Biology BS

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of California Los Angeles

Program Overview

The Biology B.S. at UCLA is designed for students who want broad training across the biological sciences and are interested in careers or further study in biology, healthcare, research, biological industries and related fields. Students build a strong foundation in biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics before exploring advanced areas such as evolution and genetics, information flow, and structure and function.

Curriculum Structure:

Year 1:

Students establish their scientific foundation through UCLA's Life Sciences Core, studying courses such as Life Sciences 7A: Cell and Molecular Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry 14A, and mathematics. These subjects introduce students to fundamental biological processes while building the chemistry and quantitative skills needed for upper-division biology.

Year 2:

Students continue the Life Sciences Core with Life Sciences 7B and 7C, alongside additional chemistry, mathematics/statistics and physics coursework. The combination gives students a broader understanding of biological systems while strengthening their ability to approach biological questions using quantitative and scientific methods.

Year 3:

Students begin moving into the upper-division Biology curriculum, selecting courses across the major's core principles, including Evolution and Genetics, Information Flow, and Structure Function. Courses can be selected from areas such as Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, allowing students to explore different levels of biological organization.

Year 4:

Students continue advanced study across the three major principles and complete additional upper-division coursework suited to their interests. The breadth of the curriculum allows students to combine areas such as genetics, ecology, physiology, molecular biology and biological structure and function while developing the scientific background needed for graduate or professional study.

Focus Areas:

Evolution and genetics, information flow, structure and function, molecular biology, ecology and evolution, physiology, microbiology, genetics, biological organization from molecules to ecosystems, scientific research and quantitative biology.

Learning Outcomes:

Broad understanding of biological concepts and principles across levels of biological organization; effective oral and written communication of scientific information; understanding of the scientific method, data collection and data analysis; ability to critically evaluate scientific concepts and evidence from scientific literature and other sources.

Professional Alignment:

The Biology B.S. provides preparation for postgraduate study in medicine and other health sciences, academic and public-service careers in biology, biological industries, and related fields. The broad curriculum can also support students interested in areas such as business, agriculture and law.

Reputation & Employability:

UCLA is a major research university, and its Life Sciences division offers students access to a broad ecosystem of biological-science majors and research areas. UCLA's Biology B.S. itself is not presented with a separate professional accreditation or program-specific employment ranking in the official catalog, so university-wide rankings or outcomes should not be represented as Biology B.S.-specific.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

UCLA’s Biology B.S. gives students substantial hands-on exposure to biological research through laboratory courses, faculty-led research and dedicated Life Sciences facilities. Students can work with experimental techniques ranging from physiology and molecular biology to genotyping and bioinformatics, while UCLA’s research programs can provide course credit, faculty mentorship and funding:

Life Sciences Core Education Laboratories: Students in LIFESCI 7L work in groups of three on experiments involving physiology, metabolism, cell biology, molecular biology, genotyping and bioinformatics. The labs also use online pre-lab modules, quizzes and post-lab assessments.
Undergraduate research: The Student Research Program (SRP) allows students to earn course credit while conducting research under a UCLA faculty mentor.
Independent research: The Undergraduate Research Fellows Program (URFP) and Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP) provide opportunities for students to undertake independent research with UCLA faculty, with professional development and financial support available through the programs.
Bioinformatics and functional genomics: UCLA's Undergraduate Research Consortium in Functional Genomics provides laboratory-intensive training in genetics, bioinformatics, functional genomics, model organisms and advanced techniques such as electron microscopy.
Research institutes and facilities: Biology students can benefit from UCLA's broader Life Sciences research environment, including the Institute for Quantitative and Computational Biosciences, Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden, and La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science.
UCLA Undergraduate Research Center–Sciences: The center connects students with faculty research, research workshops, summer programs, research presentations, scholarships and funding opportunities.
UCLA Health research environment: UCLA's Life Sciences and Health field provides opportunities to engage with UCLA Health, including research and volunteer experiences at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
Computational tools: The Life Sciences laboratory curriculum incorporates bioinformatics and computer-based laboratory work, giving students exposure to computational approaches alongside traditional wet-lab experiments.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The UCLA Biology B.S. provides a broad biological sciences foundation that can support entry-level roles in research, biotechnology, environmental science and related fields, as well as preparation for graduate and professional education. UCLA Life Sciences also supports students pursuing healthcare careers, with academic advising and resources for students targeting medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine and optometry.

Typical career directions include Biological Research Assistant, Laboratory Technician, Biotechnology Associate, and Environmental Research Assistant.

Students can build their professional pathway through UCLA's career, research and academic resources:

UCLA Career Center: Students receive one-to-one career advising and support with career planning, resumes, interviews, networking, internships and job searches. The center also provides career fairs, employer information sessions, on-campus interviewing and job/internship listings; UCLA transitioned its recruiting platform from Handshake to 12twenty in July 2026.
Research opportunities: UCLA Life Sciences offers programs including the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP), which provides upper-level students with financial support for independent research under UCLA faculty mentorship. Other opportunities include the Howard Hughes Undergraduate Research Program, Amgen Scholars and COMPASS Life Sciences.
Employment outcomes: UCLA's official student-outcomes information reports a 93% six-year graduation rate for first-years and transfers and identifies UCLA as No. 21 among U.S. universities for employability in the 2026 Times Higher Education ranking. These are university-wide figures, not Biology B.S.-specific outcomes.
Salary information: UCLA does not publish a current Biology B.S.-specific average starting salary on its official Biology/Life Sciences pages. UCLA's Career Center instead provides industry-level information, including average compensation and entry-level job titles, to help students evaluate career options.
Employer connections: The UCLA Career Center works with employer partners and provides opportunities to meet employers through career fairs, networking events, information sessions and recruiting activities. UCLA also identifies major employers of its graduates, including Kaiser Permanente, Google, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and SpaceX; these are university-wide employer examples rather than Biology-specific placement partners.
Pre-health progression: Life Sciences students interested in healthcare can work with departmental academic advisors to select courses that satisfy both major requirements and the prerequisites for their intended professional school. UCLA specifically supports pathways toward medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine and optometry.
Accreditation: The Biology B.S. is an academic bachelor's degree rather than a professional licensure program, and UCLA does not list a separate professional accreditation for the Biology B.S. Students entering regulated professions would normally continue into the relevant accredited professional program after completing their undergraduate degree.
Graduation outcomes: UCLA's First Destination Survey tracks undergraduate employment, internships and continuing education after graduation. UCLA advises students to use the First Destination Survey and UC Undergraduate Alumni Degree Outcome Data when exploring outcomes by major, because career paths vary significantly between individual students and majors.

Further Academic Progression:

After completing the Biology B.S., students can continue into master's and Ph.D. programs in biological and life sciences, or pursue professional education in areas such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine and optometry. UCLA's Life Sciences division specifically notes that pre-health students can choose a Life Sciences major while completing the additional coursework required for their intended professional school.