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THE BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE

The B.S. program is designed especially for students with a strong commitment to research and includes an intensive introduction to modern laboratory procedures. B.S. program majors have an opportunity to carry out research in faculty laboratories after they have completed their required MB&B laboratory course. This program is readily adapted to permit qualified majors to enter the combined B.S./M.S. program that leads to the simultaneous award of the two degrees at the end of four years in Yale College.

In the absence of Advanced Placement in any of the natural sciences or mathematics, and depending on the specific courses that are taken, completion of 23 credits of science courses are required for the completion of the B.S. degree.

Requirements for the B.S. program in the MB&B Major
The table shows the MB&B course requirements in the Basic Sciences (Part A) and in the Advanced Sciences (Part B) for the B.S. degree. Courses prefixed with a star (*) may be waived by receiving scores on Advanced Placement tests sufficient to earn acceleration credits in the particular subjects (see chapter II in the Yale College Programs of Study), even if the student does not choose to accelerate. Letters after the number of credits indicate footnotes. Courses in italics indicate those areas in which the B.S. degree differs from the B.A. degree.

a: It should be remembered that only students having Advanced Placement for Chemistry 113 are eligible for Chemistry 118 or 125. By taking freshman organic chemistry (CHEM 125) or advanced freshman chemistry (CHEM 118), a student is able to take MB&B 300a/301b in the Sophomore rather than the Junior year. By taking 118a a student can begin the organic series (CHEM 225b) in the second semester of their freshman year and take the second term of organic chemistry (CHEM 227a) concurrently with the first term of Biochemistry (MB&B 300a) in the first semester of their sophomore year.

b: Chem 328a is the standard on-term physical chemistry course that should be taken by most MB&B majors.  A small number of students with high math aptitude and interest in physical chemistry may want to take Chem 332a instead of Chem 328a.  Taking Chem 333a gives students the option to take a second terms of physical chemistry, Chem 333b, as a substitute for the biophysics course MB&B 302b.  Students take Chem 332a or Chem333b generally students should have taken Math 120a or higher and have received grades of A or A- in all their math courses.

c: In extenutating circumstances, physics 150/151 may be accepted in place of physics 180/181 with permission of DUS.

d: Courses that fulfill this requirement include:  Math 120 or above, ENAS 151a, ENAS 194, PHYS 301a, Computer Science 201, 202, or above, or Introduction to Statistics - Medicine 105 or above.  Others with permission from DUS.  AP credit cannot be applied towards the quantitative reasoning elective.

e: One of the two must be an MB&B lecture course.  The other can be another MB&B lecture course or research for credit.

f:  At least one of the biology electives must be taken at a level of 200 or higher.  It is recommended that the student take MCDB 120 unless they have a 5 on the Biology AP exam or its equivalent.  Examples are:

g: This elective is chosen, with the approval of the major's MB&B Faculty Adviser, from among courses with the Sc designation.  Students may also use graduate courses offered by MB&B and other science departments, including Cell Biology, Human Genetics, Neuroanatomy, Pharmacology and Physiology. Courses must be at a higher level than those already required for the major.  This elective can be an introductory course if no other course in that field is required. Science 198 (Perspectives in Science) does not count as a science elective for the B.S. major.

h: Only 2 credits from MB&B research courses may be applied to these 4 electives.

i: MB&B 490b, Senior Requirement.  This course will confer course credit for completion of the senior project in the department.


The MB&B senior requirement for both BS and BA is fulfilled by participation in an MB&B senior project course during the second semester of the senior year. Students prepare a written report and make an oral presentation on recent advances in research on a topic of their choice within biochemistry and biophysics.  Students will meet with faculty in charge of the course during the first two weeks of the spring term to agree upon a topic and approach.

Written presentation. The paper is expected to be 15-25 pages in length, and should critically review the literature on a scientific topic within biochemistry and biophysics.  A first draft of the paper is due two weeks prior to the date of the oral presentation.  It is inappropriate for students to resubmit a paper prepared for another course in fulfillment of the senior requirement.  The literature project must be original new work approved by the faculty member overseeing the senior project.  It is recommended that students who took research for credit earlier in their training write a new 15-25 page literature review on the topic of their research, and append to it the research report they previously completed for the research course.  Faculty in charge of the program will provide suggestions for the paper and return it to the student.  A final draft of the paper is due the first day of the reading period of the student's final term.

Oral presentation. Students will make a 15-min. oral presentation during the last three weeks of the student's final term in a general scientific format open to the public. Other students in the senior project are expected to attend the presentations.

Possible Courses of Study for the MB&B B.S. Major

Two examples of course selections are provided for the MB&B B.S. major. In both cases, the program defines the minimal number of sciences and non-science courses required.

The first example assumes that the student has Advanced Placement (AP) credit for two semesters of Math and has been placed into Chemistry 118 based upon the Chemistry Department entrance examination.

Second Example of Courses of Study B.S. Major

The second example assumes that the student has AP credit equivalent to two semesters of Math, two semesters of Biology and has placed into Freshman Organic Chemistry based upon the Chemistry Department entrance examination. This example may be best suited for students who wish to emphasize the Biophysical aspect of their training, because the Physical Chemistry series is completed as a junior. This makes it possible to take Biophysical courses for the MBB elective in their senior year. An alternative (not shown) is to complete the MBB 360 lab as a sophomore, the Physics series as a junior and the Physical Chemistry series as a senior. Completion of MBB 360L as a sophomore provides maximal opportunity for participation in research during the junior and/or senior year.

Students without AP credit can also complete the MB&B major in four years by taking the Biochemistry series during the Junior year and taking additional science courses in the Senior year.

* Only one of the credits received counts towards the biology requirement.