College of Letters and Science

Beth A. Lazazzera, PhD, Director

Eric J. Deeds, PhD, Assistant Director

Debra Pires, PhD, Assistant Director

Students who wish to study life sciences have a choice of eight majors, all of which lead to a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree: Biology; Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution; and Marine Biology (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department); Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics (Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Department); Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology (Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology Department); Neuroscience (Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program); Physiological Science (Integrative Biology and Physiology Department); and Psychobiology (Psychology Department). This choice reflects the diversity of undergraduate instruction in life sciences at UCLA. Despite this diversity, all of these majors require a common core of introductory courses that forms the foundation for any study of life sciences and that is required for more advanced courses in each major. The common core includes courses in chemistry, physics, and mathematics, as well as introductory courses in evolution and biodiversity, cellular and organismal biology, molecular biology, and genetics. During the first two years, students may also gain experience in a research laboratory through the Student Research Program. For more information on each major, see the individual departments in this chapter. For additional information on the Life Sciences core curriculum, see the curriculum website.

Students considering one of the life sciences majors are encouraged to declare a major as early as possible, even in their first year. In this way, they are identified by the life sciences advising offices and receive important curricular and other information. Because the core curriculum prepares them for any of the eight majors, they have the flexibility to switch to another life sciences major at any time during their progression through the core curriculum. Note: The Marine Biology and Psychobiology majors may require some courses in addition to the life sciences core curriculum as part of the preparation. Consult the course requirements for both majors.

Undergraduate Study

Life Sciences Core Curriculum

Required: Chemistry and Biochemistry 14A, 14B, 14BL, 14C, and 14D, or 20A, 20B, 20L, 30A, 30AL, and 30B; Life Sciences 7A, 7B, 7C, 23L, 107; Life Sciences 30A, 30B, and 40 or Statistics 13, or Mathematics 3A, 3B, and 3C, or 31A, 31B, and 32A; Physics 1A, 1B, 1C, 4AL, and 4BL, or 5A, 5B, and 5C.

Each core curriculum course must be passed with a grade of C– or better, and all courses must be completed with an overall grade-point average of 2.0 or better. Students receiving a grade of D or F in two core curriculum courses, either in separate courses or repetitions of the same course, are subject to dismissal from the major.

Transfer Students

Transfer applicants with 90 or more units must complete the following introductory courses prior to admission to UCLA: one year of general biology with laboratory for majors, preferably equivalent to Life Sciences 7A, 7B, and 7C, one year of calculus, one year of general chemistry with laboratory for majors, and one semester of organic chemistry with laboratory. A second semester of organic chemistry or one year of calculus-based physics is strongly recommended but not required for admission.

Refer to the UCLA transfer admission guide for up-to-date information regarding transfer selection for admission.

Undergraduate Research Consortium in Functional Genomics

The Undergraduate Research Consortium in Functional Genomics (URCFG) offers a sequence of laboratory-intensive courses designed for undergraduate students committed to pursuing research. The innovative partnership between UCLA and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) was formed through a major award to professor Utpal Banerjee. The HHMI Professors Program seeks to engage leading scientists in transmitting the excitement and values of scientific research to undergraduate education. The goal of the URCFG is to emphasize the importance for academia and industry of research in the fields of medicine and biotechnology.

Sponsored by the Life Sciences Core Education Department, the URCFG offers undergraduate students from any UCLA major the opportunity to learn biological research techniques early in their educational careers and within a structured institutional environment. Students devote between one and four terms to the study of biological research in genetics, bioinformatics, and functional genomics. The training emphasizes research concepts in basic science such as the model organism and in advanced research techniques such as electron microscopy.

Students participate in one structured lower-division course—Biomedical Research 10H—which is limited to 30 students per term and is offered every term. After satisfactorily completing course 10H and with instructor consent, students may participate in up to three terms of upper-division research in genes, genetics, and genomics. The upper-division courses—Biomedical Research 100HA, 100HB, 100HC—do not involve pre-existing laboratory experiments. Syllabi for the courses are instead based on individual research projects whose outcomes students discover through the course of their studies. It is anticipated that only about one third of the students who complete course 10H will subsequently enroll in course 100HA, and students are advised that they can benefit significantly from course 10H alone.

Each course must be taken for a letter grade. Under special circumstances, one course may be waived for students who have prior research experience in fields covered by the courses. Students who complete the required courses receive a certificate of merit indicating their completion of the consortium.

To participate, students must be accepted into the Undergraduate Research Consortium in Functional Genomics. Interested students should contact the URCFG coordinator in the Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology Student Affairs Office, 128A Hershey Hall, 310-825-7109, for information regarding admission and an application. Applications are due no later than Friday of the fourth week of the term prior to the term in which students plan to enroll in course 10H.