Molecular Biology Major

Requirements for the Major in Molecular Biology

All courses for the Molecular Biology Major must be taken for a letter grade.

1. Introductory courses: BIOL 040 PO , BIOL 041C PO ; CHEM 001A PO , CHEM 001B PO  or CHEM 051 PO ; CHEM 110A PO ,CHEM 110B PO ; PHYS 041 PO .
2. MATH 030 PO , MATH 031 PO , MATH 032S PO  or MATH 036 PO  is strongly recommended. Students with AP Calculus AB credit must complete MATH 031 PO ; students with AP Calculus BC credit must complete MATH 058B PO  or higher (Introduction to Biostatistics is not recommended for students who have taken AP statistics) or MATH 032S PO .
3. Upper-division courses: BIOL 163 PO , CHEM 115 PO  (or CHEM 182 HM  and CHEM 184 HM  taken together), CHEM 156 PO , Molecular Biology (MOBI) MOBI 188 PO  and the Senior Experimental Thesis (MOBI 194A PO ).
4. One full-credit biology, chemistry, molecular biology or neuroscience elective course from the list below. Two approved half-credit elective courses may also be used to satisfy this requirement.

Students with an interest in molecular approaches to the study of ecology and evolution should consider taking BIOL 041E PO  and additional elective courses, such as BIOL 109 PO . Elective courses, other than those listed below, in biology, chemistry, physics or mathematics, may be approved by the coordinator as an appropriate elective, depending upon the interests of the student. Students with an interest in molecular neuroscience should take NEUR 101 PO  and consider additional neuroscience elective courses, such as those listed below. 

Molecular biology majors may not enroll in any required course away from Pomona College (except CHEM 182 HM  and CHEM 184 HM  when taken together) without the written permission of the coordinator, who must pre-approve a non-Pomona course as equivalent to a Pomona course.

Molecular biology majors must complete MOBI 188 PO  in the spring of their junior year.  CHEM 115 PO  and BIOL 163 PO  are to be completed by the end of the junior year. Students who plan to study abroad will enroll in BIOL 163 PO  in the fall of their senior year if not taken as a sophomore. Students who are unable to take CHEM 115 PO  and/or BIOL 163 PO  in the junior year, who were not abroad, should consult the program coordinator. With prior written permission from the program coordinator, one upper-division molecular biology course taken in a Pomona approved study abroad program may be applied to major requirements.

Students who will be applying to graduate or professional schools or will be seeking employment in applied or basic research laboratories are strongly encouraged to take additional elective courses and to participate in a summer research program.