Our interdisciplinary program in biochemistry and molecular biology (BMB) prepares you for graduate school, professional school, or a technical career in the field. The curriculum is drawn from the Departments of Biology and Chemistry, with emphasis on cellular biology, genetics, and biochemistry. This type of combined major is offered by few undergraduate institutions.
We give special attention to helping you develop excellent laboratory skills, and Cornell's One Course At A Time curriculum gives us a great deal of flexibility in how we integrate laboratory and classroom learning. In genetics lab, for example, you aren't simply given tasks to perform, but are given the responsibility to choose a problem, design an experiment, analyze the data, and present the results.
If you're considering professional or graduate school in a medical field, you might choose to major in biochemistry and molecular biology. This major allows you to meet both the biology and the chemistry prerequisites required by any graduate program, without the need to double major in both biology and chemistry. Cornell College’s Dimensions: The Center for the Science and Culture of Healthcare provides you a full range of support in preparing for health-related professions.
The block plan also provides many opportunities for you to get research experiences beyond campus. Courses regularly travel to the Bahamas or Belize to study coral bleaching, for example, and you are also able to take part in block-long independent study courses, as well as internships and fellowships.
Faculty in the Departments of Biology and Chemistry involve students in collaborative research projects, with topics ranging from tropical species diversity to bacteria that may provide an alternative to synthetic pesticides, to medical research related to neuromuscular diseases. You will have research opportunities both during the academic year and over the summer. In addition to working with faculty on research projects at Cornell, students frequently complete research projects at other prestigious institutions.
