Information and Policies
Introduction
The B.S. major in microbiology is designed for students interested in careers in biomedical, environmental, and basic science fields in both industry and academia. Students are required to take introductory biology and chemistry, microbiology lecture and lab, biochemistry, computational tools, and additional courses directly relevant to microbiology. As a unique feature of this program, students also take a microbiology course with a focus on evaluating relevant scientific articles.
Academic Advising for the Program
The Chemistry and Biochemistry advisors provide counsel to undergraduate students in the microbiology major. Students are encouraged to seek out advising and assistance in planning their academic career to ensure completion of their major in a timely manner. For advising assistance, please contact the microbiology major advisor at microadvising@ucsc.edu.
All students interested in the microbiology B.S. degree should read this catalog to learn more details about the major.
Program Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete the microbiology major will be able to:
- Demonstrate conceptual understanding of the following areas: biology of microbial cells: cell structure, function, and metabolic pathways; microbial ecology: microbial communities and the impact of microbes on humans and the environment; microbial evolution: genomics and genetics, including mobile genetic elements.
- Apply the basic principles of chemistry and quantitative reasoning to solve problems in microbiology.
- Generate hypotheses, design experiments, and evaluate data.
- Display proficiency in microbiology laboratory skills.
- Use effective oral and written language skills to communicate scientific data and ideas, including with other disciplines.
- Analyze, interpret, and evaluate a range of scientific literature in microbiology.
- Display proficiency in fundamental bioinformatic skills needed to investigate gene function and understand the general methods utilized in the field of microbial genomics.
Getting Started in the Major Frosh
Due to the demanding nature of the major, students must begin their science coursework as early as possible. MATH 11A or MATH 19A; either CHEM 3A and CHEM 3B and CHEM 3C, or CHEM 4A and CHEM 4B; and CHEM 8A; and BIOL 20A, BIOE 20B, and BIOL 20L must be completed by the campus-established declaration deadline in order for students to qualify for admission to the microbiology major. Students are strongly encouraged to take METX 100 and begin, if not complete, other requirements such as CHEM 8B and BIOE 20C by the end of their sixth quarter.
Students are required to complete a Mathematics Placement assessment to enroll in their first math course at UC Santa Cruz. Microbiology majors are expected and encouraged to work in the learning modules of this process until they place into calculus (MATH 11A or MATH 19A) or higher.
Transfer Information and Policy
General information about transferring to UC Santa Cruz can be found on the Transfer Preparation Advising website. Students planning to transfer to UC Santa Cruz from a California community college should reference assist.org to determine which courses are equivalent to required and recommended pre-transfer courses.
Transfer Admission Screening Policy
METX encourages applications from transfer students in the biological sciences. The department has a major qualification policy that limits program access to students who have successfully completed a subset of foundational coursework.
The following courses or their equivalents are required prior to transfer, by the end of the spring term for students planning to enter in the fall.
The following courses
| | Either these courses | |
| CHEM 3A | General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 3B | General Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 3C | General Chemistry | 3 |
| | or these courses | |
| CHEM 4A | Advanced General Chemistry: Molecular Structure and Reactivity | 5 |
| CHEM 4B | Advanced General Chemistry: Molecular Structure and Reactivity | 5 |
| | or these courses | |
| CHEM 1A | General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 1B | General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 1C | General Chemistry | 5 |
And these courses
BIOL 20L is not required for students who have completed BIOL 20A and BIOE 20B from California community colleges.
Plus
One of the following calculus or equivalent courses
| MATH 11A | Calculus with Applications | 5 |
| MATH 19A | Calculus for Science, Engineering, and Mathematics | 5 |
Prior to transfer
In addition, the following courses are recommended prior to transfer to ensure timely graduation. Students who only complete the minimum required transfer coursework for the major will likely need more than two years to complete the microbiology B.S.
Prospective students are encouraged to prioritize required and recommended major preparation and may additionally complete courses that articulate to UC Santa Cruz general education requirements as time allows.
For more information on qualifying for the major as a transfer applicant, see the Getting Started as a Transfer Student webpage.
