Undergraduate Program | National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology

Admissions

College Admission

The Bachelor of Science degree program in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (BS MBB) provides a well-rounded undergraduate education that is particularly suited to future careers in research and teaching, in both academic and industrial settings.

The BS MBB program currently admits 60 students per year, taken from the top qualifiers in the University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT).

A student is required to complete at least 153 units of undergraduate courses, which includes completing an undergraduate research project.

For more information on undergraduate admissions, please visit the University of the Philippines System’s website.

Admission Policies for Shiftees and Transferees

a.	Cumulative Weighted Average of Grades of 1.75 or better for students within the UP System and CWAG of 1.50 for students outside UP System
b.	Preferably with at least 15 units of a combination of Math, Physics, Chemistry and Nat Sci with a weighted average of 1.80 or better.
c.	Accepts transferees/shiftees during the First Semester only.
d.	The number of transferees/shiftees to be admitted into the program is dependent on the number of available slots, as BS MBB is a quota course.

Student Retention Policy

For the undergraduate students to be retained in the program, they should maintain a weighted average in the Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NSM) subjects of 2.50 or better and a CWAG of 2.25 or better.

Course Offering

Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (MBB)

Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (BS MBB)	10	Introduction to Molecular Biology. An introduction to the fundamentals of molecular biology and biotechnology. 2 u.
	100	Introduction to Scientific Writing in MBB. Principles and methods in scientific writing. Prereq: Sophomore standing. 3u
	110	Fundamentals of Molecular Mocrobiology. Molecular diversity, physiology and genetics of microorganisms. Prereq: MBB 10, Bio 12. 8hrs. (2 lec, 6 lab). 4u
	126 126.1	Molecular Physiology of Animal Cells. Internal organization, physiology, and behavior of animal cells in vitro.
	127 127.1	Molecular Physiology of Plant Cells. Internal organizations,physiology, and behavior of animal cells in vitro.
	130	Molecular Biophysics. Characterization of biomolecules and their interactions through structural analysis and computational techniques. Prereq: Math 55, Chem 40, Chem 40.1, Physics 72. 6h (3 lec, 3 lab) 4 u.
	140	Molecular Genetics. Principles and mechanisms of heredity at the molecular level based on studies of prokaryotic, eukaryotic and viral systems. Prereq: MBB 10, Bio 12, Chem 40, Chem 40.1, 3 u.
	141	Principles in Gene Manipulation. Principles of recombinant DNA technology and its applications. Prereq: MBB 140, 9 h. (3 lec, 6 lab) 5 u.
	142	Genes and Development. Molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying multicellularity during embryogenesis and formation of the body plan in model organisms. Prereq: MBB 125, MBB 130, MBB 141, 9 h. (3 lec, 6 lab) 5 u.
	150	Cellular and Molecular Immunology. Cellular and molecular aspect of the immune response. Prereq: Chem 40, Chem 40.1, MBB 125. 3 u.
	180	Industrial Biotechnology. Principles and applications of traditional methods and novel molecular biology techniques in making useful industrial products. Prereq: MBB 110, MBB 121, MBB 141. 9 h. (3 lec, 6 lab) 5 u.
	190	Introduction to Bioinformatics and Systems Biology. Basic concepts of systems biology and the application of computational analysis in molecular biology. Prereq: MBB 130, MBB 140. 3 u.
	194	Ethics in Scientific Research. Discussion of case studies and topics pertaining to social issues and the proper conduct of scientific research relevant to molecular biology. Prereq: Junior standing. 1 u
	195	Biotechnology Enterprise. Fundamentals of biotechnology commercialization and entrepreneurship. Prereq: Senior standing. 3 u.
	196	Undergraduate Seminar. Prereq: Senior Standing. 1 u.
	197	Special Topics in MBB. Current trends and concepts in molecular biology and biotechnology. Prereq: Senior Standing. 3 u.
	200	Undergraduate Thesis. Prereq: Senior Standing. 2 u. per sem for a total of 4 u

Curriculum

National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biology
University of the Philippines Diliman
BS MBB Curriculum
As per BOR Approved last August 2018

FIRST YEAR
First Semester		Second Semester
Course No. and Title	Units	Course No. and Title	Units
Mathematics 21¹	4	Biology 11	3
English 13 or Speech 30	3	Biology 11.1	2
Chem 16	3	Math 22	4
Chem 16.1	2	Chemistry 26	3
Geol 11	3	Chemistry 26.1	2
Kas 1	3	Filipino 40 (Wika, Kultura at Lipunan)	3
P.E.	(2)	MBB 10	3
		P.E.	(2)
Total Units	18	Total Units	20
		Summer Class
		Course No. and Title	Units
		Soc Sci 1	3
		Total Units	3
SECOND YEAR
First Semester		Second Semester
Course No. and Title	Units	Course No. and Title	Units
BIO 12	3	Physics 72	4
BIO 12.1	2	Physics 72.1	1
Math 23	4	Chem 40	3
Chem 31	3	Chem 40.1	2
Chem 31.1	2	MBB 110 (MBB 10, BIO 12,12.1)	5
Physics 71	4	MBB 110 (soph standing; COI)	3
Physics 71.1	1	P.E	(2)
P.E.	(2)	NSTP	(3)
NSTP	(3)
Total Units	19	Total Units	18
		Summer Class
		Course No. and Title	# of Units
		Stat 101²	3
		Total Units	3
THIRD YEAR
First Semester		Second Semester
Course No. and Title	Units	Course No. and Title	Units
MBB 140	3	MBB 141	5
MBB 126	3	MBB 127	3
MBB 126.1	2	MBB 127.1	2
Stat 102	3	MBB 194	3
MBB 130 (Math 23, Chem 40,40.1, Phys 72)	5	MBB 150	3
		MBB 190	4
Total Units	16	Total Units	20
		Summer Class
		Course No. and Title	# of Units
		Philo 1	3
		Total Units	3
FOURTH YEAR
First Semester		Second Semester
Course No. and Title	Units	Course No. and Title	Units
MBB 195	3	MBB 197	3
MBB 142	5	MBB 196	1
MBB 180	5	ARTS 1	3
PI 100	3	STS	3
MBB 200	2	Soc Sci 2	3
		MBB 200	2
Total Units	18	Total Units	15
Total Number of Units = 153 We strongly recommend the Arts and Humanities GE Course: English 30 (3u)

Student Awards

Ed Padlan Awards for Academic Excellence
This award is in honor of Dr. Eduardo A. Padlan, a Filipino biophysicist, crystallographer, and immunologist. This is given annually to the two NIMBB seniors having the highest GPA up to the junior year.

Leticia Shahani Award for Best Undergraduate Thesis in NIMBB
NIMBB undergraduate students are required to submit a thesis before they can graduate. This award is given during the College of Science Recognition Program.

The College as well as the University also gives out similar awards to outstanding students. Through the years, NIMBB graduates have consistently been among the top contenders for the following awards: