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CPB Concentration Requirements
Honors Info
Joint Concentrations
Board of Tutors
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  • Declaration
    To declare CPB, please submit your concentration declaration on my.harvard. Once you have declared, a concentration advisor, either Dominic Mao or Monique Brewster, will reach out to you to schedule your declaration meeting. You will also receive a link to submit a tentative plan of study.  At the meeting the advisor will answer any questions you have about CPB and ensure that your plan of study satisfies all concentration requirements.
  • CPB Concentration Requirements

    CPB Concentration Requirements

    *MCB 65 cannot double-count as both an intermediate biology course and as a physical chemistry course

    **Computational requirement: at least one concentration course must include substantial computational content like PS 12, PHYSICS 15, APMTH 10, APMTH 111, APMTH 115, APMTH 126,CS 50, CS 109, MCB 111, MCB 112, MCB 131, MCB 199, or a class approved by the concentration advisors.

    REQUIREMENTS

    Foundational courses
    2 half courses

    Intermediate biology
    2 half courses

    General or Inorganic Chemistry
    1 half course

    Physical Chemistry**
    1 half course

    Organic Chemistry
    2 half courses

    Mathematics**

    2 half courses

    Physics**
    1 half course in mechanics

    Physics**
    1 half course in electricity and magnetism

    Upper level natural sciences**
    3 half courses

    Research
    1 semester

    Tutorial

    SELECTIONS

    LS 1a (or LPS A) AND LS 1b or

    LS 50 a AND LS 50 b

    MCB 60 AND MCB 63, 65, 66, 68, or 80

    CHEM (PS)10, PS11, CHEM 40, or CHEM 160

    MCB 65*, MCB 199, CHEM 60, or CHEM 161

    CHEM 17 AND CHEM 27 or

    CHEM 20 AND CHEM 30

    From two out of three categories of linear algebra and/or differential equations (MATH 19A, MATH 21B, APMTH 22A); statistics (STAT 100, STAT 102, STAT 110); and computer science (CS 50, CS 32, AM 10)

    PS 2, PS 12a, Physics 15a or 16, or Applied Physics 50a

    PS 3, PS 12b, Physics 15b, or Applied Physics 50b

    3 courses in the natural sciences, engineering, and/or math (e.g., 100-level CHEM, MCB, or PHYSICS)

    Many upper level STEM courses can fulfill this requirement.  You can check whether a course meets this requirement by speaking with an advisor during advising conversations or by emailing an advisor the course name/syllabus for confirmation.

     

    At least one upper level project lab course chosen from: LS 100, CHEM 100, CPB 91, and CPB 99.
    For more information on getting started in research, click here. For a list of MCB faculty and their research interests, click here.

    Click here for more information.

    REQUIREMENTS
    SELECTIONS

    Foundational courses
    2 half courses

    LS 1a (or LPS A) AND LS 1b or

    LS 50 a AND LS 50 b

    Intermediate biology
    2 half courses

    MCB 60 AND MCB 63, 65, 66, 68, or 80

    General or Inorganic Chemistry
    1 half course

    CHEM (PS)10, PS11, CHEM 40, or CHEM 160

    Physical Chemistry**
    1 half course

    MCB 65*, MCB 199, CHEM 60, or CHEM 161

    Organic Chemistry
    2 half courses

    CHEM 17 AND CHEM 27 or

    CHEM 20 AND CHEM 30

    Mathematics**

    2 half courses

    From two out of three categories of linear algebra and/or differential equations (MATH 19A, MATH 21B, APMTH 22A); statistics (STAT 100, STAT 102, STAT 110); and computer science (CS 50, CS 32, AM 10)

    Physics**
    1 half course in mechanics

    PS 2, PS 12a, Physics 15a or 16, or Applied Physics 50a

    Physics**
    1 half course in electricity and magnetism

    PS 3, PS 12b, Physics 15b, or Applied Physics 50b

    Upper level natural sciences**
    3 half courses

    3 courses in the natural sciences, engineering, and/or math (e.g., 100-level CHEM, MCB, or PHYSICS)

    Many upper level STEM courses can fulfill this requirement.  You can check whether a course meets this requirement by speaking with an advisor during advising conversations or by emailing an advisor the course name/syllabus for confirmation.

     

    Research
    1 semester

    At least one upper level project lab course chosen from: LS 100, CHEM 100, CPB 91, and CPB 99.
    For more information on getting started in research, click here. For a list of MCB faculty and their research interests, click here.

    Tutorial

    Click here for more information.

