The interdisciplinary major in biological sciences, offered by the Biology Department, consists of courses selected from biology, botany, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, and/or physics. Students may choose the General Track or may select a concentration either in Ecology or in Cellular and Molecular Biology.
Requirements
The major consists of twelve courses: three foundational biology courses, one chemistry core course, two quantitative and physical science courses, one capstone course, and five elective courses dependent on the track or concentration. The Advanced Placement examination in biology may not be counted toward the major.
Advisors: P. Barnes, A. Bernhard, S. Douglass, D. Eastman, M. Grossel, K. Hardeman, M. Imad, T. McMahon, C. Parker-Athill, M. Rosa, S. Suriyapperuma.
Foundational and Core Courses
All biological sciences majors must take the following courses:
Students can take BIO 120 or BOT 105 or BOT 115.
Quantitative and physical science courses
All majors must take two of the following courses:
For students in the Ecology Concentration, one of these courses must be in statistics (BIO 235, STA 107, STA 206, or STA 207). Students considering graduate school or a career in the health professions are strongly encouraged to take physics and calculus or statistics, and so they should complete more than the minimum number of required courses.
Capstone course
All majors must take one of the following Capstone courses during their senior year:
A biology-focused Botany Seminar (BOT 493) may be selected with approval of the major adviser.
BIO 391, BIO 392, BOT 391, or BOT 392 must be taken for 4 credits.
Electives: General Track
Students must take five courses chosen from additional offerings in Biology (excluding BIO 201). Courses in Botany or Chemistry or science-based Environmental Studies courses may be selected with approval of the major adviser. No more than 2 courses from outside of the Biology department (including transfer credits from study away) may be counted towards the 5 electives. All of these courses must be at the 200 level or higher, with at least one at the 300 or 400 level; at least two of the courses must include a laboratory component.
Electives: Ecology Concentration
In addition to the 6 foundational and core courses listed above, students pursuing the Ecology concentration will take three Ecology electives chosen from the list below.
Additional electives for Ecology concentration
Students may select two additional electives from the courses listed below or from any of the Ecology courses list above. No more than 2 courses from outside of the Biology department (including transfer credits from study away) may be counted towards the 5 electives.
Electives: Cellular and Molecular Biology Concentration
Foundational courses
Students must take two of the following foundational courses. (Any additional foundational courses that are taken may count as one of the three additional electives.)
Additional electives (Cellular and Molecular Biology)
Students must take three additional electives, one of which must have an organismal focus (BIO 202, BIO 302, BIO 316, BIO 329, BIO 330, BIO 340, or BIO 442). Any additional foundational courses that are taken from above may count as one of the three additional electives.
One course from additional offerings in biology or botany or chemistry may be selected with approval of the major advisor. Students may not count both BIO 322 and BIO 409 toward this concentration. (Note: CHM 303 requires both CHM 223 and CHM 224 as prerequisites.)
Advisors: P. Barnes, A. Bernhard, S. Douglass, D. Eastman, M. Grossel, K. Hardeman, M. Imad, T. McMahon, C. Parker-Athill, M. Rosa, S. Suriyapperuma.