Major Requirements
MIMG Academic Policies
- Each major course must be taken for a letter grade and must be passed with a C− or better. Students must also have a minimum overall grade-point average of 2.0 or better in the major.
- Students receiving a grade of D+ or below in two major courses, either in separate courses or repetitions of the same course, must contact MIMG Advisors and may be subject to dismissal from the major.
- Any single course can be used in only ONE category of the major. MIMG students must complete a minimum of 10 upper-division courses for the major.
- Courses do not have to be taken in the order outlined on this page. Students must meet course requisite requirements to be able to enroll (see requisite requirements here). See sample MIMG plans here.
- Students admitted to UCLA before 2017 should please contact MIMG Advisors to obtain accurate major requirements.
- Students are not permitted to double-major in MIMG and the Biochemistry major nor MIMG and the Molecular, Cell, and Development Biology (MCDB) major.
MIMG Research Options: Path 1 & Path 2
The MIMG major offers two options for the research requirement known as "Path 1" and "Path 2". These path represent the different ways to complete the research/lab requirements for the major: either a guided, team-oriented inquiry-based laboratory experience (Path 1) or an advanced, independent research experience in consultation with a faculty mentor (Path 2).
All students entering the MIMG major/declared as MIMG will automatically be Path 1. Students must be eligible and apply to Path 2. Students must already be connected to qualifying, independent MIMG research prior to applying to Path 2. Please see MIMG's Undergraduate Research Guide for details and recommendations for getting connected to labs.
MIMG Major Requirements
Courses do not have to be taken in the order outlined on this page. Students must meet course requisite requirements to be able to enroll. See sample MIMG plans here.
See MIMG Course Offerings 2025-2026 for a list of courses offered by the MIMG Department for this academic year. Students can consult the Schedule of Classes for the most accurate course availability information. Course availability and course restrictions are subject to change.
Five Foundation Courses:
Students will complete 5 courses below. Please see example MIMG course plans here and MIMG requisite requirements here. Please contact MIMG advisors for MIMG course planning support.
| Quarters Offered | Course | Units |
|---|---|---|
| F, W | MIMG 101 - Introductory Microbiology | 4 |
| All | LS 107 - Genetics | 5 |
| All | Chem 153A - Biochemistry | 4 |
| All/Sp | Chem 153B - Biochemistry OR MIMG 132 - Cell Biology of the Nucleus | 4 |
| W, Sp | MIMG 185A - Immunology | 5 |
Path 1 Lab Research Courses:
All MIMG majors are automatically Path 1. Students will choose one series (either a Virology focus - MIMG 103AL/BL or a Microbiology focus- MIMG 109AL/BL).
Option A: Virology
Students will complete two courses in consecutive quarters (MIMG 103AL, the wet lab course, followed by MIMG 103BL, the dry lab course).
| Quarters Offered | Course | Units |
|---|---|---|
| All (F, W, Sp) | MIMG 103AL - Virology Research Immersion Lab | 5 |
| All (F, W, Sp) | MIMG 103BL - Advanced Research Analysis in Virology | 4 |
Option B: Microbiology
Students will complete two courses in consecutive quarters (MIMG 109AL, the wet lab course, followed by MIMG 109BL, the dry lab course).
| Quarters Offered | Course | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | MIMG 109AL - Microbiology Research Immersion Lab | 5 |
| Fall | MIMG 109BL - Advanced Research Analysis in Microbiology | 4 |
Path 2 Research Series:
Students must already be engaged in MIMG research in a faculty mentor's lab, meet eligibility requirements , and apply to Path 2. Please see MIMG's Undergraduate Research Guide for steps and resources to connect to a lab.
Students will complete two courses per quarter for two consecutive quarters (one 196 research "contract course" and one 180 seminar course per quarter) for a total of four classes.
| Quarter Taken | Course | Units |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Qtr. of Path 2 (either W or Sp) | MIMG 196A - Research Apprenticeship I | 4 |
| 1st Qtr. of Path 2 (either W or Sp) | MIMG 180A - Scientific Analysis & Communication | 2 |
| 2nd Qtr. of Path 2 (either Sp or F) | MIMG 196B - Research Apprenticeship II | 4 |
| 2nd Qtr. of Path 2 (either Sp or F) | MIMG 180B - Scientific Analysis & Communication II | 2 |
Two Focus Electives:
Choose 2 courses. Students may only use 1 course per category. Students cannot double-count 1 course to fulfill both a Focus Elective requirement and another major requirement.
Please see MIMG Course Offerings 2025-2026 (subject to change) to see when MIMG-subject courses will be offered this year. Please contact MIMG advisors for MIMG course planning support or to inquire about Focus Elective options.
