Overview
Students conducting ongoing, individual research under the guidance of an MCDB-approved faculty mentor may apply to enroll in MCDB 196A-B (maximum one course per quarter / four units per quarter / letter grading).
Students must be working on a culminating research project, designed to broaden and deepen their knowledge of some aspect of molecular, cell, and developmental biology. Although familiarity with the scientific literature is essential to research, students must be conducting experimental laboratory research. A literature search, literature evaluation, or survey work is not sufficient to enroll in MCDB 196A-B. Students are expected to commit a minimum of 12 hours per week to their research project.
MCDB 196A-B must be taken concurrently with MCDB 180A-B. Together, these courses have been designed to ensure that students learn how to build a testable hypothesis, propose experiments, perform experiments, analyze research data, as well as record information and troubleshoot experiments. The MCDB 180A-B seminars will focus on presentation and discussion of research literature and each student’s independent research project. They are designed to enhance students’ research experience. The seminars expose students to the process of scientific discovery by providing hands-on experience applying the scientific method.
Check out the MCDB 196A-B Syllabus for more information.
Eligibility Requirements
At the time of application, students must…
- Be in the Molecular, Cell & Developmental Biology major;
- Be in their junior/senior year;
- Have a minimum 3.0 overall GPA and upper-division major GPA;
- Have completed LIFESCI 7A, 7B, 7C, 7L, and 107;
- Have prior experience in their faculty mentor’s lab (such as SRP-99, SRP-199, or volunteer);
- Not be working for pay in their faculty mentor’s lab;
- Be working with a faculty mentor who is included on the MCDB-Approved List of Faculty Research Mentors.*
* If a student is working with a faculty mentor who is NOT included on the MCDB-Approved List of Faculty Research Mentors, they may petition their research in order to enroll in an upper-division MCDB research course. More information about the petition process can be found here.
Application Policies
- An application is required to enroll in MCDB 196A-B and 180A-B. If accepted, students must commit to two consecutive quarters of research (MCDB 196A-B) and enroll concurrently in MCDB 180A-B. MCDB 196A is taken concurrently with MCDB 180A and MCDB 196B is taken concurrently with MCDB 180B.
- The MCDB 196A-B and 180A-B series is offered twice per year in Fall/Winter and Winter/Spring.
- Students will not be permitted to enroll in MCDB 196A-B if they have outstanding Incomplete or NR grades in previous upper-division research courses with the same faculty mentor.
- Students are permitted to enroll in a maximum of one upper-division MCDB research course per quarter.
- Students are not permitted to enroll in an upper-division MCDB research course and another SRP-99 or SRP-199 course under the same faculty research mentor in the same quarter.
- If you are entering your senior year and would like to apply for MCDB 196A-B and 180A-B, but you also want to be eligible for MCDB Departmental Honors, which requires MCDB 198A-C, then you may take MCDB 180A and 180B alongside MCDB 198A and 198B, 198B and 198C, or 198C and 198D, instead of MCDB 196A and 196B.
Application
To apply for MCDB 196A-B and 180A-B, you will need the following:
- MCD BIO 196A Course Contract* – Must be signed by your faculty mentor. You do NOT need the Chair’s signature.
- Project Proposal* – Must follow proposal guidelines and be signed by you and your faculty mentor.
- Faculty Mentoring Agreement – Signed by your faculty mentor.
*If you plan to take MCDB 198A-B, 198B-C, or 198C-D alongside MCDB 180A-B, please create an MCDB 198A-C contract instead of an MCDB 196A contract. In addition, your proposal should follow the MCDB 198A-C proposal guidelines instead of those for MCDB 196A-B.
Check out the following webpages to learn how to:
Ready to Submit?
Please submit the required application materials to this form: https://sa.ucla.edu/forms/p/MCDB180AB
Deadline to Apply for the Fall/Winter Offering: 5:00 PM on the second Friday of August
Deadline to Apply for the Winter/Spring Offering: 5:00 PM on Friday of Week 6 of Fall quarter
Decision Timelines and Results
A committee of MCDB faculty will review the student’s application materials. Students will receive notification of a decision via email from the MCDB undergraduate advisor within 2-3 weeks of the submission deadline.
If your application is approved, you will be enrolled in MCDB 196A and MCDB 180A in the upcoming quarter.
If your application is not approved, you will not be enrolled in MCDB 196A and 180A in the upcoming quarter. Although the decision is final for the offering to which you applied, you will receive feedback should you wish to apply again in the future. Students are permitted to apply more than once for MCDB 196A-B and 180A-B.
MCDB 196B and 180B Enrollment
Upon completion of MCDB 196A and 180A, students must submit materials to enroll in MCDB 196B.
To enroll in MCDB 196B, you will need the following:
- MCD BIO 196B Course Contract – Must be signed by your faculty mentor. You do NOT need the Chair’s signature.
