MCDB at Yale University

Gateway courses

Each of these unlocks the largest share of downstream work on this map. Courses from other departments can appear here when they genuinely gate MCDB coursework.

• BIOL 1020Principles of Cell Biologyopens 8 courses (3 directly)
• MCDB 2050Cell Biologyopens 4 courses (4 directly)
• BIOL 1030Genetics and Developmentopens 2 courses (1 directly)
• MCDB 2900Microbiologyopens 1 course (1 directly)

The map

Intro tiers at the top, advanced work below; arrows point from a prerequisite to the course it unlocks. Courses from other departments appear where they gate MCDB work. Click any course to see what it requires and unlocks without leaving this page; hovering lights up its neighbors. The lists on this page carry the same courses in text form.

Showing the 18 MCDB and feeder courses that have prerequisite links. 201 more MCDB courses have no recorded prerequisites. They are listed under Tracks below, not drawn as loose dots here.

Tracks

Upper-level clusters, grouped by the gateway that opens them.

The longest ladders

The deepest prerequisite chains in MCDB. These are the routes that take the most semesters to climb.

• 5 courses deep, ending at MCDB 2910L

  1. BIOL 1010Biochemistry and Biophysics
  2. BIOL 1020Principles of Cell Biology
  3. BIOL 1030Genetics and Development
  4. MCDB 2900Microbiology
  5. MCDB 2910LLaboratory for Microbiology

• 4 courses deep, ending at MCDB 3150

  1. BIOL 1010Biochemistry and Biophysics
  2. BIOL 1020Principles of Cell Biology
  3. MCDB 2050Cell Biology

• 2 courses deep, ending at MCDB 2010L

  1. MCDB 2000Molecular & Biochemical Principles of Gene Function
  2. MCDB 2010LMolecular Biology Laboratory

• 2 courses deep, ending at MCDB 2510L

  1. MCDB 2100Developmental Biology
  2. MCDB 2510LLaboratory for Biology of Reproduction and Development

A suggested order for the 18 courses on the map, built from prerequisite chains and how often each course has run in fall and spring across the last 12 regular terms. It is not the department’s plan, and it is not a promise a course will run. Confirm against the department’s own advising material.

Grade medians

Teaching in Fall 2026

Instructors on MCDB sections in Fall 2026, from the registrar's schedule.

• A. Belperron
• A. Hartman
• A. Xiao
• C. O'Hern
• Campbell
• Clark
• Dellaporta
• Emonet
• F. Wencker
• Foxman
• Gendron
• H. Keshishian
• Howard
• J. Gendron
• J. Lu
• J. Wolenski
• Kavathas
• Keshishian
• M. Moreno
• McNamara
• Miller-Jensen
• Musser
• N. Joshi
• O'Donnell
• S. Chandhoke
• S. Dellaporta
• Saltzman
• T. Melia
• Team
• van Wolfswinkel
• Wolenski

Clubs & organizations

No clubs or organizations on record under MCDB yet.

Clubs students here join

Department events

MCDB does not run a page here yet. When it does, its events show up here and on the Yale campus feed.