Bachelor of Arts in Chemical and Physical Biology

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Harvard University

Program Overview

Harvard University’s A.B. in Chemical and Physical Biology is designed for students who want to understand living systems through the combined use of biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and computational methods, with a particular emphasis on quantitative approaches to biological research. It suits students interested in scientific research and advanced study, with the curriculum developing experimental, analytical, computational, and scientific-literature skills through coursework, tutorials, and laboratory research.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students establish the quantitative and scientific foundation required for CPB through mathematics, general chemistry, and introductory life sciences. Key courses include CHEM 10: Quantum, Statistical and Computational Foundations of Chemistry, LS 1a/LS 1b: An Integrated Introduction to the Life Sciences, and PHYSCI 11: Foundations and Frontiers of Modern Chemistry, developing early skills in chemical principles, molecular biology, quantitative reasoning, and scientific analysis.

Year 2: Students move into molecular and cellular biology and organic chemistry, connecting chemical principles with biological mechanisms. Core options include MCB 60: Cellular Biology and Molecular Medicine, MCB 63: Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, MCB 65: Physical Biochemistry: Understanding Macromolecular Machines, and CHEM 17/CHEM 20 in organic chemistry; MCB 60 includes a semester-long discovery-based research project, while MCB 65 incorporates techniques such as cryo-electron microscopy, AlphaFold, molecular dynamics, and Rosetta protein design.

Year 3: Students deepen their specialization through intermediate and advanced CPB courses covering areas such as molecular structure, cell organization, disease, quantitative biology, and scientific methodology. Courses can include CPB 68: Cell Biology Through the Microscope, CPB 111: Mathematics in Biology, and CPB 151: From the Gene to the Phenotype: A Genomics Perspective, while students can also begin formal CPB 91: Research for Credit in Chemical and Physical Biology.

Year 4: The senior year provides opportunities to consolidate advanced scientific knowledge through upper-level coursework and independent research. Students pursuing honors complete CPB 99A & CPB 99B: Laboratory Research for Honors Thesis across the academic year and produce a research thesis, while the broader concentration requires at least one term of laboratory research experience through a project lab, CPB 91, or senior thesis research.

Focus areas: Molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry, physical biology, quantitative biology, computational biology, molecular structure and function, cell organization and behavior, disease biology, genomics, scientific methodology, and biological research.

Learning outcomes: Students learn to tackle biological problems using physical, chemical, quantitative, and computational skills; apply the scientific method inside and outside the laboratory; critically evaluate scientific literature and evidence; and develop the mathematical, physical, chemical, and biological foundation needed for quantitative life-science research.

Professional alignment (accreditation): Harvard’s official CPB information identifies this as an undergraduate A.B. concentration rather than a separately professionally accredited degree; the concentration is intended primarily for students considering research careers and provides preparation for advanced scientific and research pathways.

Reputation (employability rankings): Harvard’s official program pages do not publish a CPB-specific QS, Guardian, or other external employability ranking, so no program-specific ranking is stated here.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students in Harvard University’s Chemical and Physical Biology A.B. gain practical research skills by combining biology with chemistry, physics, mathematics, and computational approaches. The concentration requires hands-on laboratory research and provides access to Harvard’s extensive research ecosystem, while the program’s tutorial structure gives students regular small-group or individual academic guidance. Students can also develop research skills through dedicated laboratory programs such as FUEL, where they work with experimental techniques, scientific software, data analysis, molecular visualization, and research projects:

