School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
The Biology Program at UT Dallas emphasizes the unifying molecular and cellular nature of organisms. At the center of the Biology undergraduate curriculum are the biochemical, genetic, and cell biology concepts and tools used to study the genes of prokaryotes and eukaryotes, to study the proteins and ribonucleic acids (RNA) encoded by these genes, and to study how the expression of these genes is regulated during the development and lifetimes of organisms. Molecular Biology represents a fusion of the four disciplines of biochemistry, biophysics, genetics, and cell biology. Modern biology requires a background in other disciplines such as chemistry, mathematics, physics, and computer sciences. Principles from these disciplines have to be merged to understand and apply new biotechnology and genetic engineering techniques. It is desirable for entering students to have a broad interest and background in the sciences.
Molecular Biology (BS)
A BS degree is offered in Molecular Biology. The BS degrees are intended as preparation for scientific careers in biology or careers in the health professions. Biology offers a streamlined double major with Business Administration or Criminology. Accelerated BS/MS Fast Track programs are available that provide the opportunity to partially satisfy the requirements of a master's degree while completing the bachelor's degree in Molecular Biology.
Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology
Degree Requirements (120 semester credit hours)
View an Example of Degree Requirements by Semester
Faculty
Professors: Rockford K. Draper, Juan E. González, Kelli Palmer, Lawrence J. Reitzer, Stephen Spiro, Li Zhang, Michael Qiwei Zhang
Associate Professors: Joseph Boll, Mehmet Candas, Nikki Delk, Tae Hoon Kim, Faruck Morcos, Duane D. Winkler, Zhenyu Xuan
Assistant Professors: Nicole De Nisco, Nicholas Dillon, Xintong Dong, Lin Jia, Purna Joshi, Erica Sanchez, Darshan Sapkota
Professors Emeriti: Lee A. Bulla, Donald M. Gray
Associate Professors Emeriti: Gail A. M. Breen, Dennis L. Miller
Clinical Professor: David Murchison
Professors of Instruction: Scott A. Rippel, Uma Srikanth
Associate Professors of Instruction: Wen-Ju Lin, Elizabeth Pickett, Ilya Sapozhnikov
Assistant Professors of Instruction: Stephanie Boyd, Yi Huang, Meenakshi Maitra, Caitlin Maynard, Iti Mehta, Ramesh Padmanabhan, Jing Pan, Ruben D. Ramirez, Eva Sadat, Subha Sarcar, Michelle Wilson, Zhuoru Wu
Associate Professor of Practice: Uyen Henson
Research Assistant Professors: Li Liu, Ru-Hung Wang
Senior Lecturer: Wen-Ho Yu
UT Dallas Affiliated Faculty: Heng Du, Jung-whan (Jay) Kim
I. Core Curriculum Requirements: 42 semester credit hours1
Communication: 6 semester credit hours
Select any 6 semester credit hours from Communication Core courses (see advisor)
Mathematics: 3 semester credit hours
Or select any 3 semester credit hours from Mathematics Core courses (see advisor)
Life and Physical Sciences: 6 semester credit hours
CHEM 1311 General Chemistry I2
or CHEM 1315 Honors Freshman Chemistry I2
CHEM 1312 General Chemistry II2
or CHEM 1316 Honors Freshman Chemistry II2
Or select any 6 semester credit hours from Life and Physical Sciences Core courses (see advisor)
Language, Philosophy and Culture: 3 semester credit hours
Select any 3 semester credit hours from Language, Philosophy and Culture Core courses (see advisor)
Creative Arts: 3 semester credit hours
Select any 3 semester credit hours from Creative Arts Core courses (see advisor)
American History: 6 semester credit hours
Select any 3 semester credit hours from American History Core courses (see advisor)
Government/Political Science: 6 semester credit hours
Select any 6 semester credit hours from Government/Political Science Core courses (see advisor)
Social and Behavioral Sciences: 3 semester credit hours
Select any 3 semester credit hours from Social and Behavioral Sciences Core courses (see advisor)
Component Area Option: 6 semester credit hours
BIOL 2311 Introduction to Modern Biology I2
Or select any 6 semester credit hours from Component Area Option Core courses (see advisor)
II. Major Requirements: 68-70 semester credit hours
Major Preparatory Courses: 24-25 semester credit hours beyond Core Curriculum
CHEM 1111 General Chemistry Laboratory I
or CHEM 1115 Honors Freshman Chemistry Laboratory I
CHEM 1112 General Chemistry Laboratory II
or CHEM 1116 Honors Freshman Chemistry Laboratory II
CHEM 1311 General Chemistry I2
or CHEM 1315 Honors Freshman Chemistry I2
CHEM 1312 General Chemistry II2
or CHEM 1316 Honors Freshman Chemistry II2
CHEM 2323 Introductory Organic Chemistry I5
or CHEM 2327 Honors Organic Chemistry I5
CHEM 2325 Introductory Organic Chemistry II5
or CHEM 2328 Honors Organic Chemistry II5
CHEM 2233 Introductory Organic Chemistry Laboratory5
or CHEM 2237 Honors Organic Chemistry Laboratory5
MATH 2418 Linear Algebra
PHYS 2325 Mechanics
and PHYS 2125 Physics Laboratory I
or PHYS 2421 Honors Physics I - Mechanics and Heat6
