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MCD Biology Enrollment Guide for Fall 2023!

Updated 5/19/2023

This Enrollment Guide contains important information and updates about enrolling in classes for Fall Quarter 2023.

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Helpful Reminders: 

  • Prioritize your major courses during First Pass enrollment and add GE’s during Second Pass enrollment, if necessary. 
  • Waitlists can only be joined during SECOND pass. 
  • Ensure you have no holds on your enrollment by checking your MyUCSC Student Center well before your enrollment appointment. 
  • Need to repeat a class for the third time? Be sure to check in with your College regarding a Double Repeat/Triple Take petition! NOTE: You MUST meet with your College to gain access to the Double Repeat/Triple Take petition.

 

Fall Enrollment Schedule (At-a-Glance): 

    • First Pass Appointments: Tuesday, May 23rd - Friday, May 26th, 2023
    • Second Pass Appointments and Waitlist: Tuesday, May 30th - Friday, June 2nd, 2023
      • Continuing Students Open Enrollment: June 3rd to August 9th, 2023
        • If the course has open seats, students can enroll via their MyUCSC 
        • NOTE: Continuing student enrollment will close at 11:59pm on August 9th, 2023 to allow incoming students the opportunity to enroll
  • New Student Enrollment
      • Fall 2023 Frosh Enrollment begins Tuesday, August 8th - Friday, August 18th, 2023
      • Fall 2023 Transfer Enrollment begins Monday, August 21st - Thursday, August 24th, 2023
  • All Student Enrollment
    • Enrollment opens for All students restarts on August 28th, 2023

 


Table of Contents:

 

 

Fall 2023 Enrollment Resources 

How to Get Support During Enrollment

 

      1. In-Person Academic Planning/Enrollment workshop:
        1. Wednesday, May 24th, 2023
        2. Location: Sinsheimer Labs room 123
        3. Time: 9:30am - 10:30am

 

      1. In-Person Academic Planning/Enrollment workshop:
        1. Friday, June 2nd, 2023
        2. Location: Sinsheimer Labs room 123
        3. Time: 10:30am - 11:30am
    1. Remember! If you are emailing mcdadvising@ucsc.edu, be sure to put your College in the subject line!

 

What Should I Enroll In?

Interested in participating in the course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) Labs? Look to enroll in BIOL 86: Research Deconstruction: MCD Biology in the Fall 2023 quarter to be eligible for the course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) Labs in the Winter 2024 and Spring 2024 quarters.

In previous years, students interested in the CUREs Labs would enroll in BIOL 102J: Toxic RNA Lab I or BIOL 107J: Synthetic Gene Regulation Lab I to begin the CUREs Lab sequences, however, the MCD Biology department has adjusted the CUREs Lab courses to have BIOL 86 be the entry point to all CUREs Labs. Please note that BIOL 20L is a prerequisite to enroll in the Winter and Spring CUREs Lab courses.

Want to enroll in BIOL 86 - Fill out the Interest Form here.

 

Fall 2023 Transfer Students

If you have completed CHEM 8B Organic Chemistry → Enroll in BIOL 100 Biochemistry. You can pair it with any lower division course you would like (e.g.,  MATH 11B, STAT 5 or 7/L, or PHYS 6A). 

*Note: BIOL 100 is the main prerequisite for most upper division MCD Biology (BIOL) courses and should be completed as soon as possible after transferring to UCSC.

If you have not completed CHEM 8B - look to enroll in BIOL 105: Genetics and pair it with any you would like (e.g.,  MATH 11B, STAT 5 or 7/L, or PHYS 6A.

Interested in participating in a Lab or Research? Look to enroll in BIOL 86: Research Deconstruction: MCD Biology in the Fall 2023 quarter to be eligible for the course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) Labs in the Winter 2024 and Spring 2024 quarters.

Want to enroll in BIOL 86 - Fill out the Interest Form here.

 

Also note that your Degree Progress Report (DPR) may not be accurate regarding the lower division courses you transferred in. Please consult your “Transfer Credit: Report '' in MyUCSC for accurate transfer information or speak with an MCD Biology Advisor.

Fall 2023 Frosh Students

Prioritize your General Chemistry Series with the aim of completing CHEM 3A, CHEM 3B/3BL and CHEM 3C/3CL by the end of Spring 2024. MATH 11A is also a high priority. 

Once you complete CHEM 3A, you can enroll in BIOL 20A. Once BIOL 20A has been completed, you can look to enroll in BIOE 20B and BIOL 20L in the subsequent quarter. 