Please check UCLA's Schedule of Classes for course offerings for current or upcoming quarters for all subject courses.
| Course Code | Name | Units | Requisites |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIMG 102 | Introductory Virology | 4 | Requisites: LIFESCI7A, 7B, & 7L (formerly 23L). |
| MIMG 105 | Biological Microscopy | 4 | Requisite or corequisite: PHYSICS 1C or 5B or 6C. |
| MIMG C122 | Mouse Molecular Genetics | 2 | Requisites: LIFESCI 7A, 7B, & 7C. (For students engaged in research with mice.) |
| MIMG 132 | Cell Biology of the Nucleus | 4 | Requisite: LIFESCI 107. |
| MIMG CM156 | Human Genetics | 4 | Requisite: LIFESCI 7A, 7B, & 7C OR LIFESCI 7L (formerly 23L). |
| MIMG 158 | Microbial Genomics | 4 | Requisite: MIMG 101 & CHEM 153A. |
| MIMG 168 | Parasitology | 4 | Requisite: MIMG 101. |
| MIMG 170 | Cell and Gene Therapy | 4 | Requisites: CHEM 153A & LIFESCI 107. |
| MIMG M178 | Quantitative Regulatory Biology and Signal Transduction | 4 | Requisites: LIFESCI 7A, 7B, 7C, 30A, 30B. If students do not have credit for 30A & 30B but have other experience with Python, students may ask for instructor consent to enroll. |
| MCDB 138 | Developmental Biology | 5 | Requisites: LIFESCI 7A, 7B, 7C, 7L (formerly 23L), and 107. |
| MCDB 165A | Biology of Cells | 5 | Requisites: CHEM 14D or 30B, Life Sciences 3, or 7A, 7B, and 7C. |
| CHEM 153L | Biochemical Methods I | 4 | Requisites: CHEM 14BL or 20L & 30AL, & 153A. |
| CHEM 153B | Biochemistry: DNA, RNA | 4 | Requisites: CHEM 153A or CHEM 153AH. Recommended: LIFESCI 7A, 7B, & 7L (formerly 23L). |
One General Elective:
Choose 1 course. Students may only use 1 course per category. Students cannot double-count 1 course to fulfill both a General Elective requirement and another major requirement.
Please see MIMG Course Offerings 2025-2026 (subject to change) to see when MIMG-subject courses will be offered this year. Please contact MIMG advisors for MIMG course planning support or to inquire about General Elective options.
Please check UCLA's Schedule of Classes for course offerings for current or upcoming quarters for all subject courses.
| Course Code | Name | Units | Requisites |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOENGR 100 | Bioengineering Fundamentals | 4 | Requisites: MATH 32A, PHYSICS 1A or 5A. |
| BIOENGR CM145 | Molecular Biotechnology for Engineers | 4 | Requisite: LIFESCI 7C. |
| BIOENGR CM178 | Intro to Biomaterials | 4 | Requisites: CHEM 20A, 20B, and 20L, or Materials Science 104. |
| BIOSTAT 100A | Intro to Biostatistics | 4 | Recommended preparation: one biological or physical sciences course. Suitable for juniors/seniors. |
| CHEM 103 | Environmental Chemistry | 4 | Requisites: CHEM 30B, 30BL, 110A, 153A (or 153AH), 153L. |
| CHEM 110A | Physical Chemistry. Chemical Thermodynamics | 4 | Requisites: CHEM 14A or 14AE or 20A or 20AH; 14B or 14BE or 20B or 20BH; Mathematics 3C (for life sciences majors) or 32A; Physics 1A, 1B, and 1C (may be taken concurrently), or 1AH, 1BH, and 1CH (may be taken concurrently), or 5A, 5B, and 5C (may be taken concurrently). |
| CHEM 136 | Organic Structural Methods | 5 | Requisites: CHEM 30C and 30CL, with grades of C- or better. |
| CHEM 153B | Biochem: DNA, RNA, and Protein Synthesis | 4 | Requisite: CHEM 153A or 153AH. Recommended: Life Sciences 2, 3, and 23L, or 7A and 7B. |
| CHEM 153C | Biochem: Biosynthetic & Energy Metabolism & Its Regulation | 4 | Requisite: CHEM 153A or 153AH. |
| CHEM 153L | Biochemical Methods I | 4 | Requisites: CHEM 14BL or 20L and 30AL, and 153A or 153AH (may be taken concurrently), with grades of C- or better. |
| CHEM 154 | Biochemical Methods II | 5 | Requisites: CHEM153A or 153AH, 153B or 153BH, and 153L, with grades of C– or better. Recommended: course 156. |
