Pre-Biology (Bachelor of Science)

UCSB's undergraduate program in biology is jointly administered by two academic departments: Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology (EEMB) and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (MCDB). Each department offers several specialized majors leading to a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree, and the departments share a general biological sciences major leading to either a B.S. or a B.A. degree. Research and teaching programs cover the full spectrum of biological science from molecular biology and biochemistry to community and ecosystems ecology. Over 150 upper division biology courses are offered to support our majors. These courses include lectures and seminars, laboratory and field studies, and independent studies and group projects.

The majors leading to a B.A. or B.S. in Biological Sciences are the most general of those offered by EEMB and MCDB. As a student in either major, you'll take courses fulfilling requirements in several broad areas ranging from ecology to molecular biology, but can choose from a variety of courses in each area. In addition, the Biological Sciences majors allow a greater number of electives than the more specialized majors offered by the two departments. One of these majors might be a good fit for you if you wish to have the most flexibility in your choice of biology courses.

Demonstrate English Proficiency By: Score 24 or higher on the ACT English Language Arts (ELA) Score 31 or higher on Writing and Language in the SAT Score 3, 4 or 5 on the AP examination in English Language and Composition, or English Literature and Composition Score 6 or 7 on an IB Standard Level examination in English (Language A only) Score 5, 6 or 7 on an IB Higher Level examination in English (Language A only) Score 6.5 or higher on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)* examination: Internet-based test (iBT) or iBT Home Edition or iBT Paper Edition: Minimum score of 80 or better