*Remember that ALL qualification courses need to be completed by your 5th quarter (Winter 2025), so that you can declare in your 6th quarter (Spring 2025).


Full/Closed Class - What Should I Do? 

Always prioritize qualification courses and Core Four (BIOL 100, 101, 105 and 110) courses during first pass enrollment. We usually hold some seats in courses until after second pass enrollment, so don’t assume that a class is full or closed just because it has a waitlist.

 

The ONLY WAY to enroll in a course that is FULL is to get on a waitlist during second pass enrollment. A spot on the waitlist does not guarantee a spot in the class, so make sure you have a back up plan. 

 

If you are not able to enroll or waitlist during your enrollment appointments, it may be because:

  1. You are missing a prerequisite
  2. You have an enrollment hold (check your portal for details)
  3. You have exceeded the number of units you are allowed to enroll in or waitlist

If you were unable to waitlist or add a class from your portal, you can complete the Enrollment Request Sign In Sheet for Fall 2023 a week before the First Day of Instruction: Thursday, September 21, 2023 at 8am!

 

*Note: The Enrollment Request Sign In Sheet does not override holds or prerequisites. 

The reason we are waiting until the week before the first day of class to open the form is because many enrollment problems/challenges that students are encountering right now will be resolved well in advance of the first day of class or they may decide that they are no longer interested in taking the class.

If you are in the Santa Cruz area during Summer, check out the Summer Session website and course offerings (be sure to change the search term to Summer 2023) - MCD Biology is offering several upper division courses this summer.

 

Academic Planning

MCDB Curriculum Plan 2023-2024

Visit the MCD Biology Department Curriculum Plan to help you plan your courses for the rest of the year. Please remember that the curriculum plan is subject to change.

Note that other departments have these too:

 



Need a Second or Third Class? 

Be sure to meet with your College Advisor to check your General Education (GE) requirements as well as other University requirements are met. The Colleges have provided a list of courses that have few (if any) prerequisites - this list is called the “Best Bets List”. If you have questions regarding the Best Bets list, please contact your College Advisor.

 

Remember! You have at least 2 Advisors at UCSC! MCD Biology Undergraduate Advising is your Major advising home; your College Advisors are your General Education and University Requirement advisors - they also have resources to help you be successful during your time at UCSC.

 

Need to Make a Plan for Yourself? 

Visit our MCDB Academic Planning Page where you will find blank plans, sample plans, and checklists for your majors.

 

Important MCD Biology Department Updates

Prerequisites for MCD Biology Courses

The MCD Biology department has revised our prerequisites for most of our upper division courses - be sure to read the course descriptions for courses.

 

BIOL 100: Biochemistry has a prerequisite of CHEM 8B in addition to the continuing prerequisites of BIOL 20A and BIOE 20B. Please remember that the MCD Biology Department strictly enforces prerequisites for our Core upper division courses (BIOL 105, BIOL 100, BIOL 101, BIOL 110).

 

New Enrollment Restriction for BIOC 100 Series (BIOC 100A, BIOC 100B, and BIOC 100C)

Starting Fall 2023, enrollment for BIOC 100A is restricted to chemistry, biochemistry, and biomolecular engineering and bioinformatics majors, and chemistry minors.

Please fill out the BIOC 100A Enrollment Request Form if you are not in one of the majors/minor above but still want to enroll in BIOC 100A. We will review each submission for enrollment consideration after all of the chemistry, biochemistry, and biomolecular engineering and bioinformatics majors, and chemistry minor students have had an opportunity to enroll (after grades post). This can take several weeks.

MCD Biology students should communicate with their MCD major advisor if they are considering taking the BIOC 100 series instead of the BIOL 100 & BIOL 101 Biochemistry requirement. Students may not enroll in BIOC 100A to circumvent a repeat/triple take petition for BIOL 100.

Completion of this form does not guarantee enrollment into BIOC 100A.

BIOC 100A Enrollment Request Form

 

New General Chemistry Series starting Fall 2023

The Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry redesigned the General Chemistry lecture & lab series and it is planned to go live this Fall 2023! 


To allow continuing students to finish the series you started, classes in the CHEM 1 (CHEM 1A, 1B/M, 1C/N) series will be offered at least one more time in 2023-24 while the new CHEM 3 & CHEM 4 series launches for the first time. 2023-24 will be the final year that the CHEM 1 series is offered at UCSC. Starting in 2024-25, only the CHEM 3 and CHEM 4 series will be offered.


