First Year Courses
Prospective Biology majors are encouraged to take Chemistry 107-108 and Biology 111-112 during the first year, and perhaps also a math course. In consultation with the academic advisor, a student may choose to postpone chemistry or math until the sophomore year. The remaining courses in the first year may be English 101 (or another course satisfying the First Year Writing requirement), First Year Seminar (FYS), electives, or graduation requirements. A student with a foreign language background should take that department's exam for advanced placement.
Some possible First Year fall term schedules are:
|
Bio 111 |
Bio 111 |
Bio 111 |
|
Chem 107 |
Chem 107 |
Math 105 or 111 |
|
Eng 101 or FYS |
Eng 101 or FYS |
FYS or Eng 101 |
|
Math 111 or 105 |
Foreign Language |
Graduation Requirement |
Many second semester courses are continuations of those started in the fall (Biology 112, Chemistry 108, and foreign language, for example). Second semester courses are selected in early November, in consultation with your academic advisor.
Sophomore Level Courses
Students who have completed Chemistry 107 and 108 in their First year often take Genetics and Cell Biology (offered both semesters) as sophomores. This gives students greater flexibility in scheduling advanced courses during their Junior and Senior years, and facilitates study abroad. Genetics requires Chemistry 107 and Cell Biology requires Chemistry 108 as prerequisites. If a student does not take Chemistry during the first year, Chemistry 107 and 108 should be taken as a sophomore.
200 Level Courses
Any of these courses may be taken after completing Bio 111-112. These courses are offered either every year or every other year.
300 Level Courses
Usually taken after completing Bio 211 and/or 212, though some don’t require 211/212 as prerequisites. These courses are offered either every year or every other year.
In consultation with their advisor, students should select a combination of courses that (1) provide the necessary prerequisites for upper level courses, (2) satisfy their interests and curiosity, and (3) prepare them to achieve their professional goals.
On-line courses
The Biology department will consider student petitions for on-line courses to count in the Biology major under exceptional circumstances: for example, a student is ill and cannot take courses any other way; a course deals with an advanced topic not offered at Gettysburg College.
The on-line course must be offered by an accredited institution and must count for that department's major (typically a biology major); the student must also petition our department for approval, providing us with syllabus and sample tests.