  • Honors Info

    Concentrations make “English honors” (Honors, High Honors, and Highest Honors) recommendations to the College. The Faculty of Arts and Sciences makes Latin honors (cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude) recommendations based on the overall record. A complete description of the Harvard College honors process is described in the Student Handbook (see “Academic Information: Requirements for Honors Degrees).

    We encourage students to remember that distinctions among levels of Honors in fact make little difference in the outside world. The biggest difference between a “summa” and a “cum” may be in the reaction of family and friends on commencement day, and some of our most promising students graduate “cum”. So please do not design your plan of study with distinctions of honors in mind. A sensible and exciting program of courses and research is what matters – not a bit of Latin on your diploma.

    The most important advice we can give is to construct a creative and challenging academic program based on your interests and the concentration requirements, engage in laboratory research so that you can experience the excitement of contributing to the discovery of new knowledge in the field, and take tutorial seriously as an opportunity to be mentored by a senior scientist.

    With that in mind, the following outlines how honors recommendations are made for CPB concentrators:

    1. A preliminary ranking is established, based on a numerical average of courses accepted for concentration credit that is calculated as follows:

    2/3 average of all concentration course grades + 1/3 average of the three thesis grades

    1. A concentration honors committee meets and considers each candidate. Precise numerical cutoffs are not established in advance. Moreover, a student whose numerical average is a bit lower than a classmate’s may receive a higher recommendation if their record shows more rigorous courses, improvement over four years, and a strong recommendation for performance in tutorial. Although assessing the rigor of each student’s course selections is inevitably a bit subjective, we believe that individual consideration of each student’s overall record is fairer than a purely computerized approach. The quality of the thesis project and the strength of the tutor’s recommendation are given due consideration.
    2. In recommending Highest Honors, we look both for a first rate thesis and an interesting program of challenging courses. Rarely have we recommended Highest Honors with a numerical average of less than 3.9, but a ranking above 3.9 in no way guarantees such a recommendation.
    3. In recommending High Honors, we again look for more than “just grades”, and we try especially hard to reward good theses, challenging courses, etc. The lower limit for a High Honors recommendation varies a bit from year to year, but in general is around 3.7.
    4. The lower limit for an Honors recommendation is generally around 3.5. Again, a good thesis, strong participation in tutorial, and the rigor of the plan of study are important factors in our final recommendations.
  • Joint Concentrations

    CPB is, by design, an interdisciplinary concentration, therefore few students pursue joint concentrations with CPB. Students wishing to pursue a joint concentration with CPB must fulfill the CPB Honors course requirements andcomplete a senior thesis that is at the intersection of the two fields of study. Joint concentrations with quantitative fields such as statistics and computer science may be particularly appropriate. Owing to the significant overlap in requirements, a joint concentration in CPB with any of the other life science concentrations (MCB, Neuro, HDRB, IB, HEB, BME, Chemistry, Psychology (Life science track)) are not allowed. If you are considering pursing a joint concentration, reach out to either Dominic Mao or Monique Brewster to discuss this possibility.

    Joint concentrations are evaluated and approved on a case-by-case basis. The process for evaluation, approval and advising for joint concentrations is as follows:

    1.     The potential joint concentrator submits a form.. Early submission facilitates advising and concentration requirement oversight by both potential concentrations, but the form must be submitted at the latest by March 15th of their Junior year. Form submission is followed by a mandatory, in-person meeting with the Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies. The purpose of the form and meeting is to map out the study plan for a joint concentration (n.b. CPB course requirements is unaffected whether CPB is the primary or the allied concentration). The deadline is intended to give students sufficient time to develop and submit their thesis proposals during the month of July preceding their senior year. The head tutor, in collaboration with the ADUS, will review the application for a joint concentration and respond with a decision accompanied by feedback within a month from the time of submission. Students whose applications are denied can address the comments in the feedback and resubmit by the final deadline of March 15.

    2.     A joint concentration degree will not be awarded if any thesis or coursework requirement was not met.

    3.     The student is responsible for mediating communications with the two concentrations to obtain approval of the thesis proposal and establish a plan for evaluation of the joint thesis by both concentrations.

    4.     Joint concentrators are required to discuss their progress at the start of each semester by meeting with advisors from both concentrations.

  • Board of Tutors

    CPB students are assigned a Tutor from the Board of Tutors in Biomedical Sciences to provide both intellectual support and professional mentorship. A CPB student typically meets with his or her assigned Tutor regularly throughout the semester, either individually or in small groups, to read and discuss primary literature or relevant texts tailored to the student’s interests.

    Click here to view a handout that describes the history, goals, and format of the tutorial program.