Molecular Biology

Study Abroad

Study Abroad Guidelines

General Information About Study Abroad:

  • For more information about general CC International Studies and approved Off-Campus Programs, please visit the Center for Global Education and Field Study
  • You will be asked to document the course content through the syllabi, copies of exams, textbooks and through discussion and/or a department member who teach the course for which you want to substitute elsewhere.
  • The best time to study abroad is generally in your junior year, after you have taken the basic coursework in the MB major (CH107, MB131, MB201, MB231).
  • Course approvals can be requested through the required CC Internal Application for Off-Campus Study, via SUMMIT (see the How to Apply portion of the Center for Global Education and Field Study website). The system will contact your advisor, the Registrar, and the departmental study abroad advisor for electronic approval of your proposed coursework.
  • You must be a declared MB major with a MB faculty member advisor before you may study abroad and have study abroad credits satisfy requirements for the MB major.
  • This guide pertains only to courses that will count towards the MB major.
    • Substituting required courses for the major that are taught by other departments at CC, such as Chemistry, requires written approval by that Department and approval by your academic advisor in MB.
    • The Credit Transfer portion of the Center for Global Education and Field Study website describes policies for courses that may provide credit towards All-College Requirements.

 

Study Abroad Credits That Satisfy Requirements for the Molecular Biology (MB) Major

  • Students can receive a maximum 2 units towards the Molecular Biology major for courses that begin with an MB designation.
  • A course qualifies for a unit that satisfies a Molecular Biology major requirement if:
    • The course counts for ≥ 4 semester hours (4 semester credit hours = 1 CC unit)
      • Courses with 3 semester hours count as 0.75 units of CC credit and will not fulfill any MB requirement. However, courses that count for less than one unit can be added together to get a maximum of 2 units.
    • The course prerequisites are equivalent to MB231 – Genetics.
    • The course is unique in your academic trajectory. Credit will not be awarded for courses that largely duplicate courses already taken at CC. Similarly, after returning to CC, you cannot take a largely duplicate course for credit.
    • You receive a grade of at least a C- in the course.
  • These 2 study abroad units can satisfy any of the following MB requirements:
    • 1 unit of 300-level lecture/discussion-based MB elective
    • 1 unit of 400-level lecture/discussion-based MB elective
    • 2 units of 300- or 400-level laboratory rich electives
      • Note: These may be rare, as most courses are a mix of lecture and lab, with a far smaller lab component.  Please consult a faculty member in the MB department if you are unsure if a course meets this requirement.
      • A mentored research project (the equivalent of 4 semester hours, or 10 hours/week, per 1 CC credit) can count towards the MB major here.
    • 1 unit of elective in the biological sciences
      • A mentored research project (the equivalent of 4 semester hours per 1 CC credit) can also count towards the MB major here.
    • These 2 study abroad units do not satisfy the following MB requirements:
      • 1 unit of MB131-Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology or MB111-FYE Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology
        • Note: One exception is that the Boston University Science Semester in Madrid or Grenoble offers a course similar to MB131 called CAS BI203: Cell Biology, which satisfies the MB131 requirement. However, this program has been inconsistent in their prerequisite requirements for CAS BI203 and some students have been told they need to take MB131 first. You will NOT receive credit for the MB major if you take CAS BI203 after already taking MB131.
      • 1 unit of MB201-Laboratory in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Genetics
      • 1 unit of MB231-Genetics
      • 1 of the 4 units of Chemistry (CH107 or CH117)
        • As CH107 is required for MB131, you may not count study abroad credit towards the MB major for CH107/117
      • 1 unit of MB497-Senior Capstone in Molecular Biology

 

Study Abroad Programs with Potential for Credits that Satisfy Molecular Biology (MB) Major Requirements:

  • CC-Approved Third Party Programs

 

Study Abroad or Summer Courses in Direct Enrollment Programs

  • All courses for the Molecular Biology major can be fulfilled by direct enrollment in other universities with the exception of MB497 – Senior Capstone.
  • You must get approval with an MB advisor before departure. Please contact the Chair of Molecular Biology or your advisor as soon as possible with the courses you would like to petition via direct enrollment for counting toward the MB major.
    • To petition for a course in a direct enrollment program to count for the MB major, please provide the following information:
      • The University you will be direct enrolling in
      • Information about the course you wish to count towards the MB major:
        • The course number(s)
        • The number of credit hours for the course(s)
        • The official description of the course(s) from the University website
        • The pre-requisites for the course(s) and a description of those pre-requisites course(s) at that University
        • If possible: the textbook used or syllabus for the course(s)
        • What course(s) in the MB major you wish to satisfy with this direct enrollment course(s)
      • Students can receive a maximum 2 units towards the Molecular Biology major for courses that begin with an MB designation.

 

Report an issue - Last updated: 05/13/2024