Undergraduate Program
A primary mission of the Department of Cell Biology and
Molecular Genetics is to provide undergraduate students with
an education that integrates theoretical concepts with
laboratory and research skills, while giving students
opportunities to grow and build a knowledge base for
productive careers. Our faculty has also been committed to
offering a number of courses for non-majors in order to
provide those students with opportunities to learn and think
about the larger issues in the biological sciences and in
biotechnology.
The Undergraduate curricula
The College of Life
Sciences administers the Biological
Sciences Program.
The Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics
contributes to the teaching of this program through
Undergraduates majoring in the Biological Sciences have the
option to choose an emphasis area in biology. The Department
of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics Administers and advises
students for three emphasis areas:
Cell
Biology and Genetics,
Microbiology
and
Plant
Biology.
Advising
Advising
is mandatory within the College of Life Sciences.
Each student will be required to meet with a faculty advisor
every semester. The Department of Cell Biology and Molecular
Genetics has established a
three-phase
advising program in which all faculty members serve
as advisors.
Research Experience
Students may gain research experience on campus by
arranging to work in a laboratory and earn credit toward
the Biological Sciences degree.
There are many options for students to work and receive
credit for research conducted in
- Faculty laboratories on campus
- Research facilities in the region, including the
National Institutes of Health, Walter Reed Medical
Center, the Uniformed Services University, the Smithsonian
Institution, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture
See the following information pages regarding research
opportunities:
Honors and Awards
Students working in CBMG faculty laboratories may apply
to participate in the Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics
Departmental Honors Program.
This program offers students opportunity to work for
an extended period in a faculty laboratory. Students
receive academic credit and an honors citation upon
graduation for their completion of the program. This
experience is highly recommended for students interested
in attending graduate school in the sciences.
The Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics
recognizes outstanding seniors through an annual award
ceremony. Awards given to undergraduates include:
- The P. Arne Hansen Award: presented to the outstanding
Departmental Honors student.
- High Honors: presented to all students whom the
faculty deem exceptional with respect to the completion
and presentation of the Departmental Honors Thesis.
- The Sigma Alpha Omicron Award for outstanding performance
in Microbiology.
- The Appleman-Norton Award for outstanding performance
in Plant Biology.
- Membership within the departmenally-based Microbiology
Honors Society: SAO
Student Organization
The Department houses the University
of Maryland student chapter of the American Society for
Microbiology, the professional scientific society
for microbiologists. This group holds social and academic
activities that are of interest to students of microbiology
and related disciplines. Information on this organization
may be obtained through the department office.
For information on Undergraduate Opportunities in
Microbiology, Cell Biology and Genetics and Plant Biology,
please contact:
Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics
Office of Undergraduate Programs
1125 H. J. Patterson Building
Undergraduate Office Secretary:
Karen Shipley:
301.405.2766
Director of Undergraduate Programs:
Dr. Ann C. Smith
Further Information:
Department of Cell
Biology and Molecular Genetics
College of Life
Sciences | 
