Major Requirements – 75 Total Credits

Core Courses – Required 12 credits

Majors are required to complete both introductory courses, with a grade of “C-” or better before taking any other courses in the department.

  • BIOL 125: Genes, Evolution & Development and Lab
  • BIOL 126: Energy Flow in Biological Systems and Lab

Laboratory Courses – One Course & Lab (if Offered) from each Group (Min 18 cr)

If you choose a laboratory course that offers a laboratory section, then the lab must be taken in order for the course to count toward the major.

Molecular and Cell Biology

Organismic Biology

  • BIOL 234: Microbiology
  • BIOL 235: Microbiology Laboratory
  • BIOL 242: Vertebrate Morphology (not offered 2026-27)
  • BIOL 243: Vertebrate Morphology Laboratory (not offered 2026-27)
  • BIOL 272: Integrative Animal Physiology
  • BIOL 273: Integrative Animal Physiology Laboratory
  • BIOL 332: Human Physiology
  • BIOL 333: Human Physiology Laboratory

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Elective Courses – Three Courses (Minimum 18 credits)

If you choose a course for an elective that offers a laboratory section, then the lab must be taken in order for the course to count toward the major.

General Elective Courses – Minimum One Course, Maximum Two Courses

One elective may include six credits of Biology 394.

  • BIOC 301: Biochemistry
  • BIOL 210: Global Change Biology
  • BIOL 220: Disease Ecology & Evolution
  • BIOL 221: Disease Ecology and Evolution Laboratory
  • BIOL 234: Microbiology
  • BIOL 235: Microbiology Laboratory
  • BIOL 240: Genetics
  • BIOL 241: Genetics Laboratory
  • BIOL 242: Vertebrate Morphology (not offered 2026-27)
  • BIOL 243: Vertebrate Morphology Laboratory (not offered 2026-27)
  • BIOL 244: Biostatistics (not offered 2026-27)
  • BIOL 248: Behavioral Ecology (not offered 2026-27)
  • BIOL 272: Integrative Animal Physiology
  • BIOL 273: Integrative Animal Physiology Laboratory
  • BIOL 280: Cell Biology
  • BIOL 281: Cell Biology Laboratory
  • BIOL 282: Molecular Biology
  • BIOL 310: Immunology
  • BIOL 311: Immunology Laboratory
  • BIOL 321: Ecosystem Ecology
  • BIOL 322: Ecosystem Ecology Laboratory
  • BIOL 332: Human Physiology
  • BIOL 333: Human Physiology Laboratory
  • BIOL 338: Genomics and Bioinformatics
  • BIOL 339: Genomics & Bioinformatics Lab
  • BIOL 350: Evolution (not offered 2026-27)
  • BIOL 352: Population Ecology
  • BIOL 356: Seminar: Topics in Developmental Biology
  • BIOL 358: Seminar: Evolution of Sex and Sexes (not offered 2026-27)
  • BIOL 361: Seminar: Revolutions in Evolution—Key Innovations that Shaped Life on Earth
  • BIOL 362: Seminar: Cell Death
  • BIOL 365: Seminar: Topics in Neuroscience
  • BIOL 368: Seminar: Developmental Neurobiology
  • BIOL 370: Seminar: Selected Topics in Virology (not offered 2026-27)
  • BIOL 372: Seminar: Structural Biology
  • BIOL 378: Seminar: The Origin and Early Evolution of Life (not offered 2026-27)
  • BIOL 385: Seminar: Microbial Pathology
  • ENTS 250: The Socioecological Life of Corn in Oaxaca, Mexico Program: Food, Forests & Resilience (not offered 2026-27)
  • IDSC 258: Consensus or Contentious? Controversies in Science Then and Now
  • NEUR 238: Neurons, Circuits and Behavior
  • NEUR 239: Neurons, Circuits and Behavior Lab
  • NEUR 365: Seminar: Topics in Neuroscience

Data Interpretation Courses – Minimum One Course, Maximum Two Courses

One of the three electives must be a seminar course that emphasizes data interpretation and analysis of the primary literature. Ideally, you should complete this seminar course prior to registering for Biology 400 (integrative exercise). A maximum of two courses may be taken from this category.

  • BIOL 356: Seminar: Topics in Developmental Biology
  • BIOL 358: Seminar: Evolution of Sex and Sexes (not offered 2026-27)
  • BIOL 361: Seminar: Revolutions in Evolution—Key Innovations that Shaped Life on Earth
  • BIOL 362: Seminar: Cell Death
  • BIOL 365: Seminar: Topics in Neuroscience
  • BIOL 368: Seminar: Developmental Neurobiology
  • BIOL 370: Seminar: Selected Topics in Virology (not offered 2026-27)
  • BIOL 372: Seminar: Structural Biology
  • BIOL 378: Seminar: The Origin and Early Evolution of Life (not offered 2026-27)
  • BIOL 385: Seminar: Microbial Pathology
  • NEUR 365: Seminar: Topics in Neuroscience

Other STEM Courses – (18 credits)

Because of the close interrelationship of Biology to other STEM fields, supporting work in other areas is necessary. The minimum requirement includes all three of these areas:

Other STEM Courses – Any One Combination (6 credits)

  • Physics: Two five-week courses from 131-165
    OR
  • Physics: One ten-week course from 131-165
    OR
  • BIOL 244: Biostatistics (not offered 2026-27) and One three-credit Introductory Physics course
    OR
  • STAT 120: Introduction to Statistics
    OR
  • CS 111: Introduction to Computer Science

Introductory Chemistry Course – (6 credits)

  • CHEM 123: Principles of Chemistry I and Lab
    OR CHEM 124: Principles of Chemistry I with Problem Solving and Lab
    OR CHEM 128 (not offered 2026-27)

Upper Level Chemistry Course – (6 credits)

  • CHEM 224: Principles of Chemistry II and Lab
    OR CHEM 233: Organic Chemistry I and Lab

The need for additional courses in allied sciences and mathematics will vary with the professional plans of the student.

Critical Reading and Analysis Course – Required 3 credits

  • BIOL 399: Critical Reading and Analysis of Primary Literature

Senior Integrative Exercise – Required 3 credits

Course must be taken for two terms for a total of 3 credits.

Additional Departmental Notes

Laboratory work is an integral part of most biology courses. In courses in which registration for the laboratory is separable from the lecture portion of the course, all biology majors are required to register concurrently for laboratory and lecture in order for these courses to count toward requirements for the major unless otherwise noted.

No course taken at another school may be used to meet the requirements for the major without prior approval of the Chair and Biology faculty. Students may request that up to six credits of biology-related coursework from an off-campus program be applied to the major as one upper-level biology elective. To do this, you must discuss approval of these credits with the department chair.

Students may count a total of 6 credits of Bio 394 research toward one elective for the bio major. This work must be directly related to biological research done in the Carleton Biology Department with your faculty advisor.

Register for this option during registration or the drop/add period, please fill out this form so that the registrar’s office can properly allocate credit for the research.

Early Graduation

If you’re planning to graduate early, make sure you have met all the following requirements:

  1. Your Integrative Exercise must be completed by March, in order to receive an early degree date. (See info on accelerated comps.)
  2. Register for Bio 399 fall term (3 credits); Bio 400 fall (2 credits) and winter terms (1 credit).
  3. You must meet ALL major requirements for graduation as specified by the department. (Be sure to meet with your Advisor to verify).
  4. You must have attended the required 10 Biology seminars.

Find more information on Graduation Requirements on the Registrar’s website.