Check out the following webpages to learn how to:
Ready to Submit?
Please submit the required materials to this form: https://sa.ucla.edu/forms/p/mcdbresearch
The deadline to submit the MCDB 196B contract is 5:00 PM on Monday of Week 2 of the quarter you wish to enroll. You will be enrolled by the end of the day on Friday of Week 2.
The MCDB undergraduate advisors will enroll you in MCDB 180B during your Second Pass enrollment appointment.
Assignments
For each quarter enrolled in MCDB 196A-B, students will report on their research progress by completing and sharing with their faculty research mentor their final assignments for MCDB 180A-B. Although final assignments may vary, students are required to share with their faculty mentor tangible evidence of the research conducted throughout the quarter.
Submitting your Final Assignments
Although students will not be required to submit their MCDB 180A-B final assignments to the MCDB department, it is their responsibility to share them directly with their faculty research mentor.
Final Assignments Submission Deadline
Please adhere to deadlines assigned by the MCDB 180A-B instructor.
Grading
Your faculty research mentor will assign a letter grade for MCDB 196A-B. Grading will be based on successful participation in individual meetings, completion of required assignments, and specific research deliverables defined per project. Specific grading criteria and expectations vary and should be discussed with the faculty mentor before the student begins research. The student and mentor should establish clear grading criteria and a work schedule before the quarter begins. This ensures:
- Both parties have a shared understanding of expectations.
- There’s clarity on when the student should be in the lab.
- Both agree on what constitutes a successful quarter.
The MCDB 180A-B instructor will assign a letter grade for MCDB 180A-B.
MCDB 196A-B FAQ
General
In which quarter(s) can I enroll in MCDB 196A-B and MCDB 180A-B?
The MCDB 196A-B and 180A-B series is offered twice per year in Fall/Winter and Winter/Spring.
How does MCDB 196A-B and MCDB 180A-B apply towards MCDB major requirements?
MCDB 196A (4 units) may be accepted as a Category 1 elective for the MCDB major.
MCDB 196B (4 units) may fulfill the MCDB Laboratory Requirement.
MCDB 180A (2 units) and 180B (2 units) may be accepted as Category 1 electives for the MCDB major.
I want to apply the maximum three quarters of upper-division MCDB research towards MCDB major requirements. In which upper-division research course should I enroll, in addition to MCDB 196A and 196B?
You may enroll in MCDB 199C (without having previously taken MCDB 199A-B) upon completion of MCDB 196A-B. Your MCDB 199C project must be a continuation or extension of your MCDB 196A-B project.
If you plan to apply for MCDB 196A-B and MCDB 180A-B in the Winter and Spring quarters, you may choose to enroll in MCDB 199C in Fall quarter (without having previously taken MCDB 199A-B). Students who do not wish to commit to enrolling in MCDB 199A-B in Fall and Winter, because they hope to enroll in MCDB 196A in Winter instead, should consider this option. Please consult with the MCDB undergraduate advisors if this is right for you.
I’m a senior. I want to apply for MCDB 196A-B and 180A-B, but I also want to be eligible for MCDB Departmental Honors. Can I do both at the same time?
Yes. If you are entering your senior year and would like to apply for MCDB 196A-B and 180A-B, but you also want to be eligible for MCDB Departmental Honors, which requires MCDB 198A-C, then you may take MCDB 180A and 180B alongside MCDB 198A and 198B, 198B and 198C, or 198C and 198D, instead of MCDB 196A and 196B.
When applying, please be sure to create an MCDB 198A-C contract instead of an MCDB 196A contract. In addition, your proposal should follow the MCDB 198A-C proposal guidelines instead of those for MCDB 196A-B.
Upon completion of MCDB 180A-B, whichever research course (MCDB 198A, 198B, 198C, or 198D) is taken concurrently with MCDB 180B will be applied towards the MCDB Lab Requirement. MCDB 180A (2 units), MCDB 180B (2 units), and a maximum of eight units (or two quarters) of MCDB 198A-D may be applied towards the minimum 20 units of approved electives required for the MCDB major.
Please keep in mind that a maximum of 12 units of MCDB-approved research (MCDB 196A-B, MCDB 199A-D, MCDB 198A-D) may be applied towards major requirements.
Grading
Who grades MCDB 196A-B and 180A-B?
Your faculty research mentor will assign a letter grade for MCDB 196A-B. The instructor of MCDB 180A-B will assign a letter grade for MCDB 180A-B.
How does my faculty mentor determine my grade?
Grading will be based on successful participation in individual meetings, completion of required assignments, and specific research deliverables defined per project. Specific grading criteria and expectations vary and should be discussed with the faculty mentor before the student begins research. The student and mentor should establish clear grading criteria and a work schedule before the quarter begins. This ensures:
- Both parties have a shared understanding of expectations.
- There’s clarity on when the student should be in the lab.
- Both agree on what constitutes a successful quarter.