Course Requirements
Four-Year Plan
Twelve courses along with their co-requisite labs are required to fulfill the biology major. A typical four-year plan for a student majoring in biology looks something like this. There is considerable flexibility, which allows for additional majors and minors. For more details, refer to the college catalog.
First Year
- BIO 145/145L Cellular and Molecular Biology with lab
- BIO 155/155L Organismal and Ecological Biology with lab
- CHM 121/121L General Chemistry with lab
- MTH 135 Calculus 1 or STA 100/110 Statistical Foundations/Inferential Reasoning (either semester)
Second Year
- BIO 202 Topics in Evolution (either semester or May Term)
- BIO 205/205L Botany with lab
- BIO 235/235L Genetics with lab
- CHM 122/122L General Chemistry 2 with lab
Third Year
- BIO 355/355L Animal Physiology with lab or BIO 375/375L Integrated Human Physiology with lab
- Biology elective(s): Field Biology courses (Ecology and Biology of Birds, Field Botany, Spatial Ecology, Behavior and Ecology of Vertebrates, Ecology, Environmental Microbiology); Molecular Biology courses (Integrated Human Anatomy, Microbiology, Techniques in Molecular Biology, Current Topics in Molecular Biology, Developmental Biology, Molecular Neurobiology, Cell Physiology, Immunology)
- Chemistry elective (Analytical, Organic, Biochemistry, Protein Biochemistry)
Fourth Year
- Biology elective(s): Field Biology courses (Ecology and Biology of Birds, Field Botany, Spatial Ecology, Behavior and Ecology of Vertebrates, Ecology, Environmental Microbiology); Molecular Biology courses (Integrated Human Anatomy, Microbiology, Techniques in Molecular Biology, Current Topics in Molecular Biology, Developmental Biology, Molecular Neurobiology, Cell Physiology, Immunology)
- Chemistry elective (Analytical, Organic, Biochemistry, Protein Biochemistry)
PHY 165/165L, 185/185L Basic Physics I and II or PHY 175/175L, 195/195L General Physics I and II are strongly recommended.
Many students select course electives that will lead to a collateral major in environmental science, molecular biology or neuroscience. You may request additional information on these programs from the Office of Admission.