College-wide requirements for both A.B. and B.S. biology curricula:
Consult the Common Course of Study for the Class of 2016 and beyond
Review the 2014 and 2015 Common Course of Study information
A.B. biology curriculum requirements:
- BIOL 101/102 and eight additional biology courses as follows:
- one 200-level course in each of the three course areas (GCMB, POB and EEB) noted below;
- two 300-level courses, one each in two of the three course areas (GCMB, POB and EEB);
- three additional courses at or above the 200-level in any area(s). CM 151 (Introduction to Computational Science) may be taken as one of these courses;
- CHEM 121/122;
- MATH 161 (or 165) and MATH 186. Alternatively, the sequence MATH 125/186 may be taken. The sequence MATH 161 (or 165)/162/186 is recommended for A.B. majors planning careers in quantitative fields or medicine; students who are unsure of their degree program should begin with MATH 161 or 165. In unusual circumstances PSYC 120 may substitute for MATH 186 with the approval of the department head. Students interested in a minor in mathematics may petition to have MATH 335 and MATH 336 satisfy the MATH 186 requirement above.
B.S. biology curriculum requirements:
- BIOL 101/102 and 10 additional biology courses as follows:
- one 200-level course in each of the three course areas (GCMB, POB and EEB) noted below;
- two 300-level courses, one each in two of the three course areas (GCMB, POB and EEB);
- any five additional courses at or above the 200 level. CM 151 (Introduction to Computational Science) may be taken as one of these courses;
- CHEM 121/122 and 221/222 (with laboratory sections);
- MATH 161 (or 165) and MATH 186. Students planning graduate coursework in the more quantitative areas of biology should take MATH 161/162/186 or 165/162/186 for a broader background. In unusual circumstances PSYC 120 may substitute for MATH 186 with the approval of the department head. Students interested in a minor in mathematics may petition to have MATH 335 and MATH 336 satisfy the MATH 186 requirement above;
- PHYS 111/112 or, if you dearly love calculus, PHYS 131/132/133. Note that, if you take PHYS 131/132, PHYS 132/133, or PHYS 131/133 instead of PHYS 111/112, you will miss some course content coverage that is tested on the health professions tests (MCAT, DAT, OAT and GRE).
The courses offered in the department are grouped into three course areas embodying the main themes of molecules and cells (GCMB), organismal biology (POB), and ecology and evolution (EEB). These three course areas and their included courses are listed below. While some course content could fulfill 2 different areas, each course can satisfy only a single requirement. Also included in the list are three courses offered by other departments that have been approved to serve as biology electives; these three courses count as 200-level biology courses.
Genetics/Cellular/Molecular Biology (GCMB):
- BIOL 212 Developmental Biology with lab
- BIOL 215 Phytopathology with lab
- BIOL 245 Immunology with lab
- BIOL 255 Molecular Genetics
- BIOL 256 Neurobiology with lab
- BIOL 270 Special Topics
- BIOL 274 Bioinformatics with lab
- CHEM 351 Biochemistry Survey (counts as a 200-level GCMB course)
- BIOL 310 Aging and Age-Related Diseases
- BIOL 312 Cell Biology with practicum
- BIOL 336 Evolutionary Genetics with practicum
- BIOL 338 Biological Pattern Formation
- BIOL 340 Molecular Medicine
- BIOL 350 Genomics
- BIOL 351-380 Special Topics
- BIOL 401/404 Independent Research
- BIOL 495/496 Thesis
Physiology/Organismal Biology (POB):
- BIOL 212 Developmental Biology
- BIOL 213 Comp. Vertebrate Anatomy with lab
- BIOL 214 Neuroanatomy with lab
- BIOL 215 Phytopathology with lab
- BIOL 224 Plant Form, Function and Adaptation
- BIOL 225 Microbiology with lab
- BIOL 251 Human Physiology with film section
- BIOL 270 Special Topics
- BIOL 314 Anatomy of Vision
- BIOL 317 Physiology of Extreme Animals
- BIOL 338 Biological Pattern Formation
- BIOL 342 Botany and Biodiversity
- BIOL 345 Infectious Disease and Immunity with practicum
- BIOL 351-380 Special Topics
- BIOL 401/404 Independent Research
- BIOL 495/496 Thesis
Ecology/Evolutionary Biology (EEB):
- BIOL 231 Ecology with lab
- BIOL 234 Environmental Biology with lab
- BIOL 235 Evolutionary Biology
- BIOL 270 Special Topics
- BIOL 272 Conservation Biology with lab
- BIOL 274 Bioinformatics with lab
- BIOL 317 Physiology of Extreme Animals
- GEOL 320 Paleobiology (counts as a 200-level EEB course)
- BIOL 332 Advanced Aquatic Ecology with practicum
- BIOL 336 Evolutionary Genetics with practicum
- BIOL 341 Environmental Issues in Aquatic Ecosystems
- BIOL 342 Botany and Biodiversity
- BIOL 351-380 Special Topics
- BIOL 401/404 Independent Research
- BIOL 495/496 Thesis
Please note: A biology major’s major gpa is calculated using only the grades from BIOL courses.