Undergraduate Program


Head of Department: Nesrin Özören
Professors: Arzu Çelik, Batu Erman, Esra Battaloğlu, Nesrin Özören, Müge Türet
Associate Professors: Ibrahim Yaman, Stefan Fuss, N.C. Tolga Emre, Umut Şahin
Assistant Professors: Anıl Doğan, Necla Birgül-Iyison, Igor Kryvoruchko, Steven Footitt, Tolga Sütlü


The Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics was founded in 1977 as the first molecular biology department in the country and since then has expanded to include many areas of biology. Besides the undergraduate program, the department offers graduate degrees at the masters and PH.D. levels. All faculty are active in research and teaching and place great emphasis on student participation in class and in research activities. The students gain a solid foundation in biology through lecture and laboratory courses and practical experience by taking part in research projects. The department's aim is to prepare students for a promising future in research,and as a result, a large percentage of graduates pursue graduate studies in the country and abroad.

In the first two undergraduate years, core courses (mathematics, physics, chemistry, introductory biology) provide a strong scientific background. In the third and fourth years, students combine required courses in biochemistry, microbiology, cell biology, genetics and laboratory techniques with electives in specialized topics, such as developmental biology, plant genetics, human genetics and immunology. Double major programs with the mathematics, physics, chemistry and chemical engineering departments are available.

Undergraduate Program in Molecular Biology and Genetics

revised program, as of 16. January 2015

First Semester Second Semester
Code Course Credit ECTS Code Course Credit ECTS
BIO 101 Cellular and Molecular Biology I 3 5 BIO 102 Cellular and Molecular Biology II 3 5
BIO 111 Prelude to Molecular Biology 1 1 BIO 106 Cell Biology Lab 2 3
CHEM 103 General Chemistry I 3 7 CHEM 104 General Chemistry II 3 6
CHEM 109 General Chemistry Lab 1 2 MATH 102 Calculus II 4 6
MATH 101 Calculus I 4 6 PHYS 130* Thermodynamics, Waves, Optics & Mod. Physics 4 7
PHYS 101* Physics I 4 8 HSS Hum. or Social Sci. Elective 3 4
16 29 19 31
Third Semester Fourth Semester
Code Course Credit ECTS Code Course Credit ECTS
BIO 201 Evolution and Biodiversity 3 3 BIO 252 Genetics 3 3
BIO 203 / MATH 344 Biostatistics / Statistics 3 5 BIO 254 Genetics Lab 3 > 6
CHEM 203 Organic Chemistry Lab I 1 3 MATH 201 Matrix Theory 4 5
CHEM 221 Survey of Organic Chemistry 4 5 CMPE Computer Elective*** 3 5
PHYS 201* Physics III 4 6 HIST 106 / HUM 102** 3 / 4 5 / 6
HIST 105 / HUM 101** 3 / 4 5 / 6 TK 222 Turkish 2 3
TK 221 Turkish 2 3
20 / 21 30 / 31 18 / 19 30 / 31
Fifth Semester Sixth Semester
Code Course Credit ECTS Code Course Credit ECTS
BIO 301 Biochemistry 4 6 BIO 302 Biochemistry II 4 6
BIO 331 Techniques in Biological Research 3 6 BIO 308 Seminar I 1 2
BIO 333 Biochemistry Lab 3 6 BIO 310 Cellular and Molecular Biology III 4 6
BIO 353 Molecular Genetics 4 5 BIO 322 Research Topics in Molecular Biology 1 2
BIO 355 Molecular Biology Lab 3 4 BIO 342 Human Physiology 3 6
HTR 311 Atatürk Pr. & Hist. of Turk Rev. 2 3 HSS Hum. or Social Sci. Elective 3 5
HTR 312 Atatürk Pr. & Hist. of Turk Rev. 2 3
19 30 18 30
Seventh Semester Eighth Semester
Code Course Credit ECTS Code Course Credit ECTS
BIO 403 Scientific Conduct 1 2 BIO Department Elective 3 6
BIO 407 Seminar II 2 3 BIO Department Elective 3 6
BIO Department Elective 3 6 HSS Hum. or Social Sci. Elective 3 5
Compl. / Department Elective 3 7 Unrestricted Elective 3 6
Unrestricted Elective 3 6 Compl. / Department Elective 3 7
Unrestricted Elective 3 6
15 30 15 30


Total Credit: 140 / 142 240 / 242 Course Descriptions

* Physics courses are one of the three series:
Phys 101, Phys 130, Phys 201;
Phys 101, Phys 102, Phys 201, Phys 202;
Phys 121, Phys 201, Phys 202.

** HUM / HIST electives are any two of:
HUM 101, HUM 102, HIST 105, HIST 106;

*** Computer Elective:
CMPE 150, BIO 48B or higher-level computer elective courses;

**** When BIO 203 is offered in a semester, it should be taken instead of MATH 344