USC Biological Sciences (Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology)
Transfer Requirements and Classes

The major preparation USC lists for Biological Sciences (Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology) transfers starts with BISC 120Lg, BISC 121Lg and BISC 220Lg; the full list is below.

81 California community colleges have a current transfer agreement with USC for this major. Pick yours below to see which of its classes count.

California community colleges with a transfer agreement for Biological Sciences (Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology)

Your community college

Which classes count at your community college?

Pick your college to see its class for each USC requirement.

Major Requirements

USC Biological Sciences (Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology) Major Preparation

The courses USC lists as Biological Sciences (Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology) major preparation for transfer applicants, for the 2026-27 academic year. Course numbers are USC's own; pick your community college above to see the matching class there.

Lower-Division BISC Core Courses (8 units)

Complete 1 of these

BISC 120Lg General Biology: Organismal Biology and Evolution
BISC 121Lg Advanced General Biology: Organismal Biology and Evolution

Complete 1 of these

BISC 220Lg General Biology: Cell Biology and Physiology
BISC 221Lg Advanced General Biology: Cell Biology and Physiology

Collateral Sciences Courses (32 units)

Required

MATH 125g Calculus I

Complete 1 of these

CHEM 105aLg General Chemistry
CHEM 107Lg General Chemistry for Chemistry Majors
CHEM 115aLg Advanced General Chemistry

Complete 1 of these

CHEM 105bL General Chemistry
CHEM 108L General Chemistry for Chemistry Majors: Kinetics and Equilibrium
CHEM 115bL Advanced General Chemistry

Complete 1 of these

CHEM 322aL Organic Chemistry
CHEM 325aL Organic Chemistry

Complete 1 of these

CHEM 322bL Organic Chemistry
CHEM 325bL Organic Chemistry

Complete 1 of these

MATH 208x Elementary Probability and Statistics
QBIO 305g Statistics for Biological Sciences
QBIO 310 Statistical Thinking for Quantitative Biology

Complete 1 of these

PHYS 135aLg Physics for the Life Sciences
PHYS 151Lg Fundamentals of Physics I: Mechanics, Oscillations and Waves

Complete 1 of these

PHYS 135bL Physics for the Life Sciences
PHYS 152L Fundamentals of Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism

Introduction to Research-Active Faculty (1 to 2 units)

Complete all of these

BISC 193 Introduction to Research I
BISC 194 Introduction to Research II
BISC 199 Neuroscience Colloquium

Upper-Division Core Courses (12 units)

Complete all of these

BISC 320Lg Molecular Biology
BISC 325 Genetics
BISC 330L Biochemistry
BISC 410 Applications of Molecular Biology to Medicine
BISC 411 Advanced Cell Biology
BISC 414 Biology of Cancer
BISC 425 Genetics through the Scientific Literature
BISC 434 Introduction to Genome Science
BISC 461 Seminar in Molecular and Computational Biology
BISC 480L Developmental Biology
BISC 493x Honors Seminar
BISC 494x Honors Thesis

MCDB Capstone Course Requirement (2 to 4 units)

Complete 1 of these

BISC 403 Advanced Molecular Biology
BISC 435 Advanced Biochemistry
BISC 444 Practical Analysis of Biological Data in R

Also listed by USC

USC lists these under the headings shown, apart from the list above.

Upper-Division Electives (10 to 12 units)

BISC 300L Microbiology
BISC 314L Cell Culture
BISC 372 Cell Biology
BISC 402 RNA Biology and Biotechnology
BISC 403 Advanced Molecular Biology
BISC 410 Applications of Molecular Biology to Medicine
BISC 411 Advanced Cell Biology
BISC 414 Biology of Cancer
BISC 419L Microbiology for a Sustainable Future
BISC 425 Genetics through the Scientific Literature
BISC 429 Cancer Immunology
BISC 434 Introduction to Genome Science
BISC 435 Advanced Biochemistry
BISC 444 Practical Analysis of Biological Data in R
BISC 450L Principles of Immunology
BISC 451 Protein Engineering
BISC 480L Developmental Biology
BISC 488 Microscopy and Spectroscopy of Biological Systems
BISC 493x Honors Seminar
BISC 494x Honors Thesis
GERO 440 Biodemography of Aging
HBIO 301L Human Anatomy
HBIO 320 Muscle Physiology
QBIO 478 Computational Genome Analysis
QBIO 481 Structural Bioinformatics: From Atoms to Cells
QBIO 482 Systems Biology: Modeling the Dynamics of Life

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Does USC have a Biological Sciences major for transfer students?

Yes. USC offers Biological Sciences (Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology) and lists the major preparation it expects transfer applicants to complete.

What classes do I need to transfer to USC for Biological Sciences?

USC's Biological Sciences (Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology) major preparation includes BISC 120Lg, BISC 121Lg, BISC 220Lg, BISC 221Lg, MATH 125g and CHEM 105aLg, with more courses in the list on this page. Pick your community college on this page to see which of its classes match.

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