Navigating the MCDB Major at UCLA: A Comprehensive Guide

The Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology (MCDB) major at UCLA offers a deep dive into the molecular processes governing life, cell function, and differentiation. This article provides a structured overview of the major's requirements, drawing upon the UCLA General Catalog and insights from current students. The curriculum is consistently updated to reflect advances in the field, ensuring students receive cutting-edge information.

Degree Requirements Overview

To earn a Bachelor of Science degree in MCDB, students must fulfill requirements established by the College of Letters & Science, detailed in the UCLA General Catalog. A total of 180 quarter units are required for the degree, with 60 of those units being upper division courses (numbered 100-199). The MCDB major itself is quite flexible, allowing students to focus on topics they find most interesting within the broader realm of molecular biology.

Preparation for the Major

Before diving into the core MCDB coursework, students must complete a set of preparatory courses. Students must earn a grade of C- or better in each prep course and achieve an overall GPA of 2.0 in the prep for the major.

Chemistry Considerations

Students have options regarding the chemistry sequence. Those who complete CHEM 20A can transition to the 14 series starting with 14B. Alternatively, after taking 20A and 20B, students can take 14BL, 14C, 14CL, or 14D. A third option involves taking 20A, 20B, and 20L, followed by 14C, 14CL, and 14D.

Core Course Requirements

The MCDB major includes a set of required core courses that provide a strong foundation in the fundamental principles of molecular, cell, and developmental biology. Students must receive a grade of C or better in each required Core course (LIFESCI 107, CHEM 153A, MCDB 138, 144, 165A) and must achieve a minimum overall GPA of 2.o in the major.

Laboratory Requirement

A crucial component of the MCDB major is the laboratory experience, providing hands-on training in research techniques. MCDB 196B fulfills the Lab Requirement. There are several ways to satisfy this requirement:

MCDB C150 & MCDB 150AL: LS3 (Intro. 1. ★ MCDB C150 is a lecture course and pre-req for the MCDB 150AL lab course.
Research Courses: MCDB 145 is only offered in Spring quarter. MCDB 145 is taken concurrently with an MCDB upper-division research course. The research course fulfills the Lab Requirement.
Research Immersion Laboratory: If a Research Immersion laboratory and follow-up Investigations course (i.e.
MCDB 196A/180A/180B: 196A/180A/180B (8u) are applied toward the 20 units of elective. ♦ 196A/180A is a pre-requisite for 196B/180B. The second quarter (196B) is applied to your laboratory requirement. To enroll in MCDB 196A-B, 198A-D, or 199A-D, students must be conducting research in an MCDB-approved lab. Students may apply for these courses during their third or fourth year.

Electives

In addition to the core courses, students must complete elective courses to reach the required 180 units. Not all electives are offered every year. 196A/180A/180B (8u) are applied toward the 20 units of elective. When making a course plan to meet your major requirements, please make sure you have planned for all prerequisites for any upper division course in which you plan to enroll. Some electives are restricted to the home department’s own majors during first pass.

Course Enrollment Considerations

When planning your classes, please make sure you have accounted for all prerequisites for any upper-division class in which you plan to enroll. Some electives are restricted to the department’s own majors during first pass enrollment appointments. To enroll in MCDB 168, you must have already completed MCDB 165A and MCDB 138.

Research Opportunities

UCLA is a public research university that prioritizes undergraduate research. One of my goals for college was to get involved in student research and explore the healthcare field from a research lens. The MCDB department encourages students to engage in research. To enroll in MCDB 196A-B, 198A-D, or 199A-D, students must be conducting research in an MCDB-approved lab. Students may apply for these courses during their third or fourth year.

Biomedical Research Minor

In addition, students in MCDB or any other UCLA major may apply for the Biomedical Research Minor. This minor was developed by MCDB faculty to fill a gap in biotechnology education. The minor curriculum includes four quarters of hands-on research experience in addition to five core courses aimed at supporting and enhancing the research activities.

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Student Experiences and Insights

As an incoming-third year student, I have completed all of my lower division requirements. I have had a net positive experience with each course; however, a majority of these courses were taken in the virtual setting and may be different in-person. Most of my professors were very accommodating and understanding of the various situations students were placed in during the pandemic. The course content was much more dense and compacted compared to my high school curriculum, but it was by no means undoable or unfair. I had to put in a fair amount of time outside classes to master content for exams, and I would expect to commit a large amount of time in future classes as well. It may be discouraging at times to see people in other majors with seemingly a lot more free time to socialize, but the nature of these core STEM classes are relatively rigorous. One of the more difficult classes was the second Organic Chemistry course (Chem 14D) which focused on reaction mechanisms. This class was fast-paced and conceptually challenging; each lecture offered a new set of confusing concepts that required outside resources and peer collaboration to fully understand. The professor was passionate about organic chemistry and explained concepts well. The life sciences series, on the other hand, was more rigid and required students to engage in weekly textbook readings which were tiresome and minimally helpful. The topics in this series ranged from EKG readings to phylogenetic trees and DNA. I have taken one upper division course so far: Biochemistry 153a. Unfortunately, my professor for this class was new and still in the process of learning how to teach a large class clearly and comprehensively.

Research Lab Experience

My only MCDB specific extracurricular is my participation in Zhen Laboratory where I conduct wet-lab research under the guidance of Dr. Anjie Zhen. In this position, I have learned specific laboratory procedures and techniques like RNA extraction, cell culturing, cloning, and X-Ray analysis. My laboratory conducts research about HIV mechanisms that may directly lead to a clinical advancement. My current project revolves around type 1 IFN signaling and CAR-T cell function.

Career Paths

The MCDB major hosts a wide variety of potential jobs. It is a widely applied major that is useful in many fields such as medicine, bioengineering, research, healthcare, and many more.

Additional Resources

The UCLA General Catalog is published annually in PDF and HTML formats. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented in the UCLA General Catalog. However, all courses, course descriptions, instructor designations, curricular degree requirements, and fees described herein are subject to change or deletion without notice. Consult this Catalog for the most current, officially approved courses and curricula. Other information about UCLA may be found in materials produced by the schools of Arts and Architecture; Dentistry; Education and Information Studies; Engineering and Applied Science; Law; Management; Medicine; Music; Nursing; Public Affairs; Public Health; and Theater, Film, and Television. The counselors are quick at responding and will direct you to the proper resources if you reach out to them.

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