O.K. Just what is cell and molecular biology? I have always been interested in biology. Why should I consider majoring in cell and molecular biology? Isn't that being too specialized?

• To understand why a major in cell and molecular biology might be the major for you, let us begin by defining cell and molecular biology as the umbrella bioscience discipline that covers all of the areas of biology that deal with the lower levels of the biological organization. Virtually all biological problems have specific questions that must be answered at the cell and molecular biology level to achieve understanding. As we have gained knowledge at this level of biological organization, cell and molecular biology is now an indispensible prerequisite to understanding most biological problems. In medicine and health, the solutions to problems require interventions at this level of biological organization. Today, cell and molecular biology has become the hottest area of biology. Important discoveries and advances emanating from our knowledge of cell and molecular biology appear almost daily in the news.

  All complex biological phenomena have their root in mechanisms that operate at the cell, subcellular, and molecular levels of biological organization. At these lower levels, biologists seek to understand how each biological system works, much like a mechanic checking the parts of your automobile trying to figure out how it works or why it is not running well. To approach important biological problems, such as why cancer occurs or why organisms age, the student must first understand what changes and interactions at the cell and molecular level of organization are involved. Just as the auto mechanic must know how each of the parts of an automobile work to diagnose and fix problems, the cell and molecular biologist must know how the complex mechanisms of livings systems work and interact. Rather than focusing on the organisms of life (plants, animals, and microbes) and their differences, cell and molecular biology focuses on the mechanisms of life and their commonality in all forms of life.

  So now, what are several of the hottest biological areas under the umbrella of cell and molecular biology? The list is long and includes cell biology, molecular biology, developmental biology, biochemistry, molecular genetics, microbial genetics, virology, recombinant DNA technology, bioinformatics, cell physiology, cancer biology, biotechnology, pharmacology, and neurobiology. If you have an interest in any of these fields of biology, then selecting a major in cell and molecular biology is for you.

• Courses in the Cell and Molecular Biology major provide the basis for understanding the mechanisms of health and disease in a human and health-focused Department of Biomedical Sciences. The interwoven associations of this science-based program with other college and professional programs in human, health, and medical sciences are becoming more common because these associations are integral to undergraduates planning careers in health fields or research. Examples of biological phenomena can be found in any living thing, but it makes sense for those interested in the health and medical sciences to become knowledgeable of examples in humans. The various disciplines of cell and molecular biology represent the cutting edge of the rapid advances being made in the biological sciences today. The relevant knowledge base and investigative skills for these "hottest areas" of biological, genetic, and medical research are the basis in the courses of the cell and molecular biology major. With a human focus to the department's programs, the faculty integrates content with application by using examples relating to the human organism.
• The science major in Cell and Molecular Biology is a comprehensive-type major (54-57 credit hours) that does not require an academic minor. A broad science background prepares students with the flexibility to take advantage of a range of careers requiring a strong science background. The major must take five courses (four semesters) in general and organic chemistry, two courses in physics, and attain a level of skill in mathematics that includes a course in calculus. The CMB bioscience core and biomedical electives fulfill courses required or recommended for entry into medical, dental, or other professional school programs. All of these experiences are contained within the single, comprehensive major in cell and molecular biology that is designed to match the science and mathematics requirements for health professional programs. For others, this curriculum prepares graduates with knowledge and skills for immediate employment in the sciences, biotechnology, biopharmaceuticals, and various health fields. Also, the cell and molecular biology major is an excellent preparation for students who seek admission into graduate and professional programs.
• The Cell and Molecular Biology major was developed and continues to be coordinated by a group of bioscientists and educators who are experts in various disciplines under the common umbrella of human biology and cell and molecular biology. These scientists and educators carry out research, teach classes with continually updated information and newer laboratory procedures, and are active professionally in their own disciplines. The faculty work together each semester to evaluate the curriculum and make changes to improve the quality and appropriateness of the major in cell and molecular biology.
• Although courses in undergraduate majors are defined in content, the required course work of the Cell and Molecular Biology major is designed as a core program. While most programs consist of a hodgepodge of unrelated courses, a core program consists of a sequence of courses, connected by various major themes. Major themes within the cell and molecular biology core include: biochemistry, genetics, cell biology, molecular biology, and laboratory skills. By organizing the curriculum in this manner, our sequenced courses orient, introduce, build, develop, reinforce, and review the knowledge, skills, and concepts of the field over a period of time. As students gain more knowledge and experience in chemistry, mathematics, and physics, that knowledge is integrated into their course work as students move through the curricular core. Part of knowledge is learning how to apply it to real problems. The overall human-focus of the program challenges students to consider how knowledge and skills can be applied to improve the human condition.
• The rapid pace of exciting new knowledge in the field of Cell and Molecular Biology has created a unique working and educational environment for students. Both students and faculty share in the excitement of discovery and challenge of new learning and new challenges. Students tell us they are attracted to the major and other programs in the department because of the intellectually stimulating environment, friendliness, and faculty enthusiasm that characterizes the department. It is hard not to be excited by the developments in this field.
• The courses in the Cell and Molecular Biology major have a strong emphasis on laboratory skills and experiences. All courses in the core sequence have a laboratory component. Students gain "hands on" experiences with the methods and instrumentation used to study cellular and molecular structure and function. Students often work side-by-side, in and outside class hours, with the professors who teach the courses. This environment provides many opportunities for students to become involved in undergraduate research, independent studies, and faculty projects in basic, applied, and clinical research areas. Overall, the student finds a comfortable environment with close interactions of faculty and students that is usually only associated with smaller colleges and universities. Such an environment within a large university provides students with the best features and advantages of attending both a small college and a large university.
• Academic and pre-professional advisement are important keys to student success in college. The faculty has been committed to quality and knowledgeable advisement for those careers that students seek with a major in cell and molecular biology. For example, six faculty members in the program serve as pre-medical advisors for students planning careers in allopathic or osteopathic medicine. The department also has master advisors and preprofessional advisor specialists who advise in dentistry, optometry, medical technology, dietetics, physical therapy, physician assistant, graduate nursing specialties (such as nurse anesthesia), biotechnology, biopharmaceuticals, exercise biology, and graduate studies in the biosciences, among others.
• The faculty in the Cell and Molecular Biology Program has developed an Outcomes Assessment Plan that results in continuous evaluation and adjustments in course and core program structure. A good assessment program helps assure students that the educational preparation is of the highest quality and value to the graduate. The Area Concentration Achievement Test (ACAT), a national assessment examination given to our graduating seniors, indicate that most of our majors consistently achieve scores above the national average in biochemistry, cell physiology, cellular biology, genetics, and human anatomy and physiology.
• The Student Society for Cell and Molecular Biology is active and involved in both social and academic activities that complement the formal educational program. The organization sponsors and covers much of the cost for undergraduates attending the national convention of the American Society for Cell Biology that has alternated between Washington, DC and San Francisco, CA in December each year. Recent programs have included trips to the Genome Sequencing Center at Washington University in St. Louis, MO and the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City, MO. The Department has an active seminar program of speakers each week to which students are invited for exposures to current areas of research
• The science faculty in the Cell and Molecular Biology major, joined by their colleagues in the Biomedical Sciences Department, are noted by students and graduates for being good teachers. The ability to teach effectively and to interact well with students remain important criteria when selecting new and experienced faculty to join the department. The faculty employ the most recent technologies to support student learning. Many instructors use a web interactive system called Blackboard to communicate and provide class materials to students.

Click the link in the navigation bar on the left read a selection of what our students and graduates have to say about the Cell and Molecular Biology major.