Program Overview

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Molecular and Cell Biology, BA

Molecular and cell biology is the basic science that seeks an understanding of biological processes in terms of the properties and functions of the molecules that make up living cells. The scope of questions addressed in molecular and cell biology ranges from evolution to development to the regulation of gene expression. A career in molecular and cell biology requires a strong background in biology as well as a solid foundation in chemistry, mathematics, and physics.

Program Overview

The Molecular and Cell Biology major has been designed primarily for three groups of students:

• Those who plan to enter a research career in molecular and cell biology or related areas such as biochemistry, genetics, oncology, microbiology, cell biology, or developmental biology;
• Pre-professional students who plan to enter either a research or clinical career in medicine or allied health fields; and
• Students who plan to pursue careers in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical science industries. Students with other interests are also welcome. Career opportunities for students with an undergraduate degree in molecular and cell biology are amazingly diverse. Graduates of the program have gone into patent law, science journalism, forensics, philosophy, nutrition, genetic counseling, veterinary medicine, anthropology, archeology, marine biology, theology, and much more.

Undergraduate Research

Undergraduate Molecular and Cell Biology students at UWMadison are fortunate to have the opportunity to work with some of the world's leading researchers. Many opportunities for laboratory research experience are available on campus for undergraduate students, and this type of experience is strongly encouraged. Such an experience provides students the opportunity to apply what they're learning and complement their knowledge with practical skills. Research experience is highly valued by employers, graduate programs, and professional schools.

Admission Requirements

No application is required for the major. All students who meet the requirements listed below are eligible to declare.

• Courses required to get in: None
• GPA requirements to get in: None
• Credits required to get in: None
• Other requirements: None

University General Education Requirements

All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. Various schools and colleges will have requirements in addition to the requirements listed below.

• BreadthHumanities/Literature/Arts: 6 credits
• BreadthNatural Science: 4 to 6 credits, consisting of one 4- or 5-credit course with a laboratory component; or two courses providing a total of 6 credits
• BreadthSocial Studies: 3 credits
• Communication Part A & Part B
• Ethnic Studies
• Quantitative Reasoning Part A & Part B

College of Letters & Science Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Students pursuing a bachelor of arts degree in the College of Letters & Science must complete all of the requirements below. The College of Letters & Science allows this major to be paired with either a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science curriculum.

Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements

• Mathematics: Complete the University General Education Requirements for Quantitative Reasoning A (QR-A) and Quantitative Reasoning B (QR-B) coursework.
• Language: Complete the fourth unit of a language other than English; OR complete the third unit of a language and the second unit of an additional language other than English.
• L&S Breadth:
  • 12 credits of Humanities, which must include 6 credits of literature; and
  • 12 credits of Social Science; and
  • 12 credits of Natural Science, which must include one 3+ credit Biological Science course and one 3+ credit Physical Science course.
• Liberal Arts and Science Coursework: Complete at least 108 credits.
• Depth of Intermediate/Advanced work: Complete at least 60 credits at the intermediate or advanced level.
• Major: Declare and complete at least one major.
• Total Credits: Complete at least 120 credits.
• UW-Madison Experience:
  • 30 credits in residence, overall; and
  • 30 credits in residence after the 86th credit.
• Quality of Work:
  • 2.000 in all coursework at UWMadison
  • 2.000 in Intermediate/Advanced level coursework at UWMadison

Requirements for the Major

Mathematics, Chemistry & Physics

Complete one of the following mathematics courses:

