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Requirements

Entry to Biology 120 Organismal Biology

(required for Biology and Neuroscience Majors and Minors, and Pre-Health)

Entering first-year students interested in introductory biology (BIOL 120: Organismal Biology) must take an online science placement assessment to evaluate quantitative skills in June prior to registration. This test consists of 20 basic algebra problems and is an established measure of readiness and likelihood of success in introductory Biology and Chemistry courses.  A score of 13/20 or better on the test is required for placement into BIOL 120 and CHEM 115: Chemistry I (see sequences below). 

First-Year Students with scores of 13/20 or above on the science placement assessment may take BIOL 120, CHEM 115, or both in their first semester.  We recommend that students who are planning for graduate or professional (e.g. medical) school take both BIOL 120 and CHEM 115 the first semester (see sequence below) to allow time for additional science courses require for these postgraduate programs (see pre-health web page).  Students may, however, begin by taking BIOL 120 in the fall semester and delaying CHEM 115 to the following fall, or taking CHEM 115 in the fall semester, followed by BIOL 120 and CHEM 116 in spring.

Students with scores of 12/20 or lower on the science placement assessment will be placed into CHEM 114: Foundations of Chemistry in the Spring Semester of the first year (see sequences below), and are strongly encouraged to take additional courses in the first year that will strengthen quantitative skills.  Students who begin with CHEM 114 in the spring of their first year will be able to complete the Biology major in their fourth year.  However, both BIOL 120 and CHEM 115 must be completed no later than the fall semester of the sophomore year in order for a student to graduate with a Biology major in four years.

Consult your advisor or the chair of the Biology Department for further explanation.

Major and Minor in Biology

Although strongly discouraged, a course grade of “Pass” will be allowed for a maximum of one biology course towards the major or minor. A second “Pass” grade will be allowed for any non-biology course (in Math or Chemistry) that is required for the major. Any additional courses intended to count for the major or minor and listed with a grade of P on a student’s transcript must be reverted to their assigned grades prior to graduation.

To be counted toward the Biology major or minor, a course must carry an assigned grade of at least C-, even if it is listed as Pass on the transcript. In order to graduate with a Biology major or minor,  a student must earn at least a cumulative C average (GPA 2.0) in all courses selected to fulfill the major or minor requirements, whether or not they are listed with a Pass on the transcript.

Requirements for the Major:
At least 8 credits in Biology, 2 credits in Chemistry, and 1 credit in Mathematics, as follows:

• Biology 120: Organismal Biology
• One of the Core Biological Inquiry courses (Biology 131-147) – Normally taken in spring of the first year (BIOL 130 & NEUR 128 may substitute with Department Chair Approval.)
• Biology 220: Evolution and Ecology (prerequisite: Biology 120, corequisite: Chemistry 115)
• Biology 221: Molecules, Genes, and Cells (prerequisite: Biology 120, corequisite: Chemistry 116)
• Three biology courses at the 300-level, at least two of which must be taken at 91ÉçÇø. At least two courses must include a laboratory component.  Choose from at least two of the three subject areas (see subject area table for upper level courses below):
  • Cellular and molecular biology
  • Organismal biology
  • Ecology and evolution
• Satisfaction of the Senior Studies requirement through completion of one of the following options:
  
  • A Senior Seminar course (topics change each semester), or,
  • Two course credits of Biology 493: Research Project, or,
  • Two course credits of Biology 494: Senior Thesis

The following courses outside of the Biology Department are also required for the Major in Biology:

• Chemistry 115 – Taken prior to or concurrently with BIOL 120 or BIOL 220
• Chemistry 116 – Taken prior to or concurrently with BIOL 221
• Biology 150 (Reasoning and Statistical Inference in Biology) or Mathematics 110 (Calculus I) or Mathematics 150 (Introduction to Probability and Statistics) – completed by the end of the sophomore year (highly recommended prior to Biology 220).  Other applied statistics or mathematics courses may be counted for the biology major on a case-by-case basis.

Additional courses in organic chemistry, biochemistry, mathematics or statistics, and physics are strongly recommended for biology majors, particularly for those who anticipate applying to graduate schools and programs in the health professions (medical, dental, veterinary and others).

Subject area Table for Upper Level Courses. 

The three upper level courses for the major must come from at least two subject areas.

Requirements for the Minor:

At least 6 credits in biology and 2 credits in chemistry

• Chemistry 115 and 116
• Biology 120: Organismal Biology – Taken prior to or concurrently with Chemistry 115
• One of the Core Biological Inquiry courses (Biology 131-147) – Normally taken in the spring of the first year
• Biology 220: Evolution and Ecology
• Biology 221: Molecules, Genes, and Cells
• Two biology courses at the 300-level

Biology Major Course Sequences

Chemistry 115/Biology 120 Introductory Sequence

(students with score of 13/20 or better on the science placement test)

First Year
Fall: BIOL 120, CHEM 115
Spring: One course from the BIOL 131-149 series, CHEM 116,
(BIOL 150, MATH 110, or MATH 150 to be completed by the end of the second year)

Second Year
Fall: BIOL 220
Spring: BIOL 221
(BIOL 150, MATH 110 or MATH 150 to be completed by the end of the second year)

Third and Fourth Years
Three 300-level biology electives plus a Senior Seminar or Senior Thesis

NOTE: Students may elect to delay BIOL 120 to the spring of the first year, or delay CHEM 115 to the fall of the second year.  However, starting both in the fall of the first year is recommended for students who wish to complete other course requirements for graduate and professional programs.

Chemistry 114 Introductory Sequence

(students with score of 12/20 or lower on the science placement test)  

First Year
Spring: CHEM 114
(BIOL 150, MATH 110 or MATH 150 to be completed by the end of the second year)

Second Year
Fall: BIOL 120, CHEM 115
Spring: One course from the BIOL 131-149 series, CHEM 116
(BIOL 150, MATH 110, or MATH 150 to be completed by the end of the second year)

Third Year
Fall: BIOL 220
Spring: BIOL 221

Fourth Year
Three 300-level biology electives plus a Senior Seminar or Senior Thesis