BA Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at Yale University

Programme overview

Biology is one of the most dynamic and wide-ranging sciences, spanning everything from molecules and cells to entire organisms and ecosystems. It seeks to answer some of the most fascinating questions in science: How do living systems work? How do they develop?

Faculty: Yale College | Duration: Thirty-six term courses in eight terms of enrollment (Yale College bachelor's degree) | Study mode: full-time | Location: New Haven, CT, United States

What you will study

Number of courses: B.A. —5 courses and 1 lab, totaling at least 5½ course credits beyond the prereqs; B.S. —8 courses and 2 labs, totaling at least 9 course credits beyond the prereqs; B.S., intensive —8 courses and 2 labs, totaling at least 11 course credits beyond prereqs. Specific courses required: (see the Concentrations section) Neurobiology MCDB 3200 ; Biotechnology MCDB 3700 ; Quantitative Biology MCDB 3310. Distribution of courses: B.A. —2 core courses from MCDB 2000 , 2020 , 2050 , 2100 , 2900 , 3000 (or MB&B 3000 ); 2 electives numbered MCDB 2500 or above (or 2 addtl core courses); 1 elective numbered MCDB 3500 or above; 1 biology lab, as specified. Senior requirement: B.A. — MCDB

Career pathways

MCDB provides a strong foundation for careers in medicine, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, basic and applied research, education, and many other life science fields.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Admission is to Yale College, not to this major (applies to all Yale College programmes). Yale College requires letters of recommendation, a school report with transcript, and ACT or SAT scores; applicants who are non-native English speakers without two or more years in an English-medium school must also submit an English proficiency test (TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge English or Duolingo English Test). Major prerequisite: B.A. — BIOL 1010 , 1020 , 1030 , 1040 or placement exam, or one MCDB core course for placement out of every two BIOL modules; a two-term lecture sequence in chem; one term of PHYS 1700 or above; MATH 1150 or above or a Yale statistics course approved by the DUS; B.S. —same as for the B.A. degree, in addition to labs associated with a two-term lecture sequence in chem; 1 term of organic chem with lab; two terms of physics, PHYS 1700 or above.

USD 72,500 a year (2026-27). Yale College 2026-2027 tuition (single rate for all Yale College students). Excludes housing, food, optional health insurance, student activities fee and class dues. Source

First-year and transfer applicants apply to begin in the fall semester.

First-year applicants apply through the Common Application, the Coalition Application on SCOIR or the QuestBridge Application. Single-Choice Early Action deadline: November 1. QuestBridge National College Match deadline: November 1. Regular Decision deadline: January 2. Yale does not advantage students by program.

First-year and transfer applicants must include ACT or SAT scores (testing is required); neither exam is preferred.

Transfer applicants submit the Transfer Common Application by March 1 to enter as sophomores or juniors.

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences deadlines (all 11:59 pm Eastern) for fall 2027: December 1, 2026 (e.g. BBS, Chemistry, Economics, History, Linguistics, Psychology, Public Health, Statistics); December 15, 2026 (e.g. American Studies, Anthropology, Applied Physics, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science PhD, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Law, Management, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Political Science, Sociology); January 2, 2027 (e.g. African Studies, Applied and Computational Mathematics, Architecture, Computer Science MS, Earth and Planetary Sciences, East Asian Studies, Nursing, Philosophy). Combined programs follow the earlier deadline or December 15.

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences application fee for all degree-seeking applicants is US $105, non-refundable, payable by Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express; fee waivers can be requested until January 2.

GRE General Test requirements vary by GSAS program (required, optional or not accepted) for the 2026-2027 cycle.

Apply through the official page: https://admissions.yale.edu/apply

Explore more study programmes

STEM