As an undergraduate at the University of Michigan, you can explore eight different majors in the Program in Biology.
Below are several most directly related to the MCDB faculty interests.
Learn more about the majors and the specific requirements for each on the Program in Biology website Majors & Minors web page.
Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. This curriculum offers students an integrated program of study and training in the biological and physical sciences. It is a pathway to graduate study in areas of biology and medicine that emphasize a quantitative and analytical approach to the life sciences.
Biology. This major program develops an appreciation of the levels of organization of life, its diversity, and the processes by which life has achieved its present forms. The program is recommended for those who wish to study biology as part of a liberal education, to prepare for a teaching career in secondary schools, or to prepare for graduate study in biology or the health professions. Learn more on the Program in Biology/ Majors & Minors web page.
Biology, Health, and Society (BHS) is recommended for students interested in a broad view of biology and the interactions between science and society, whether focused on health, education, or the environment. The major is appropriate for pre-health students, as well as those who wish to pursue professional school (e.g., law school) or other non-biology-specific career options where knowledge of the natural sciences would be beneficial. BHS also works well when paired with a (non-science) field of study in a dual major. It differs from other Biology majors in that it requires fewer credits, less laboratory work, and has more breadth.
Microbiology includes the study of viruses, algae, bacteria, protozoa, and fungi. Immunobiology is also included within the science of microbiology. A major in microbiology prepares students for graduate study in microbiology, biochemistry, agricultural science, and food science as well as for study in other areas of biology which emphasize cellular structures and their function. A bachelor's degree in microbiology may qualify students for entry-level positions in medical, industrial, or governmental laboratories.
Plant Biology major provides undergraduates with training in those areas of science that are essential to an understanding of modern plant sciences. Like the Biology major, this major deals with all of the major levels of biological organization (molecular, cellular, organismal, ecological, and evolutionary), but differs from the Biology major by its greater emphasis on the biology of plants. This program is well suited for those who wish to study biology as part of a liberal education, or to prepare for a teaching career in secondary schools. It also provides excellent preparation for graduate study in basic and applied areas of the plant sciences and related fields, such as ecology, genetics, microbiology, and biochemistry.
Neuroscience is the study of the nervous system. Neuroscientists aim to understand how the nervous system develops and functions on a cellular level as well as the mechanisms that underlie behavior, mental disorders and disease.
The faculty teaching courses in the major include cellular and molecular neuroscientists appointed in the Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology (MCDB) and behavioral and cognitive neuroscientists appointed in the Department of Psychology.
The Neuroscience major is administered by the Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience.
