Laboratory Option One (12 or more credits)

A minimum of 12 credits is required in research courses. 01:694:381,382 Undergraduate Laboratory Research (3-6,3-6) and/or 01:694:481,482 Advanced Undergraduate Laboratory Research (3-6,3-6) and /or 01:694:495,496 Honors Undergraduate Laboratory Research (6,6). Note that students applying for honors must complete 6 credits of honors course work per term for two terms. See Honors page for more information. Students are encouraged to begin their research as early as possible in their education at Rutgers. 

Laboratory Option Two (6-11 credits)

Students are required to complete a minimum of 6 credits in research courses for the MBB major. 1:694:381,382 Undergraduate Laboratory Research (3-6,3-6) and/or 01:694:481,482 Advanced Undergraduate Laboratory Research (3-6,3-6). Students having less than 12 research credits must take at an additional MBB elective along with the requirements of either Course Option I (Physical Chemistry and one MBB elective) or Course Option II (three MBB electives) to satisfy the requirements of this option. 

Non laboratory Option (12 credits)

01:694:489,490 Literature Research in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (3,3) Students must take at least two approved electives to satisfy the requirements of this option. Students taking this option may not apply for departmental honors.


The following are courses that count for credit for independent research projects conducted in the laboratory of a faculty member at Rutgers University.

Students are expected to do 4-5 hrs of research a week for each credit.  (i.e. students taking research for 3 credits are expected to be in the lab at least 12 hrs a week.) 

Students must have an overall GPA of 2.8 or greater to take research for credit.

A written report of research carried out during each term is required. For more information on the length and format of the Research Report click here.

Registration in research courses is by special permission only! Students must download and 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.

For Spring 2024 Registration:  Instead of collecting signatures, students should fill out their section of the Special Permission Form for Undergraduate Research  and send it online to their Research Advisor. The research advisor should then forward the form to the MBB Undergraduate Director, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  Upon receipt of the form Dr. Gunderson will send the students a SPN to register for the course.    NOTE:  The research faculty mentor will also have to initiate a Return to Research (R2R) form though their unit for each student before the student is able to work in the lab.   

Course NumberTitle & DescriptionCredits
01:694:281 (F), 01:694:282 (S), 

Sophomore Laboratory Research

Research project in the laboratory of a faculty member. A written report of research carried out during each term required by the end of each semester.

1-6
01:694:381 (F), 01:694:382 (S), 01:694:384 (Su),

Undergraduate Laboratory Research

Research project in the laboratory of a faculty member. A written report of research carried out during the fall term required by the end of each semester.  

Prerequisites: 01:694:315, 407-408

3-6
01:694:385 (F)

MBB Undergraduate Laboratory Research & Writing 

Research project in the laboratory of a faculty member. A written report of research carried out during the fall term required by the end of each semester.   01:694:385 has a mandatory weekly seminar on writing and communication in the sciences.  This meets the Wd and Wr writing goals of the SAS Core Curriculum

 
01:694:481 (F), 01:69:482 (S)

Advanced Undergraduate Laboratory Research

Research project in the laboratory of a faculty member. A written report of research carried out during the fall term required by the end of each semester. An oral presentation of the student's research in the Seminar in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (01:694:484) is required.

Prerequisites: 01:694:315, 407-408, and Corequisites for 482: 694:484.

3-6
01:694:489 (F), 01:694:490 (S)

Literature Research in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry

Literature research projects on a selected subject under the direction of a faculty member. A written report of research carried out during the fall term required by the end of each semester. An oral presentation of the student's research in the Seminar in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (01:694:484) is required.

Prerequisites: 01:694:315, 407-408, and Corequisite for 490: 694:484

3
01:694:495 (F), 01:694:496 (S)

Honors Laboratory Research

Honors research project in the laboratory of a faculty member. In addition to the research, students are required to attend a seminar in the fall semester on writing a Honors Thesis. An oral presentation of the student's research in the Seminar in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (01:694:484) is required. A honors thesis with an oral presentation and defense of the thesis to at least two professors is required. See Honors page for criteria for receiving Honors from the MBB.

Note: You must apply to enroll in Honors Laboratory Research. The application requires a short research proposal, current transcript, and signatures from your thesis advisor. Applications due at the end of the spring semester for the following academic year.

Prerequisites: 01:694:315, 407-408 Corequisite for 496: 694:484.

6