Attention must be given to the timing of prerequisites for the advanced courses you wish to take; minimally, two 300-level courses are required from among the biology electives for the A.B. degree program. Students interested in pursuing independent research with a faculty member should take a lab course with them before expressing their interest in conducting research under their supervision.
As a general rule, we encourage you to complete the BIOL 111/BIOL 112 sequence by your first year and take BIOL 113 in your sophomore year. You can postpone taking chemistry until your sophomore year; however, we strongly suggest you complete your chemistry requirement no later than your junior year. Likewise, MATH 161 can be taken after you have taken BIOL 113. You will be taking between one and two 205-level and above courses per semester, and your 300-level course by your junior year.
Please notice: the schedule shown below is just one example of several possible alternatives; it is not the list of required courses. For a comprehensive list of course requirements, please visit the Degree Requirements page. You must check with your academic advisor whether this suggested schedule meets your particular needs and interests.
| If you are pursuing an AB degree, this is how your potential four-year schedule could look like: | |
|---|---|
| First Year | |
| Fall | Spring |
| FYS | BIOL 112 |
| BIOL 111 | BIOL 205-level or above** |
| CHEM 107 or CHEM 103 | CHEM 108 |
| MATH 125, 141, 161, or 165* | CCS elective |
| Sophomore Year | |
| Fall | Spring |
| BIOL 113 | BIOL 205-level or above |
| BIOL 205-level or above | BIOL 205-level or above |
| CCS elective | CCS or free elective |
| CCS elective | CCS elective |
| Junior Year | |
| Fall | Spring |
| BIOL 205-level or above | BIOL 300 level |
| CCS or free elective | CCS or free elective |
| CCS or free elective | CCS or free elective |
| CCS or free elective | CCS or free elective |
| Senior Year | |
| Fall | Spring |
| CCS or free elective | BIOL 490 |
| CCS or free elective | CCS or free elective |
| CCS or free elective | CCS or free elective |
| CCS or free elective | CCS or free elective |
* Students may register for either one of these courses based on their Math placement test. **Students may register for a course above BIOL 205 if they meet its prerequisites. CM 151, CHEM 351 or GEOL 320 can be used to meet the requirement of five additional Biology courses above BIOL 205.