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Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry | Faculty of Science Simon Fraser University Calendar | Summer 2025

Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Major

Bachelor of Science

The MBB major program provides a broad foundation in the life sciences from a biochemical, cellular, and molecular perspective. Flexibility in upper division course selection allows students to tailor the program to their own interests as well as meet the entry requirements for medical school and other professional and graduate programs.

Admission Requirements

Acceptance into and continuance in the program requires a minimum 2.5 cumulative grade point average (CGPA) upon completion of lower division required courses (not including the CMPT courses).

Secondary school students admitted via direct entry must achieve a 2.5 CGPA in all lower division required courses or be withdrawn from the program.

Students declaring the MBB major must have completed all required lower division courses with a CGPA of 2.5 in those courses.

Students may follow the requirements in effect when they were accepted into the program or students may take advantage of a new curriculum by changing requirement term at any time.

Prerequisite Course Grade

For a course to be accepted as fulfilling a prerequisite for any upper division MBB course, a student must have obtained a minimum grade of C unless otherwise noted.

Program Requirements

Students complete a total of 120 units, including lower and upper division requirements, and enough elective courses to total 120. Of these 120 units, 44 units must be in upper division courses.

Lower Division Requirements

Students complete all of

BISC 101 - General Biology (4)
BISC 102 - General Biology (4)
BISC 202 - Genetics (3)
CHEM 121 - General Chemistry and Laboratory I (4)
CHEM 122 - General Chemistry II (2)
CHEM 126 - General Chemistry Laboratory II (2)
CHEM 281 - Organic Chemistry and Laboratory I (4)
CHEM 286 - Organic Chemistry Laboratory II (2)
MBB 222 - Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (3)
MBB 229 - Introductory Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Laboratory (2)
MBB 231 - Cellular Biology and Biochemistry (3)

and one of

CHEM 282 - Organic Chemistry II (2)
CHEM 283 - Organic Chemistry IIb (3)

and one of

CMPT 120 - Introduction to Computing Science and Programming I (3)
MBB 110 - Data Analysis for Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (3) *

and one of

MATH 150 - Calculus I with Review (4)
MATH 151 - Calculus I (3)
MATH 154 - Mathematics for the Life Sciences I (3)

and one of

PHYS 101 - Physics for the Life Sciences I (3)
PHYS 120 - Mechanics and Modern Physics (3)
PHYS 125 - Mechanics and Special Relativity (3)
PHYS 140 - Studio Physics - Mechanics and Modern Physics (4)

and one of

STAT 201 - Statistics for the Life Sciences (3)
STAT 270 - Introduction to Probability and Statistics (3)

and two courses with different subjects from the following list, excluding courses already taken.

CHEM 210 - Introduction to Analytical Chemistry (2) and CHEM 216 - Introduction to Analytical Chemistry Laboratory (2)
CHEM 380 - Chemical and Instrumental Methods of Identification of Organic Compounds (4)
PHYS 102 - Physics for the Life Sciences II (3)
PHYS 121 - Optics, Electricity and Magnetism (3)
PHYS 126 - Electricity, Magnetism and Light (3)
PHYS 141 - Studio Physics - Optics, Electricity and Magnetism (4)
MATH 152 - Calculus II (3)
MATH 155 - Mathematics for the Life Sciences II (3)

* Recommended

Upper Division Requirements

Students complete all of

MBB 308 - Molecular Biology Laboratory (3)
MBB 309W - Biochemistry Laboratory (4)
MBB 321 - Intermediary Metabolism (3)
MBB 322 - Molecular Physiology (3)
MBB 331 - Molecular Biology (4)

and a minimum of six courses chosen from the following list, three of which must be 400-level courses. There is no upper limit on the quantity in this list that can be completed.

HSCI 442 - Immunology Laboratory (4)
MBB 323 - Introduction to Physical Biochemistry (3)
MBB 324 - Protein Biochemistry (3)
MBB 326 - Introduction to the Immune System (3)
MBB 328 - Introduction to Microbial Pathogenesis (3)
MBB 342 - Introductory Genomics and Bioinformatics (3)
MBB 402 - Cell Signalling in Development and Disease (3)
MBB 420 - Special Topics in Biochemistry (3)
MBB 421 - Nucleic Acids (3)
MBB 422 - Biomembranes (3)
MBB 423 - Protein Structure and Function (3)
MBB 424 - Membrane Transport Mechanisms (3)
MBB 427 - Immune Responses in Health and Disease (3)
MBB 429 - RNA-mediated Gene Regulation (3)
MBB 430 - Mechanisms of Secretory Transport (3)
MBB 431 - Cells and the Environment (3)
MBB 432 - Advanced Molecular Biology Techniques (4)
MBB 433 - Epithelial Cell Biology (3)
MBB 436 - Gene Expression (3)
MBB 438 - Human Molecular Genetics (3)
MBB 440 - Special Topics in Molecular Biology (3)
MBB 441 - Bioinformatics (3)
MBB 443 - Protein Biogenesis and Degradation (3)
MBB 445 - Infectious Disease Mechanisms (3)
MBB 446 - The Molecular Biology of Cancer (3)
MBB 447 - Stem Cells - Current Trends (3)
MBB 460 - Special Topics in Bioinformatics and Genomics (3)
MBB 461 - Comparative Genomics (3)
MBB 462 - Human Genomics (3)
MBB 463 - Forensic Genomics (3)
MBB 464 - From Genome to System (3)
MBB 465 - Cancer Genomics (3)
MBB 478 - Seminar in Molecular Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases (3)
PHYS 347 - Introduction to Biological Physics (3)

