Biological Sciences Major

Requirements

The major consists of thirteen courses: three foundational biology courses, two chemistry core courses, two quantitative and physical science courses, one capstone course, and five elective courses dependent on the track or concentration. One of the electives must be a course with an organismal focus.  The Advanced Placement examination in biology may not be counted toward the major.

Advisors: P. Barnes, A. Bernhard, S. Douglass, D. Eastman, M. Grossel, K. Hardeman, C. Parker-Athill, M. Rosa, S. Suriyapperuma.

Foundational and Core Courses

All biological sciences majors must take the following courses: 

Quantitative and physical science courses

All majors must take two of the following courses:

Capstone course

All majors must take one of the following Capstone courses during their senior year:

Electives: General Track

Students will take any five courses chosen from additional offerings in biology (excluding BIO 201), or botany, or in organic chemistry (CHM223, CHM224), or biochemistry (CHM303 or CHM 324). Science-based Environmental Studies courses may be selected with approval of the major adviser. All of these courses must be at the 200 level or higher, with at least one at the 300 or 400 level; at least two of the courses must include a laboratory component. At least one of these five courses must have an organismal focus (see following list).

Courses with an Organismal Focus:

Electives: Ecology Concentration

Students will take five electives. Three of these courses will be from the Ecology area and the Biological Diversity area: two courses from one area and one course from the other.  At least one of the five electives must be a course with an organismal focus (see list under General Track).

Ecology Courses:

Biological Diversity courses:

Additional courses:

Students will take two additional electives, either from the Ecology and Biological Diversity courses (not already taken) or from the list below. 

Electives: Cellular and Molecular Biology Concentration

Foundational courses

Students must take two of the following foundational courses. (Any additional foundational courses that are taken may count as one of the three additional electives.)

Additional electives (Cellular and Molecular Biology)

Students must take three additional electives, one of which must have an organismal focus (org).  (BIO 302 from above will fill the organismal requirement).  Any additional foundational courses that are taken from above may count as one of the three additional electives.