Molecular and Cellular Biology + Data Science, BSLAS
for the degree of Bachelor of Science Major in Molecular and Cellular Biology + Data Science
In the Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) + Data Science (DS) degree program students are provided with a thorough foundation in both molecular and cellular biology and data science through an integrated and deliberate effort to ensure that our students have the necessary understanding of the biological science underpinning the study of life and biological systems, while also having access to the tools and training in the skillsets needed to collect, handle, and interpret the large biological datasets being generated by the field. Thorough preparation in molecular biology, molecular genetics, microbiology, cellular biology, biochemistry, physiology, and structural biology comes from coursework, laboratory classes, as well as research and discovery experiences. This degree program equips students with the knowledge, tools, and skills to manage and analyze very large and diverse datasets across various biological systems, including healthcare systems, pharmaceutical industry, biologically and environmentally relevant government agencies, and data-intensive biological research areas.
Undergraduate degree programs in Molecular & Cellular Biology
- Biochemistry, BS
- Molecular & Cellular Biology, BSLAS
- Molecular & Cellular Biology Honors Concentration, BSLAS
- Molecular & Cellular Biology + Data Science, BSLAS
- Neuroscience, BSLAS
Distinction
Students in MCB + Data Science can qualify for Distinction via one of the following:
Distinction for Excellence in Research:
To be eligible for graduation with Distinction a student must:
Complete 3 semesters of MCB 290 for 2 credit hours or more each semester. Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 at the end of penultimate semester. Give at least one poster presentation at the Undergraduate Research symposium or other approved venue. Obtain a letter of support from their Principal Investigator.
To be eligible for graduation with High Distinction a student must:
- Complete 2 semesters of MCB 290 for 2 credit hours or more each semester.
- Complete 1 semester of MCB 492 for 3 credit hours or more. Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 at the end of penultimate semester.
- Give at least one poster presentation at the Undergraduate Research symposium or other approved venue.
- Obtain a letter of support from their Principal Investigator.
- Submit a written thesis that is approved by the Distinction Committee.
To be eligible for graduation with Highest Distinction a student must:
- Complete 2 semesters of MCB 290 for 2 credit hours or more each semester.
- Complete 1 semester MCB 492 for 3 credit hours or more. Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.90 at the end of penultimate semester.
- Give at least one poster presentation at the Undergraduate Research symposium or other approved venue.
- Obtain a letter of support from their Principal Investigator.
- Submit a written thesis that is approved by the Distinction Committee.
To be eligible for graduation with Academic Distinction a student must:
- Maintain a major GPA of 3.90 or higher in the MCB + Data Science major (biology, chemistry, and math courses for the MCB + Data Science major) at the end of their penultimate semester.
for the degree of Bachelor of Science Major in Molecular and Cellular Biology + Data Science
Graduation Requirements
Minimum hours required for graduation: 120 hours.
University Requirements
Minimum of 40 hours of upper-division coursework, generally at the 300- or 400-level. These hours can be drawn from all elements of the degree. Students should consult their academic advisor for additional guidance in fulfilling this requirement.
The university and residency requirements can be found in the Student Code (§ 3-801) and in the Academic Catalog.
General Education Requirements
Follows the campus General Education (Gen Ed) requirements. Some Gen Ed requirements may be met by courses required and/or electives in the program.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Composition I | 4-6 | |
| Advanced Composition | 3 | |
| Humanities & the Arts (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Natural Sciences & Technology (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Social & Behavioral Sciences (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Cultural Studies: Non-Western Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Cultural Studies: US Minority Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Cultural Studies: Western/Comparative Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Quantitative Reasoning (2 courses, at least one course must be Quantitative Reasoning I) | 6-10 | |
| Language Requirement (Completion of the fourth semester or equivalent of a language other than English is required) | 0-20 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
Orientation and Professional Development | ||
| LAS 101 | Design Your First Year Experience | 1 |
OR | ||
| LAS 100 & LAS 101 | Success in LAS for International Students and Design Your First Year Experience | 3 |
OR | ||
| LAS 102 | Transfer Advantage | 1 |
| Total Hours | 1 or 3 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
Major Core Requirements and Electives | ||
| MCB Core | 17 | |
| Molecular & Cellular Basis of Life | ||
| Molecular Genetics | ||
| Exp Techniqs in Molecular Biol | ||
| Cells, Tissues & Development | ||
| Exp Techniqs in Cellular Biol | ||
| Biochem & Phys Basis of Life | ||
| Data Science Core | 29-30 | |
Mathematical Foundations | ||
| Calculus | ||
or MATH 221 | Calculus I | |
| Linear Algebra for Data Science | ||
or MATH 257 | Linear Algebra with Computational Applications | |
Data Science Fundamentals | ||
| Data Science Discovery | ||
| Data Science Exploration | ||
| Modeling and Learning in Data Science | ||
Computational Fundamentals | ||
| Algorithms and Data Structures for Data Science | ||
Social Impact in Data Science | ||
| Ethics and Policy for Data Science | ||
| Data Management, Curation & Reproducibility | ||
| Chemistry | 10 | |
| General Chemistry I | ||
| General Chemistry II | ||
| Elementary Organic Chemistry I | ||
| Advanced MCB Lab Courses | 2-4 | |
At least one course from this list is required. | ||
| Experimental Microbiology | ||