PHYS 2326 Electromagnetism and Waves
or PHYS 2422 Honors Physics II - Electromagnetism and Waves
PHYS 2126 Physics Laboratory II
Major Core Courses: 32-33 semester credit hours beyond Core Curriculum
BIOL 2111 Introduction to Modern Biology Workshop I5
BIOL 2112 Introduction to Modern Biology Workshop II5
BIOL 2281 Introductory Biology Laboratory5
BIOL 2311 Introduction to Modern Biology I2, 5
BIOL 2312 Introduction to Modern Biology II5
BIOL 3401 Genetics
BIOL 3402 Molecular and Cell Biology
BIOL 3461 Biochemistry
or CHEM 3461 Biochemistry
BIOL 3462 Biochemistry II
or CHEM 3462 Biochemistry II
or BIOL 3335 Microbial Physiology
BIOL 3380 Biochemistry Laboratory
BIOL 4380 Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory7
or BIOL 3V96 Undergraduate Research in Molecular and Cell Biology7 (3 semester credit hours)
or BIOL 4399 Senior Honors Research for Thesis in Molecular and Cell Biology7
or BIOL 4391 Senior Research in Molecular and Cell Biology7
BIOL 4461 Biophysical Chemistry
Major Related Courses: 12 semester credit hours8
12 semester credit hours upper-division approved molecular biology-related BIOL or CHEM electives
III. Elective Requirements: 8-10 semester credit hours
Free Electives: 8-10 semester credit hours
The plan must include sufficient upper-division courses to total 45 upper-division semester credit hours.
Fast Track Baccalaureate/Master's Degrees
For students with strong academic record who intend to pursue master's studies at UT Dallas, accelerated BS/MS Fast Tracks are available. After Fast Track admission to an MS program, students may take up to 15 semester credit hours of approved graduate courses in their senior year to use toward completion of both the BS and MS degrees. The available Fast Track options and their admission requirements, if any, in addition to having completed 90 or more semester credit hours (out of which 36 hours are from the core curriculum) with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00, are as follows:
- MS in Molecular and Cell Biology: Students must have completed at least 15 semester credit hours of upper-division Biology core courses.
- MS in Biotechnology: Students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00 in all courses.
- MS in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology: Students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.20 in all mathematics and statistics courses.
- MS in Statistics (Only Data Science and Applied Statistics specializations): Students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.20 in all mathematics and statistics courses.
Interested students, after reviewing the UT Dallas Fast Track policy, should contact their undergraduate advisor and the graduate advisor of the intended MS program well in advance of their junior year to prepare a course sequence permitting maximal advantage and apply to the Fast Track program.
Degree Planning
Upper-division biology courses taken at other institutions may be included as part of the degree plan subject to the provisions of the section on Transfer Admissions.
Major-related courses may not include more than 9 semester credit hours (BS) or 6 semester credit hours (BA) of upper-division transfer credit and not more than 3 semester credit hours (Biology major) or 6 semester credit hours (Molecular Biology major) of individual instruction (e.g., BIOL 3V90, BIOL 3V91, BIOL 3V96, BIOL 4302, BIOL 4390, BIOL 4391, BIOL 4399, or BIOL 4V99).
Students planning a career in a particular allied health profession should consult the school they expect to attend to apprise themselves of the course requirements for admission.
Admission standards for medical and dental schools are set by the individual professional school, whose specific requirements should be reviewed with the help of the UT Dallas Health Professions Advising Center (HPAC). Most professional schools prefer that admission applications be channeled through the HPAC.
1. Curriculum Requirements can be fulfilled by other approved courses from institutions of higher education. The courses listed are recommended as the most efficient way to satisfy both Core Curriculum and Major Requirements at UT Dallas.
2. A required Major course that also fulfills a Core Curriculum requirement. Semester credit hours are counted in Core Curriculum.
3. Six semester credit hours of Calculus are counted under Mathematics Core and Component Area Option and 2 semester credit hours of Calculus are counted as Major Preparatory Courses.
4. Students may choose one of the following calculus sequences: (a) MATH 2413, MATH 2414, and MATH 2415; or (b) MATH 2417 and MATH 2419.
5. Indicates a prerequisite class to be completed before enrolling for upper-division classes.
6. Students who complete PHYS 2421 do not need to complete PHYS 2125.
7. These substitutes for BIOL 4380 require permission of the Biology Undergraduate Faculty Advisor to ensure equivalent training in recombinant DNA analysis.
8. Up to 6 semester credit hours of research may be used in fulfilling the major related course requirement.