Biology, B.S.

Major Advising Sheet (opens a new window) |

Degree Requirements

The Bachelor of Science in Biology is a 120-unit program. Of the total, 48 units are required to satisfy the university’s General Education Program and 21 units are required by the Department of Biology to satisfy the biology core. The core curriculum is a sequence of courses required for all biology majors. The core curriculum builds the foundation upon which further learning in biology will be based. Additional requirements are listed below.

The biology degree program prepares students for entry into a wide range of careers, for further academic study at the graduate level, including the department’s own M.S. in Biology, and for entrance into professional degree programs. Within the scope of the major requirements and electives, students may focus their studies in areas that best meet their future career needs. Students must consult an advisor for help in selecting courses appropriate to their interests and career objectives. An emphasis on cellular and molecular processes prepares students for the department’s professional science Master of Biotechnology.

Students planning for graduate and professional schools should be aware that entrance requirements for those programs will often exceed the minimal requirements for a Biology B.S., particularly in the ancillary fields of chemistry, physics, and mathematics. An advisor should be consulted for specific information on graduate and professional school requirements.

Students should meet with an advisor a minimum of once a semester so the advisor can review the student’s program and progress.

Major Requirements (42 units)

Biology Core (21 units)

The biology core is required of all majors (see Advising Notes.)

BIOL 1A - Introductory Biology Units: 4 (Area B2)
BIOL 1B - Introductory Biology Units: 3
BIOL 1BL - Introductory Biology Laboratory Units: 1
BIOL 101 - General Ecology Units: 3
BIOL 102 - Genetics Units: 3
BIOL 103 - Cellular Biology Units: 3
BIOL 105 - Evolution Units: 3
BIOL 101L - General Ecology Lab Units: 1
OR
BIOL 104 - Genetics and Cell Biology Lab Units: 1

Other Major Requirements (21 units)

In addition to the core, all majors must complete major and additional requirements described as follows:

All students must take a minimum of three upper-division biology (BIOL) laboratory courses. Of these, at least one must be designated as a diversity course, and one must be designated as a physiology course, both identified below. The third course may be any other laboratory course, also identified below. All other courses taken as part of the major requirements are the choice of the student. One of these additional courses may be either BIOL 67A or BIOL 67B , but no other lower-division course may be used.

Options for Completing the 21-unit Requirement:

You may take additional laboratory courses from line 3 above

BIOL 67A - Human Anatomy & Physiology I Units: 4
OR
BIOL 67B - Human Anatomy and Physiology II Units: 4
BIOL 110 - Human Ecology Units: 3
BIOL 111H - Honors Experimental Design & Writing Units: 1
BIOL 112H - Honors Peer Instruction Units: 1
BIOL 113H - Honors Colloquium Units: 1
BIOL 119 - Molecular Virology Units: 3
BIOL 121 - Medical Microbiology Units: 3
BIOL 150 - Molecular Biology Units: 3
BIOL 158 - The Biology of Cancer Units: 3
BIOL 163 - Advanced Human Physiology Units: 3
BIOL 164 - Hematology Units: 3
BIOL 165 - Endocrinology Units: 3
BIOL 166 - Neurophysiology Units: 3
BIOL 173 - Marine Biology Units: 3
BIOL 175 - Case Studies in Ecology Units: 3
BIOL 180 - Biology Colloquium Units: 1
BIOL 189T - Topics in Biology Units: 1-4
BIOL 199H - Honors Thesis in Biology Units: 3
up to 6 units of BIOL 190 - Independent Study Units: 1-3

Additional Requirements (30 units)

CHEM 1A - General Chemistry 1A Units: 3 (Area B1)
CHEM 1AL - General Chemistry Laboratory 1A Units: 2 (Area B1)
CHEM 1B - General Chemistry 1B Units: 3
CHEM 1BL - General Chemistry Laboratory 1B Units: 2
CHEM 8 - Elementary Organic Chemistry Units: 3
OR
CHEM 128A - Organic Chemistry Units: 3
CHEM 129A - Organic Chemistry Laboratory Units: 2
CHEM 150 - General Biochemistry Units: 3 (see note 3)
OR
CHEM 155A - Fundamentals of Biochemistry Units: 3
MATH 70 - Calculus for Life Sciences Units: 4 (Area B4)
OR
MATH 75 - Calculus I Units: 4 (Area B4)
MATH 101 - Statistical Methods Units: 4
OR
MATH 102 - Introduction to Biostatistics Units: 4
PHYS 2A - General Physics Units: 4

Other Degree Requirements

In addition to the major program requirements, every student must also complete the University’s baccalaureate degree requirements such as:

American Government and Institutions (PLSI 2 )
General Education Requirements (48 units)
Multicultural and International (MI)
Upper-division Writing
Sufficient Elective Units to Meet Required Total Units (varies); it is recommended that units in this area be utilized to complete a second major or minor.

A full description of the University’s graduation requirements can be found in the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements .

Total: 120 Units*

*General Education, MI, and Upper-division Writing courses can be double counted with major requirements. (See advising note 1)

Advising Notes

The total of 120 units assumes biology majors will maximize the 10 units of General Education requirements that also may be applied to major and additional required courses as follows: 4 units of CHEM 1A /CHEM 1AL in G.E. Breadth B1; 3 units of BIOL 1A in G.E. Breadth B2; and 3 units of MATH 70 or MATH 75 in G.E. Foundation B4. Consult your major academic advisor for details.
B.S. in Biology majors who have taken introductory sequences other than BIOL 1A and BIOL 1B /BIOL 1BL must consult with their faculty advisor or department chair for equivalency evaluation prior to beginning their upper-division coursework.
Please note that CHEM 128B is a prerequisite for CHEM 155A .
Pre-medical, pre-pharmacy, pre-veterinary, and preclinical laboratory science students are required to take CHEM 128B in addition to CHEM 128A , and PHYS 2B in addition to PHYS 2A . Pre-pharmacy students are required to take, and most pre-medical and pre-veterinary students should take, CHEM 129B . Preclinical laboratory sciences students are required to take CHEM 105 . Some pre-pharmacy and pre-medical students should take MATH 76 .
CR/NC grading is not permitted in the Biology major.
General Education, MI, and elective requirements may be used toward a double major or minor (See Degree Requirements). Consult the appropriate department chair, program coordinator, or faculty advisor for additional information.