MCB is not an impacted major. Therefore, we will accept any interested student who meets the minimum course and GPA requirements and is realistically able to complete the major requirements during the student's remaining time at Cal. Any student intending to major in MCB must finish declaring or complete MCB conditions to declare by the end of their 6th semester, or during the semester before their graduating term (if this semester is before their 6th semester).
The majority of MCB upper division courses give enrollment priority to declared MCB students only. To have enrollment priority during course registration, students must have finished declaring or completed MCB conditions to declare before the start of Phase 1 enrollment.
In order to declare the MCB major, you must have:
- 2.0 overall UC Berkeley GPA,
- 2.0 MCB major GPA (all lower and upper division courses taken for MCB),
- 2.0 MCB upper division GPA (all upper division requirements including electives),
- Bio 1A/1AL (either completed or are currently enrolled with a C or better on the first midterm in Bio 1A) or a score of 4 or 5 on AP Bio can be used to declare.
- Chem 3B (completed or are currently enrolled after the regular add/drop deadline), and
- decided on an emphasis (it is possible to change this after you declare).
MCB Declaration Process
- Fill out the MCB online major declaration form. (New declarations are CLOSED, online form link will be back in Fall 2024.)
- Receive a confirmation email from mcbuao@berkeley.edu (will take 2-3 business days)
- Make an appointment to see a staff advisor (after you have received the confirmation email). You can find directions on making MCB appointments here. The staff advisor will have the information you submitted online and will help with planning your courses in the major during your appointment.
- After you have met with a staff advisor you will take your declaration form to a faculty advisor for approval.
- Turn in the signed declaration form to the advising office in 3060 VLSB. *During remote instruction, email the signed declaration form back to your staff advisor from step #3.*
After you Declare
Registration Hold
Once declared, you will be required to meet with an MCB UAO advisor each semester to review your progress toward the major before you register for the next semester. An advisor will then lift your registration hold in Cal Central.
An MCB major must maintain a 2.0 grade point average (GPA) in a) the complete set of all upper- and lower-division courses taken for the major at UC Berkeley and b) all upper-division courses taken for the major at UC Berkeley. Upper-division or graduate level MCB courses that are not used to satisfy major requirements are excluded from this calculation. Students for whom either GPA calculation falls below 2.0 will receive additional advising support through our Student Success Program. Students who do not raise their GPA above a 2.0 will be at risk of getting dismissed from the major and becoming ineligible for graduation. Progress will be reviewed after each semester and if satisfactory progress is not made, the MCB Undergraduate Affairs Committee may decide to dismiss a student from the major. Their major will revert to undeclared and the student will need to work with an L&S advisor to pursue another major.
Our Student Success Program is an advising program meant to support students facing academic difficulty. The program is designed to help students identify barriers that affected their academic progress in the major, connect students to relevant resources, and outline goals to progress towards successful completion of graduation requirements.
Questions concerning this policy may be directed to the staff advisors in the MCB Undergraduate Affairs Office.