Planning to transfer to Cal and major in MCB?
General Information for Transfer Students
Every year, the Molecular and Cell Biology (MCB) department welcomes more than 75 transfer students from around California and across the country to the MCB major. Transfer students are active members of the MCB community, getting involved in research experiences, student organizations, and other activities that complement the rigorous academic program of MCB.
MCB accepts transferable coursework from most accredited colleges and universities. Students hoping to transfer to UC Berkeley with the intention of declaring MCB should plan to complete all lower division prerequisite courses at their transfer institution. Failure to complete the lower division requirements prior to enrolling at UC Berkeley may impact your admission to the University.
If you are admitted without having fully completed a specific series at the transfer institution, you may not have sufficient background to take the remaining equivalent course at UC Berkeley. Completion of the prerequisites is also necessary before starting upper division coursework. We advise you to postpone your admission to UC Berkeley until you complete that coursework. This will also allow for more course exploration in the emphases and other subjects.
Major Preparation - Lower Division Courses
The MCB major requirements include a number of lower and upper-division courses. More information about the major, its emphases, and the requirements can be found on our "Major at a Glance" page.
In general, students considering transferring to the MCB major at UC Berkeley should take at least two semesters/three quarters of the following lower division courses. The UC Berkeley equivalent courses are noted in parentheses.
| Subject | Berkeley Equivalent Course |
Berkeley Equivalent Course |
| General Biology | Biology 1A/1AL | Biology 1B |
| General Chemistry | Chemistry 1A/1AL | Chemistry 1B** |
| Organic Chemistry | Chemistry 3A/3AL | Chemistry 3B/3BL |
| Calculus | Math 1A | Math 1B |
| Physics (calculus-based)* | Physics 8A | Physics 8B |
Course descriptions for these courses can be found in the general catalog or by visiting the host department’s website. Advanced Placement (AP) scores may be used to satisfy some of the lower division requirements. For a list of acceptable scores, click here.
*While it is highly recommended to complete Physics sequence prior to enrolling at UC Berkeley, it is not required to declare the major and can be completed while enrolled at UC Berkeley.
**Chemistry 1B is required for BMB track 2 only.
Transferring from a California Community College
If you will be completing your transfer work at a California community college, please refer to ASSIST for all course articulations between your college and UC Berkeley. ASSIST have already been approved by MCB.
We advise you to complete all IGETC (Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum) requirements before you transfer here. Once here, you have limited time in which to complete these requirements in addition to major requirements.
If you are currently attending a community college, visit their Transfer Center for more information about the UC campuses and to find out if a Berkeley admissions representative will be visiting your campus.
Transferring from a 4-year or private college
Whether you are coming from a community college or a four-year institution, it is important to plan carefully before you transfer. The best approach to choosing the courses that are most likely to transfer and satisfy MCB requirements, is to compare the course descriptions for each requirement.
If you are transferring from a college/university that is not included in Assist.org (most four year, private, out-of-state, and foreign institutions), transferable courses are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Be prepared to provide detailed information about the course(s) you would like to count towards the MCB major requirements.
Full evaluation of transfer courses will occur once you start at UC Berkeley, so it is important to retain any syllabi and/or course material that will be useful in determining course equivalency.
For questions related to University and college requirements, please contact the College of Letters & Sciences.
Questions
If you have any questions about the MCB major or transferring courses, contact the transfer student advisor, James Depelteau, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
For questions about the application process or myBerkeleyApp, be sure you read through the FAQs on the Transfer Admission website and/or speak with a transfer admissions representative in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
Admitted to Cal and intending MCB?
Attend Cal Student Orientation (CalSO)!
To ensure a positive start to your semester, it is important to attend CalSO. Academic advisors from the MCB department will be available to answer many of your questions. You will also have the opportunity to meet fellow transfer students. We will cover many important topics at CalSO, such as:
- The differences among the five emphases and their tracks
- How to choose an emphasis
- The MCB prerequisites, and what to do if you haven't completed them
- One-on-one schedule planning for your first semester
- First hand accounts of what to expect as an MCB transfer student
- Resources on campus to help you be successful
- Sample schedules for transfer students
- Information on how to schedule courses outside your major
- Declaring MCB and the probation policy
We've come up with a list of FAQs for transfer students. Click here for more information.
Questions
If you have any questions about the MCB major or transferring courses, contact the transfer student advisor, James Depelteau, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 510.643.8895.