Program of Study
Fotis Kafatos and Thomas Eisner recently observed that "At the threshold of what is widely regarded as the century of biology, the life sciences are undergoing a profound transformation. They have long existed as a collection of narrow, even parochial, disciplines with well-defined territories. Now they are undergoing consolidation, forming two major domains: one extending from the molecule to the organism, the other bringing together population biology, biodiversity studies, and ecology."
The Biology curriculum at ÑÇÖÞÇéÉ« has long emphasized the importance of students gaining knowledge and experience in a broad range of traditional biological disciplines. The core courses required of majors give them a background in the study of living things at both the cellular and organismal levels. The Biology faculty continues to consider how to improve the curriculum so as to best prepare our students for wherever their futures lie.
The Biology major
The Biology major at ÑÇÖÞÇéÉ« requires 15 courses: 10 in Biology
- BIOL111 (Foundations of Biology)
- BIOL210 (Genetics)
- BIOL266 (Cell & Molecular Biology) or BIOL 328 (Biochemistry II)
- one course from the following group:
- BIOL212 (General Zoology)
- BIOL219 (Introductory Botany)
- BIOL330 (Marine Ecology)
- BIOL335 (Evolution)
- BIOL360 (Ecology)
- BIOL370 (Biology Seminar)
- Five units of BIOL electives**, selected in consultation with the student's advisor
**At least four (4) of these Biology electives must be at the BIOL 200-level or higher. Students may also earn elective credits by taking Special Topics, Independent Research, Internship, and Honors in Biology. At least three (3) of the student’s biology elective courses must have an associated laboratory and/or scientific research component. Only one (1) external internship can count as a biology elective. BIOL courses with a zero (0) in the middle (e.g., BIOL 103/104, BIOL206) are intended for other majors and are typically not considered Biology electives - students should only take these after consulting with their advisor.
Plus:
- CHEM113–114 (General Chemistry)
- CHEM211–212 (Organic Chemistry)
- MATH107 (Elementary Statistics) or MATH170 (Analytic Geometry and Calculus I) or MATH106–166 (Analytic Geometry and Calculus with Review) or MATH232 (Applied Statistics)
In addition, we recommend that students interested in pursuing advanced degrees in biology or the medical sciences take PHYS109–110 (Introductory Physics for the Life Sciences) or PHYS111–112 (Introductory Physics). Students should also consider courses in economics, statistics, and computer science.
The Biology Minor
The Biology minor requires 5 units in Biology: BIOL 111 (Foundations of Biology), and 4 electives, selected in consultation with a member of the Biology faculty. At least three of the elective courses must be at the 200 level or higher.