The main objectives of our undergraduate Molecular Biology major are: to educate students in greater depth in molecular studies than would be possible in our Biology program, and to prepare students in the methodological advances which have changed the study of biology in recent years. The field of molecular biology has an impact on almost every other area of study in the biological sciences, and its development has led to expanded graduate and professional programs. The Molecular Biology curriculum will provide undergraduate students with a fundamental knowledge of the principles and practices inherent in the rapidly advancing field of molecular biology.
Students who major in Molecular Biology can also enter the burgeoning biotechnology industry, well prepared to compete in the modern scientific marketplace, as most institutions carry on basic or applied research in biomedical areas today using techniques of molecular biology. Students completing this major will be well-prepared to enter professional schools of medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, and optometry, as well as graduate programs.
Certain pre-qualified students may be accepted into the major; others will need to complete the following:
2.5 overall GPA required
Please note: The Biology, Molecular Biology, and Marine Biology and Coastal Science majors have retention policies. By the end of their second semester in the major (i.e. spring semester), students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 and have completed the following courses with a C- or better grade: BIOL112 or BIOL113, and CHEM106 or CHEM120, and MATH111 or AMAT120.
Students are required to meet with their assigned advisor.
Contact: Dr. Dirk Vanderklein, Science Hall 107A, vanderkleid@montclair.edu.
Degree Requirements Overview
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SEEDS General Education Requirements | 24-27 | |
| New Student Seminar | 1 | |
| Major Requirements | 79 | |
| Free Electives | 16-13 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| BIOL 112 | Principles of Biology: Introduction to the Cell | 4 |
| BIOL 113 | Principles of Biology: Organisms and Diversity | 4 |
| BIOL 230 | Cell and Molecular Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 350 | Microbiology | 4 |
| BIOL 380 | Genetics | 4 |
| BIOL 434 | Molecular Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 435 | Experimental Molecular Biology | 3 |
| Research Requirement | ||
| BIOL 409 | Externship in Biological Research (Co-operative Education) | 4 |
| or BIOL 418 | Biology Independent Research | |
| Elective Courses | ||
| Select 8 credits from the list below. | 8 | |
| Chemistry Collateral | ||
| CHEM 120 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM 121 | General Chemistry II | 4 |
| CHEM 230 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM 231 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM 232 | Experimental Organic Chemistry I | 2 |
| CHEM 370 | Biochemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM 371 | Biochemistry II | 3 |
| Physics Collateral | ||
| Select one of the following sequences: | 8 | |
| University Physics I and University Physics II | ||
| College Physics I and College Physics II | ||
| Math Collateral | ||
| Select two of the following options: | 8 | |
| Data Science and Statistics and Data Science and Biostatistics | ||
| Applied Calculus A | ||
or MATH 122 | Calculus I | |
| Applied Calculus B | ||
or MATH 221 | Calculus II | |
| Computer Science Collaterals | ||
| CSIT 100 | Introduction to Computer Concepts | 3 |
| or CSIT 111 | Fundamentals of Java Programming | |
| Total Credits | 79 | |
Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 360 | Introduction to Bio-Imaging | 3 |
| BIOL 405 | Cell Culture | 3 |
| BIOL 406 | Scanning Electron Microscopy | 4 |
| BIOL 410 | Toxicology | 3 |
| BIOL 411 | Introduction to Transmission Electron Microscopy | 4 |
| BIOL 415 | Population Genetics | 3 |
| BIOL 422 | Community Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 425 | Elementary Plant Physiology | 3 |
| BIOL 433 | Developmental Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 442 | Human Physiology | 4 |
| BIOL 443 | Vertebrate Embryology | 4 |
| BIOL 444 | Cell Physiology | 3 |
| BIOL 445 | Immunology | 3 |
| BIOL 446 | Endocrinology | 3 |
