Life Science, Business, and Entrepreneurship

University of California, Berkeley

About the Program

The Robinson Life Science, Business, and Entrepreneurship (LSBE) Program is designed to help students bridge scientific inquiry and research with entrepreneurship and commercial application. LSBE offers specialized coursework taught by award-winning faculty, networking opportunities and specialized career coaching, and mentoring opportunities within a peer-to-peer cohort of students who are working to become future leaders and innovators. 

Through LSBE, students will earn a BS in Business Administration and a BA in Molecular and Cell Biology (MCB) in the emphasis of your choice: Biochemistry, Biophysics & Structural Biology; Cell Biology, Development, and Physiology; Genetics, Genomics, Evolution & Development; Immunology & Molecular Medicine; Molecular Therapeutics; or Neurobiology.

Admission to LSBE is highly competitive and open only to students who enter UC Berkeley as freshmen. Course planning begins during freshman year, and students apply for admission to LSBE during the fall of sophomore year. All prerequisite requirements for Business and MCB must be completed by the end of sophomore year.

Students who complete the Program will be uniquely advantaged for careers in a variety of innovative industries and research institutions and will be competitive applicants to graduate programs including pre-health, biosciences, MBA, and beyond.

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Major Requirements

LSBE students complete all academic requirements for both Business Administration and Molecular and Cell Biology in addition to the university and campus requirements, and all policies of each school are enforced. Additional Program requirements include a freshman introductory course and a senior capstone course. Students must contact LSBE staff to enroll in these program-specific courses.
 
Lower division and upper division Business Administration requirements can be found on the Business Administration program page.
 
Students have a choice between six emphases within Molecular and Cell Biology:
  • Biochemistry, Biophysics, & Structural Biology 
  • Cell Biology, Development & Physiology
  • Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development
  • Immunology & Molecular Medicine
  • Molecular Therapeutics
  • Neurobiology

LSBE Program plans can be found on our website.

College Requirements

Undergraduate students must fulfill the following requirements in addition to those required by their major program.

For detailed lists of courses that fulfill college requirements, please review the College of Letters & Sciences page in this Guide. For College advising appointments, please visit the L&S Advising Pages. 

University of California Requirements

Entry Level Writing

All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by fulfilling the Entry Level Writing requirement. Fulfillment of this requirement is also a prerequisite to enrollment in all reading and composition courses at UC Berkeley. 

American History and American Institutions

The American History and Institutions requirements are based on the principle that a US resident graduated from an American university, should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.

Berkeley Campus Requirement

American Cultures

All undergraduate students at Cal need to take and pass this course in order to graduate. The requirement offers an exciting intellectual environment centered on the study of race, ethnicity and culture of the United States. AC courses offer students opportunities to be part of research-led, highly accomplished teaching environments, grappling with the complexity of American Culture.

College of Letters & Science Essential Skills Requirements

Quantitative Reasoning

The Quantitative Reasoning requirement is designed to ensure that students graduate with basic understanding and competency in math, statistics, or computer science. The requirement may be satisfied by exam or by taking an approved course.

Foreign Language

The Foreign Language requirement may be satisfied by demonstrating proficiency in reading comprehension, writing, and conversation in a foreign language equivalent to the second semester college level, either by passing an exam or by completing approved course work.

Reading and Composition

In order to provide a solid foundation in reading, writing, and critical thinking the College requires two semesters of lower division work in composition in sequence. Students must complete parts A & B reading and composition courses in sequential order by the end of their fourth semester.

College of Letters & Science 7 Course Breadth Requirements

Breadth Requirements

The undergraduate breadth requirements provide Berkeley students with a rich and varied educational experience outside of their major program. As the foundation of a liberal arts education, breadth courses give students a view into the intellectual life of the University while introducing them to a multitude of perspectives and approaches to research and scholarship. Engaging students in new disciplines and with peers from other majors, the breadth experience strengthens interdisciplinary connections and context that prepares Berkeley graduates to understand and solve the complex issues of their day.

Unit Requirements

  • 120 total units

  • Of the 120 units, 36 must be upper division units

  • Of the 36 upper division units, 6 must be taken in courses offered outside your major department
Residence Requirements

For units to be considered in "residence," you must be registered in courses on the Berkeley campus as a student in the College of Letters & Science. Most students automatically fulfill the residence requirement by attending classes here for four years, or two years for transfer students. In general, there is no need to be concerned about this requirement, unless you go abroad for a semester or year or want to take courses at another institution or through UC Extension during your senior year. In these cases, you should make an appointment to meet an adviser to determine how you can meet the Senior Residence Requirement.

Note: Courses taken through UC Extension do not count toward residence.

