director of undergraduate studies. The MCDB DUS can be reached by email or through the Undergraduate Registrar.