• MATH 221: Calculus and Analytic Geometry 1
• MATH 217: Calculus with Algebra and Trigonometry II Complete one of the following mathematics courses:
• MATH 222: Calculus and Analytic Geometry 2
• MATH 213: Survey of Calculus 2
• STAT 240: Data Science Modeling I
• STAT 301: Introduction to Statistical Methods
• STAT 371: Introductory Applied Statistics for the Life Sciences General Chemistrycomplete one option:
• CHEM 103 & CHEM 104: General Chemistry I and General Chemistry II
• CHEM 109: Advanced General Chemistry
• CHEM 115 & CHEM 116: Chemical Principles I and Chemical Principles II (by consent of instructor only) Organic Chemistry - complete the sequence:
• CHEM 343: Organic Chemistry I
• CHEM 344: Introductory Organic Chemistry Laboratory
• CHEM 345: Organic Chemistry II Physics - Choose a first and a second calculus-based physics option OR elementary based physics sequence with additional calculus:
• PHYSICS 207: General Physics
• PHYSICS 201: General Physics
• PHYSICS 247: A Modern Introduction to Physics
• PHYSICS 208: General Physics
• PHYSICS 202: General Physics
• PHYSICS 248: A Modern Introduction to Physics
• PHYSICS 103: General Physics
• PHYSICS 104: General Physics
• MATH 234: Calculus--Functions of Several Variables

Introductory Biology

Complete one option:

• Option A:
  • ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY/BOTANY 151: Introductory Biology
  • ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY/BOTANY 152: Introductory Biology
• Option B:
  • BIOCORE 381: Evolution, Ecology, and Genetics
  • BIOCORE 382: Evolution, Ecology, and Genetics Laboratory
  • BIOCORE 383: Cellular Biology
  • BIOCORE 384: Cellular Biology Laboratory
  • BIOCORE 485: Principles of Physiology
• Option C:
  • ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY 101: Animal Biology
  • ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY 102: Animal Biology Laboratory
  • BOTANY/BIOLOGY 130: General Botany

Breadth Coursework

Biochemistry - complete one of the following:

• BIOCHEM 501: Introduction to Biochemistry
• BIOCHEM 507 & BIOCHEM 508: General Biochemistry I and General Biochemistry II Cell Biology:
• ZOOLOGY 570: Cell Biology Molecular Biology and Genetics - complete one of the following:
• BIOCORE 381 & BIOCORE 383 & BIOCORE 587: Evolution, Ecology, and Genetics, and Cellular Biology, and Biological Interactions
• GENETICS 466: Principles of Genetics
• GENETICS 467 & GENETICS 468: General Genetics 1 and General Genetics 2
• MICROBIO 470: Microbial Genetics & Molecular Machines Total Credits: 9-18

Depth Coursework

Students must complete 6 unique credits of depth coursework. Courses may be concentrated in one area or distributed across multiple areas.

• Biochemistry and Biophysics (no minimum)
• Cellular Systems (no minimum)
• Genetics (no minimum)
• Microbiology and Virology (no minimum)
• Quantitative Biology (no minimum)

Laboratory Course

Complete 2 credits minimum:

• BIOCHEM 207: Engineering Bacteriophage Laboratory
• CHEM 327: Fundamentals of Analytical Science
• CHEM 329: Fundamentals of Analytical Science
• COMP SCI 220: Data Science Programming I
• MICROBIO 304: Biology of Microorganisms Laboratory
• MICROBIO 657: Bioinformatics for Microbiologists
• MOL BIOL 681: Senior Honors Thesis
• MOL BIOL 691: Senior Thesis
• MOL BIOL 699: Directed Studies in Molecular Biology
• PHM SCI 254: Tiny Earth Genomics - Researching Uncultured Antibiotic-Producing Microbes
• ZOOLOGY 555: Laboratory in Developmental Biology

Directed/Independent Study

Complete 2 credits minimum:

• MOL BIOL 699: Directed Studies in Molecular Biology (Or other departments, as applicable)
• MOL BIOL 682: Senior Honors Thesis
• MOL BIOL 692: Senior Thesis

Residence and Quality of Work

• 2.000 GPA in all Molecular and Cell Biology major courses
• 2.000 GPA on at least 15 credits of upper-level in the major, taken in residence
• 15 credits in Molecular and Cell Biology major courses, taken on the UWMadison campus

Honors in the Major

Students may declare Honors in the Molecular and Cell Biology major in consultation with the Molecular and Cell Biology undergraduate advisor.