If you will not complete the CHEM 1 Series by the end of Spring 2023, check out this General Chemistry Redesign Student Enrollment Guide to learn more about what General Chemistry course(s) you should enroll in during 2023-24, when the different series/courses are planned to be offered, etc. 


If the General Chemistry course(s) are required for your major or minor, it is strongly recommended that you check in with your major or minor advisor before enrolling in 23-24 courses to ensure you are completing the correct coursework.  

 

New Student Opportunities Email Google Group

Join our new Student Opportunities Email Google Group to receive messages regarding opportunities shared with MCD Biology Advising from: other departments at UCSC, California state graduate schools, job, scholarship, research, training, volunteer & internship opportunities. You can unsubscribe at any time.

 

This Google Group is optional and you must register yourself at the link below - please note you can leave the group at any time.

 New Student Opportunities Email Google Group: MCDB FWD Opportunities!

 

Human Biology, BS Major

The Human Biology, BS major has been discontinued with the introduction of the Global and Community Health majors. 

 

Students who started at UCSC Fall 2022 or before are STILL ELIGIBLE TO DECLARE HUMAN BIOLOGY, BS AS THEIR MAJOR. Need to declare the Human Biology major? Check out the MCD Biology Petition to Declare webpage (scroll down to the actual declaration form as it is NOT on the MyUCSC eForm). Not going to meet the qualification requirements for the major before your 5th quarter at UCSC? Be sure to submit an Appeal or Pre-Appeal.

 

A general message regarding the Discontinuation of Human Biology, BS is posted on the MCD Biology Undergraduate Advising website.

 

New DC Requirements for Human Biology, BS majors graduating after Spring 2023:

Starting Fall 2023, Human Biology, BS majors who have not completed BIOL 189W will need to complete GCH 190: Global and Community Health Task Force and GCH 195: Global and Community Health Communication for the Disciplinary Communication (DC) Requirement. 

 

GCH 190: Global and Community Health Task Force (first part of the DC requirement for all GCH majors) will be offered during the Fall 2023 quarter

  • If you have not completed BIOL 189W and plan to to graduate in Spring 2024, be sure to complete the GCH 190 Enrollment Form to receive a permission number to enroll in GCH 190 for the Fall 2023 quarter 

 

GCH 195: Global and Community Health Communication (second part of the DC requirement for all GCH majors) will be offered during the Winter 2024 quarter

 

Please note that BIOL 189: Health Sciences Internship and BIOL 130L: Human Physiology Laboratory continue to be major requirements.

 

Health Sciences Internship (Graduation Requirement): 

The Health Sciences Internship (BIOL 189) is still required for both Human Biology, BS and both concentrations for Global and Community Health, BS. 

 

Be sure you attend an information session and apply for your Health Sciences Internship TWO (2) quarters in advance of when you want to do your internship. 

 

Check out the Health Sciences Internship FAQ’s page.

 

Global and Community Health Major

GCH 190: Global and Community Health Task Force (first part of the DC requirement for all GCH majors) will be offered during the Fall quarter 

 

GCH 195: Global and Community Health Communication (second part of the DC requirement for all GCH majors) will be offered during the Winter quarter

 

The Global and Community Health office is OPEN!!! Located in Soc Sci 1, room 117. 

Our Health Sciences Internship Coordinator, Global and Community Health Managing Director, and the Global and Community Health, BA Advisor are located in the GCH Office. 

MCD Biology Advisors and the Career Success Career Engagement Specialist for the Division of Physical and Biological Sciences also have rotating hours in the GCH office throughout the quarter.

 

Health Sciences Internship is still required for GCH BS majors (regardless of concentration): Be sure you apply for your Health Sciences Internship TWO (2) quarters in advance of when you want to do your internship. 

Check out the Health Sciences Internship FAQ’s page.

 

MCD Biology, BS

BIOL 104L is planned to be offered in the Spring 2024 quarter.

 

Reminder - BIOL 104L is only required for MCD Biology, BS FROSH admitted Fall 2021 and after.


Neuroscience, BS

BIOL 126 and BIOL 128 are only offered in the WINTER QUARTER for the 2023-2024 academic year.

BIOL 129L (the new upper division 5-units lab) will count towards fulfilling the Senior Exit/DC Lab requirement for all Neuroscience majors and will be offered every quarter for the 2023-2024 academic year. Note that BIOL 129L has a prerequisite of PHYS 6C - be sure to plan your schedule accordingly.

 REMINDER: BIOL 110 is no longer a required course for the Neuroscience major - we are working on updating the general catalog. BIOL 110 is no longer a prerequisite for: BIOL 126 and BIOL 128.

