Academics
Undergraduate Programs
The Molecular, Cell, & Developmental Biology Department offers three bachelor of science degrees and a minor:
- Molecular, Cell & Developmental Biology BS
- Neuroscience BS
- Biology BS
- Biology Minor
In addition, the department co-sponsors the following interdisciplinary program: Biology BA.
Our undergraduate programs also strongly support research training and careers for students from underrepresented groups. For more information, visit the Minority Access to Biomedical Research Careers website.
Advanced undergraduates, with the guidance of faculty mentors, have access to extensive departmental laboratory facilities for independent research. Many students take advantage of the numerous opportunities with local physicians, health-care providers, and biotech companies to gain experience in a real-world setting. This array of opportunities for directed independent study enables biological science majors to enhance their upper-division programs to reflect and strengthen their own interests and goals.
Graduate Programs
The Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology participates in the PhD Program in Biomedical Science and Engineering (PBSE). Over 50 faculty members who come primarily from the Departments of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, Biomolecular Engineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, offer an unusual breadth of expertise and exceptional opportunities in interdisciplinary graduate research training. When students apply, they indicate interest in one of four training tracks:
- Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology (MCD)
- Biomolecular Engineering and Biology (BMEB)
- Chemical Biology, Biochemistry and Biophysics (CB3)
- Microbial Biology and Pathogenesis (METX)
Each of the tracks provides a set of focused core courses and advanced electives that draw on the expertise of the PBSE faculty and provide students with advanced training in interdisciplinary approaches to biomedical science and engineering. The Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences and Engineering reflects the interdisciplinary and collaborative nature of biomedical research at UCSC.
The MCDB Department also hosts a Master of Science (M.S.) degree program. This is typically a two-year program carried out under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Acceptance into the M.S. program requires a faculty sponsor from MCD Biology before submitting an application.
