Bachelor of Science Degree in Cell & Molecular Biology
A Bachelor of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology will prepare you to pursue a career in medicine and is also ideally suited for students who intend to pursue graduate studies in fields such as genetics, cell biology and molecular biology.
Requirements
To complete our most specialized and rigorous major, students must earn 40 credit hours in biology, including 28 credit hours of core courses (including genetics, cell biology, molecular biology and biochemistry) and 12 credit hours of biology electives.
In addition, 26 credit hours of chemistry and physics courses are required.
Cell and Molecular Biology (B.S.)
| Major Requirements (Required Biology Hours: 26) | Credit Hours: 66 (68) |
|---|---|
| BIOL 1101 Orientation to Biology | 1 |
| BIOL 1214 Fundamentals of Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 3003 Genetics | 3 |
| BIOL 3114 General Microbiology | 4 |
| BIOL 3514 Cell Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 3714 Biochemistry I | 4 |
| BIOL 4214 Molecular Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 4052 Analysis of Scientific Literature | 2 |
| BIOL 4502 Biology Capstone | 2 |
An additional 12 credit hours of biology electives are required. This can include General Zoology and/or General Botany and/or 3000- or 4000- level BIOL-prefix courses (except BIOL 3103 Introductory Biochemistry, which may not count towards a major in Cell and Molecular Biology). No more than 6 credit hours total may be in BIOL-prefix directed study, research and/or internship courses.
| Required Ancillary Hours | 26 (28) |
|---|---|
| CHEM 1104 General Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM 1141 General Chemistry I Lab | 1 |
| CHEM 1204 General Chemistry II | 4 |
| CHEM 1241 General Chemistry II Lab | 1 |
| CHEM 3103 Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM 3141 Organic Chemistry I Lab | 1 |
| CHEM 3203 Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM 3241 Organic Chemistry II Lab | 1 |
| PHYS 1503 General Physics I or | 3 |
| PHYS 2104 University Physics I | (4) |
| PHYS 1541 General Physics I Lab or | 1 |
| PHYS 2141 University Physics I Lab | (1) |
| PHYS 1603 General Physics II or | 3 |
| PHYS 2204 University Physics II | (4) |
| PHYS 1641 General Physics II Lab or | 1 |
| PHYS 2241 University Physics II Lab | (1) |
Fall semester: freshman year (16 credit hours)
Orientation to Biology (BIOL 1101)
Fundamentals of Biology with lab (BIOL 1214)
General Chemistry I + Lab (CHEM 1104, 1141)
English Composition I (ENGL 1113)
Liberal Arts Seminar (LAS 1063)
Spring semester: freshman year (15 credit hours)
Biology Elective1
General Chemistry II + lab (CHEM 1204 , 1241)
English Composition II (ENGL 1213)
College Algebra (MATH 1503)
Fall semester: sophomore year (15-16 credit hours)
Genetics (BIOL 3003) and / or General Microbiology with lab (BIOL 3114)
Organic Chemistry I + lab (CHEM 3103, 3141)
General Education classes to total 15-16 credit hours
Spring semester: sophomore year (15-16 credit hours)
Cell Biology with lab (BIOL 3514) or Biology Elective1
Organic Chemistry II + lab (CHEM 3203, 3241)
General Education classes to total 15-16 credit hours
Fall semester: junior year (15-16 credit hours)
Genetics (BIOL 3003) or General Microbiology with lab (BIOL 3114)
General Physics I + lab (PHYS 1503, 1541)
Biochemistry I with lab (BIOL 3714)
General Education classes to total 15-16 credit hours
Spring semester: junior year (16 credit hours)
Cell Biology with lab (BIOL 3514) or
Molecular Biology with lab (BIOL 4214) or
Analysis of Scientific Literature (BIOL 4052)
General Physics II+ lab (PHYS 1603, 1641)
General Education classes to total 15-16 credit hours
Admissions tests for Medical, Dental and Pharmacy Schools are typically taken spring or summer of junior year. Some specific Biology and Social Science courses are strongly recommended prior to some of these exams; consult with advisors.
Fall semester: senior year (15-16 credit hours)
Biology Capstone (BIOL 4502)
Biology Elective1
General Education classes to total 15-16 credit hours
Spring semester: senior year (15-16 credit hours)
Cell Biology with lab (BIOL 3514) or
Molecular Biology with lab (BIOL 4214) or
Biology Elective(s)1
General Education classes to total 15-16 credit hours
124 total credit hours
112 CH of Biology elective courses are required for the degree and may include General Zoology (BIOL 2414), General Botany (BIOL 2214), and/or any 3000- and/or 4000-level BIOL-prefix courses, with the exception of Introductory Biochemistry (BIOL 3103), which may not count as elective CH for this degree program. No more than 6 CH may be BIOL- prefix Directed Study, Research and/or Internship courses.
You Qualify for Financial Aid
If you have a 3.0 GPA or higher, you may qualify for Academic Scholarships from $8,000–$13,000 per year.