Bachelor of Science in Biology

Students in MIT’s Bachelor of Science in Biology (Course 7) gain practical research skills through laboratory subjects, independent research, and hands-on training in modern molecular and cellular biology techniques. The program is closely connected to MIT’s research ecosystem, giving undergraduates opportunities to work in faculty laboratories and use specialized facilities for microscopy, genomics, proteomics, imaging, and model-organism research. Students can build laboratory experience through dedicated biology lab subjects and then progress into original research through UROP:

• Experimental Molecular Biology: 7.002 Fundamentals of Experimental Molecular Biology provides hands-on training in DNA isolation, molecular cloning, bacterial transformation, recombinant protein expression and purification, gel electrophoresis, western blotting, and site-directed mutagenesis. Students complete an experimental project investigating protein function.
• Advanced Laboratory Experience: 7.003 Applied Molecular Biology Laboratory gives biology students deeper practical experience in molecular biology, genetics, and cell biology and culminates in students designing their own experiments and analyzing their results.
• Independent Research: UROP allows MIT undergraduates to participate in original, discovery-based biology research with faculty and research groups during the academic year or summer.
• UROP Mentoring: Biology UROP and Mentoring Program (BUMP) connects undergraduate researchers with graduate-student or postdoctoral mentors and supports students working in Biology Department laboratories.
• Molecular Biology Techniques: 7.102 Introduction to Molecular Biology Techniques provides intensive practical training in sterile technique, bacterial culture, DNA and protein isolation, PCR, gene cloning, spectroscopy, microscopy, ultracentrifugation, DNA sequence analysis, and curve fitting using Python.
• Microscopy: MIT Biology Microscopy Core Facility provides access to light, epifluorescence, deconvolution, 3D structured illumination, spinning-disk and multiphoton confocal microscopy, along with image acquisition and data-analysis support.
• Genomics: Genome Technology Core at the Whitehead Institute provides next-generation sequencing, microarrays, and quantitative PCR capabilities for biological research.
• Bioinformatics & Computing: Barbara K. Ostrom Bioinformatics & Computing Facility supports advanced imaging and structural biology research with cryo-electron microscopy, cryo-FIB/SEM, and specimen-preparation instrumentation.
• Flow Cytometry: Swanson Biotechnology Center Flow Cytometry Core enables multiparametric cell analysis and high-speed cell sorting, giving researchers access to technologies used for studying complex cell populations.
• Proteomics: Quantitative Proteomics Core Facility uses mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography for protein identification, quantitative proteomics, and analysis of post-translational modifications.
• Genetic Engineering: ES Cell and Transgenic Facility supports CRISPR/Cas9 gene targeting, engineered mouse models, organoid culture, embryo analysis, and related experimental work.
• Model Organisms: Zebrafish Core Facility provides specialized expertise, aquatic systems, and infrastructure for research using zebrafish as a biological model organism.
• Research Institutes: Koch Institute, Whitehead Institute, Broad Institute, McGovern Institute, and Picower Institute are part of the broader research environment connected to MIT Biology, covering areas including cancer, genetics, genomics, neuroscience, developmental biology, and cell biology.
• Computational Biology: Course 6-7 Computational Biology provides an interdisciplinary route for students interested in combining biology with computation, while MIT Biology also incorporates computational techniques such as Python-based curve fitting in laboratory training.
• Collaborative Research: Interdisciplinary laboratory work is encouraged across MIT’s biology research centers, where biology connects with biological engineering, chemistry, neuroscience, biomedical research, and other fields.
• Research Facilities: Koch Biology Building (Building 68) serves as MIT Biology’s central teaching and research facility, with research spanning genetics, biochemistry, structural biology, cell biology, microbiology, neurobiology, and developmental biology. 

The Bachelor of Science in Biology (Course 7) at MIT prepares graduates for opportunities in biological research, biotechnology, medicine and public health, environmental science, government research, and related scientific fields. MIT specifically notes that the degree prepares students for positions in industrial or research institutes, while many graduates continue to graduate or medical school for advanced professional or research careers. Typical roles include Research Associate/Lab Technician, Quality Control Analyst, Biotechnology Professional, and Medical or Science Writer.

Career development and longer-term opportunities include:

• Career Advising: MIT Career Advising and Professional Development (CAPD) provides career counseling, resume/CV support, interview preparation, job and internship resources, career fairs, and alumni employment information. Biology students can also access department-specific career advising and resources for graduate and medical school applications.
• Research Experience: Undergraduate research is an integral part of MIT Biology, and UROP gives students opportunities to design, perform, and analyze original research while working with faculty. MIT reports that approximately 85% of its undergraduates participate in UROP.
• Employment Outcomes: Across MIT’s 2025 graduating class, 97% of students seeking employment found employment within six months; 56% of those who chose employment worked for an employer where they had previously interned, and 19% of employed graduates joined a startup. These figures are MIT-wide rather than Biology-specific.
• Salary Information: MIT CAPD’s biology-career guidance lists average salaries of $53,790 for research associates, $54,204 for quality-control inspectors, $55,336 for quality-control analysts, $72,850 for medical writers, and $81,378 for research scientists. These figures are career-resource salary estimates rather than MIT Biology graduate salary outcomes, and the research-scientist pathway generally requires graduate study.
• Industry Connections: MIT Biology exposes students to biotechnology and pharmaceutical career pathways through department events featuring scientists and leaders from organizations including Novartis, Dewpoint Therapeutics, Stellaromics, Foghorn Therapeutics, and other life-science organizations.
• Research Ecosystem: Biology students can pursue research with faculty and across affiliated institutes and centers, with MIT Biology highlighting interdisciplinary research opportunities with clinical and therapeutic applications.
• Alumni Networking: The MIT Alumni Association’s Student/Alumni Externship Program connects current students with alumni in workplaces around the world, while alumni networking provides additional professional connections.
• Graduation Pathways: MIT Biology graduates continue into industrial and research positions, while the department identifies PhD programs in biochemistry, microbiology, genetics, biophysics, cell biology, and physiology and MD programs as established progression routes.
• Accreditation Value: MIT is institutionally accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). MIT states that this accreditation applies to the institution as a whole and provides assurance regarding the quality of educational opportunities; Biology itself is not presented by MIT as holding a separate specialized professional accreditation.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the BS in Biology, students can continue into MIT or other universities’ graduate programs, including PhD-level study in areas such as biochemistry, microbiology, genetics, biophysics, cell biology, physiology, computational biology, or related life sciences. The degree also provides preparation for medical school, while students interested in interdisciplinary study can pursue areas such as Chemistry and Biology or Computer Science and Molecular Biology at MIT.