Laboratory Research: Students must complete at least one term of laboratory research experience, which can be fulfilled through a project laboratory course, CPB 91, or senior thesis research through CPB 99A/99B.
Independent Research: Students can conduct research in laboratories across Harvard’s Cambridge campus, Harvard Medical School, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, research centers, institutes, and affiliated hospitals.
Research Courses: LS/MCB 100 – Experimental Research in Life Sciences offers structured research projects, while CPB 91 and CPB 99 allow students to undertake laboratory research for credit.
Senior Thesis: Students pursuing honors can complete a year-long laboratory research thesis through CPB 99A/99B; Harvard recommends beginning thesis research no later than the start of the junior year.
Scientific Software: Harvard’s FUEL research program provides practical experience with ChemDraw, mNova for NMR analysis, Web of Science, SciFinder, CCDC, Mercury for 3D molecular visualization, Origin for data analysis and plotting, and Adobe Illustrator for scientific figures.
Laboratory Techniques: FUEL students receive training in core experimental techniques for chemical and biotechnological research, experimental design, data collection, laboratory notebooks, and scientific research practices.
Research Project: FUEL participants develop research projects and complete a capstone poster project, giving students experience presenting scientific findings.
Lab Matching: The FUEL Lab Match Challenge has students investigate Harvard laboratories, prepare resumes and faculty outreach emails, contact principal investigators, and meet faculty members about potential research positions.
Tutorials: The Board of Tutors in Biochemical Sciences provides CPB students with individual or small-group tutorials approximately twice a month, using primary literature and other scientific readings tailored to students’ interests.
Research Community: Harvard has more than two dozen buildings used exclusively for scientific research, with interconnected laboratories supporting work across chemical, biological, physical, engineering, and computational sciences.
Summer Research: Harvard offers residential summer research programs and funding opportunities for independent research conducted locally, elsewhere in the United States, or internationally.
Interdisciplinary Research: The CPB concentration specifically trains students to address biological questions using physical, chemical, quantitative, and computational skills, closely connecting undergraduate study with modern life-science research.
Scientific Literature: Students develop the ability to critically evaluate scientific literature and evidence, an explicit learning objective of the CPB concentration.
Group Learning: The required tutorial program uses individual and small-group sessions, providing opportunities to discuss scientific literature, research interests, academic questions, and career development with PhD- and/or MD-level tutors.
Research Presentation: FUEL culminates in a poster presentation, while honors students present their research through Harvard’s undergraduate research showcase and related scientific presentation opportunities.
Harvard-Affiliated Facilities: Undergraduate researchers can access opportunities across Faculty of Arts and Sciences departments, Harvard professional schools, research centers and institutes, and Harvard-affiliated hospitals, depending on the research opportunity.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Bachelor of Arts in Chemical and Physical Biology at Harvard provides an interdisciplinary foundation for understanding biological systems through chemistry, physics, mathematics, and computational methods. Harvard specifically describes the concentration as being intended primarily for students considering research careers, while its interdisciplinary preparation can also support progression into health professions, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and advanced scientific study.

Typical career roles: Research Assistant, Biotech Research Associate, Laboratory Researcher, Clinical Research Assistant

: Harvard provides several resources that can help students turn this scientific foundation into research and professional opportunities:

Career Services: The Mignone Center for Career Success (MCS) provides career advising, employer connections, career fairs, internship and job opportunities, and specialized guidance for Life Sciences, Biotech, Pharma, and health-related careers.
Life Sciences Employers: Harvard's official career resources identify employers including Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly, AbbVie, Merck, Pfizer, Moderna, Biogen, Amgen, Novo Nordisk, Abbott, Boston Scientific, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Medtronic.
Industry Networking: The Biotech, Pharma & Healthcare Expo brings Harvard students and alumni together with employers to discuss full-time and internship opportunities in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, medical devices, wellness, and healthtech.
Internships: MCS specifically encourages students interested in life sciences to pursue wet-lab or dry-lab internships, while Harvard's career platform lists current internship and full-time opportunities across life sciences and health.
Research Preparation: The CPB concentration requires students to integrate physical, chemical, quantitative, and computational skills and apply scientific methods both in and outside the laboratory, providing a strong foundation for research-oriented careers.
Research Environment: Harvard's Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology supports undergraduate research in areas including chemical biology, biophysics, analytical chemistry, catalysis, materials, organic chemistry, physical/chemical physics, and theoretical chemistry.
Faculty Research Network: The department works across university and hospital-based research and education programs, connecting chemical biology research with areas such as therapeutics, human disease, sustainable technologies, and molecular science.
Employment Statistics: Harvard's official sources reviewed do not publish a current CPB-specific employment rate or employment percentage, so no program-specific figure is stated.
Salary Figures: Harvard's official CPB pages do not publish a CPB-specific graduate salary range or median salary. MCS provides access to job-market information containing earnings data by occupation, but this is not presented as a CPB graduate salary outcome.
Graduation Outcomes: Harvard identifies CPB as a concentration designed particularly for students considering research careers, with the interdisciplinary preparation needed for advanced work in the quantitative understanding of living systems.
Accreditation Value: Harvard's official CPB materials do not identify a separate professional accreditation for the undergraduate concentration. Its value is instead centered on Harvard's interdisciplinary academic and research preparation; therefore, no separate accreditation claim is made here.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the BA, students can pursue PhD-level research in chemical biology, chemistry, chemical physics, biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology, biophysics, or related life-science fields. The degree can also provide preparation for professional health education, including medicine and other health professions, while Harvard's Mignone Center provides dedicated pre-medical and pre-health advising and resources.