Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, & Development

Upper Division Requirements, Sample 4-yr Plans, Elective List

The GGED (formerly Genetics, Genomics, and Development, GGD) emphasis is dedicated to preparing students for the revolution in biology that is fueled by the genome sequences of an ever-increasing spectrum of life. The GGED emphasis explores how the information in these genomes program the development of diverse organisms including humans, classical model organisms, and species that represent pivotal nodes in evolution. In the GGED emphasis, you will explore how different sequences lead to phenotypic variation among individuals, and how these differences are inherited and fixed by natural selection. You will also learn how sequence diversity influences human phenotypes, from how we appear to how we behave. These differences also have a major influence on health and disease, and you will learn how the study of human genomes has revolutionized modern medicine.

The GGED emphasis also focuses on how genetic, molecular genetic and genomics tools are used to understand various aspects of biology, ranging from how cells with the same genetic information express different sets of genes and exhibit distinct phenotypes, to how pattern develops in metazoans, to how organisms sense and respond to their environment, and to how cell divisions are orchestrated to ensure proper chromosome integrity and segregation during formation of egg and sperm and the multitude of cell divisions of the developing organism.

Upper Division Requirements

Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development
Track 1: Genetics, Genomics & Development Track 2: Developmental Genetics
MCB C100A: Biophysical Chemistry (Fa,Sp 4 un) MCB 102: Survey of Biochem & Molecular Biology (Fa, Sp, Su; 4 un)
MCB 140: General Genetics (Fa, Sp; 4 un) MCB 104: Genetics, Genomics & Cell Biology (Fa,Sp,Su; 4 un) OR MCB 140: General Genetics (Fa, Sp; 4 un)
MCB 110: Molecular Biology (Fa, Sp; 4 un) MCB 141: Developmental Biology (Sp; 4 un)

MCB 140L: Genetics Lab (Sp; 4 un)

OR apply to substitute with research units

MCB 140L: Genetics Lab (Sp; 4 un)

OR apply to substitute with research units
GGED Elective A or B (see lists below) GGED Elective A or B (see lists below)
GGED Elective B (see list below) GGED Elective B (see list below)

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. 

Track 1: Genetics, Genomics & Development   Track 2: Developmental Genetics
Year 1   Year 1
Fall Un Spring Un   Fall Un Spring Un
Math 10A 4 Math 10B 4   Math 10A 4 Math 10B 4
Chem 1A/1AL 5 Chem 3A/3AL 6   Chem 1A/1AL 5 Chem 3A/3AL 6
Year 2   Year 2
Fall  Un Spring Un   Fall Un Spring Un
Chem 3B/3BL 6 Biology 1A/1AL 5   Chem 3B/3BL 6 Biology 1A/1AL 5
Physics 8A 4 Physics 8B 4   Physics 8A 4 Physics 8B 4
Year 3   Year 3
Fall Un Spring Un   Fall Un Spring Un
MCB C100A 4 MCB 140 4   MCB 102 4 MCB 104 or 140 4
Biology 1B 4 Elective A or B 3-4   Biology 1B 4 Elective A or B 3-4
Year 4   Year 4
Fall Un Spring Un   Fall Un Spring Un
MCB 110 4 MCB 140L 4   Elective B 3-4 MCB 140L 4
Elective B 3-4           MCB 141 4

 

GGED Approved Electives Lists

GGED Elective List A

GGED Elective List B
Molecular and Cell Biology
  • 100B Biochemistry: Pathways, Mechanisms, and Regulation (Sp; 4 units)
  • C103 Bacterial Pathogenesis (Sp; 3 units)
  • C112 General Microbiology (F; 4 units)
  • C114 Intro to Comparative Virology (Sp; 4 units)
  • C116 Microbial Diversity (F; 3 units)
  • C117 Advanced Plant Biochemistry (Sp, 4 units)
  • 120 Therapeutics Discovery and Development (F; 4 units)
  • C130 Cell Biology: From Discovery to Disease (Sp; 4 units)
  • 135A Molecular Endocrinology (F; 3 units)
  • 136 Physiology (F, Sp; 4 units)
  • 150 Molecular Immunology (F, Sp; 4 units)
  • 160 Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology; offered as NEU 100A from Fall '24 onward (F; 4 units)
  • 161 Circuit, Systems and Behavioral Neuroscience; offered as NEU 100B from Spring '25 onward (Sp; 4 units)*MCB 160 is a prerequisite*
  • 165 Neurobiology of Disease; offered as NEU 165 from Spring '25 onward (Sp; 3 units)
  • C175 LSBE Capstone (F; 4 units) (restricted to LSBE students only)

Bioengineering

  • 114 Cell Engineering (F; 4 units)

