Sep 26, 2023  
2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Cell and Molecular Biology B.S.


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TOTAL DEGREE HOURS: 120

The Cell and Molecular Biology degree program will provide a strong foundation in general biology with an emphasis on biomedical-related areas, and focusing on the cellular and molecular processes that occur within cells. Many recent breakthroughs in this field have shed light on how cells function in the context of the whole organism. The fields of genomics/computational biology are contributing knowledge to underlying gene regulation, cell-cell interactions, and organismal-environmental interactions. Advances in cell and molecular biology are leading to new treatments for age-related diseases including cancer.

State Mandated Common Course Prerequisites


Students wishing to transfer to USF should complete an A.A. degree at a Florida College System institution. Some courses required for the major may also meet General Education requirements thereby transferring maximum hours to the university.

If a student wishes to transfer without an A.A. degree and has fewer than 60 semester hours of acceptable credit, the student must meet the university’s entering freshman requirements including ACT or SAT test scores, GPA, and course requirements.

Transfer students are also required to comply with the immunization, foreign language, and continuous enrollment policies of the university.

Students should complete the following prerequisite courses at the lower level prior to entering the university. If these courses are not taken at a Florida College System institution, they must be completed before the degree is granted.

Unless stated otherwise, a grade of C- is the minimum acceptable grade in the following prerequisite courses:

  • (BSC X010 and BSC X010L Biology I with Lab) or BSC X010C or BSC X040C - 4 credit hours
  • (BSC X011 and BSC X011L Biology II with Lab) or BSC X011C or (ZOO X010 and ZOO X010L) or (BOT X010 and BOT X010L) or BSC X041C or ZOO X010C or BOT X010C - 4 credit hours
  • (CHM X045 and CHM X045L Chemistry I with Lab) or CHM X045C or (CHM X040 and CHM X041) - 4 credit hours
  • (CHM X046 and CHM X046L Chemistry II with Lab) or CHM X046C - 4 credit hours
  • (CHM X210 and CHM X210L) and (CHM X211 and CHMX211L) or (CHM X210C and CHM X211C) or (PHY X053 and PHY X053L) and (PHY X054 and PHY X054L) or (PHY X048 and PHY X048L) and (PHY X049 and PHY X049L) - 8-10 credit hours
  • MAC X311 or MAC X233 or MAC X253 or MAC X281 or MAC X241 - 4 credit hours
  • MAC X312 or MAC X282 or MAC X234 or STA X023 or STA X024 or STA X321 - 4 credit hours

Required Supporting Courses for the Major (8-10 Credit Hours)


The following courses are supporting courses for this major. They are required for the major, but are not counted in the total major hours but are counted toward the total program hours of 120 credit hours. The degree will not be awarded if these courses have not been taken by the end of the student’s final semester.

The minimum acceptable grade for the Required Supporting courses is a grade of C-.

Note: The course sequence that will count toward the Support Courses requirement is based on which sequence (Organic Chemistry or Physics) the student took to meet the common prerequisite requirement. If the Organic Chemistry sequence was taken to fulfill the common prerequisite requirement, the Physics sequence will meet the supporting courses requirement. The opposite is true if the Physics requirement was used to meet the common course requirement.

Total Major Hours: 32


Students choose one (1) course from the following list of courses.


Major (Restricted) Electives (15 Credit Hours)


Students choose a minimum of 15 credit hours of electives from the following list of courses.

GPA Requirements


  • A minimum adjusted grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 on all coursework taken at USF.
  • An overall 2.0 GPA average on all college-level coursework.

Grading Requirement


A student must receive a C- grade or better in all Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology courses and supporting courses in the natural sciences, except if they are used as general elective courses. This specification applies to both USF and transfer courses.

D/F Policy


Effective Fall 2018, all students in the below listed programs must successfully complete the below science and math coursework without earning 3 D and/or F grades. Students unable to successfully complete these courses within these prescribed parameters will be required to select a different major and will not be permitted to take any additional courses offered by the below Departments/Divisions. In addition, registration for all courses offered by these departments will be dependent on students meeting the prescribed parameters regardless of their major.

Furthermore, any student who requests a change of major to one offered in the below identified departments will be required to meet these prescribed parameters as well as those criteria outlined in the Degree Progression Policy 10-505. Any continuing student who was previously forced to select a different major based on previous versions of this policy may now be eligible to pursue the majors listed below, but only if they meet both the criteria described here as well as the Degree Progression Policy 10-505 criteria. Students who are able to complete one of the below majors by earning fewer credit hours than required to complete any other major offered at USF may petition to request an exception and should contact the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Advising Office for instructions.

