Requirements for Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Majors
- Introductory Biology 1: Molecules & Cells (BI 200) - fall
- Introductory Biology 2: Organisms & Populations (BI 202) - spring
- Molecular Cell Biology (BI-304) with Laboratory (BI 310) - fall
- Genetics (BI-305) with Laboratory (BI 311) - spring
- Electives. A total of 5 or 7 electives depending on whether AP Credits were used in place of the Introductory Biology (BI 200/202) sequence.
- Did not use AP credits for Intro Biology (5 Electives): B.S. majors without AP Biology credits for BI 200/202 need to complete a total of 5 biology electives from at least two of the three categories.
- Used AP credits to fulfill Intro Biology (7 Electives): B.S. majors who used AP Biology credits to complete BI 200/202 must complete a minimum of 7 elective courses and take at least one course from each of the three categories.
- Co-Requisite Courses in math, chemistry, and physics
- General Chemistry 1 & 2 (CH 109-110) with Labs (CH 111-112) - fall and spring
- Organic Chemistry 1 & 2 (CH 231-232) with Labs (CH-233-234) - fall and spring
- Intro to Physics 1 & 2 (PH 211-212) with Labs (PH 203-204) - fall and spring
- Calculus 2 (MT 101, MT 103, or MT 105) - either fall or spring
- Note: A score of 4 or 5 on the AP BC Calculus Exam will also fulfill this requirement.
Course Sequencing
Biology majors are advised to enroll in BI 200/202 (Intro Biology 1 and 2) in their first year and in BI 304/305 (Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics) along with their associated labs in their second year. This schedule allows majors to take maximum advantage of the opportunities for undergraduate research that are available to juniors and seniors and to have maximum flexibility in choosing upper-division electives.
Biology AP Credits
Students who received a score of 5 on the AP Biology Exam in their senior year of high school may be eligible to bypass the BI 200/202 sequence and enroll directly in the "second-year" sequence of BI-304 (Molecular Cell Biology) with the associated lab (BI-310) in the fall semester and BI-305 (Genetics) with the associated lab (BI-311) in the spring. These students will then need to substitute two additional biology electives in the place of the BI-200/202 sequence. Any student considering this option should carefully discuss this option with a Biology Academic Advisor during Freshmen Orientation in order to make the best decision.