Upper Division Requirements, Sample 4-yr Plans, Elective List
The CDB emphasis with tracks in Cell & Systems Biology and Medical Biology & Physiology well suited for those interested in basic research, medical and health sciences, and in teaching. Cells are the most basic unit of life. They house DNA, make proteins, produce energy, provide structure, transmit neural information, and sometimes cause disease. The dramatic array of structures and functions that cells perform are enabled by the process of development, which coordinates fundamental and diverse cellular changes and, at the most impressive, produces an entire complex organism like ourselves from one simple starting cell.
Armed with an array of modern methods, including advanced microscopy and powerful genomic approaches, cell and developmental biologists uncover the molecular cues that are responsible for the complex structures within cells, their functions, and the striking changes they undergo during development. The faculty in Cell and Developmental Biology at Berkeley are at the cutting edge of study in a range of important topics including stem cell development, cancer and cellular dysfunction, and understanding of mechanisms that allow cells to divide, move, sense and transmit signals, and regenerate.
Upper Division Requirements
Petitioning to Substitute MCB 133L with Research Units
Students may petition to substitute the lab course with equivalent knowledge and units obtained through independent research experience (such as 199 or H196 research), as determined by the Head Faculty Advisor of their major emphasis. Careful consideration and discussion with your faculty advisor is important when making the decision whether to use independent research to substitute the lab, as MCB labs expose students to many biological approaches not always encountered during these research projects. For more information on the approval process see Petition to Substitute MCB Lab Course.
Sample 4-yr Plans
These are just examples, for more sample schedules including spring start and transfer see guide.berkeley.edu or meet with an advisor to explore your options. It is recommended by MCB advisors and faculty to take the upper division lab as early as you can if you are interested in research and/or honors research. 
Approved Electives Lists
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CDB Elective List A |
CDB Elective LIst B |
|---|---|
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Molecular and Cell Biology
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Molecular and Cell Biology
Integrative Biology
Nutritional Sciences & Toxicology
Plant & Microbial Biology
Psychology
Public Health
Statistics
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Approved Courses but NOT Regularly Offered
- MCB 113 Applied Microbiology & Biochemistry
- MCB 115 Molecular Biology of Animal Virus
- MCB 137 Computer Simulation in Biology (replaced by MCB 137L)
- MCB C145 Genomics
- MCB C146 Topics in Computational Biology and Genomics
- NSTX 150 Mechanics of Metabolic Regulation
- PH 150A Intro to Epidemiology & Human Disease