| Eukaryotic Cell Biology Laboratory | ||
| Microbial Pathogens Laboratory | ||
| Neuroanatomy Laboratory | ||
| Technqs Biochem & Biotech | ||
| Advanced Courses Group A | 9 | |
At least 3 courses, a minimum of 9 credit hours, is required from this list. | ||
| Genetics and Genomics | ||
| Brain, Behavior & Info Process | ||
| Microbial Genetics | ||
| Computing in Molecular Biology | ||
| Evolution of Infectious Disease | ||
| Physical Biochemistry | ||
| Introduction to Biophysics | ||
| Advanced Courses Group B | 9 | |
At least 3 courses, a minimum of 9 credit hours, is required from this list. | ||
| Microbiology | ||
| Introduction to Neurobiology | ||
| Genetics and Disease | ||
| Mechanisms of Human Disease | ||
| Cancer Cell Biology | ||
| Cellular Physiology | ||
| Sys & Integrative Physiology | ||
| Gene Expression & Regulation | ||
| Immunology | ||
| Developmental Biology, Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine | ||
| Endocrinology | ||
| Microbial Biochemistry | ||
| Bacterial Pathogenesis | ||
| Molecular Microbiology | ||
| Research or Discovery Experience | 6 | |
One of the most important skills a student will gain in the MCB + DS degree will be the ability to work with data in context. A minimum of 6 credit hours of research or discovery experience is required. This can be achieved through one or more of the options listed below. | ||
| Option 1 | ||
| Undergraduate Research | ||
| Option 2 | ||
| Experiential Learning in MCB | ||
| Option 3 | ||
School of MCB-developed Study Abroad Program where advanced courses in MCB and Data Science are the focus (minimum of the equivalent to 6 UIUC credit hours transferred back to Illinois). Some programs offer course-based research experiences in MCB research laboratories with an emphasis on Data Science. Students choose from MCB-developed residential study abroad programs. All courses are selected under the supervision of an MCB Study Abroad Academic Advisor and will be pre-articulated. | ||
for the degree of Bachelor of Science Major in Molecular and Cellular Biology + Data Science
Upon successful completion of the Molecular & Cellular Biology + Data Science undergraduate curriculum, students will be able to:
- Understand and appreciate the diversity of life as it evolved over time by processes of mutation, selection, and genetic change.
- Illustrate that fundamental structural units define the function of all living things.
- Explain that the growth, development, and behavior of organisms are activated through the expression of genetic information in context.
- Summarize that biological systems grow and change by processes based upon chemical transformation pathways and are governed by the laws of physics.
- Illustrate that living systems are interconnected and interacting across scales of space and time.
- Design a scientific process and employ the scientific method, demonstrating that biology is evidence based and grounded in the formal practices of observation, experimentation, and hypothesis testing.
- Apply critical thinking and quantitative reasoning skills to solve problems.
- Execute quantitative analysis to interpret biological data.
- Construct and utilize predictive models to study and describe complex biological systems.
- Apply concepts from other sciences in order to interpret biological phenomena.
- Communicate biological concepts and understanding to members of a diverse scientific community as well as to the general public.
- Identify social and historical dimensions of biological investigation.
- Develop relevant programming abilities.
- Demonstrate proficiency with statistical analysis of data.
- Develop the ability to build and assess data-based models.
- Execute statistical analyses with professional statistical software.
- Demonstrate skill in data management.
- Apply data science concepts and methods to solve problems in real-world contexts and communicate these solutions effectively.
for the degree of Bachelor of Science Major in Molecular and Cellular Biology + Data Science
This sample sequence is intended to be used only as a guide for degree completion. All students should work individually with their academic advisors to decide the actual course selection and sequence that works best for them based on their academic preparation and goals. Enrichment programming such as study abroad, minors, internships, and so on may impact the structure of this four-year plan. Course availability is not guaranteed during the semester indicated in the sample sequence.
Students must fulfill their Language Other Than English requirement by successfully completing a fourth level of a language other than English. For more information, see the corresponding section on the Degree and General Education Requirements page.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| LAS 101 | 1 | MATH 227 or 257 | 3 |
| MCB 150 (or Composition I) | 4 | Composition I or MCB 150 | 4 |
| MATH 220 or 221 | 4 | CHEM 104 | 3 |
| STAT 107 | 4 | General Education Course | 3 |
| CHEM 102 | 3 | Free Elective Course | 1 |
| 16 | 14 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| MCB 250 | 3 | MCB 252 | 3 |
| MCB 251 | 2 | MCB 253 | 2 |
| CHEM 232 | 4 | CS 277 | 4 |
| STAT 207 | 4 | General Education Course | 3 |
| Language Other Than English (3rd level) | 4 | Language Other Than English (4th level) | 4 |
| 17 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| MCB 354 | 3 | Advanced Group B course | 3 |
| Advanced Group A Course | 3 | Advanced MCB Lab | 2 |
| CS 307 | 4 | Research or Discovery Experience | 2 |
| General Education Course | 3 | General Education Course | 3 |
| General Education Course | 3 | General Education Course | 3 |
| 16 | 13 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| Advanced Group A Course | 3 | Advanced Group A Course | 3 |
| Advanced Group B Course | 3 | Advanced Group B Course | 3 |
| IS 467 | 3 | IS 477 | 3 |
| Research or Discovery Experience | 2 | Reasearch or Discovery Experience | 2 |
| General Education Course | 3 | General Education Course | 3 |
| 14 | 14 | ||
| Total Hours 120 | |||
for the degree of Bachelor of Science Major in Molecular and Cellular Biology + Data Science
School of Molecular & Cellular Biology website
School Faculty
MCB advising
MCB advising email
Overview of College Admissions & Requirements: Liberal Arts & Sciences
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences website