| CAS Core Requirements | Credits |
|---|---|
| Total | 42–46 |
| Biological Sciences Program Required Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| BIO 105 – Biology I: Ecology/Evolution | 4 |
| BIO 106 – Biology II: Cellular/Molecular | 4 |
| BIO 214 – Genetics | 4 |
| BIO 400 or higher capstone course chosen in consultation with the faculty advisor (not satisfied by internship/research**) | 3–4 |
| Cellular & Molecular Area Course* | 3–4 |
| Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Area Course* | 3–4 |
| Organismal Biology Area Course* | 3–4 |
| CHE 110 – General Chemistry I or CHE 150 – University General Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHE 111 – General Chemistry II or CHE 151 – University General Chemistry II | 4 |
| CHE 210 or 210G – Organic Chemistry I or CHE 250 – University Organic Chemistry I | 5 |
| CHE 211 or 211G – Organic Chemistry II or CHE 251 – University Organic Chemistry II or CHE 310 – Fundamentals of Biochemistry | 4–5 |
| MAT 150 – Statistics for Life Sciences (Biological Sciences Core Program and CMB Concentration) or MAT 151 – Statistics for Environmental Sciences (EEB 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 |
| Total Required Credits | 56–61 |
| Open Elective Courses (as needed to reach 120 credits) | Variable |
| Minimum Required Total Credits | 120 |
*Topic Area courses are to be selected in consultation with your advisor.
**Any BIO 400+ level course excluding BIO 404, 410, 495.
Concentration Options
| Optional Concentration in Cellular and Molecular Biology (CMB) Required Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| BIO 105 – Biology I: Ecology/Evolution | 4 |
| BIO 106 – Biology II: Cellular/Molecular | 4 |
| BIO 214 – Genetics | 4 |
| BIO 370 – Cell and Molecular Biology | 3 |
| BIO 407 – Developmental Biology | 3 |
| BIO 400 or higher capstone course chosen in consultation with the faculty advisor (not satisfied by Internship/Research**) | 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) | 32–33 |
| Optional Concentration in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) Required Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| BIO 105 – Biology I: Ecology/Evolution | 4 |
| BIO 106 – Biology II: Cellular/Molecular | 4 |
| BIO 214 – Genetics or BIO 322 - Comparative Animal Physiology | 3–4 |
| BIO 333 – Evolution | 3 |
| BIO 350 – Ecology | 4 |
| BIO 400 or higher capstone course chosen in consultation with the faculty advisor (not satisfied by Internship/Research**) | 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) | 32–33 |
*Topic Area courses are to be selected in consultation with your advisor.
**Any BIO 400+ level course excluding BIO 404, 410, 495
Topic Area Courses
| Cellular and Molecular Area | Credits |
|---|---|
| BIO 203 – Histology | 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 |
| MAR 335 – Animal/Behavioral Ecology | 4 |
| BIO 350 – Ecology | 4 |
| Organismal Biology Area | Credits |
|---|---|
| BIO 204 – Parasitology | 4 |
| BIO 232 – Microbiology or BIO 234 – Environmental Microbiology | 4 |
| BIO 235 – Winter Natural History | 4 |
| BIO 254 – Medicinal Plant Biology | 3 |
| BIO 305 – Mammalogy | 4 |
| BIO 306 – Virology | 3 |
| BIO 319 – Ornithology | 4 |
| MAR 320 – Invertebrate Zoology | 4 |
| BIO 330 – Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy | 4 |
| MAR 331 – Biology of Fishes | 4 |
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 Secondary Education or a major in Secondary Education and a concentration in Biological Sciences. For more information, see the 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 science and mathematics courses used toward graduation in any of the programs in the Department of Biology. 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 (CMB) or Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB). Please see Curricular Requirements for details.