Bachelor of Science [B.S] [Biology/Education] From University of California

Biology students have the option of specializing in areas of biology that best fit their interests, completing courses for degree programs in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biology/Education, Developmental and Cell Biology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, Microbiology and Immunology, or Neurobiology.

Those students who wish to receive a broader education in the area can opt to complete a major in Biological Sciences. Completion of any of these majors forms an excellent basis for application to either graduate or professional studies such as medical school, and graduates of the Francisco J. Ayala School of Biological Sciences are routinely accepted to the most prestigious programs in the country.

The quality of the faculty in the Francisco J. Ayala School of Biological Sciences has remained high while increasing steadily in number over the past few years, giving students a remarkable range of expertise in biology and with it, a large number of different advanced courses and research opportunities. In addition, their efforts have brought several high-impact research units to the campus, such as the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, the Center for Virus Research, the Beckman Laser Institute, the Cancer Research Institute, the Developmental Biology Center, the Center for Immunology, the Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, the Macromolecular Structure Research Unit, the Organized Research Unit in Molecular and Mitochondrial Medicine and Genetics, the Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics, and the Reeve-Irvine Research Center, all of which are accessible to undergraduates. The Francisco J. Ayala School of Biological Sciences also has close research and teaching collaborations with faculty in the Schools of Medicine, Physical Sciences, Social Ecology, and Social Sciences; the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences; and The Henry Samueli School of Engineering.

In addition to the regular University requirements for admission, students interested in the biological sciences should include in their high school curriculum, in addition to a course in biology, four years of mathematics, as well as courses in chemistry and physics, which are now an integral part of most contemporary biological work.

The School’s professional counseling staff is always available for consultation to students regarding the many decisions in their academic program. They also are trained to provide guidance in the application process to both professional and graduate schools, a real advantage to the high proportion of students in the Francisco J. Ayala School of Biological Sciences who go on to pursue advanced degrees.

Opportunities are available at the graduate level to specialize in Developmental and Cell Biology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, and Neurobiology and Behavior.