The MCDB Major

At least twenty (20) upper division elective units, of which at least 10 units MUST be courses offered by the MCDB Department.


  • Any upper division MCDB course will be accepted as an MCDB elective, excluding MCDB 100, 187B, 187C, 190A-C; 192A,B; 193; 194A and 199.
  • MCDB Major credit is not granted for MCDB 187B or 187C.
  • A maximum of four units (4u) of approved seminar course credit may be applied to the ELECTIVES requirement.
  • A maximum of 12 units of Directed Research (MCDB 199A-B,C) or Honors Research (MCDB 198A-B, C) may be applied to the major requirements (4 of the 12 units are used to fulfill the upper division laboratory requirementÉthe other 8 units is applied toward the ELECTIVES requirement).
  • Either MCDB 165A or M140 may be completed to fulfill the required cell biology course. The other course may not be completed as an ELECTIVE.
  • Either MCDB 144 or 165B may be completed to fulfill the required molecular biology course. The other course may be completed as an ELECTIVE.
  • Only two of the three developmental biology courses (MCDB 138, C141, 143) may be completed for MCDB major credit (One as Required Course; One as ELECTIVE).
  • Elective credit is granted for either Biostats 100A or Stats 100A, but not both

Elective Courses Total Units: 20


List Of Elective Courses Offered by MCDB Department

Dept Crs # Course Title Units Qtr(s) Taught
MCDB138 Developmental Biology 5 F,W
C141 Molecular Basis of Plant Differentiation and Development 5 Fall, Winter
143 Developmental Biology: Genetic Control of Organogenesis5 Spring
144 Molecular Biology 5 Fall, Spring
C150 Plant Chemical and Molecular Communication 4 Fall
150L Plant Communication Laboratory 4 Winter
CM156 Human Genetics 4 Winter
162 Genetic Control of Animal Behavior 5 Winter (not offered every year)
165B Molecular Biology of the Cell Nucleus 5 Winter
168 Stem Cell Biology 5 Spring
CM169 Cell Structure, Signaling and Differentiation (need > 3.7major GPA), 6 Winter
172 Genomics and Bioinformatics 5 Fall
M175A Neuroscience: From Molecules To Mind 5 Fall
M175B Neuroscience: From Molecules To Mind 5 Winter
M175C Neuroscience: From Molecules To Mind 5 Spring
M181 Biological Bases of Psychiatric Disorders 4 Fall
191 Variable Topics in Molecular Cell, and Developmental Biology 2W,S
198A-B,C,D Honors Research in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology 4/qtr **
199A-B,C,D Directed Research in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology 4/qtr **

** MCDB 198A-B or MCDB 199A-B are two-quarter courses, each of which can be started in Fall or Winter Quarter ONLY


Courses From Other Departments Which May Be Applied to the MCDB Major Electives:

Dept Crs # Course Title Units Qtr(s) Taught
BIOL CH CM153G Macromolecular Structure 6 Fall
BIOSTAT 100A Intro to Biostatistics 4 F, S, Summer
CHEM 153C/153CH Biochemistry: Biosynthetic & Energy Metabolism & Its Regulation 4 All
154 Biochemical Methods II 4 All
156 Physical Biochemistry 4 All
C159A Mechanisms in Regulation of Transcription I 2 Spring
C159B Mechanisms in Regulation of Transcription II 2 Spring
C160A Bioinformatics and Genomics 4 Fall
EEB (formerly OBEE) 110 Vertebrate Morphology 6 F,W, Summer
121 Molecular Biology and Evolution 4 Fall
162 Plant Physiology 6 Winter, Summer
HUM GEN M102W DNA: Promise and peril 5 Spring
C144 Genomic Technology 4 Fall
MIMG 101 IntroductoryMicrobiology 4 Fall, Spring
102 Virology 4 Winter
100L Microbiology Lab For Professional Schools 2 Fall, Summer
105 Biological Microscopy 2 Fall
106 Bacterial Pathogenesis 4 Spring
121A Microbial Molecular Biology Lab 4 Winter
CM133 Principles, Practices & Policies in Biotechnology 2 Winter
168 Molecular Parasitology 4 Fall
174 Advanced Topics in Molecular Parasitology2Spring
185A Immunology 5 Fall
PHY SCI C126 Biological Clocks 4 Winter
166 Animal Physiology 6 Summer
STATS 100A Introduction to Probability Theory 4 Fall

Not all electives are offered every year. Consult the Schedule of Classes or the appropriate department.


Some electives are restricted to the home department's own majors during the first pass. If you want to get into, for example, MIMG 185A, you will need to wait until your second pass because you are not an MIMG major.