The undergraduate programs offered by the department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry are for students interested not just in what life is, but also in how it works. We seek to understand life at a mechanistic level by studying how the extraordinarily complex molecules found in living organisms create structures, carry out chemistry, and store and utilize information to generate the remarkable properties of living organisms. The term "Biochemistry" in our name refers to the discipline that identifies and studies the molecules and chemical reactions in biological organisms. "Molecular Biophysics" uses the methods of physics to determine how the molecules identified by biochemists actually work by determining their three-dimensional structures and mechanisms of action. For example, biochemistry was used to discover DNA and the fact that it carries genetic information, while biophysics was used to discover its double-helix structure. Biochemistry and biophysics are rapidly advancing areas of science that underlie the current dramatic progress in medicine. 

Our undergraduate degree programs are well suited for students planning to attend medical school or pursue graduate studies in biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, genomics, or biophysics. The MB&B major differs from the programs offered by the Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (MCDB) department in that MB&B places its central focus on studying biology using the tools of chemistry, physics, and biochemistry. MB&B students thus carry out more in-depth coursework in these areas, and typically take less coursework in other areas such as organismal biology, cell biology, and genetics. 

MB&B majors first acquire a broad foundation in chemistry, mathematics, physics, and biology, and then, in the sophomore or junior year, focus intensively on biochemistry and biophysics. Seniors choose among a wide range of opportunities: independent research projects, courses at the Graduate School or the Medical School, and advanced elective classes in Yale College. 

Designed for students with a strong interest in research, the B.S. degree program provides an intensive introduction to laboratory techniques in biochemistry and biophysics; students in this program usually carry out research projects in faculty laboratories during their junior and senior years. The B.A. degree requires 3 1/2 fewer courses than the B.S. and provides the intellectual discipline of biochemistry and biophysics for students who also wish to have sufficient time to pursue in-depth studies outside the major or who are interested in molecular biology as a liberal education. They too may engage in research during their junior and senior years. The four-year B.S./M.S. involves graduate-level coursework and intensive research similar to that carried out in the first year of a Ph.D. program. The B.S./M.S. is particularly suited for students who will not pursue a Ph.D. in the sciences, but who are going on to careers (e.g. business or legal aspects of the biotechnology industry) in which they will benefit from an advanced scientific training. 

Of the seniors majoring in MB&B each year, about two-thirds go to medical school. Of the other third, some enter graduate school, and others seek employment in university labs or in the biotechnology industry. Our alumni include many distinguished leaders in science and medicine. 

Associate Professor Michael Koelle
Director of Undergraduate Studies