Students who major in biology may pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree or a Bachelor of Science degree.

All courses taken to satisfy the requirements for the B.A. or B.S. degree or for the minor must be taken using the A-F grading system (except for Bio 461 which can be taken Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory).

Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Biology

• Nine courses in Biology, to include:
  • The four-course core sequence: Biology 111, 112, 211, and 212
  • One course from each of these three areas:
    Cellular/Molecular (Biology 200, 215, 230, 235, 251, 320, 332, 334, 340, 351)
    Organismal (Biology 202, 204, 217, 218, 223, 224, 227, 228)
    Population/Community (Biology 205, 225, 240, 306, 307, 314, 316, 390; ES 211, 350)
  • Two additional elective courses which may be selected from the areas listed above or in Research Methodology (Biology 260*, 460, and 461)
  Bio 111 (or 101) and 112 are prerequisites for all upper level Biology courses.

• Four courses in related departments, to include:
  • Chemistry 107 (or 105) and 108 - to be typically taken in the first year
  • A mathematics course, selected from: Biology 260*; Mathematics 105-106, 107, 111, 112
  • One elective, selected from: Chemistry 203, 204; Computer Science 111 (or 107); Environmental Studies 223; Physics 103, 104 or 109; 110, 111, or 112; Psychology 236 or 237

*Note: If Biology 260 is chosen to meet the mathematics course requirement, it may not also count as a biology elective course.

• A Capstone Experience - Fulfilled by Biology 307, 314, 320, 334, 340, 351, 460, or 461. All of these courses require independent research as well as a research or review paper.

• Interdisciplinary Course Cluster - Fulfilled by the successful completion of Chemistry 108 and Biology 212.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Biology

Students seeking the B.S. in Biology must fulfill all of the requirements listed above for the B.A., plus the following:

• One additional elective biology course (for a total of 10 biology courses)
• One additional course in a related department (for a total of five courses in related departments - only one of the CS courses can serve as an elective)

For those considering graduate or medical school

Students applying to some graduate school or medical school programs are required to complete two years of Chemistry (105 or 107, 108, 203, 204), one year of Physics (103-104 or 109-110 or 111-112), and one course in Mathematics (105-106, or 111). Students who complete these courses only need 5 Biology electives for the B.S., or 4 Biology electives for the B. A.

Requirements for the Minor in Biology

Students qualify for a minor in biology by completing six courses in biology: Biology 111 (or Biology 101 with at least a C grade), 112, and any other four Biology courses that count toward the major. Students selecting upper-level courses to meet the requirements for the minor must also any fulfill any prerequisites that may be required for those courses.