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 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.
Biology 1010-1040 is a set of four half-semester modules that together constitute a one-year course that spans the broad field of biology. The topics covered are Biochemistry and Biophysics (Biology 1010), Cell Biology (Biology 1020), Genetics and Developmental Biology (Biology 1030), and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (Biology 1040).
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 1010–1040 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 who do not complete the introductory BIOL sequence take one or two (depending on the number of BIOL 1010-1040 modules completed) advanced lecture or seminar courses (MCDB 2000 level or above or equivalent level in some related departments) to complete the biology prerequisite.
MCDB Lecture Amaleah Hartman has written an more in-depth article explaining the BIOL sequence and its benefits.
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.