| BIOL 447 | Fundamentals of Pharmacology | 3 |
| BIOL 450 | Medical Microbiology | 3 |
| BIOL 451 | Comparative Animal Physiology | 3 |
| BIOL 457 | Virology | 3 |
| BIOL 458 | Microbial Genetics | 3 |
| BIOL 468 | Neurobiology | 3 |
| BIOL 475 | Medical Genetics | 3 |
| BIOL 476 | Biology of Cancer | 3 |
| BIOL 482 | Research Community I: Molecular Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 483 | Research Community II: Molecular Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 487 | Statistical Genomics | 3 |
| BIOL 488 | Special Topics in Cell and Molecular Biology | 3-4 |
| BIOL 491 | Research in Biology Literature | 1 |
| BIOL 492 | Senior Colloquium | 1 |
| BIOL 493 | Molecular Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 497 | Genomics | 3 |
New Student Seminar
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Students in the Adult Learner program must take GNED 100. | ||
| Complete one course from the following. Some courses may be restricted by major. Consult with an academic advisor. | 1 | |
| Pathways to Success | ||
| Freshman Seminar in Chemistry | ||
| First Year Seminar | ||
| Adult Academic Success Seminar | ||
| New Student Seminar | ||
| Freshman Seminar in Health and Physical Education | ||
| Pathways to Adult Learning | ||
| New Student Seminar | ||
| New Student Experience for Mathematical Sciences | ||
| Freshman Seminar for Music Majors | ||
| Introduction to Nursing | ||
| Freshman Seminar in Political Science and Law | ||
SEEDS General Education Requirements
Click here for a list of courses that fulfill the SEEDS requirements.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations | ||
| Effective Writing I | ||
| Complete one Effective Writing I course. | 3 | |
| Effective Writing II | ||
| Complete one Effective Writing II course. | 3 | |
| Interactive Communication | ||
| Complete one Interactive Communication course. | 3 | |
| Quantitative Reasoning | ||
| Fulfilled by AMAT 120 or MATH 122 in the major. | ||
| Political and Civic Life | ||
| Complete one Political and Civic Life course. | 3 | |
| World Language | ||
| Complete two sequential classes in one World Language when starting at the Beginner I or Beginner II level. Complete one class when starting at the Intermediate/Advanced Level. | 3-6 | |
| Exploration | ||
| Complete one course from four different Exploration categories: | 9 | |
| Analyzing Cultures and Societies | ||
| Creative Expression | ||
| Ethical Inquiry | ||
| Historical Thinking | ||
| Literary and Artistic Analysis | ||
| Scientific Reasoning | ||
| Fulfilled by BIOL 112 in the major. | ||
| Total Credits | 24-27 | |
Recommended Roadmap to Degree Completion
This recommended degree plan is provided as an outline for students to follow in order to complete their degree requirements within four years and 120 credits. This plan is a recommendation and MUST be used in consultation with their academic advisor. Important note: Students should be aware this plan assumes no pre-requisite coursework is required. If pre-requisite coursework is needed, students may have additional requirements to fulfill which do not appear on the plan.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| BIOL 112 (Fulfills SEEDS: Exploration 1 - Scientific Reasoning) | 4 | BIOL 113 | 4 |
| SEEDS: Effective Writing I | 3 | SEEDS: Effective Writing II | 3 |
| AMAT 120 or MATH 122 (Fulfills SEEDS: Quantitative Reasoning) | 4 | STAT 230 | 3 |
| CHEM 120 | 4 | STAT 231 | 1 |
| New Student Seminar | 1 | CHEM 121 | 4 |
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| SEEDS: Interactive Communication | 3 | CSIT 100 | 3 |
| CHEM 230 | 3 | CHEM 231 | 3 |
| CHEM 232 | 2 | SEEDS: Exploration 2 | 3 |
| BIOL 230 | 4 | BIOL 350 | 4 |
| SEEDS: Interactive Communication | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| SEEDS: Exploration 3 | 3 | SEEDS: Exploration 4 | 3 |
| CHEM 370 | 3 | CHEM 371 | 3 |
| BIOL 380 | 4 | BIOL 434 | 3 |
| BIOL 418 | 4 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | ||
| 14 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| SEEDS: World Language 1 | 3 | SEEDS: World Language 2 | 3 |
| PHYS 193 | 4 | PHYS 194 | 4 |
| BIOL 435 | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Major Elective | 4 | Major Elective | 4 |
| Free Elective | 1 | ||
| 15 | 14 | ||
| Total Credits 120 | |||