Honors in the Molecular and Cell Biology Major Requirements

To earn Honors in the Major in Molecular and Cell Biology, students must satisfy both the requirements for the major (above) and the following additional requirements:

• Earn a 3.300 overall university GPA
• Earn a 3.300 GPA for all courses accepted in the major
• Complete at least 15 credits of honors courses in the major while in residence at UW-Madison.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completing the Molecular and Cell Biology major, students will be able to:

1. Integrate the energetic and thermodynamic bases of life, with an emphasis on the molecular mechanisms underlying them
2. Integrate the nature of genetic material and its roles in inheritance, evolution, and cellular function
3. Summarize the fundamental relationship between the structure and function of biological macromolecules
4. Summarize the principles of cell structure, function, and biological dynamics
5. Appraise the molecular mechanisms and quantitative principles in biochemistry/physical chemistry, cellular systems, genetics, and microbiology.
6. Develop skills to communicate scientific information in oral and written form
7. Develop the ability to formulate hypotheses and plan, design, and carry out scientific experiments to test them
8. Develop quantitative reasoning skills and the ability to use quantitative approaches to understand basic principles of life.

Four-Year Plan

This Four-Year Plan is only one way a student may complete an L&S degree with this major. Many factors can affect student degree planning, including placement scores, credit for transferred courses, credits earned by examination, and individual scholarly interests.

• Freshman:
  • Fall: Communication A, Quantitative Reasoning A, CHEM 103, Foreign Language (if needed)
  • Spring: MATH 221, Ethnic Studies, CHEM 104, Humanities Breadth
• Sophomore:
  • Fall: ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY/BOTANY 151, CHEM 343, Social Science Breadth, Humanities Breadth, INTER-LS 210
  • Spring: ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY/BOTANY 152, CHEM 344, CHEM 345, STAT 371, Elective
• Junior:
  • Fall: PHYSICS 207, GENETICS 466, ZOOLOGY 570, Social Science Breadth, MOL BIOL 699
  • Spring: PHYSICS 208, BIOCHEM 501, Literature Breadth, MOL BIOL 699 or Elective
• Senior:
  • Fall: Depth Coursework, Laboratory Course, MOL BIOL 699 or Elective, Social Science Breadth, Elective
  • Spring: Depth Coursework, MOL BIOL 699 or Elective, Literature Breadth, Social Science Breadth, Elective

Advising and Careers

You must first make an appointment to meet with a Molecular and Cell Biology advisor. Students who intend to major in Molecular and Cell Biology may not combine this major (double major) with the Biology or Biochemistry majors in either the College of Letters and Science or the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS).

SuccessWorks

SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps you turn the academic skills learned in your classes into a fulfilling life, guiding you every step of the way to securing jobs, internships, or admission to graduate school.

Resources and Scholarships

Hilldale Undergraduate/Faculty Research Fellowship

The Hilldale Undergraduate/Faculty Research Fellowships support undergraduate research done in collaboration with UWMadison faculty or research/instructional academic staff.

Holstrom Environmental Research Fellowship

The Holstrom Environmental Research Fellowship supports undergraduate research done in collaboration with UWMadison faculty or research/instructional academic staff.

Sophomore Research Fellowship

Funded by grants from the Brittingham Fund and the Kemper K. Knapp Bequest, the Sophomore Research Fellowships support undergraduate research done in collaboration with UWMadison faculty or research/instructional academic staff.

Undergraduate Research Scholars

The Undergraduate Research Scholars (URS) program is dedicated to enhancing the academic experience of UWMadison students by providing first- and second-year undergraduates with opportunities to earn credit for participating in research and creative work with UWMadison faculty and staff.

Undergraduate Symposium

The annual Undergraduate Symposium showcases undergraduate creativity, achievement, research, service-learning, and community-based research from all areas of study at UWMadison.

Wisconsin Idea Fellowships

Wisconsin Idea Fellowships are awarded annually to undergraduate student projects working toward solving a challenge identified along with local or global community partners.