Global Disease Biology Major Advising

Requirements for a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Global Disease Biology

The GDB degree requirement includes 64-66 units of Preparatory Subject Matter, 44-47 units of Depth Subject Matter, and at least 25 units of Restricted Electives for a minimum total of 133-138 units, as shown on our GDB Major Requirements Sheet.

GDB major requirements cover the majority of standard prerequisites for many health profession schools (e.g., medical school, veterinary medicine, physician assistants, nursing, dental school, physical therapy, clinical lab sciences), but additional requirements may exist. We recommend that students wanting to follow these career paths plan accordingly, check with individual schools, and consult campus resources such as Health Professions Advising (HPA).

Students transferring from a community college, state college, or another university are encouraged to email GDB Advising (gdb-advise@ucdavis.edu) with questions about if and how their UC-transferable units might waive one or more GDB course requirements. You can also view GDB transfer requirements and articulations on ASSIST.org.

Students interested in changing their major to GDB can find detailed instructions for this process on the Prospective Students webpage. Students interested in completing a GDB minor can review GDB minor requirements and instructions for how to to declare a GDB minor here.

Preparatory Subject Matter (64-66 units)

Course

 

Title

Units

Terms Offered

GDB 90

 Introduction to Global Disease Biology

1

Fall, Spring
SAS 13 Disease and Society

3

Fall, Winter
BIS 2A/B/C Introduction to Biology

15

See Major Requirements Sheet
CHE 2A/B/C General Chemistry

15

See Major Requirements Sheet

ONE of the following course combinations:

  

6-8

 
 CHE 8A/B 

Organic Chemistry: Brief Course

(6)

See Major Requirements Sheet
 CHE 118A/B 

Organic Chemistry for Health and Life Sciences

(8)

See Major Requirements Sheet
PHY 7A/B General Physics

8

Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer
MAT 17A/B/C Calculus for Biology and Medicine

12

Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer

ONE of the following courses:

  

4

 
 STA 13Elementary Statistics

(4)

Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer
 STA 100 Applied Statistics for Biological Sciences

(4)

Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer
 PLS 120 Applied Statistics in Agricultural Science

(4)

Fall, Spring

Depth Subject Matter (44-47 units)

Course

 

Title

Units

Quarters Offered

BIS 101 (BIS 101D is optional) 

Genes and Gene Expression

4Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer

BIS 105

OR

BIS 102 + BIS 103

 

Biomolecules and Metabolism

OR

Structure & Function of Biomolecules + Bioenergetics & Metabolism

(3)

OR

(6)

Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer
EVE 100 Introduction to Evolution4Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer
MIC/MMG 102 Introductory Microbiology Lecture3Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer
MIC/MMG 103L Introductory Microbiology Laboratory2Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer
PMI 129Y One Health: Human, Animal & Environment Interfaces3Fall, Winter
VME 158 Infectious Disease in Ecology and Conservation3Winter, Spring
GDB 101 Epidemiology4Fall, Winter
GDB 102 Disease Intervention and Policy4Spring

TWO of the following pathogen/disease courses:

  6-9 

 

PLP 100

Biology of Plant Pathogens

(3)

Winter

 PLP 120 Introduction to Plant Pathology(4)Spring
 PLP 130 Fungal Biology & Disease(3)Spring
 PLP/PLB 148Introduction to Mycology(4)Fall
 PMI 127  Medical Bacteria and Fungi(3)Spring
 ENT 153 Medical Entomology(3)Winter
 ENT 156 Biology of Parasitism (ENT 156L is optional)(3-4)Spring
 GDB 103 The Microbiome of People, Animals and Plants(3)Winter, Spring
 

MMG 162

OR

PMI 128

OR

MMI 177

General Virology

 

Biology of Animal Viruses

 

Human Virology

(3)

 

(3)

 

(3)

Winter

 

Spring

 

Winter

GDB 187 Global Disease Biology Seminar3Fall, Winter, Spring
GDB 189 Global Disease Biology Senior Research3Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer
GDB 189D Global Disease Biology Research Discussion1Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer

Restricted Electives (Minimum 25 Units)

These are typically upper division courses that are identified by the student with the help of their faculty research mentor or practicum mentor and with approval from GDB Advising. Restricted Electives offer the student an opportunity to specialize and to personalize their degree. Students will submit an RE approval form during GDB 187, but students may submit updated forms with changes to gdb-advise@ucdavis.edu at any time. Please review the updated Guide to Restricted Electives for more details. 

The GDB Practicum Project

You can find instructions for how to register for GDB 189 and 189D on pages 6 and 7 of the Guide to the GDB Practicum.
GDB Practicum Roadmap

 

The GDB major requires a senior research project (GDB 189) that involves 1-2 quarters of independent study/research under the direct guidance of a mentor. Projects typically are completed on campus but may be off campus with a non-UC Davis mentor. Students with a non-UC Davis mentor must also have an on-campus faculty member as a co-mentor/GDB 189 Instructor of Record. Students enroll in GDB 187 in their Junior year to learn how the practicum works, how to identify a research project, and how to begin their research.

Projects must explore a critical issue in health, wellness, and/or global disease as related to plant, animal, human, or environmental health, or any combination of the aforementioned.

  • Lab-based research
  • Field-based research
  • Meta-analysis (analysis of data sets)
  • Literature review paper

If you have any questions about whether or not your research topic or interest(s) meet practicum requirements, please reach out to GDB Advising at gdb-advise@ucdavis.edu or Lead Faculty Advisor, Professor Johan Leveau (jleveau@ucdavis.edu)

Please review the Guide to the GDB Practicum for more details, including how to find a mentor and how to register for GDB 189 and GDB 189D. You can listen to first-hand experiences from GDB students who already have completed their senior research project in our podcast series, Practicum Pods.