Is MCDB right for you?

MCDB Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology. The central focus of the MCDB major is on the fundamental mechanisms of how living systems operate at the cellular and molecular levels of organization, including the molecules of life and how they are assembled into functional subcellular and cellular structures, with heavy emphasis on genetic information and regulation of its expression in all aspects of living systems, including embryonic development.

EBIO Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. The central focus of EBIO addresses the complex interaction of genes, species and ecosystems and how these change through time. The goal of ecology is to understand how ecosystems function, how populations expand, are regulated, and interact for form biological communities. Evolutionary biology seeks to understand the history of life on Earth, including its present distribution and variety, and the genetic, population, and environmental processes that lead to extinction, as well as the evolution of new forms.

IPHY Integrative Physiology. The central focus of IPHY is the study of how humans and other animals function at the level of cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems. The Integrative Physiology program of study emphasizes both the role of physical activity in human health and function across the lifespan and the responses of different organisms to various forms of stress.

BCHM Biochemistry major, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. The central focus of the BCHM major is on the molecules of life, with emphasis on their chemical properties, their biological functions, their regulatory interactions, and their synthesis, metabolism, and degradation in living systems.

There is very little overlap in the biology courses that are required for MCDB and EBIO beyond the first semester course for each department. IPHY and BCHM will accept either MCDB or EBIO Introductory Sequence.

To allow MCDB students the opportunity to pursue their interest in one of these other biological sciences (EBIO, IPHY or BCHM), the MCDB department will accept one upper division elective from a list of pre-approved courses from these departments.


Basis for choice of major

If you are planning a career in Biology, there is enough difference between MCDB, EBIO, and IPHY so that the choice should not be too difficult in most cases. Your undergraduate major should accurately reflect the type of career that you are planning or the type of advanced training that you will be seeking. In general, this will reflect which set of course topics is of greatest interest to you, tempered somewhat by employment prospects in your areas of greatest interest.

Pre-health science students: Students preparing for a career in medicine or related health fields should choose an academic major based on their interest. The Pre-health Advising Office will work with you and your academic advisor to plan your undergraduate course work.

One very important consideration is which department you think you can earn the best grades in. To a large extent this will be determined by how interesting you find the subject material.

Another important consideration is what alternative career will the major prepare you for if you are not accepted into professional school or choose not to go.
MCDB-BCHM Double Major: There is enough overlap of required courses between the MCDB and BCHM majors so that they can be combined into a double major quite readily. This option has become quite popular with MCDB majors who are planning to seek the Ph.D. degree in molecular biology or genetics, or to seek employment in biotechnology with the B.A. as their terminal degree. The MCDB Guide for Undergraduate Majors describes the entire set of requirements for the MCDB-BCHM double major.

We generally advise premedical students not to pursue the MCDB-BCHM double major unless they are confident that they can handle the academic rigor of the program without hurting their grade point averages. Please note that each major must be approved by its own department. It is therefore important for double majors to check regularly with advisors in both departments.