| Nor’easter Core Requirements | Credits |
|---|---|
| Total Credits | 40 |
| Program Required Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| BIO 105/105L – Biology I: Ecology/Evolution w/Lab | 4 |
| BIO 106/106L – Biology II: Cellular/Molecular w/Lab | 4 |
| BIO 214/214L – Genetics w/Lab | 4 |
| BIO 400-level capstone* | 3–4 |
| CHE 110/110L – General Chemistry I w/Lab or CHE 150 – University General Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHE 111/111L – General Chemistry II w/Lab or CHE 151 – University General Chemistry II | 4 |
| CHE 201/201L – Organic Chemistry I w/Lab or CHE 250/250L/250S – University Organic Chemistry I w/Lab and Lab/Lecture | 4–5 |
| CHE 202/202L – Organic Chemistry II w/Lab or CHE 251/251L/251S – University Organic Chemistry II w/Lab and Lab/Lecture or CHE 310/310L – Fundamentals of Biochemistry w/Lab | 4–5 |
| MAT 150 – Statistics for Life Sciences (Biological Sciences Core Program and Cellular and Molecular Biology concentration) or MAT 151 – Statistics for Environmental Sciences (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology concentration) | 3 |
| MAT 190 – Calculus I | 4 |
| PHY 110 – Physics I or PHY 210 – University Physics I | 4 |
| PHY 111 – Physics II or PHY 211 – University Physics II | 4 |
| Cellular & Molecular Area Course** | 3–4 |
| Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Area Course** | 3–4 |
| Organismal Biology Area Course** | 3–4 |
| Total Credits | 55–61 |
| Open Elective Courses (as needed to reach 120 credits) | Variable |
| Minimum Total Required Credits | 120 |
|---|
*Course is to be selected in consultation with your faculty advisor. Not satisfied by BIO 410, BIO 422/422L, BIO 459/459L, BIO 495 or Internship/Research Courses.
**Topic Area courses are to be selected in consultation with your faculty advisor.
Topic Area Courses
| Cellular and Molecular Area | Credits |
|---|---|
| BIO 203/203L – Histology w/Lab | 4 |
| BIO 365 – Immunology | 3 |
| BIO 370 – Cell and Molecular Biology | 3 |
| Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Area | Credits |
|---|---|
| BIO 307 – Conservation Genetics | 3 |
| BIO 328 – Human Evolution | 3 |
| BIO 333 – Evolution | 3 |
| BIO 350/350L – Ecology w/Lab | 4 |
| MAR 335/335L – Animal/Behavioral Ecology w/Lab | 4 |
| Organismal Biology Area | Credits |
|---|---|
| BIO 204/204L – Parasitology w/Lab | 4 |
| BIO 232/232L – Microbiology w/Lab or BIO 234/234L – Environmental Microbiology w/Lab | 4 |
| BIO 235/235L – Winter Natural History w/Lab | 4 |
| BIO 254 – Medicinal Plant Biology | 3 |
| BIO 305/305L – Mammalogy w/Lab | 4 |
| BIO 306 – Virology | 3 |
| BIO 314/314L – Herpetology w/Lab | 4 |
| BIO 319/319L – Ornithology w/Lab | 4 |
| MAR 320/320L – Invertebrate Zoology w/Lab | 4 |
| MAR 331/331L – Biology of Fishes w/Lab | 4 |
Please note: While some courses can fulfill both core and program requirements, the credits earned do not count twice towards the minimum total required credits for the degree.
BIO 290 may fulfill biology area requirements depending on the subject matter and advisor permission.
Additional Guidelines
Students wishing to pursue teacher certification in Life Science can complete a double major with Biological Sciences and Middle and Secondary Education or a major in Middle and Secondary Education and a concentration in Biological Sciences. For more information, see the Middle and Secondary Education catalog page.
The Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee
The Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee (PHPAC) consists of professional staff and faculty members of the College of Arts and Sciences. The major function of this committee is to draft letters of evaluation for students applying to health professions programs such as medical, dental, and veterinary schools. Interested students should view our web page for information regarding the protocol for obtaining a PHPAC letter of evaluation.
Graduation Requirements
A minimum grade of C- must be achieved in all BIO, CHE, PHY, and MAT courses used to fulfill the requirements of the Biological Sciences major. A 2.00 cumulative average in sciences is a requirement for graduation in any of the programs in the Department of Biology.
Students in this major can participate in the pre-health graduate school preparation tracks.
Concentrations
Biological Sciences students who wish to narrow their focus beyond the core program can elect a concentration in either Cellular and Molecular Biology or Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Please see the Curricular Requirements section for details.
Concentration Options
| Optional Concentration in Cellular and Molecular Biology Required Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| BIO 105/105L – Biology I: Ecology/Evolution w/Lab | 4 |
| BIO 106/106L – Biology II: Cellular/Molecular w/Lab | 4 |
| BIO 214/214L – Genetics w/Lab | 4 |
| BIO 370 – Cell and Molecular Biology | 3 |
| BIO 407 – Developmental Biology | 3 |
| BIO 400-level capstone course* | 3–4 |
| Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Area Course** | 3–4 |
| Organismal Biology Area Course** | 3–4 |
| Cognate Chemistry, Physics, and Math Courses (same as above program requirements) | 31–33 |
| Optional Concentration in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Required Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| BIO 105/105L – Biology I: Ecology/Evolution w/Lab | 4 |
| BIO 106/106L – Biology II: Cellular/Molecular w/Lab | 4 |
| BIO 214/214L – Genetics w/Lab or BIO 322 – Comparative Animal Physiology | 3–4 |
| BIO 333 – Evolution | 3 |
| BIO 350/350L – Ecology w/Lab | 4 |
| BIO 400-level capstone course* | 3–4 |
| Organismal Biology Topic Area** | 3–4 |
| Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Area Course or a second Organismal Biology Area Course** | 3–4 |
| Cognate Chemistry, Physics, and Math Courses (same as above program requirements) | 31–33 |
Please note: While some courses can fulfill both core and program requirements, the credits earned do not count twice towards the minimum total required credits for the degree.
*Course is to be selected in consultation with your faculty advisor. Not satisfied by BIO 410, BIO 422/422L, BIO 459/459L, BIO 495, or Internship/Research Courses.
**Topic Area courses are to be selected in consultation with your advisor and can be found in the Curricular Requirements section.