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Biological Sciences Undergraduate Program
387 Thimann Laboratories
UC Santa Cruz,
Santa Cruz, CA 95064
Phone: 831.459.4143
Fax: 831.459.1568
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WELCOME TO BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES!

The Best of Both Worlds
The past 30 years have seen several revolutions in our understanding of how the biological world works. For example, due to the completion of the Human Genome Project, we now have a complete map of the genetic basis for human life. With laboratory research, we increasingly understand the mechanisms that underlie cancer and many other human diseases. At the same time, advances in both analytical and genetic methods have given us a far more sophisticated understanding of the complexities of ecological and evolutionary processes in the natural world. Biologists at UCSC have played and will continue to play an important part in these advances, and our program offers unique educational opportunities in biology that feature small class sizes and extensive faculty-student interactions. We would like to invite you to take part in this exciting world by studying biology at UC Santa Cruz.

There are two departments at UC Santa Cruz devoted to the study of biological sciences. The Department of Molecular, Cell & Developmental Biology (MCD), with 20 faculty members, focuses on fundamental problems in the molecular, cell and developmental biology of animals and plants. The scope of research conducted in this group spans the broad range of modern biological research; from classical and molecular genetics to biochemistry and molecular biology. Research laboratories in the MCD Biology Department use both simple model organisms and vertebrate systems to study important biological processes, ranging from the mechanism of protein synthesis to the development and function of the nervous system. Please visit the MCD departmental website for descriptions of the research interests of our faculty.

The Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (EEB), with 18 faculty, is devoted to the study of ecological and evolutionary processes in both marine and terrestrial environments. Class offerings and research opportunities focus on the varied natural environments in the Monterey Bay region, throughout the western US, and in more distant locations such as Mexico and Tahiti. This emphasis on field studies is a unique focus of our variety of undergraduate majors, within this context they address not only basic ecological and evolutionary processes, but also the application of this knowledge to improve conservation strategies and environmental quality. Our faculty and students study a broad range of species and habitats, from the physiology of marine mammals, to the evolutionary dynamics of invasive plant species, to the behavioral strategies of lizards and birds. Please visit the EEB departmental website for descriptions of the research interests of our faculty.

Both EEB and MCD Biology are internationally known for the quality of their research programs and the two departments offer a wide range of undergraduate majors. Because of this UCSC is able to offer special educational opportunities usually only found at large research institutions like Stanford and UC Berkeley.

Our Program of Study
Few prospective students are aware that the Biological Sciences constitutes the largest program of study on the UCSC campus. Since 1990, 12.5% of all bachelors’ degrees awarded from UCSC have been in the biological sciences. Because biology spans a broad range of fields, in addition to a general program in biology, we offer several more focused majors in the biological sciences at UCSC:

All of these majors emphasize a strong foundation in the basic sciences and mathematics. The intellectual rigor of these programs ensures that our graduates are well prepared for further studies in graduate and professional schools as well as for employment in the biotechnology industry or for careers as science teachers.

Motivated Faculty, Committed to Undergraduate Education
UCSC prides itself on its commitment to undergraduate education. The high quality of our program is reflected not only by the large number of our students that go on to become research scientists, governmental and non-profit employees in biological fields, health professionals, and educators, but also by the leading role that many of them play in their fields of study and work.

Special Educational Opportunities:

Accelerated Courses
UCSC offers an accelerated introductory biology course for advanced students, Biology 21A. Enrollment in Biology 21A is limited to a small class size (usually about 15 to 25 students) to ensure lively class discussions and faculty-student interactions. In addition, several upper-division courses have been specifically designed as advanced courses and motivated undergraduates are encouraged to participate in our graduate-level courses.

Undergraduate Research at UCSC
UCSC has a long tradition of undergraduates participating in research at the very forefront of modern biological thought. The opportunity to perform basic scientific research provides real-world experience and a context for the information that students learn in class. Biological Sciences provides opportunities for undergraduates to perform independent biological research with a faculty mentor. These experiences are invaluable to students planning to continue their education beyond their undergraduate years. In addition to the research training, a record of successful undergraduate research, as demonstrated by authorship on a research article, is a great advantage when applying to graduate or professional programs.

Education Abroad for Biology Students
Through UC's extensive Education Abroad Program (EAP), students can study biology at more than 120 universities in 34 countries, including many programs giving unique, hands-on laboratory and field experience. EAP courses award full UC credit, count towards the major, and often cost less than living on the UCSC campus. Most Biological Sciences faculty either collaborate with overseas research or run their own research programs in countries throughout the world. Currently, Biological Sciences participates in two field quarter EAP programs, one diving the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia, the other based on the tropical biology of the Monte Verde Cloud Forest in Costa Rica.

Field Courses sponsored by Biological Sciences
In addition to participating in education abroad, the Biological Sciences host two quarter-long field courses of their own:

Marine Ecology Field Quarter (BIOL 162) Total immersion in marine ecology for motivated students, this course is an intensive quarter-long field course with four weeks spent on campus in preparation for a six-week sojourn at a remote research facility in Moorea, Tahiti..

Outstanding Facilities and Environment
The MCD program is housed in Sinsheimer Labs, while the EEB Department resides in both the EMS building on campus and at Long Marine Lab. These are large, modern, well-equipped facilities with access to all the tools used by modern biologists. Weekly seminar series by scientists from around the nation keep UCSC biologists up-to-date on new developments in their fields. Members of the UCSC community, including students, have numerous opportunities to present their own work, through campus seminars and attendance at national and international meetings.

UCSC Arboretum, Farm, Greenhouses, and Campus Natural Reserve
The main campus also provides unique opportunities for working with organisms in their natural habitats. The Campus Natural Reserve is home to several hundred species of native plants, as well as golden eagles, coyotes, and mountain lions. Many students have done internships or senior thesis projects on the campus lands. UCSC is also home to a working organic farm (The Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems), and a world-famous Arboretum. Plant-oriented students may also take advantage of resources at the university's three state of the art greenhouse facilities.

Long Marine Laboratory
Just 15 minutes from campus, and located on a bluff overlooking Monterey Bay, Long Marine Lab houses about half of the EEB department’s research labs, as well as classrooms, dive tanks, and other facilities that foster student research and teaching. This world-class facility, especially the Center for Ocean Health building that opened just three years ago, provide superb support for our mission of field-based learning about marine and terrestrial biology.

Proximity to Other Universities and the Biotechnology Industry
UCSC is near the San Francisco Bay Area, which has one of the greatest concentrations of research universities, environmental organizations (governmental and non-governmental), biotechnology companies, and teaching hospitals in the world. Similarly, the Monterey Bay region has one of the largest concentrations of marine research institutions in the world. We have many interactions, formal and informal, with these institutions, and many of our students have gone on to jobs and graduate or professional training in the San Francisco and Monterey Bay Areas.

Thank you! -- The Faculty of the Biological Sciences, UC Santa Cruz