As an MCD major, you need to satisfy the course requirements on your major checklist, as well as these additional requirements prior to graduating:  

Disciplinary Communication (DC)

As of 2009, all students must complete the DC requirement to graduate. For more information on how to satisfy the DC requirement for your specific major, see our Disciplinary Communication page.

Senior Exit

Also referred to as the Senior Comprehensive Requirement, all students must satisfy the Senior Exit to graduate.

Honors in the Major

Students with outstanding performance in their major courses may be eligible for Honors in the Major. Students who complete an outstanding senior thesis may be eligible for honors in their thesis.

Graduating

Students who are nearing the end of their academic career should verify they are on track to graduate. For more information on both preparing to graduate and the process for graduation, see our section on Graduating.

Need Help?
If you do not find the information you need for completing your major on this page, see Major Advising.

All students entering 2009 or later must satisfy a Disciplinary Communication requirement in addition to the requirements for their major. Courses used to satisfy the Disciplinary Communication requirement must be taken at UCSC. They cannot be transferred from another institution.

For complete guidelines for the Disciplinary Communication general education requirement, see the Academic Senate.

Use the chart below to determine which courses satisfy the Disciplinary Communication Requirement for your major:

Major	Disciplinary Communication Courses
Molecular, Cell & Developmental Biology B.S.	Students satisfy this requirement by successfully completing their laboratory elective.
Neuroscience B.S.	Students satisfy this requirement by successfully completing their laboratory elective.
Human Biology B.S.	BIOL 130L Human Physiology Lab, BIOL 189 Health Sciences Internship, and BIOL 189W Disciplinary Communication: Human Biology
Biology B.S.	Satisfied by completing BIOE 109 and BIOE 107 (2016 catalog) Satisfied by successful completion of two BIOE courses or one 5-credit BIOL lab chosen from the list of DC courses(2017 catalog)

Major	Senior Exit for 2017-18
Biology BS	Satisfied by receiving a passing grade in a laboratory or field course (any upper-division BIOE or BIOL course identified with an “L”).
Human Biology BS	Satisfied by receiving a passing grade in the Health Sciences Internship, BIOL 189
Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology BS	Satisfied by receiving a passing grade in an independent research laboratory: BIOL 100L, 105L, 109L, 115L, 120L, 121L, 186L; or Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology 119L.
Neuroscience BS	Satisfied by receiving a passing grade in an independent research laboratory: BIOE 141L, BIOL 100L, 105L, 109L, 115L, 120L, 121L, 186L.

Please read through past UCSC catalogs for specific senior exit requirements from previous years.

Honors are awarded to graduating students whose academic performance demonstrates excellence and results in a GPA of 3.5 or above in their major coursework. Highest honors are awarded to students who demonstrate the highest level of excellence and earn a GPA of 3.8 or above.

Honors can also be awarded to students who complete an outstanding senior thesis.

Have you completed all the requirements for your major?
Students are encouraged to review their academic record and use the major checklist to verify they have satisfied their major requirements prior to applying to graduate.

Also check your Academic Advisement Report in your MyUCSC portal for verification of completion of your campus level and general education requirements.

Applying to Graduate
Students must apply to graduate online through their MyUCSC portal. For instructions, see the Registrar’s Apply to Graduate.

NOTE: Be sure to apply for graduation for the quarter in which you will actually be finishing all your degree requirements.

Official Graduation vs Ceremonial Graduation
Official graduation (receiving your degree) occurs once you have applied to graduate and the Registrar verifies completion of your degree requirements and confers your degree. The Registrars FAQs for Students: Graduation page provides information regarding receiving your degree.

In some cases, students can participate in their college graduation ceremony or “walk” prior to the quarter they will actually complete their degree requirements. The Undergraduate Education website provides information on Registering for your College Commencement Ceremony.