An Overview of the Programs for Majors

The programs in the MCDB major are designed to enhance a liberal education as well as offer excellent preparation for professional and graduate study in the biological sciences and in medicine and other health-related fields. The following diagram provides an overview of the major; details are provided on the following pages.

In addition to the standard major, MCDB offers two interdisciplinary programs of study in the biotechnology and neurobiology tracks. Once the requirements for the area of concentration have been met, students can choose electives from MCDB and from certain other departments. When in doubt, consult the director of undergraduate studies. All majors in MCDB have the same choices for meeting the senior requirement. The requirements differ for the B.A., the B.S., the Intensive B.S., and the combined B.S./M.S. degrees.

Prerequisites and How They Can Be Met

Students in the Classes 2013-2015 may be exempt from a number of these prerequisites. Students who have scored 710 or higher on the SAT subject matter Biology M test (formerly SAT II), or who have scored 5 on the Advanced Placement test in biology, may be exempt from taking one or more of the introductory BIOL module(s). Students with equivalent scores on one of the corresponding chemistry tests may also be exempt from taking the introductory BIOL module(s) but should first discuss their preparation in biology with the director of undergraduate studies in MCDB.

Acceleration credit awarded in chemistry, mathematics, and physics, or completion of advanced courses in those departments, is accepted instead of the relevant prerequisites for the Biology major. Students who already have mathematics preparation equivalent to MATH 115a or b or higher are encouraged to take additional mathematics, such as MATH 120a or b, 222a or b, or 225a or b or statistics (e.g. Stat 101a/MCDB 215a).

Premedical students will likely need to take the laboratory with introductory physics, although that lab is not required for the major in MCDB. Premedical students should consider the advisability of taking the introductory biology laboratories (MCDB 121La and E&EB 123Lb). Note that the premedical requirements and the prerequisites for both MCDB and MB&B majors are substantially the same, so students do not have to choose among these paths during their freshman year.

Official Yale College program and course information is found in Yale College Programs of Study, available on line at www.yale.edu/yalecollege/publications/ycps/.

Updated: August 15, 2012