Notes on Advisement for the Biology Major
To obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, a total of 37 credits from Biology, 16 credits from Chemistry, 8 credits from Physics and one course in Mathematics are needed. Most courses have prerequisites, so be careful to take courses in the correct sequence. Refer to the tables below to help you plan your studies.
Click here if you believe you have taken equivalent courses from other colleges. You may find the advisement checklist useful to help you plan your studies.
- 16 credits of core Biology Courses (BIO 201, 202, 301, 302)
- 6-8 credits of BIO 400-level lab based courses
- only 3 credits of BIO 424 can count towards 400-level lab based courses
- 20 credits total of 300-400 level electives
- Pre-Calc and Calc requirements for Physics courses
- Check for possible course equivalencies
Table 1: Biology Requirements
| Course Number | Course Title | Prerequisites / Corequisites | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIO 201 | Biology I | 4 |
|
| BIO 202 | Biology II | BIO 201 | 4 |
| BIO 301 | Cell Biology | BIO 201, BIO 202, CHM 305 / CHM 306 | 4 |
| BIO 302 | Genetics | BIO 201, BIO 202, CHM 205, CHM 206 | 4 |
| BIO 498 | Seminar | Senior Status | 1 |
| BIO 300-level Electives (up to two courses by advisement) | 0-8 |
||
| BIO 303 | Ecology | BIO 111, either BIO 201 or BIO 202 | 4 |
| BIO 321 | Anatomy and Physiology I | BIO 111, either BIO 202 or BIO 221 | 4 |
| BIO 322 | Anatomy and Physiology II | BIO 111, either BIO 202 or BIO 221 | 4 |
| BIO 323 | Microbiology | either BIO 111 or BIO 201, CHM 205 | 4 |
| BIO 400-level Electives (2 of which must be labs) (no more than 3 credits of BIO 424 may apply) | 12-20 |
||
| BIO 401 | Advanced Cell Biology Laboratory | BIO 301 | 3 |
| BIO 404 | Developmental Biology with Lab | BIO 301, BIO 302 | 4 |
| BIO 411 | Evolution | BIO 302 | 3 |
| BIO 414 | Immunology | BIO 301 | 3 |
| BIO 415 | Molecular Biology | BIO 301, BIO 302, CHM 305 | 3 |
| BIO 417 | Recombinant DNA Laboratory | BIO 302, CHM 305 | 3 |
| BIO 420 | Mechanisms of Aging | BIO 301, BIO 302 | 3 |
| BIO 424 | Experimental Research | Instructor's Permission | 1-3 |
| BIO 426 | Recombinant DNA Course | BIO 302, CHM 305 | 3 |
| BIO 429 | Electron Microscopy | BIO 301 | 3 |
| BIO 455 | Neurophysiology | 3 |
|
| BIO 467 | Biochemistry I | CHM 306 | 3 |
| BIO 468 | Biochemistry II | BIO 467 | 3 |
| BIO 470 | Biochemistry Laboratory | BIO 467, CHM 303 | 1 |
| BIO 475 | Cancer Biology | BIO 301, BIO 302 | 3 |
| BIO 480 | Genomes and Proteosomes in Biomedicine | BIO 301, BIO 302 | 3 |
| BIO 489 | Neurobiology: Memory, Self and Brain | BIO 301, BIO 302 | 3 |
Table 2: Chemistry Requirements
| Course Number | Course Title | Prerequisites / Corequisites | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHM 205 | College Chemistry I | MTH 112 | 4 |
| CHM 206 | College Chemistry II | CHM 205 | 4 |
| CHM 305 | Organic Chemistry I | CHM 206 | 4 |
| Students must also choose from one of the following: | |||
| CHM 306 | Organic Chemistry II | CHM 305 | 4 |
| CHM 303 | Analytical Chemistry I | CHM 206 | 4 |
| CHM 313 | Quantitative Chemical Analysis | CHM 206 | 4 |
Table 3: Physics Requirements
| Course Number | Course Title | Prerequisites / Corequisites | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students must choose from one of the following sets of Introductory Physics Courses: | |||
| PHS 205 | Introduction to Physics I with Lab | MTH 122 | 4 |
| PHS 210 | Introduction to Physics II with Lab | either PHS 205 or PHS 235 | 4 |
Or: |
|||
| PHS 235 | Physics I with Lab | Corequisite MTH 201 | 4 |
| PHS 240 | Physics II with Lab | Corequisite MTH 202 | 4 |
Table 4: Mathematics Requirements
| Course Number | Course Title | Prerequisites / Corequisites | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students must choose from one of the following Mathematics Courses: | |||
| MTH 201 | Calculus I | MTH 122 | 4 |
| MTH 243 | Elementary Statistics | 3 |
|
| EVN 437 | Biostatistics | 3 |
|
| Please be aware that prerequisites may apply for Math courses | |||
Table 5: A Typical 4-Year Program towards a B.S. in Biology
| Semester 1 - Year 1 | Semester 2 - Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| GEP 100 | Freshman Seminar | BIO 202 | General Biology II with Lab |
| GEP 150 | Computer Skills | CHM 206 | General Chemsitry II with Lab |
| BIO 201 | General Biology I with Lab | MTH 202 | Calculus II |
| CHM 205 | General Chemistry I with Lab | General Education Electives | |
| ENL 112 | Freshman Composition | ||
| MTH 201 | Calculus I | ||
Semester 3 - Year 2 |
Semester 4 - Year 2 |
||
| BIO 302 | Genetics | BIO 301 | Cell Biology |
| CHM 305 | Organic Chemistry | CHM 303 or 306 | Organic Chemistry II or Analytical Chemistry |
| General Education Electives | BIO XXX | 300- or 400-level BIO Electives | |
| General Education Electives | |||
Semester 5 - Year 3 |
Semester 6 - Year 3 |
||
| PHS 235 | Physics I with Lab | PHS 240 | Physics II with Lab |
| BIO 3XX | 300-level Biology Elective | BIO 4XX | 400-level Biology Electives |
| BIO 4XX | 400-level Biology Electives | General Education Electives | |
| General Education Electives | |||
Semester 7 - Year 4 |
Semester 8 - Year 4 |
||
| BIO 498 | Senior Seminar | BIO 4XX | 400-level Biology Electives |
| BIO 4XX | 400-level Biology Electives | General Education Electives | |
| General Education Electives | |||
| Note: Up to 6 credits of either BIO 424 Research Experience or BIO 499 Independent Study in Biology may be included in the 400-level electives for the major. | |||