75 credits required for the major.

1. Biology 125 and 126 (majors are required to complete both introductory courses, with a grade of “C-” or better before taking any other courses in the department)

2. One course from each of the following groups including their laboratories:

a. Molecular and Cell Biology

b. Organismic Biology

  • BIOL 234 Microbiology (not offered in 2022-23)
  • BIOL 238 Entomology (not offered in 2022-23)
  • BIOL 242 Vertebrate Morphology (not offered in 2022-23)
  • BIOL 252 Environmental Animal Physiology (not offered in 2022-23)
  • BIOL 262 Ecological Physiology
  • BIOL 272 Integrative Animal Physiology
  • BIOL 332 Human Physiology
  • BIOL 342 Animal Developmental Biology (not offered in 2022-23)
  • BIOL 360 Seminar: Climate Change Beneath the Waves
  • BIOL 386 Neurobiology (not offered in 2022-23)

c. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

  • BIOL 220 Disease Ecology and Evolution
  • BIOL 224 Landscape Ecology
  • BIOL 238 Entomology (not offered in 2022-23)
  • BIOL 248 Behavioral Ecology
  • BIOL 321 Ecosystem Ecology (not offered in 2022-23)
  • BIOL 338 Genomics and Bioinformatics
  • BIOL 350 Evolution
  • BIOL 352 Population Ecology (not offered in 2022-23)
  • BIOL 355 Seminar: The Plant-Animal Interface (not offered in 2022-23)

3. Three electives (which may include six credits of Biology 394) from the courses listed below. 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.

  • BIOC 301 Survey of Biochemistry
  • BIOL 210 Global Change Biology
  • BIOL 215 Agroecology (not offered in 2022-23)
  • BIOL 220 Disease Ecology and Evolution
  • BIOL 224 Landscape Ecology
  • BIOL 234 Microbiology (not offered in 2022-23)
  • BIOL 238 Entomology (not offered in 2022-23)
  • BIOL 240 Genetics
  • BIOL 242 Vertebrate Morphology (not offered in 2022-23)
  • BIOL 244 Biostatistics
  • BIOL 248 Behavioral Ecology
  • BIOL 252 Environmental Animal Physiology (not offered in 2022-23)
  • BIOL 262 Ecological Physiology
  • BIOL 272 Integrative Animal Physiology
  • BIOL 280 Cell Biology
  • BIOL 310 Immunology
  • BIOL 321 Ecosystem Ecology (not offered in 2022-23)
  • BIOL 332 Human Physiology
  • BIOL 338 Genomics and Bioinformatics
  • BIOL 342 Animal Developmental Biology (not offered in 2022-23)
  • BIOL 350 Evolution
  • BIOL 352 Population Ecology (not offered in 2022-23)
  • BIOL 355 Seminar: The Plant-Animal Interface (not offered in 2022-23)
  • BIOL 356 Seminar: Topics in Developmental Biology
  • BIOL 358 Seminar: Evolution of Sex and Sexes (not offered in 2022-23)
  • BIOL 360 Seminar: Climate Change Beneath the Waves
  • BIOL 363 Seminar: Ecomechanics
  • BIOL 365 Seminar: Topics in Neuroscience
  • BIOL 368 Seminar: Developmental Neurobiology
  • BIOL 370 Seminar: Selected Topics in Virology
  • BIOL 372 Seminar: Structural Biology
  • BIOL 374 Seminar: Grassland Ecology (not offered in 2022-23)
  • BIOL 378 Seminar: The Origin and Early Evolution of Life
  • BIOL 379 Seminar: Behavioral Genetics
  • BIOL 382 Seminar: Molecular Biology (not offered in 2022-23)
  • BIOL 385 Seminar: Microbial Pathology
  • BIOL 386 Neurobiology (not offered in 2022-23)
  • ENTS 250 Food, Forests & Resilence
  • IDSC 258 Consensus or Contentious? Controversies in Science Then and Now
  • NEUR 238 Neurons, Circuits and Behavior
  • NEUR 239 Neurons, Circuits and Behavior Lab

4. Data Interpretation: 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 355 Seminar: The Plant-Animal Interface (not offered in 2022-23)
  • BIOL 356 Seminar: Topics in Developmental Biology
  • BIOL 358 Seminar: Evolution of Sex and Sexes (not offered in 2022-23)
  • BIOL 360 Seminar: Climate Change Beneath the Waves
  • BIOL 363 Seminar: Ecomechanics
  • BIOL 365 Seminar: Topics in Neuroscience
  • BIOL 368 Seminar: Developmental Neurobiology
  • BIOL 370 Seminar: Selected Topics in Virology
  • BIOL 372 Seminar: Structural Biology
  • BIOL 374 Seminar: Grassland Ecology (not offered in 2022-23)
  • BIOL 378 Seminar: The Origin and Early Evolution of Life
  • BIOL 379 Seminar: Behavioral Genetics
  • BIOL 382 Seminar: Molecular Biology (not offered in 2022-23)
  • BIOL 385 Seminar: Microbial Pathology

5. Because of the close interrelationship of Biology to other STEM fields, supporting work in other areas is necessary. The minimum requirement includes 1) Physics: two five-week courses or one ten-week courses from 131-165 for a total of 6 credits, or Biology 244 (Biostatistics) plus one 3 credit Introductory Physics course, or Statistics 120 (formerly Mathematics 215) or Computer Science 111; and 2) Chemistry 123 or 128; and 3) Chemistry 224 or 233. The need for additional courses in allied sciences and mathematics will vary with the professional plans of the student.

6. Critical Reading and Analysis of Primary Literature (Biology 399).

7. Integrative Exercise (Biology 400 two terms).

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, and complete an Approval of Special Credit for Off-Campus Study Form.