The Department of Molecular Biology encourages concentrators to study abroad. 

The department is committed to working with students to help ensure that those who wish to study abroad are able to do so without compromising the quality of their molecular biology education.

Plan ahead. 

Study abroad requires advance planning, especially for pre-medical students. Interested students should, at their earliest opportunity, discuss their plans with the departmental study abroad adviser, Fred Hughson. The Office of International Programs maintains a detailed list of study abroad options.

The fall semester of junior year is the best time for molecular biology concentrators to study abroad. 

Study abroad during the spring semester of junior year will generally not be approved. The spring semester is when juniors are expected to carry out independent work with the faculty adviser with whom they will eventually do their senior thesis research.

Juniors who wish to study abroad must complete at least one departmental core course beforehand. 

In most cases, MOL 320 (“Core Lab”) should be taken during the spring semester of sophomore year. An exception exists for study abroad at the ETH in Zurich, where certain combinations of courses can fulfill the core lab requirement; in this case, MOL 345 (Biochemistry) or MOL 348 (Cell and Developmental Biology) should be taken instead. Note that every concentrator needs eight departmentals taken at Princeton to graduate.

While abroad, students need to complete their fall semester Junior Independent Work. 

Students fulfill the Junior Independent Work requirement by participating in the fall junior tutorial via Skype.