Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology, BS

About the Program

Understanding how eukaryotic cells process information from their environment and initiate programs of gene expression leading to growth, development, and functional specification is the essence of a cell, molecular, and developmental (CMD) biology major. Students enrolled in this curriculum will take courses providing a solid foundation in the molecular biology of cells and gain a full appreciation of how molecular complexes interact to make a cell function. This fundamental knowledge in cell and molecular biology will be applied through further coursework in genetics and developmental biology to examine how eukaryotic organisms function and how specific aspects of that function are perturbed by disease. Within the CMD major, students have the option of focusing their studies on animal systems, plant systems, or both. Graduates with a CMD major are well-prepared to pursue careers in academic or industrial research, biotechnology, genetic engineering, medicine, veterinary medicine, and other health-related professions.

Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology Website

Degree Requirements

120 Credits Required

Curriculum and Degree Requirements for College of Science

A College of Science degree is conferred when a student successfully completes all requirements in their degree program.  Students will complete coursework or approved experiential learning activities to meet the following three degree components:

1. Major
2. Science Core Curriculum
3. Electives

Students may use any of the following options to meet College of Science degree requirements:

• Purdue Coursework
• AP, IB, and CLEP credit.  The use of AP and IB coursework varies between College of Science degree plans.
• Transfer Credit. Students should consult the Admissions Transfer Credit Resource page for all available transfer options.

College of Science degree programs vary widely in their approval and use of the proceeding options and thus students are strongly encouraged to work closely with their academic advisors and to regularly consult their MyPurduePlan to view the use of each option in their degree plan. 

Most College of Science degree programs contain elective credits students may use to pursue courses that relate to their interests or which support their major area of study. The elective area of a degree plan may also be used to complete minors, second majors and certificates such as the Entrepreneurial Certificate. With the exception of courses on the No Count List, any Purdue course may be used to meet the elective area of a student’s degree plan.

College of Science Core Requirements

All Students starting Purdue University Fall semester, 2007 or later are required to pursue the 2007 Science Core curriculum.

The College of Science Core Curriculum requires the completion of approved coursework and/or experiential learning opportunities in the following academic areas:

Earning Core Curricular Requirements through Experience

Students may meet selected core curriculum requirements through approved experiential learning opportunities. Interested students should contact their academic advisor for more information on this option and incorporating experiential learning into their four-year program of study. For more information on earning requirements through experience, please click here.

Departmental/Program Major Courses (39-41 credits)

Biology 2.0 Major GPA: A minimum 2.0 average is required in all courses used to meet major requirements.  A maximum of 3 credits of undergraduate research (BIOL 29400/49400/49900) may be factored into the Biology GPA calculation.  Any excess Biology courses and research credits are “free electives” and not included in this calculation.

BIOL 500-level course: Each student must take at least one 2-3 credit 500-level BIOL lecture course (excluding: lab-only courses such as BIOL 54200 or BIOL 59500 lab modules).  This selection may double-dip with other major requirements.  Note: BCHM 52100 is currently the only non-“BIOL” subject area course approved for this requirement.

Other Departmental Requirements: (49-73 credits)

Electives (9-39 credits)

GPA Requirements

• Biology 2.0 Major GPA: A minimum 2.0 average is required in all courses used to meet major requirements.  A maximum of 3 credits of undergraduate research (BIOL 29400/49400/49900) may be factored into the Biology GPA calculation.  Any excess Biology courses and research credits are “free electives” and not included in this calculation.
• 2.0 Graduation GPA required for Bachelor of Science degree.

Course Requirements and Notes

• Students may earn no more than nine credits of graded (grades of A-F) research.  This rule applies regardless of the subject under which credit was earned (BIOL, CHM, BTNY, etc.).  Any additional research credits beyond nine must be pass/not pass grade mode. (Research courses include but are not limited to: ANSC 49100, ANTH 39000, ASL 39000, BCHM 49800, BIOL 29400, BIOL 49400, BIOL 49900, BTNY 49800, CHM 49900, EDPS 59000, ENTM 49700, FNR 49800, FS 49100, HDFS 39000, HORT 49100, NUTR 39000, PHRM 49500, PSY 39000, PUBH 49000, and SLHS 49800)
  
• Courses cannot double count between General Education, Culture and Diversity, and Great Issues requirements.

College of Science Pass/No Pass Option Policy

• Only free electives and courses at the 50000-level general education requirement may be taken under the pass/not-pass option. 
• The pass/not-pass grade mode may be entered for courses which are not required by a student’s major(s), minor(s) or science core curriculum.
• Grade mode Passing is equivalent to at a minimum grade of C- had a letter grade been awarded.
• Students may elect to use the pass/not-pass option for no more than 20% of the 124/120 credit requirement for graduation and for no more than two courses per academic year (Fall-Summer).
• The pass/not-pass option cannot be elected for a course that has already been completed with a letter grade. University Regulation.
• Students may take elective credit while abroad using the P/NP mode.  In the case of universities which only post P/NP, the University will apply a calculation process to determine a letter grade.
• Department of Languages and Cultures P/NP policy and Language Placement results. Students must take advanced coursework for a letter grade to receive credit for lower-level language courses.

College of Science Transfer Credit Policy

College of Science degree programs vary widely in their approval and use of non-Purdue originated credit (AP, IB, CLEP, and transfer credit). Students work closely with their academic advisors and degree plan audits to review the use and approval of each non-Purdue credit option.

University Requirements

Sample 4-Year Plan

Prerequisite Information

For current pre-requisites for courses, click here.

World Language Courses

World Language proficiency requirements vary by program. The following list is inclusive of all world languages PWL offers for credit; for acceptable languages and proficiency levels, see your advisor. (ASL-American Sign Language; ARAB-Arabic; CHNS-Chinese; FR-French; GER-German; GREK-Greek(Ancient); HEBR-Hebrew(Biblical); HEBR-Hebrew(Modern); ITAL-Italian; JPNS-Japenese; KOR-Korean; LATN-Latin; PTGS=Portuguese; RUSS-Russian; SPAN-Spanish)

Critical Course

The ♦ course is considered critical.

In alignment with the Degree Map Guidance for Indiana’s Public Colleges and Universities, published by the Commission for Higher Education (pursuant to HEA 1348-2013), a Critical Course is identified as “one that a student must be able to pass to persist and succeed in a particular major.  Students who want to be nurses, for example, should know that they are expected to be proficient in courses like biology in order to be successful.  These would be identified by the institutions for each degree program”. 

Disclaimer

The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements.

Consultation with an advisor may result in an altered plan customized for an individual student.

The myPurduePlan powered by DegreeWorks is the knowledge source for specific requirements and completion.