 

Upper Division Comprehensive Requirement (Formerly Senior Exit) and DC Labs

Due to extremely limited space, to enroll in MCD Biology Sponsored Comprehensive Requirement/DC Lab courses, you will need to wait until Second Pass to add yourself to the waitlist - MCD Biology Undergraduate Advising will be monitoring the enrollment in this course. Be sure you are checking your MyUCSC account for enrollment in the course.

  • All MCD Biology (BIOL) Comprehensive Requirement / DC labs are “closed” and will show “0 of XX Enrollment” during First Pass - be sure you add yourself to the waitlist for the class during Second Pass.
  • If you have already met the requirement for your senior lab / DC, PLEASE do not enroll in another one! 
  • Biology BS majors: Please utilize the option of choosing the shaded electives on your checklist to meet the senior exit and DC requirements.
  • Human Biology BS majors: Please remember your Senior Exit/DC Lab requirement will be met with completion of BIOL 130L and BIOL 189W OR GCH 190 and GCH 195 with C or better grades

 

BIOL 109L Yeast Molecular Genetics Laboratory

Will meet the upper division lab requirement for Biology BS and MCD Biology BS (Students following the 2020 or earlier Neuroscience major plans are also eligible to enroll in this course to meet the DC requirement). Check the Schedule of Classes for details. Capacity of 20.

Due to extremely limited space, to enroll in this course you will need to wait until Second Pass to add yourself to the waitlist - MCD Biology Undergraduate Advising will be monitoring the enrollment in this course. Be sure you are checking your MyUCSC account for enrollment in the course.

 

BIOL 115L Eukaryotic Molecular Biology Laboratory

Will meet the upper division lab requirement for Biology BS and MCD Biology BS (Students following the 2020 or earlier Neuroscience major plans are also eligible to enroll in this course to meet the DC requirement). Check the Schedule of Classes for details. Capacity of 16.

Due to extremely limited space, to enroll in this course you will need to wait until Second Pass to add yourself to the waitlist - MCD Biology Undergraduate Advising will be monitoring the enrollment in this course. Be sure you are checking your MyUCSC account for enrollment in the course.

 

BIOL 129L Neurobiology Lab

Fulfills the upper division lab requirement for Neuroscience, BS. Other MCD Biology sponsored majors if room is available in the course. Check the Schedule of Classes for details Capacity of 16.

Due to extremely limited space, to enroll in this course you will need to wait until Second Pass to add yourself to the waitlist - MCD Biology Undergraduate Advising will be monitoring the enrollment in this course. Be sure you are checking your MyUCSC account for enrollment in the course.



BIOL 186L Undergraduate Research in MCD Biology

Fulfills the upper division lab requirement for Biology BS and MCD Biology BS (Students following the 2020 or earlier Neuroscience major plans are also eligible to enroll in this course to meet the DC requirement).

Enrollment is by application only. 

Please do not submit an application unless you already have a faculty member who is serving/willing to serve as your research mentor and you have carefully reviewed the course description. Capacity of 25. Priority will be given to students who submit an application by Friday, June 2nd, 2023. Students must also be sure to attend the first class meeting.

 

METX 119L General Microbiology Lab 

Fulfills the DC and Senior Lab requirements for the MCD Biology, BS major ONLY. Check the Schedule of Classes for details.

 

Important Policies for MCD Biology-Sponsored Majors (consult the catalog for full details):

 

  • Letter Grade Policy: All major and minor requirements require a letter grade. P Grades will not be accepted to satisfy major specific requirements. 
    • Exception: Only courses completed in Spring 2020 are permitted to fulfill a major requirement with a “P” grade.

 

  • Major Policy Reminder: Effective Fall 2019, all MCD Biology sponsored majors must complete BIOL 20A and all of the Core 4 courses (BIOL 100, 105, 101 and 110) at UCSC. Frosh who began attending UCSC in Fall 2019 and onward, will need to remember that the above classes cannot be taken outside of UCSC unless they submit an Exception to Policy asking for permission - Note: There is no guarantee that any petition submitted will be approved.

 

  • C- grades CANNOT be used to satisfy a major requirement and cannot satisfy a prerequisite for another course. You must repeat a course if you receive a C- grade for major or pre-requisite credit. Only grades of “C” (2.0) or better will fulfill major requirements.

 

Best wishes for a wonderful Summer and start to Fall quarter,

 

Leanna, Christine, Kylie, and Mariah

MCD Biology Undergraduate Advising

Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology

Division of Physical and Biological Sciences

MCD Biology Advising

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