Chemistry

  • 113 Advanced Mechanistic Organic Chemistry (F; 3 units)
  • 115 Organic Chemistry - Advanced Lab Methods (F, Sp; 4 units)
  • 130B Biophysical Chemistry (Sp; 3 units)

Data Science

  • C100 Principles and Techniques of Data Science (F, Sp, Su; 4 units)

Environmental Science, Policy & Management

  • C148 Pesticide Chemistry and Toxicology (Sp; 3 units)
  • 162 Bioethics & Society (Sp; 4 units)
Integrative Biology
  • 103LF Invertebrate Zoology (F; 5 units)
  • 104LF Natural History of Vertebrates (Sp; 5 units)
  • 131 General Human Anatomy (F, Su; 3 units)
  • 148 Comparative Animal Physiology (even F; 3 units)
Mathematics
  • 110 Linear Algebra (F, Sp, Su; 4 units)

Neuroscience

  • 100A Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology (F; 4 units)
  • 100B Circuit, Systems and Behavioral Neuroscience (Sp; 4 units) *NEU 100A is a prerequisite*
  • 165 Neurobiology of Disease (Sp, 3 units) *NEU 100A is a prerequisite*

Nutritional Sciences & Toxicology

  • C114 Pesticide Chemistry & Toxicology (Sp; 3 units)
  • 160 Metabolic Bases of Human Health and Diseases (Sp; 4 units)
Physics
  • 112 Intro to Statistical & Thermal Physics (F, Sp; 4 units)

Plant & Microbial Biology

  • 135 Physiology and Biochemistry of Plants (F; 3 units)
  • 150 Plant Cell Biology (F; 3 units)
 Molecular and Cell Biology
  • 132 Biology of Human Cancer (F; 4 units)
  • C134 Chromosome Biology/Cytogenetics  (Sp; 3 units)
  • 137L Physical Biology of the Cell  (Sp; 3 units)
  • 141 Developmental Biology (Sp; 4 units) (for track 1 students only)
  • 143 Evolution of Genomes, Cells, and Development (F; 3 units)
  • C144 Evolution (F, 4 units)
  • C146 Data Science for Biology (F; 3 units)
  • C148 Microbial Genomics & Genetics (Sp; 4 units)
  • 149 The Human Genome (F; 3 units)
  • 153 Molecular Medicine (F, 4 units)

Bioengineering

  • *C131 Intro to Computational Molecular and Cell Biology (F; 4 units)
  • 143: Computational Methods in Biology (F; 4 units)

Computational Biology

  • *C131 Intro to Computational Molecular and Cell Biology (F; 4 units)
  • 156 Human Genome, Environment and Public Health (Fa; 4 units)

Environmental Science and Policy Management

  • 108B Environmental Change Genetics (F, 3 units)
  • 139A Genetics of Amphibian Declines CURE (F; 3 units)

Integrative Biology

  • 134L Practical Genomics (F; 4 units)
  • 160 Evolution (F; 4 units)
  • 161 Population & Evolutionary Genetics (Alt Sp, 4 units)
  • 162 Ecological Genetics (Alt F, 4 units)
  • 163 Molecular & Genomic Evolution (Sp, 3 units)

Mathematics

  • *127 Mathematical and Computational Methods in Molecular Biology (F, 4 units)

Plant & Microbial Biology

  • C134 Chromosome Biology/Cytogenetics (Sp, 3 units)
  • 160 Plant Molecular Genetics (Sp, 3 units)

Public Health

  • 142 Introduction to Probability and Statistics in Bio and Public Health (F, Sp, Su; 4 units)
  • 256 Human Genome, Environment and Public Health (Fa; 4 units)

Statistics

  • C131A Statistical Methods for Data Science (F, Sp; 4 units)
  • 134 Concepts of Probability (F, Sp, Su; 4 units)
     

* These electives have pre-requisites outside of courses usually required of MCB majors. Please be sure to check guide.berkeley.edu for pre-requisite information.

Approved Elective Courses but NOT Regularly Offered

  • BioEng C141 Stats for Bioinformatics
  • BioEng 142 Programming & Algorithm Design for Computational Biology & Genomics  Application
  • BioEng 143 Computational Methods in Biology
  • BioEng 144 Introduction to Protein Informatics
  • IB 165 Introduction to Quantitative Genetics
  • MCB 115 Molecular Biology of Animal Viruses
  • MCB 137 Computer Simulation in Biology (replaced by MCB 137L)
  • MCB C145 Genomics
  • MCB 166 Biophysical Neurobiology
  • MCB 168 Sensory Neuroscience
  • PHYSICS 132 Contemporary Physics
  • Pb Hlth 141 Introduction to Biostatistics (Su; 5 units)
  • Pb Hlth 143 Introduction to Statistical Methods in Computational and Genomic Biology
  • Stats C141 Stats for Bioinformatics