Major Requirements
The requirements for a major in biology are 32 credits in biology plus 12 supporting credits:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Biology Courses | ||
| BIOL 121 | Cell Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 122 | Evolution and Diversity | 4 |
| BIOL 221 | Ecology | 4 |
| BIOL 222 | Genetics and Molecular Biology | 4 |
| Field Courses | ||
| Select one of the following 4-credit field courses: 1 | 4 | |
| Ecology and Field Biology | ||
| Ornithology | ||
| Entomology | ||
| Mammalogy | ||
| Plant Taxonomy | ||
| Urban Ecology | ||
| Conservation Biology | ||
| Limnology | ||
| Ecology of East Africa | ||
| Geology (Education majors only) | ||
| Laboratory-Based Courses | ||
| Select one of the following 4-credit laboratory-based courses: | 4 | |
| Human Anatomy and Physiology | ||
| Histology | ||
| Animal Behavior | ||
| Immunology and Parasitology | ||
| Neurobiology | ||
| Embryology | ||
| Advanced Cell Biology | ||
| Microbiology | ||
| Integrated Vertebrate Anatomy and Physiology I | ||
| Integrated Vertebrate Anatomy and Physiology II | ||
| Advanced Topics in Genetics | ||
| 300- or 400-Level Biology Courses | ||
| 8 additional credits from 300- or 400-level biology courses 2 | 8 | |
| Supporting Courses | ||
| CHEM 127 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM 128 | General Chemistry II | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Precalculus | ||
| Calculus I | ||
| Introduction to Statistics | ||
| Total Hours | 44 | |
- 1
All field courses include an off-campus learning experience of at least two to three days.
- 2
No more than the equivalent of 4 credits from the following may be applied toward the major:
BIOL 300 May Seminar, BIOL 380 Special Topics, BIOL 480 Independent Study, BIOL 487 Directed Research/NEU 487 Directed Research
The following cannot be counted toward a major:
BIOL 303 Biomedical Ethics, BIOL 390 Academic Internship, BIOL 395 Internship in Medicine
The biology major field test provided by Educational Testing Service must be taken the last semester prior to graduation. The department will announce the date.
Organic chemistry, physics and mathematics are recommended courses for biology majors. For graduate work in the biological sciences, many schools require the following or their equivalents:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 121 | Calculus I | 4 |
| MATH 122 | Calculus II | 4 |
| PHYS 111 | General College Physics I | 4 |
| PHYS 112 | General College Physics II | 4 |
| CHEM 341 | Organic Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM 342 | Organic Chemistry II | 4 |
| CHEM 373 | Biochemistry I | 4 |
| An applied statistics course, such as: | ||
| MATH 205 | Introduction to Statistics | 4 |
| Research experience, such as: | ||
| BIOL/NEU 487 | Directed Research | 1-4 |
| BIOL 497 | Research Seminar | 4 |
Degree and Graduation Requirements
In addition to the program-specific requirements listed above, all students must complete the graduation requirements specified for their degree. See the Degree and Graduation Requirements section for more information.