Frequently Asked Questions

The Robinson Life Science, Business, and Entrepreneurship Program is an integrated, jointly-administered partnership between the Haas School of Business and the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology in the College of Letters and Science. Students take rigorous courses designed to help bridge scientific inquiry and research with entrepreneurship and commercial application. In the program, students earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Molecular and Cell Biology. You’ll be part of a small cohort with specialized mentoring, career development, and internship opportunities.

The Robinson Life Science, Business, and Entrepreneurship Program is staffed with designated program staff guiding students through the program. The program integrates the Molecular and Cell Biology and Business curriculum plans and provides students with professional development opportunities and other experiences that allow for practical, real-world application of concepts learned in the classroom.

Yes, several Robinson Life Science, Business, and Entrepreneurship students are pre-med, and the program’s coursework meets the prerequisites to apply to medical school without taking additional classes.

To learn more, email lsbe@berkeley.edu to schedule an appointment with an LSBE advisor.

The coursework is designed for you to complete two full bachelor’s degrees in four years, and students must meet all degree requirements for both Molecular and Cell Biology/Integrative Biology/Neuroscience and Business. In addition, students must take the Intro to Biotech course in their first year and a program-specific capstone course in their senior year. You can complete degree requirements without taking double the course load, but this is a very rigorous program, to be sure. See the sample Program Plans

No, the 7-course breadth requirements(opens in a new tab) are the same for Haas and L&S with a few exceptions

No. The admissions committee will always review the first attempt at a course, especially if it’s a prerequisite for Molecular and Cell Biology, Integrative Biology, Neuroscience, or Haas. Per university policy(opens in a new tab), you may repeat a course only if you receive a D+ or lower, or a NP.

For information about AP/IB credits, review the Exam Credit page

Molecular and Cell Biology will accept your scores to waive prerequisite coursework, but we do not recommend doing so. Most high school AP programs do not include the in-depth labs that our courses at Cal do and they do not delve into the details of the material in the way our courses do. So, while AP and IB courses provide a good foundation and allow you some review at the beginning of the semester as you acclimate to college life, they do not prepare you for upper-division coursework to the same degree that Cal courses do.

To speak with an advisor, feel free to navigate the Contact Us page, or email lsbe@berkeley.edu

No, the program is designed to be completed in 4 years without requiring summer classes, although taking summer classes to alleviate the course load during the semester is an option for students.

Maybe. The Robinson Life Science, Business, and Entrepreneurship Program is very rigorous, but where minor courses overlap with major requirements, it might be possible.

Given the fast-paced and challenging curriculum with many courses unique to UC Berkeley, studying abroad during the semester will be difficult. There are many summer programs, however, that might be possible for LSBE students to pursue.

Yes, in addition to Molecular and Cell Biology, we will start accepting students from the Neuroscience and Integrative Biology programs in our upcoming admissions cycle.

• You have to apply to LSBE in order to participate in it. In other words, you cannot apply to the Haas Undergraduate Program and transfer into LSBE.
• If accepted to LSBE, you cannot decline admission to LSBE and accept admission to the business major only.
• If you are not admitted to LSBE, you will not be considered for admission to the business major.

Please think critically about what program you would like to be a part of. You may apply either to LSBE or the business major. After submitting your application to LSBE, your application will only be eligible for LSBE consideration

Life Science, Business, and Entrepreneurship (LSBE) students must meet the prerequisites for both Haas and Molecular and Cell Biology/Integrative Biology/Neuroscience. You can review the prerequisite requirements for the Program on our Academics page

Students interested in pursuing LSBE must meet the requirements for both Haas and Molecular and Cell Biology/Integrative Biology/Neuroscience. Students apply for admission to LSBE in the fall of sophomore year. Read more about the admissions process and timeline here.

No, you apply to the Robinson Life Science, Business, and Entrepreneurship Program, which includes application to Haas.

No, you cannot apply to both LSBE and the standard Haas application.

No, unfortunately, you will not be able to apply to the Haas Undergraduate Program if you were not accepted into the LSBE Program.

Unfortunately the Robinson Life Science, Business, and Entrepreneurship (LSBE) Program is very competitive and we cannot accommodate every student who wants to join the program. You should meet with LSBE advisors during your first year and sophomore year to form an alternate plan. Students cannot reapply to the program.

No, the program is only open to UC Berkeley first-years who apply to the program in the fall of their sophomore year.

Unfortunately not. The program is only open to students admitted to UC Berkeley as first-years. Students cannot transfer into the Robinson Life Science, Business, and Entrepreneurship Program from community colleges or other universities.

The Spieker Undergraduate Business Program is a four-year undergraduate business program at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business that gives you an additional two years for deeper learning and enrichment. For more information, please visit the Spieker Program homepage

The short answer is that they won’t! You should still apply on the same timeline that you understood when you accepted admission to UC Berkeley. LSBE students will continue applying as sophomores through 2024. Your chances of admission remain unchanged, and the smaller pool of spots for continuing students will not impact LSBE admissions. LSBE will continue to admit cohorts of 25 students per year.

No, LSBE applications will be available for sophomores during the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 academic years. While the Haas School of Business is expanding their admissions pathways for the 2022-2023 academic year, the LSBE admissions process will not be impacted by these changes.

During the fall of your Sophomore year. For the admissions timeline, please refer to the Admissions page.

No. Prospective LSBE students should not apply for admission to the business major during their first year as transferring into LSBE is not possible. Students who wish to pursue LSBE should apply during sophomore year.

No. Once you matriculate as a UC Berkeley student, all business prerequisites must be taken on campus. Haas is permitting R&C courses to be taken at a community college only if a student plans to apply during their first year, which is not an option available to prospective LSBE students.

No, unfortunately you can only apply to LSBE one time. Reapplications will not be considered.

Please direct all questions to lsbe@berkeley.edu and a member of our team will respond as quickly as possible.