Concentration in Infection and Immunity

Students who choose this concentration will complete all of

MBB 308 - Molecular Biology Laboratory (3)
MBB 309W - Biochemistry Laboratory (4)
MBB 321 - Intermediary Metabolism (3)
MBB 322 - Molecular Physiology (3)
MBB 324 - Protein Biochemistry (3)
MBB 326 - Introduction to the Immune System (3)
MBB 328 - Introduction to Microbial Pathogenesis (3)
MBB 331 - Molecular Biology (4)
MBB 342 - Introductory Genomics and Bioinformatics (3)

and two of

MBB 427 - Immune Responses in Health and Disease (3)
MBB 445 - Infectious Disease Mechanisms (3)
MBB 448 - Cancer Immunology (3)
MBB 478 - Seminar in Molecular Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases (3)

and a minimum of four courses chosen from the following list, two of which must be MBB courses. There is no upper limit on the number of courses that can be completed from this list but students will only receive credit for each course once.

BISC 303 - Microbiology (4)
HSCI 338 - Virology (3)
HSCI 441 - Virology Laboratory (4)
HSCI 442 - Immunology Laboratory (4)
HSCI 477 - Seminar in Vaccine Immunology (3)
HSCI 482 - Senior Seminar in Infectious Diseases (3)
MBB 402 - Cell Signalling in Development and Disease (3)
MBB 422 - Biomembranes (3)
MBB 423 - Protein Structure and Function (3)
MBB 427 - Immune Responses in Health and Disease (3)
MBB 430 - Mechanisms of Secretory Transport (3)
MBB 432 - Advanced Molecular Biology Techniques (4)
MBB 438 - Human Molecular Genetics (3)
MBB 441 - Bioinformatics (3)
MBB 445 - Infectious Disease Mechanisms (3)
MBB 446 - The Molecular Biology of Cancer (3)
MBB 447 - Stem Cells - Current Trends (3)
MBB 448 - Cancer Immunology (3)
MBB 461 - Comparative Genomics (3)
MBB 462 - Human Genomics (3)
MBB 478 - Seminar in Molecular Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases (3)

Research and Directed Reading Courses

For degree credit, students are limited to nine undergraduate research and/or directed reading units. These include

MBB 471 - Undergraduate Colloquium (1)
MBB 490 - Directed Readings in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (2)
MBB 491 - Directed Research I (5)
MBB 498 - Directed Research (3)

and corresponding courses offered by other departments (e.g. BISC 490, 491, 492, 498, 499). If students complete more than nine units of these courses, they may not apply the extra units toward the degree total (120 units).

Co-operative Education Recommendation

Students are encouraged to enroll in co-operative education.

University Degree Requirements

Students must also satisfy University degree requirements for degree completion.

Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements

Students admitted to Simon Fraser University beginning in the fall 2006 term must meet writing, quantitative and breadth requirements as part of any degree program they may undertake. See Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements for university-wide information.

WQB Graduation Requirements

A grade of C- or better is required to earn W, Q or B credit

Requirement

Units

Notes
W - Writing

6

Must include at least one upper division course, taken at Simon Fraser University within the student's major subject; two courses (minimum three units each)

Q - Quantitative

6

Q courses may be lower or upper division; two courses (total six units or more)
B - Breadth

18

Designated Breadth

Must be outside the student's major subject, and may be lower or upper division:

Two courses (total six units or more) Social Sciences: B-Soc
Two courses (total six units or more) Humanities: B-Hum
Two courses (total six units or more) Sciences: B-Sci

6

Additional Breadth

Two courses (total six units or more) outside the student's major subject (may or may not be B-designated courses, and will likely help fulfil individual degree program requirements).

Students choosing to complete a joint major, joint honours, double major, two extended minors, an extended minor and a minor, or two minors may satisfy the breadth requirements (designated or not designated) with courses completed in either one or both program areas.

Residency Requirements and Transfer Credit

The University's residency requirement stipulates that, in most cases, total transfer and course challenge credit may not exceed 60 units, and may not include more than 15 units as upper division work.

  • At least half of the program's total units must be earned through Simon Fraser University study
  • At least two thirds of the program's total upper division units must be earned through Simon Fraser University study
  • At least two thirds of the upper division units in the courses of a school offering (or joint offer) must be earned through that school at Simon Fraser University
  • For information regarding transfer, consult an Advisor.

Elective Courses

In addition to the courses listed above, students should consult an academic advisor to plan the remaining required elective courses.