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The Department of Biology offers a major program designed to provide students with a common conceptual foundation through two required courses and an opportunity to pursue breadth and specialization through an extensive selection of elective course offerings, seminars, and research tutorials. Questions about requirements may be directed to the department chair.
Major Requirements
The major program consists of the following requirements:
Required Biology Courses
- BIOL 181聽-聽Evolution, Ecology, and Diversity and BIOL 181L聽
-
BIOL 182聽-聽Molecules, Cells, and Genes
and BIOL 182L聽
Both courses and their credit bearing laboratory components must be completed with a聽grade of C- or better.
Required Chemistry Courses
General Chemistry sequence:
- CHEM 101聽-聽General Chemistry I and CHEM 101L聽
-
CHEM 102聽-聽General Chemistry II
and CHEM 102L聽
or, if eligible, the following course may be substituted for the above sequence: -
CHEM 111聽-聽Chemical Principles and CHEM 111L聽
Process of Biology
One course with lab from the following list:
- BIOL 201聽-聽Evolution and聽BIOL 201L聽聽
- BIOL 202聽-聽Genetics and聽BIOL 202L聽聽
- BIOL 203聽-聽Ecology and聽BIOL 203L聽聽
- BIOL 204聽-聽Molecular Biology and聽BIOL 204L聽聽
- BIOL 205聽-聽Cell Biology and聽BIOL 205L聽
- BIOL 206聽-聽Organismal Biology and聽BIOL 206L聽
Five Electives
- One elective can be at any level.
- The four remaining electives must be聽numbered 300 or higher and two must have a lab component.聽
- Research-based courses numbered 470 or higher may not count as electives toward the major.聽
- GEOL 215聽also serves as an elective biology course.
Research Tutorial Experience
- A one-credit research experience, normally聽satisfied with a research tutorial (a course numbered BIOL 470-490).
- Research on the Bethesda Biomedical Research study group (BIOL 393 and BIOL 493) may be used to satisfy this requirement.
- UROPS courses taken at the National University of Singapore (NUS)聽may be used to satisfy this requirement.
- With prior approval by the biology department, a senior-level independent study course or capstone experience in another department may be used to fulfill the research requirement.
Honors and High Honors
Students interested in pursuing honors can find the additional requirements on the Biology听诲别辫补谤迟尘别苍迟听辫补驳别.
Biology Department
For more information about the department, including Faculty,聽transfer credit, awards, etc.,聽please visit the聽Biology department听肠补迟补濒辞驳听辫补驳别.