Below is a list of the required courses for the MBB major and a suggested time table for when most students choose to take the courses. In addition to the required core courses that all MBB students must take, the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry offers two course options to students to fulfill the requirements for the major. We strongly encourage those students who are interested in biophysical questions and research to take Course Option I , which requires Physical Chemistry and Multivariable Calculus to fulfill their requirements for the MBB major.  MBB students considering a minor in Chemistry are encouraged to take Course Option I with the Physical Chemistry courses because it will fulfill their minor requirements (SAS students only!).  Course Option II is intended to expose MBB students to different current topics in molecular biology and biochemistry. Click to download a .doc or .pdf file of the checklist

Course Option I (13 credits)

• 01:160:327-328 Physical Chemistry (3,3) (requires 01:640:251 as a prerequisite) or 01:160:341-342  Physical Chemistry: Biochemical Systems (3,3)
• 01:640:251  Multivariable Calculus (4) (Calculus 640:151,152 are required for this course)
• One 3-credit course offered by the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from the following list: 01:694:411 (3); 01:694:412 (3); 01:694:413 (3); 01:694:492 (3).

Course Option II (9 credits)

• Two 3-credit courses offered by the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from the following list: 01:694:411 (3); 01:694:412 (3); 01:694:413 (3); 01:694:492 (3)
• One 400 level 3-credit elective course from a department in the Division of Life Sciences or approved by the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry.

MBB Elective Courses: All MBB students are required to take at least one of the MBB electives if they choose Course Option I (Physical Chemistry) or at least two of the MBB electives if they choose Course Option II (no Physical Chemistry)

694:411 Molecular Pathways (Fall)
694:412 Proteomics & Structural Genomics (Spring)
694:413 Chromatin and Epigenomics: The science of chromatin modifications in development and disease (Fall)
694:492 Molecular Biology of Gene Regulation & Development (Spring)

Division of Life Sciences Elective Courses: MBB students choosing Course Option II (no Physical Chemistry) may choose a 400 level Elective Course offered by the Department of Genetics (447) or Cell Biology and Neuroscience (146) in the Division of Life Sciences that will count towards the MBB major. Some of the suggested DLS elective courses are shown below. A full list of the DLS courses can be found at http://biology.rutgers.edu/synopses.htm. Electives from non-DLS departments may be substituted for the DLS elective with approval of the MBB faculty mentor.

146:474 Immunology (Sp, Su)
146:470 Adv. Cell Bio. - Note: MBB 694:407 replaces prereq Intro Cell Bio
146:472 Adv. Dev. Bio. - Note: MBB 694:407 replaces prereq Intro Cell Bio
146:445 Adv. Neurobiology. - Must take 146:245 Fund. Neurobiology., which does not count as MBB elective, to get into 146:445 which does count.
146:450 Endocrinology
447:495 Cancer (Fa)
447:420 Evolutionary Genetics: Humans and other Primates
447:451 Genomes
447:460 Genetics of Compulsive Behavior
447:481 Topics in Human Genetics
447:484 Behavioral & Neural Genetics
447:486 Evolutionary Genetics

Research Requirements: All MBB students are required to perform an independent research project under the direction of a faculty advisor. Students may choose to work with faculty member from any of a number of Rutgers or UMDNJ departments. Registration in research courses is by special permission only. Students must fill out a Special Permission Form for Undergraduate Research and have it signed by their research advisor and MBB academic advisor before they can get a special permission number. Research is required in the senior year, but students are strongly encouraged to start their research in their second and third years.

Lab Option I: Students need a total of 12 credits of research.

Lab Option II: Students need only 6 credits of research and must take an additional MBB elective in addition to the required MBB elective for Course Option I (Calc. III, Physical Chemistry, and a MBB elective) or the three electives required for Course Option II (3 MBB electives or 2 MBB electives and a DLS elective). All students doing research must submit a paper to the department office describing the work done, before credit will be given.

Non-Lab Option Non-lab students must take 694:490-492 [Sp] Literature Research in MBB., at least 6 credits.

Students are able to take either of the three Lab Options with both Course Option I and Course Option II. The number of electives required for the different combination of the Course and Lab Options is shown below.

Checklist form revised May 2008