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Students may also select the molecular biology option within the biology major. A student seeking to complete the molecular biology option must satisfactorily complete the following courses:

Molecular Biology Core:

• Biology 54: Biology Laboratory
• Biology 101: Structure & Function
• Biology 108: Ecology & Environmental Biology
• Biology 109: Evolutionary Biology
• Biology 111: Molecular Biology Laboratory
• Biology 113: Molecular Biology
• Biology 182: Chemistry in Living Systems
• Chemistry 51: Physical Chemistry
• Chemistry 56: Chemistry of Carbon Compounds
• Chemistry 58: Carbon Compounds
• Chemistry 105: Organic Chemistry
• Chemistry 111: Organic Chemistry Laboratory

Biology Electives:

• 8 units of approved biology electives, selected by the student and advisor, to include:
  • at least one laboratory course
  • at least one seminar course (requiring student presentations and reading from the primary literature, selected from Bio 121, 122, 164, 185, 189) to be taken at Harvey Mudd College
  One chemistry course may be substituted for an advanced biology course with the advisor’s approval.

Colloquium:

• Four semesters of Biology 191-192: Biology Colloquium or Chemistry 199: Chemistry Colloquium

Capstone Project:

• Six units of Biology 193-194: Senior Thesis Research, Biology 195-196: Intensive Research, or Chemistry 151-152: Research Problems

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Other options available to students interested in molecular biology and biochemistry include:

• the standard Biology Major, with electives chosen to form an informal molecular biology concentration
• the Joint Major in Chemistry and Biology
• the Chemistry major with additional recommended courses for Biological Chemistry