Grade Forgiveness will NOT apply to the mandated requirement of changing majors. Included Departments/Divisions: Division of Health Professions Advising; Department of Chemistry; Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology; and Department of Integrative Biology. Included courses: BCH 3053 ; BSC 2010 ; BSC 2011 ; BSC 2085 BSC 2086 ; BSC 2093C ; BSC 2094C ; BSC 2932 ; CHM 2023 ; CHM 2045 ; CHM 2046 ; CHM 2210 ; CHM 2211 ; CHS 2440 ; MAT 1033 MAC 1105 ;MAC 1147 ; MAC 2241 ; MAC 2242 ; MAC 2281 , MAC 2282 , MAC 2311 ; MAC 2312 ; MCB 3020 ; PCB 3023 ; PCB 3063 ; PHY 2053 ; PHY 2054 ; PHY 2048 ; PHY 2049 ; PHY 2060 ; PHY 2061 ; STA 2023 .

Residency Requirement


A minimum of 20 credits hours of courses must be taken in residency and be applicable to the major.

Research Opportunities


A maximum of 2 credit hours of Undergraduate Research (BSC 4910  ) may be taken in a single semester, and a maximum of 4 credit hours of Undergraduate Research may be applied as electives.

Accelerated Non-Thesis B.S./M.S. Program


Accelerated B.S. in Cell and Molecular Biology and M.S. in Biology with a concentration in Cell and Molecular Biology (Non-Thesis)

This program allows Cell and Molecular Biology majors to take graduate courses for the elective part of the major and apply them to a non-thesis M.S. degree in Biology with a concentration in Cell and Molecular Biology. Successful students will be able to earn the M.S. degree in two additional semesters beyond the completion of the B.S. degree.

For more information, see the Graduate Catalog for Accelerated Majors.

Advising Information


USF students schedule advising appointments online through USF Archivum Platform.   Students are encouraged to meet with their advisor each semester to discuss courses planning, degree progression, and career preparation. 

Tampa Campus Website:  https://www.usf.edu/arts-sciences/students/academic-advising/index.aspx
For questions, email Bioadvise@usf.edu.

4 Year Plan of Study - Cell and Molecular Biology B.S.


NOTES:

 

Potential Entry Level Job Titles:

  • Biologist
  • Biochemist
  • Microbiologist
  • Medical Scientist
  • Chemist
  • Biological Technician
  • Chemical Technician
  • Researcher / Research Associate
  • Laboratory TechnologistBiotechnology

Potential Entry Level Salary Range:

$40,000 - $60,000

Year 1


Semester 1 (Fall)


Total Credit Hours: 14

Semester 2 (Spring)


Total Credit Hours: 15

Semester 3 (Summer)


Total Credit Hours: 7

Year 2


Semester 4 (Fall)


Total Credit Hours: 14

Semester 5 (Spring)


Total Credit Hours: 14

Semester 6 (Summer)


  • Unrestricted Elective Credit(s): 3

Total Credit Hours: 3

Year 3


Semester 7 (Fall)


Total Credit Hours: 14

Semester 8 (Spring)


Total Credit Hours: 14

Semester 9 (Summer)


Please consider pursing High Impact Practice opportunities this semester such as Education Abroad, Internship Opportunities, Community Engagement, or Research Opportunities.

Questions about opportunities? Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor.

Year 4


Semester 10 (Fall)


Total Credit Hours: 13

Semester 11 (Spring)


  • Major (Restricted) Elective Credit(s): 3
  • Major (Restricted) Elective Credit(s): 3
  • Unrestricted Elective Credit(s): 3
  • TGEH - High Impact Practice   Credit(s): 3
  • Apply for Graduation

Total Credit Hours: 12

2 Year Plan of Study - Cell and Molecular Biology B.S.


NOTES:

 

Year 1


Semester 1 (Fall)


Total Credit Hours: 14

Semester 2 (Spring)


Total Credit Hours: 15

Semester 3 (Summer)


  • Major (Restricted) Elective Credit(s): 4

Recommendation: Internship or Research Opportunity

Total Credit Hours: 4

Year 2


Semester 4 (Fall)


Total Credit Hours: 13

Semester 5 (Spring)


  • Major (Restricted) Elective Credit(s): 3
  • Major (Restricted) Elective Credit(s): 3
  • Upper-Level Unrestricted Elective Credit(s): 3
  • Upper-Level Unrestricted Elective Credit(s): 3
  • Unrestricted Elective Credit(s): 3
  • Apply for Graduation

Total Credit Hours: 15

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