| CHEM 156 | Physical Biochemistry | 4 | Requisites: CHEM 110A, 153A. |
| CHEM 171 | Intermediate Inorganic Chemistry | 4 | Requisite: CHEM 171 with grade of C- or better. |
| CHEM 172 | Advanced Inorganic Chemistry | 4 | Requisite: CHEM 171 with grade of C- or better. |
| CHEM C179 | Biological Inorganic Chemistry | 4 | Requisites: CHEM 153A (or 153AH) and CHEM171. |
| CHEM C181 | Polymer Chemistry | 4 | Requisites: CHEM 30B and CHEM 110A. |
| COM SCI CM121 | Introduction to Bioinformatics | 4 | Requisites: COM SCI 32 or Program in Computing 10C with grade of C- or better, and one course from Civil and Environmental Engineering 110, Electrical and Computer Engineering 131A, Mathematics 170A, Mathematics 170E, or Statistics 100A. |
| COM SCI CM122 | Algorithms in Bioinformatics and Systems Biology | 4 | Requisites: course 32 or COMPTNG 10C with grade of C- or better, and one course from Civil and Environmental Engineering 110, Electrical and Computer Engineering 131A, Mathematics 170A, Mathematics 170E, or Statistics 100A. |
| EE BIOL C135 | Population Genetics | 4 | Requisite: LIFESCI 7A. Strongly recommended: course 100, Mathematics 31A, and 31B or Life Sciences 30B. |
| EE BIOL 162 | Plant Physiology | 4 | Requisites: LIFESCI 7A, 7B, 7C, and 7L/23L. |
| EPID 100 | Intro to Epidemiology | 4 | Recommended preparation: one full biological sciences course (i.e. LIFESCI 7A). |
| MCDB 138 | Developmental Biology | 5 | LIFESCI 7A, 7B, 7C, 7L/23L, and 107. |
| MCDB M140 | Cancer Cell Biology | 5 | Requisite: MCDB 165A. |
| MCDB C141 | Molecular Basis of Plant Differentiation and Dev. | 5 | Requisites: LIFESCI 7A, 7B, 7C, 7L/23L, and 107. |
| MCDB C150 | Plant Communication | 4 | Requisites: LIFESCI 7A, 7B, 7C, 7L/23L, and 107. |
| MCDB 165A | Biology of the Cell | 5 | Requisites: CHEM 14D or 30B, Life Sciences 3, or 7A, 7B, and 7C. |
| MCDB 175A | Neuroscience: From Molecules to Mind--Cellular and Systems Neuroscience | 5 | Requisites: CHEM 14C or 30A (14C may be taken concurrently), Life Sciences 7C, Physics 1B or 1BH or 5C or 6B. |
| MIMG 102 | Virology | 4 | Requisites: LIFESCI 7A, 7B, & 7L (formerly 23L). |
| MIMG 105 | Biological Microscopy | 4 | Requisite or corequisite: PHYSICS 1C or 5B or 6C. |
| MIMG C122 | Mouse Molecular Genetics | 2 | Requisites: LIFESCI 7A, 7B, & 7C. (For students engaged in research with mice.) |
| MIMG 132 | Cell Biology of the Nucleus | 4 | Requisite: LIFESCI 107. |
| MIMG CM156 | Human Genetics | 4 | Requisites: LIFESCI 7A, 7B, & 7C OR LIFESCI 7L (formerly 23L). |
| MIMG 158 | Microbial Genomics | 4 | Requisites: MIMG 101 & CHEM 153A. |
| MIMG 168 | Parasitology | 4 | Requisite: MIMG 101. |
| MIMG 170 | Cell and Gene Therapy | 4 | Requisites: CHEM 153A & LIFESCI 107. |
| MIMG M178 | Quantitative Regulatory Biology and Signal Transduction | 4 | Requisites: LIFESCI 7A, 7B, 7C, 30A, 30B. If students do not have credit for 30A & 30B but have other experience with Python, students may ask for instructor consent to enroll. |
| MIMG 198C | Honors Research in MIMG | 4 | N/A. Requires MIMG Honors Advisor approval & faculty mentor approval. |
| MIMG 199 | Advanced Independent Research in MIMG | 4 | N/A. Requires faculty mentor & MIMG Dpt. approval. |
| NEUROSC M101A | Neuroscience: From Molecules to Mind--Cellular and Systems Neuroscience | 5 | Requisites: CHEM 14C or 30A (14C may be taken concurrently), Life Sciences 7C, Physics 1B or 1BH or 5C or 6B. |
| PHYSCI 121 | Disease Mechanisms and Therapies | 5 | Requisites: CHEM 153A, and Life Sciences 2, 3, and 4 or 7A, 7B, and 7C. |
| PHYSCI 124 | Molecular Biology of Aging | 4 | Requisites: CHEM153A, Life Sciences 7A, 7B, 7C, 7L. |
| STATS 100A | Introduction to Probability | 4 | Requisites: MATH 32B, 33A. |