About the Major

Declaration of Major:
Students may declare major in CBN up to the Fall semester of their Senior year.  To declare major in CBN, students must:

  1. Complete both Fundamentals of Neurobiology and Fundamentals of Cell and Developmental Biology with a grade of C or better. In addition, a grade of C or better in all classes applying toward the CBN major is required at the time of major declaration.
  2. Declare major in CBN at SAS MyMajor. You will be notified of your major approval by a CBN advisor.

CBN major graduation requirement:
In order to graduate with a CBN major, students must

  1. Complete all the courses required for the major with a grade of C or better. 
  2. Ensure that each course required for the major, if necessary, is repeated only once to replace the D/F grades.  

Major Options:


The Cell Biology and Neuroscience curriculum offers two Major options:

Option A is designed for students who, upon graduation, seek immediate employment or plan to attend professional schools in health-related fields.

Option B is for students who, upon graduation, plan to attend graduate school in cell biology or neuroscience or professional schools in health-related fields. A student must qualify for admission into the honors research track. See departmental honors program for student qualifications. 

Students in both tracks must complete the core courses in addition to courses that are required for each track.

Core Courses (59 credits)

Course Number

 Course Title

 Credits
119:101-102
         or
119:115-116 and
119:117     

General Biology

 (4,4)

(4,4)
2
160:161-162
         or
160:165-166
        or
160:163-164		 General Chemistry

Honors Chemistry Solid (GEMS)

Honors General Chemistry		 (4,4)

(4,4)
160:171

 Introduction to Experimentation

 1
160:307-308
         or
160:315-316

 Organic Chemistry

Principles of Organic Chemistry

 (4,4)

(4,4)

160:311
        or
160:309
        or
160:313/314
Organic Chemistry Laboratory

Organic Chemistry Laboratory

Organic Chemistry Laboratory
2

2.5

(1,1)
750:203-204 and
750:205-206
           or
750:193-194
           or
750:201-202

General Physics
General Physics Laboratory

Physics for the Sciences
 
Extended General Physics

 (3,3)
(1,1)

(4,4)
 
(5,5)
640:135 and
640:138
         or
640:135-136
         or
640:151-152
         or
640:135 and
960:401*         
         or
640:135 and
960:379

 Calculus I
Calculus II for the Biol. Sci.

Calculus I / II

Calculus for Math. and Phys. Sci.

Calculus I
Basic Statistics for Research

Calculus I
Basic Probability Theory

 4
4

(4, 4)

(4,4)

4
3

4
3
447:380

 Genetics

 4
694:301
       or
694:407
       or
11:115:301

 Introductory Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Molecular Biology and Biochemistry

Introduction to Biochemistry

 3

3

3
694:408
         or
146:478
         or
11:126:481		 Molecular Biology and Biochemistry

Molecular Biology Spring

Molecular Genetics		 3

3

3
146:245

 Fundamentals of Neurobiology Fall, Spring

 3
146:270

 Fundamentals of Cell and Developmental Biology Fall, Spring

 3

 

Option A (General Track; 12-13 credits)

Course Number

 Course Title

 Credits
Choose 2 of the following courses: **

146:322

146:445

146:447

146:470

146:472

146:474

  

Human Histology (includes lab) Spring 

Advanced Neurobiology I Fall

Advanced Neurobiology II Spring 

Advanced Cell Biolog Fall

Advanced Developmental Spring

Immunology Spring

  

4

3

3

3

3

3
Two 300-400 level life science electives equaling 6 or more credits, 1 elective must have an associated lab or is a lab course*** 
       or
One 300-400 level life science elective and
two semesters of independent research in the same lab**** 

 See Approved Electives for the list of approved electives.

 Total 6 or more


3
(3,3)

 

Option B (Honors Research Track; 18-19 credits)

Course Number

 Course Title

 Credits
Choose 2 of the following courses:**

146:322

146:445

146:447

146:470

146:472

146:472

146:474

  
Human Histology (includes lab) Spring

Advanced Neurobiology I Fall

Advanced Neurobiology I Spring 

Advanced Cell Biolog Fall

Advanced Developmental Spring

Advanced Developmental Spring

Immunology Spring
4 

3

3

3

3

3

3
1 elective at the 300-400 levels in the life sciences area, equaling 3 or more credits.

See Approved Electives for the list of approved electives

 3
146:405

 Honors Seminar (to be taken in the Senior Spring semester)

 3
146:408-409

 Honors Research Fall Spring

(3,3)

 
*Students with AP Statistics equivalent of 960:211, transfer credit for 960:211 or who have taken 960:211 at Rutgers must take 960:212.

**The CBN Advanced course can only count as an elective after the advanced course requirement is fulfilled. Each advanced course cannot be used to complete the advanced course and the elective requirement at the same time.

***One course must have an included (e.g. Animal Histology) or an associated (e.g. Systems Physiology and Systems Physiology Lab) laboratory component, or be a 3-credit stand-alone laboratory course (e.g. Advanced Cell Biology Lab).

****With the approval of a CBN Advisor, two semesters of "Research in Cell Biology and Neuroscience," carried out under the direction of the same faculty member, may be used as one of the electives and fulfill the lab requirement. These electives must be selected in consultation with a faculty adviser. 


For CBN Major residency rules, please check the Residency Requirements.

Major Worksheet (PDF)