Senior Residence Requirement

After you become a senior (with 90 semester units earned toward your BA degree), you must complete at least 24 of the remaining 30 units in residence in at least two semesters. To count as residence, a semester must consist of at least 6 passed units. Intercampus Visitor, EAP, and UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) units are excluded.

You may use a Berkeley Summer Session to satisfy one semester of the Senior Residence requirement, provided that you successfully complete 6 units of course work in the Summer Session and that you have been enrolled previously in the college.

Modified Senior Residence Requirement

Participants in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP), Berkeley Summer Abroad, or the UC Berkeley Washington Program (UCDC) may meet a Modified Senior Residence requirement by completing 24 (excluding EAP) of their final 60 semester units in residence. At least 12 of these 24 units must be completed after you have completed 90 units.

Upper Division Residence Requirement

You must complete in residence a minimum of 18 units of upper division courses (excluding UCEAP units), 12 of which must satisfy the requirements for your major.

Plan of Study

Each student's plan will vary depending on MCB emphasis and AP/IB exam scores, if applicable. Speak with the LSBE Student Experience Specialist to discuss your academic plan in more detail.

The sample course schedules below show a four-year plan for completing all program requirements, taking classes only during fall and spring semesters. Many courses are offered during the summer, as well. Please note that the MCB degree can be completed in 9 different ways, so the plan below indicates "MCB UD" for an MCB upper-division course that will depend on the emphasis you choose to pursue during your junior and senior years. You should meet with the LSBE Associate Director to discuss your options in detail.
 

First Year
FallUnitsSpringUnits
MATH 1A4MATH 1B4
CHEM 1A3CHEM 3A3
CHEM 1AL2CHEM 3AL2
ENGLISH R1B4Breadth3-4
Breadth3-4Breadth/AC3-4
 16-17 15-17
Second Year
FallUnitsSpringUnits
UGBA 103STAT 204
ECON 14BIOLOGY 1A3
CHEM 3B3BIOLOGY 1AL2
CHEM 3BL2PHYSICS 8B4
PHYSICS 8A4Breadth3-4
Apply to the Program Declare MCB 
 16 16-17
Third Year
FallUnitsSpringUnits
UGBA 1002UGBA 102B3
UGBA 101A3UGBA 1034
UGBA 102A3MCB UD4
BIOLOGY 1B4MCB UD4
MCB UD4BREADTH3-4
 16 18-19
Fourth Year
FallUnitsSpringUnits
UGBA 1043UGBA 1063
UGBA 1053UGBA 1073
LSBE CAPSTONE (UGBA + MCB ELECTIVE)4UGBA ELECTIVE4
MCB UD4BREADTH3-4
UGBA 101B3MCB UD4
 17 17-18
Total Units: 131-137

Plan Notes:

  • This plan assumes one Breadth course will also be an AC course.
  • This plan assumes the student has completed the Entry Level Writing, American History and Institutions, and Foreign Language requirement prior to admission to UC Berkeley.
  • This plan assumes the student does not require CHEM 32 or MATH 32.
  • This plan assumes exam score or prior course works will fulfill R&C A.

Major Map

Major Maps help undergraduate students discover academic, co-curricular, and discovery opportunities at UC Berkeley based on intended major or field of interest. Developed by the Division of Undergraduate Education in collaboration with academic departments, these experience maps will help you:

  • Explore your major and gain a better understanding of your field of study

  • Connect with people and programs that inspire and sustain your creativity, drive, curiosity and success

  • Discover opportunities for independent inquiry, enterprise, and creative expression

  • Engage locally and globally to broaden your perspectives and change the world

  • Reflect on your academic career and prepare for life after Berkeley

Use the major map below as a guide to planning your undergraduate journey and designing your own unique Berkeley experience.

View the Life Science, Business, and Entrepreneurship Major Map PDF.

Advising

Life Sciences, Business, and Entrepreneurship Program staff are available on the third floor of the Valley Life Sciences Building in room 3060. Advising hours are Monday - Thursday 9:00 - 4:00 and Friday 9:00 - 3:00. The office closes for lunch from 12:00 - 1:00 every day. Check our website for details regarding our advising hours as they are subject to change throughout the year. To schedule an appointment or for more information about the Program, email lsbe@berkeley.edu. 

Related Courses

Contact Information

LSBE Program

3060 Valley Life Sciences

Phone: 510-664-4457

lsbe@berkeley.edu

Visit Program Website

Executive Director

Deepa Prasad

3060 Valley Life Sciences

Phone: 510-664-4457

Associate Director

Teresa Dinh

3060 Valley Life Sciences

Phone: 510-664-4457

teresadinh@berkeley.edu

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