One of the following courses
| MATH 11B | Calculus with Applications | 5 |
| | OR | |
| MATH 19B | Calculus for Science, Engineering, and Mathematics | 5 |
Plus one of the following options
| | Either this course | |
| STAT 5 | Statistics | 5 |
| | or these courses | |
| STAT 7 | Statistical Methods for the Biological, Environmental, and Health Sciences | 5 |
| STAT 7L | Statistical Methods for the Biological, Environmental, and Health Sciences Laboratory | 2 |
Plus the following courses
Getting Started in the Major Transfer Students
Transfer students should complete the required courses in microbiology (METX 100) and biochemistry (BIOL 100) by the end of their first year at UC Santa Cruz as they are prerequisites for other required courses.
Transfer students are strongly encouraged to meet with the microbiology major advisor in their first quarter. For assistance with advising, please contact microadvising@ucsc.edu.
Transfer students entering at the junior level who have satisfied the screening requirements can declare their major any time after coming to UCSC but are required to be declared in a major by the declaration deadline in their second term at UCSC. Any student who fails to meet these requirements may file an appeal for admission to the major, but admission is not guaranteed.
Transfer students who are proposed in a different major (other than microbiology) and have advanced standing when they come to UCSC require permission from the department to change into the major. Admission to the major is not guaranteed.
Major Qualification Policy and Declaration Process
Major Qualification
Students must complete the following qualification courses, or their equivalents, each with a grade of C or better:
Courses from the following
| | Either these courses | |
| CHEM 3A | General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 3B | General Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 3C | General Chemistry | 3 |
| | or these courses | |
| CHEM 4A | Advanced General Chemistry: Molecular Structure and Reactivity | 5 |
| CHEM 4B | Advanced General Chemistry: Molecular Structure and Reactivity | 5 |
| | or these courses | |
| CHEM 1A | General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 1B | General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 1C | General Chemistry | 5 |
Plus these courses
One of the following
Students must also pass one of the following courses:
| | Either this course | |
| MATH 11A | Calculus with Applications | 5 |
| | or this course | |
| MATH 19A | Calculus for Science, Engineering, and Mathematics | 5 |
When pursuing major qualification, students should keep the following details in mind:
- Students who entered UC Santa Cruz as frosh who have two or more grades of NP, C-, D+, D, D-, or F in the policy courses are not qualified to declare.
- Students with AP or IB credit for MATH 11A or MATH 19A, BIOL 20A, and/or BIOE 20B, need only pass the remaining qualification policy courses with grades of C or better.
Transfer students should also consult the Transfer Information and Policy above.
How to Declare a Major
Students may declare a major as early as they would like if they have decided which major to pursue and have satisfied prerequisites or qualification requirements for the major. Petition to declare your major as soon as you have met qualification requirements and/or reach your declaration deadline quarter, whichever comes first.
Per the UC Santa Cruz major declaration policy, students who enter UCSC as frosh are required to be formally declared in a major by the campus deadline in their sixth quarter and before enrolling in their third year (or equivalent). Upper-division junior transfer students are required to be declared in a major by the deadline in their second term at UCSC.
Students should petition to declare a microbiology major once they have completed all qualification courses and met the GPA requirements and have an official, signed, department-approved academic plan on file.
The Petition for Major/Minor declaration form can be accessed by going to MyUCSC and navigating to the Student Homepage and selecting the Undergraduate Student eForms tile > Petition for Major/Minor.
Students petitioning when the campus declaration deadline is imminent (i.e., in their sixth quarter, for students admitted as frosh, second quarter for junior transfer students), will either be approved, denied, or provided with conditions (e.g., completion of final qualification courses with certain grades), but will not be declared until all requirements have been met and satisfactory grades have been posted.
Each major/minor advising office has a process for declaring. For assistance with declaring the microbiology major, please contact microbiology major advisor at microadvising@ucsc.edu.
