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Getting started in Biomolecular Engineering & Bioinformatics: Fall 2024 Entering Frosh

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Students are admitted to UCSC with a "proposed major" in most cases, and later petition to officially declare the major. Admission to UCSC does not guarantee acceptance into a particular major. Students must be declared in a major by the end of the second year (or equivalent), so learning about and preparing for a major is a primary goal for first-year students.

Importance of an early start:

This is a course-intensive and/or sequential program, and students who intend to pursue this major must begin taking classes for the major in their first year at UCSC.

Qualification requirements and/or prerequisites for the major:

Review Major Qualification Requirements in the General Catalog.

Frosh who intend to pursue this major should do the following things prior to the beginning of fall term...
  • Students with college-level transferable courses must email a copy of the unofficial transcript to Baskin Engineering Undergraduate Advising by July 1, in addition to providing the official transcript to the UCSC Admissions Office.
  • Complete the Math Preparation and placement process. You can review your math skills for free to prepare you for placement or your next course. It takes up to three business days for ALEKS PPL placement to be posted in your student record. Completing the assessment by August 5 will ensure your placement is posted before enrollment begins for fall.

...and should take these courses their first term:

Please do NOT enroll in Math 11A, AMS/ECON 11A.

Only MATH 19A and 19B are acceptable calculus requirements for this major.

The option you choose below will depend on your Math Placement.

Option 1)

  • MATH 2, College Algebra or Math 3, Precalculus
  • CHEM 3A, General Chemistry

Option 2) 

  • Math 19A, Calculus for Science, Eng & Math
  • Chemistry 3A, General Chemistry or **4A, Advanced Chemistry

If you only have room in your schedule to take one course for this major then we recommend that you prioritize Math coursework, particularly if you have placed into MATH 2, MATH 3 or MATH 19A.

**Placement in the advanced series requires successful completion of an ALEKS prep course prior to the first day of the quarter.

Special enrollment procedures:

All classes being used for major requirements must be taken for letter grades.

Sample Academic Plan:

Review sample academic plan in the General Catalog.

Other Information:

All students in this major who have little or no programming experience are recommended to take CSE 20, Beg. Python Programming. This course is not required but is recommended to take prior to enrolling into BME 160, Research Programming in the Life Sciences.


Be sure to attend the BE orientation during Fall Welcome Week. 

Links to Review:

Program Description (Catalog)

Department Website

BE Undergraduate Advising

Advisor Contact Information:

Baskin Engineering Undergraduate Advising

(bsoeadvising@ucsc.edu

BE Undergraduate Advising Office, 225 Baskin Engineering

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