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MCB Major and Minor Information
Molecular and Cell Biology Major (B. S.)
MCB major :
This degree is intended for students with interests in molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry, microbiology, or genetics, including subsequent careers in research in any of these areas, as well as careers in biotechnology, medicine, dentistry, and veterinary science.
Where appropriate, a course may fulfill more than one requirement; e.g., MCB 2610 and 3010 count towards the Core Courses requirement as well as the Laboratory requirement. BIOL 2289 may be used to count toward the 24 credits of required MCB courses.
Prerequisite courses :
1. BIOL 1107, Principles of Biology. Students entering as freshmen with credit for BIOL 1107 should consider taking MCB 2410, Human Genetics, in the freshman year.
2. CHEM 1127Q and 1128Q, General Chemistry (or CHEM 1124Q, 1125Q, and 1126Q Fundamentals of General Chemistry)
3. MATH 1131Q and 1132Q (or MATH 1120Q, 1121Q, and 1122Q), Calculus
4. PHYS 1401Q and 1402Q, General Physics with Calculus (or PHYS 1201Q and 1202Q, General Physics)
Courses required for the major : at least 24 credits in MCB courses, including:
Core Courses requirement : At least 3 of the following courses: MCB 2210, Cell Biology; MCB 2410, Human Genetics or MCB 2413, Concepts of Genetic Analysis (lab); MCB 2610, Fundamentals of Microbiology; MCB 3010, Biochemistry (lab)
Laboratory requirement : At least 3 laboratory courses chosen from the following list: (Where appropriate, a course may fulfill more than one requirement; e.g., MCB 3010 counts towards the Core Courses requirement as well as the Laboratory requirement).
MCB 2000, Introduction to Biochemistry
MCB 2225W, Advanced Cell Biology Laboratory
MCB 2413, Concepts of Genetic Analysis
MCB 2610, Fundamentals of Microbiology
MCB 3010, Biochemistry
MCB 3414, Experiments in DNA Identification
MCB 3633, Pathogenic Microbiology
MCB 3640W, Bacterial Diversity and Ecology
MCB 3989, Introduction to Research (may be repeated, but only 3 credits may count toward the 24 credits of required MCB courses)
MCB 4026W, Advanced Biochemistry Laboratory
MCB 4415, Experiments in Molecular Genetics
MCB 4624, Experiments in Bacterial Genetics
Related Courses : At least 12 credits at the 2000s level or higher in related disciplines.
Required Related Courses :
CHEM 2443 and 2444, Organic Chemistry
Suggested Related Courses :
CHEM 2445, Organic Chemistry Laboratory
PNB 2250, Animal Physiology
EEB 2244/W, General Ecology
EEB 2245/W, Evolutionary Biology
MCB Writing and Information Literacy competency requirements : One of the following courses is required: MCB 2225W, MCB 3022W, MCB 3640W, MCB 3841W, MCB 4026W, MCB 4997W, EEB 2244W or EEB 2245W.
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Questions and Answers about Majors in MCB.
Q. What is the difference between a major in MCB and a major in Biological Sciences?
A. Aside from differences in required "core" and laboratory courses, the MCB major requires 24 credits of MCB, whereas the Biological Sciences major requires 24 credits chosen from EEB, MCB, and PNB. The MCB major includes a requirement for a year of organic chemistry, which is recommended but not required for the Biological Sciences major.
Q. If I start out with an intended major in MCB, can I switch to Biological Sciences, or to another biology major?
A. Yes. Until you file your final "plan of study" with the registrar at the beginning of your last semester, you are not committed to a particular major. It may be more difficult to change your preparation from a Biological Sciences major to an MCB major than the reverse, since the MCB major has more requirements.
Q. If I major in MCB, are there specific courses that I need for my relateds?
A. All MCB majors can use the required organic chemistry courses towards their related course requirement. The selection of other related courses is up to you and your advisor, and can include a variety of courses from departments such as Chemistry, EEB, PNB, Mathematics, Pathobiology, and others.
Molecular and Cell Biology Minor
Students wishing a minor in Molecular and Cell Biology must take at least 15 credits of 2000s level MCB courses, including at least one course from each of the following three groups:
1. Genetics group : MCB 2211, Gene Expression; MCB 2410, Human Genetics; MCB 2413, Concepts of Genetic Analysis; or MCB 3617, Molecular Biology and Genetics of Prokaryotes
2. Biochemistry group : MCB 2000, Introduction to Biochemistry; or MCB 3010, Biochemistry
3. Cell biology group : MCB 2210, Cell Biology; or MCB 2610, Fundamentals of Microbiology
If you will complete requirements for the MCB minor and are entering your final semester of undergraduate study, print out the MCB minor checklist here , obtain needed signature, and include it when you take your final plan of study to the Registrar's Office.
NOTE: Completion of a minor requires that a student earn a C (2.0) or better in each of the required courses for that minor. Substitutions are not possible for required courses in a minor.
Questions and Answers about Minors in Biology.
Q. What is the difference between a minor and the related course requirement?
A. All students must satisfy the related course requirements, whereas the minor is an optional choice. Minors are more rigorously defined than relateds: for example, the MCB minor requires at least 15 credits in MCB, whereas courses counted towards the related group require only 12 credits, and can be from different departments, as approved by the student's advisor.
Q. What is the advantage of completing a minor?
A. A minor will be listed on a student's transcript along with the major, whereas relateds are not listed. Minors are structured to ensure that students are exposed to a basic core of knowledge in a discipline, and require more course work than the related requirement. Completion of a minor in addition to a major provides evidence of a student's ability to succeed in more than a single discipline.
Q. Can I get a minor in the same department as my major?
A. No, that is not allowed. An MCB major cannot receive an MCB minor, for example. But you can minor in a department closely related to your major; a Physiology and Neurobiology major can minor in Molecular and Cell Biology, and vice versa (if a PNB minor is approved).
Q. My major includes several courses in another department, and several of those courses are on the list of required courses for the minor. Do those courses still count towards the minor?
A. Yes. For example, pharmacy students are required to take MCB 2610 (Microbiology) and MCB 2000 (Biochemistry), both of which are required courses for the MCB minor. By taking two more appropriate MCB courses, a pharmacy student can qualify for an MCB minor.
Q. What do I have to do to obtain a minor?
A. You must take the appropriate courses. In addition, you must fill out a "Minor plan of study", have this signed by the chair or other designated agents of the department offering the minor, and file this with your plan of study in the final semester before graduation.
Q. If I earned less than a grade of "C" in some of my MCB courses, can I still apply them towards the minor?
A. No. University rules stipulate that you can only count courses with grades of "C" or better towards the minor. |
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University of Connecticut |