Program Overview

Overview of the Undergraduate Major in Biology

The major offers diverse subplans from Biochemistry/physics to Neurosciences. The General Biology major is designed for students who would like a broad-based biology curriculum. Students will begin taking foundational introductory courses, exploratory lab courses, and a selection of additional breadth courses in Chemistry, Math, Physics, Statistics, and/or Computer Science during their first two years. Advanced elective courses will be taken in the remaining two years.

Program Structure

• The major is structured around foundational courses, Bio Foundations courses, inquiry-based lab courses, STEM courses, and elective courses.
• Students have the opportunity to choose from 4 capstone options:
  • Honors Program
  • Independent Capstone
  • The Senior Reflection (will be discontinued AY26-27 and beyond)
  • Approved Out-of-Department Capstone

Foundational Courses

• BIOFoundations Courses (80-level) are generally taken by freshmen and sophomores.
• These courses cover key foundational disciplines of Biology, including:
  • BIO 81 – Ecology
  • BIO 82 – Genetics
  • BIO 83 – Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  • BIO 84 – Physiology
  • BIO 85 – Evolutionary Biology
  • BIO 86 – Cell Biology
• The general Biology major allows students to choose any four out of the six Bio Foundation courses.

Inquiry-Based Lab Courses

• These courses provide hands-on exposure to scientific methodology and experimental design.
• Examples of lab courses include:
  • BIO 43, Introduction to Laboratory Research in Neuronal Cell Biology
  • BIO 45, Introduction to Laboratory Research in Cell and Molecular Biology
  • BIO 47: Introduction to Research in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (WIM course)

STEM Courses

• A variety of Chemistry, Math, Physics, and Statistics courses are required.
• Although specific requirements will vary by subplan, students can expect to take courses in:
  • Chemistry (1-6 courses)
  • Math (1-3 courses)
  • Physics (2-4 courses)
  • Statistics (1 course)
  • Computer Science (1-2 courses)

Elective Courses

• Upper-level courses are offered in more specialized areas of Biology.
• The specific number of elective requirements will vary by subplan.
• Elective courses can include additional Biofoundations, foundational lab, and 100-level Bio courses, as well as out-of-department STEM courses.

Capstone Experience

• Students majoring in Biology will be expected to choose one of the capstone options no later than the start of spring quarter in their junior year of study.
• The capstone requirement in Biology may be fulfilled via one of four options:
  • Honors in Biology
  • Independent Capstone in Biology
  • Approved Out-of-Department Capstone
• To pursue honors, students must submit an honors petition in the fall of senior year, complete at least 10 units of BIO 199/X or BIOHOPK 199H (Undergraduate Research), have a GPA of 3.0 or higher at the time of graduation, and present their honors thesis at the departmental Achauer Honors Research Symposium and through the Biology Virtual Showcase website.

Writing in the Major (WIM)

• Students are required to take one of the Biology university-approved WIM courses.
• WIM courses can overlap with other requirements.
• Examples of WIM courses include:
  • BIO 47
  • BIO 127
  • BIO 168
  • BIO 199A
  • BIO 199W

Subplans

• The fields of study often referred to as "subplans" are:
  • General Biology
  • Biochemistry/Biophysics
  • Cellular, Molecular, and Organismal Biology
  • Computational and Systems Biology
  • Ecology, Evolution, and Environment
  • Microbial Sciences
  • Neurosciences
• Each subplan has specific requirements, which can be found in the Checklist of Requirements by Subplan.