Bachelor of Science in Biology - San Francisco S

The Bachelor of Science in Biology with a concentration in Microbiology at San Francisco State University prepares students for careers in research, industry, public health, and clinical laboratory settings. The program offers a comprehensive curriculum that includes coursework in general and medical microbiology, as well as in supporting areas such as physics, chemistry, and mathematics. Students can choose from a variety of elective courses to tailor their education to their interests and career goals.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The Bachelor of Science in Biology: Concentration in Microbiology program at San Francisco State University provides a comprehensive curriculum for students interested in pursuing careers in research, industry, public health, clinical laboratory, or state or federal service. It also serves as a foundation for graduate studies in microbiology. Students can choose courses with an emphasis on general or medical microbiology. The program is designed to meet the requirements for the discontinued Clinical Science degree. Students interested in pursuing Clinical Laboratory Science programs are recommended to complete this Microbiology concentration. The curriculum requires preliminary coursework in physics and chemistry, as many biological concepts rely on principles in the physical sciences. Upper-division coursework in the biological sciences provides breadth and depth in the degree program. Students are encouraged to consult course descriptions for prerequisites. The program includes elective courses, and students are advised to seek guidance from a departmental advisor before enrolling in elective courses. New electives are continually being added, and advisors can help students select electives that align with their interests and future career goals.

Outline:

Lower-Division Requirements (34-37 units)

BIOL 230: Introductory Biology I (5 units)
BIOL 231: Advising for Success as a Biology Major (1 unit)
BIOL 240: Introductory Biology II (5 units)
CHEM 115: General Chemistry I (4 units)
Select one organic chemistry sequence (3-6 units):
CHEM 130: General Organic Chemistry
CHEM 233 & CHEM 335: Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry II
CHEM 215: General Chemistry II (4 units)
MATH 226: Calculus I (4 units)
PHYS 121 & PHYS 122: General Physics II and General Physics II Laboratory (4 units)

Upper-Division Requirements (15 units)

BIOL 337: Evolution (3 units)
BIOL 355: Genetics (3 units)
BIOL 401 & BIOL 402GW: General Microbiology and General Microbiology Laboratory - GWAR (6 units)
Select One (3 units):
CHEM 349: General Biochemistry

Upper-Division Electives (11 units)

Select 11 units from the following courses, including at least two laboratory courses:

BIOL 420: General Virology (3 units)
BIOL 425: Emerging Diseases (3 units)
BIOL 430: Medical Microbiology (3 units)
BIOL 435: Immunology (3 units)
BIOL 442: Microbial Physiology (3 units)
BIOL 446: Microbial Genomics (4 units)
BIOL 453: General Parasitology (3 units)
BIOL 490: Ecology of Infectious Diseases (4 units)
BIOL 644 LEADerS Service Learning Course: Learners Engaged in Advocating for Diversity in Science (4 units)
BIOL 638: Bioinformatics and Sequence Analysis (4 units)
Select two laboratory courses:
BIOL 431: Medical Microbiology Laboratory (2 units)
BIOL 436: Immunology Laboratory (2 units)
BIOL 443: Microbial Physiology Laboratory
BIOL 454: Parasitology Laboratory (2 units)
BIOL 625: Hematology (1 unit)
BIOL 699: Independent Study in Biology
CHEM 343: Biochemistry I Laboratory (2 units)
CHEM 336: Organic Chemistry II Laboratory

General Education Requirements

Oral Communication (LD, 3 units, A1)
Written English Communication (LD, 3 units, A2)
Critical Thinking (LD, 3 units, A3)
Physical Science (LD, 3 units, B1)
Life Science (LD, 3 units, B2)
Lab Science (LD, 1 unit, B3)
Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning (LD, 3 units, B4)
Arts (LD, 3 units, C1)
Humanities (LD, 3 units, C2)
Arts or Humanities (LD, 3 units, C1 or C2)
Social Sciences (LD, 3 units, D1)
Social Sciences: US History (LD, 3 units, D2)
Lifelong Learning and Self-Development (LLD) (LD, 3 units, E)
Ethnic Studies (LD, 3 units, F)
Physical and/or Life Science (UD, 3 units, UD-B)
Arts and/or Humanities (UD, 3 units, UD-C)
Social Sciences (UD, 3 units, UD-D)

Careers:

Upon completion of the Microbiology concentration, graduates are well-prepared for careers in:

Research
Industry
Public Health
Clinical Laboratory
State or Federal Service

Other:

Students must earn a C- or better in a GWAR course to satisfy the GWAR requirement.
All major coursework must be completed with letter grades (CR/NC is not acceptable).
A minimum grade point average of 2.0 in all coursework is required.
At least 12 units in biology must be completed at SF State.
General Education requirements met in the major are satisfied upon completion of certain courses, regardless of whether the student completes the major.
The department does not permit multiple concentrations within the biology degree program.
Students must be prepared to provide copies of transcripts demonstrating completion of prerequisite courses with a grade of C– or better to remain enrolled in a biology course.