Biology, B.A.

Basic major requirements:

The B.A. in biology requires completion of at least 28 credits of biology, including the required core biology courses. In addition, students will take

• 1 semester of a 4-credit mathematics course
• 1 year of chemistry (major level courses are strongly recommended).

Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 in biology to graduate with a major.

Required courses:

Biology majors desiring either a B.A. or B.S. must take the entry-level core courses in biology. The four General Biology courses provide a comprehensive overview of the basic principles of biology. They stress the central ideas in the biological sciences, such as ecology and evolution, adaptation, structure-function relationships and the global diversity and unity of life with an emphasis on the process of scientific discovery and investigation.

To ensure students are exposed to advanced study in the major areas of biology, at least one course in each of the following areas must be taken:

*To ensure students are informed about the important topic of biological diversity, at least one of the courses above with an asterisk is required.

Important Considerations:

1. Core courses in biology (BIOL 105 , BIOL 106  and either BIOL 107  and BIOL 108  or BIOL 207  and BIOL 208 ) and CHEM 125 , CHEM 127 , CHEM 128  and CHEM 126  (or CHEM 131  and CHEM 132 ) should be taken in the first year of college, if possible.
2. Students planning to attend graduate, medical or dental schools or pursue other biology careers that require rigorous training, should take mathematics; one year of physics; and CHEM 125 , CHEM 127 , CHEM 128  and CHEM 126  (or CHEM 131  and CHEM 132 ), CHEM 221 , CHEM 231 , CHEM 255  and biochemistry, statistics and computer programming are desirable for many biological careers.
3. Research in Biology (BIOL 490R ) can count for up to 4 credits towards the Biology major.