Appeal Process
Students who are informed that they are not eligible to declare the major may appeal this decision by submitting a letter to the microbiology advisor at microadvising@ucsc.edu. The department will reply to appeals within 15 days of appeal submission. All appeals must contain the following information at the top of the appeal letter:
- Full name
- Student ID number
- Major you wish to declare
In the body of your appeal letter, explain the extenuating circumstances that influenced your academic performance. Identify solutions/resources you are using or intend to use to improve your academic performance in the future. Include anything else you feel is relative to explaining your circumstance.
Note: The information you share in your appeal or with your advisors will be kept confidential and shared only with campus officials as required to serve you in an advising capacity or process your appeal. However, in limited circumstances, including those related to potential harm to yourself or others, sexual assault, and abuse, we may be required by law to report incidents you disclose to other need-to-know offices on campus such as the Title IX Office and/or University of California Police Department. If you are in need of support for any issues, please see the list of confidential and/or support resources.
Letter Grade Policy
All courses that are taken to satisfy any major requirement must be taken for a letter grade. Additionally, letter grades of C or higher must be attained to meet major and minor requirements for graduation.
Course Substitution Policy
At least half of the upper-division courses required for the major must be taken at UC Santa Cruz, not as transfer credits from another institution. Students are advised to contact the microbiology advisor before enrolling in any upper-division courses at other institutions to verify articulation. In particular, students must receive permission from the department to satisfy the BIOL 100 or METX 100 requirements with courses taken at other institutions.
Double Majors and MajorMinor Combinations Policy
Students interested in pursuing multiple majors within the biological sciences may NOT declare any combination of the following majors: microbiology B.S.; global and community health B.A. or B.S.; human biology; molecular, cell, and developmental biology; neuroscience; biochemistry and molecular biology; ecology and evolutionary biology; marine biology; and plant sciences.
Pursuing a double major that includes the microbiology major is a highly individual decision and should be based on a student’s educational and career goals. Because the microbiology major itself is rigorous, it should be noted that completing a double major involving microbiology is difficult (though possible).
To declare a double major program, a student must obtain an academic plan showing that they are able to complete both degrees within the maximum number of quarters of enrollment available at UC Santa Cruz. Therefore, the steps for a student to pursue microbiology as a second major are as follows:
- Create and review a major academic plan for your first major and have it signed by the appropriate UCSC major advisor.
- Make an appointment with the microbiology major advisor and send the link to your signed academic planning form to microadvising@ucsc.edu.
- The microbiology major advisor will review your major academic plan and will add the microbiology major courses to your plan, as necessary, and if it is viable to do so per double unit counting, enrollment limitations, and time-to-degree guidelines.
- The microbiology major advisor will discuss the double major plan with you during your appointment. If the plan is viable, it will be approved and signed by both yourself and the microbiology major advisor.
- Once you have an approved and viable double major plan, petition to declare microbiology as a second major using the Petition for Major/Minor form in MyUCSC.
Study Abroad
The UC Education Abroad Program (EAP) offers qualified students unique opportunities to broaden their educational horizons. The METX Department encourages interested students to participate. Many programs are in English-speaking countries or use English for advanced courses. Many programs offer small classes, extensive laboratories, and/or field research experience.
Students interested in studying abroad need to get an early start on their basic science requirements, including chemistry, mathematics, and introductory biology. Students interested in studying abroad should visit the UCEAP office as soon as possible to begin planning. They should also seek advice about their UCEAP plan for major courses at UC Santa Cruz from Chemistry Advising and/or a faculty advisor and receive their approval.
Honors Policy
Honors in the majors are awarded to graduating students whose academic performance in major-required coursework demonstrates excellence at a grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or above. Highest honors are awarded to those students whose performance in major-required coursework demonstrates the highest level of excellence and results in a GPA of 3.8 or above.
Medical and Professional School Admission
Medical and professional school admissions requirements vary; students should verify that their coursework will satisfy the admissions requirements of the programs to which they plan to apply.
Students are strongly encouraged to review the Pre-Health section of the Career Success website to review preparation recommendations, prerequisite and other information about professional health education programs (medical school, dental school, etc.), and more important information to assist in preparation for a career in health sciences.
Students are urged to contact Career Success for assistance with the application process.