The Bachelor of Science degree is for those students who wish to follow a career in the sciences and/or those planning to enter post-graduate professional schools. Students contemplating a major program in biological sciences should consult with a Departmental undergraduate advisor no later than the beginning of the sophomore year. 

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements for this program are satisfied by the general requirements for undergraduate admission to the University.

Program Requirements

Candidates must complete 120 credits in course work including satisfaction of the University General Education Requirements and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Group Requirements, as well as the departmental major  requirements cited below. All course work must be completed in accordance with the regulations of the University and the College governing undergraduate scholarship and degrees. Students must receive a grade of C-minus or better in all biology courses. A grade point average of 2.0 (C) in both biology and general required courses is required for graduation.

Major Requirements 

A minimum of 40 credits of BIO starting at BIO 1500 are required of the major as defined below. Courses through the 6000 level may be elected providing the proper prerequisites have been successfully completed.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
BIO 1500 & BIO 1501	Basic Life Diversity and Basic Life Diversity Laboratory	4
BIO 1510 & BIO 1511	Basic Life Mechanisms and Basic Life Mechanisms Laboratory	4
BIO 2600	Introduction to Cell Biology	4
BIO 2700	Evolution: Basic Concepts and Applications	3
BIO 3070	Genetics 2	4-5
Students must complete additional coursework in BIO courses to reach 40 credits in BIO. Electives in BIO must be at the 3000 level or above. One course must include an upper level lab. One course must include Scientific Communication. Undergraduate research may be applied up to a max of 6 credits including the research seminar, UG research credits and honors thesis. 1
Courses that include upper level labs. BIO 3070 (satisfies the lab requirement only when elected for 5 credits), BIO 3250 & BIO 3251, BIO 3800, BIO 4120, BIO 4130, BIO 4350, BIO 4630, BIO 5040, BIO 5100, BIO 5440, BIO 5610.
Courses that include Scientific Communication. BIO 4110, BIO 4120, BIO 4130, BIO 4370, BIO 5001, BIO 5150, BIO 5240, BIO 5280, BIO 5610/BIO 5620.

¹

Courses required to complete major requirements listed above cannot also be used as BIO elective credit.

²

If elected for honors credit, BIO 3070 is 5 credits and includes a lab.

Cognate Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
CHM 1100 & CHM 1130	General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory	5
CHM 1140 & CHM 1150	General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Laboratory	5
CHM 1240	Organic Chemistry I	4
CHM 2220	Organic Chemistry II	4
Select one of the following sequences:		10
Option 1
PHY 2130 & PHY 2131	Physics for the Life Sciences I and Physics for the Life Sciences Experimental Laboratory
PHY 2140 & PHY 2141	Physics for the Life Sciences II and Physics for the Life Sciences Laboratory
Option 2
PHY 2170 & PHY 2171	University Physics I for Scientists and Engineers and University Physics I Experimental Laboratory
PHY 2180 & PHY 2181	University Physics II for Scientists and Engineers and University Physics II Experimental Laboratory
MAT 2010	Calculus I 1	4
MAT 2020	Calculus II	4
or STA 2210	Probability and Statistics

¹

Students must start in the appropriate math course based upon placement exam or valid SAT/ACT scores.  Students may attempt to place into a higher MAT course by taking the Placement Examination of the Department of Mathematics upon entry into the university.  

¹

 BIO courses without an honors section may be used if the professor is willing to do an honors option.  Paperwork to do an honors option on a course is available from the Honors College.

‘AGRADE’ Program (Accelerated Graduate Enrollment)

Student eligibility

AGRADE applicants must have an overall grade point average of 3.3 or higher. Students can apply for AGRADE status in the semester they will reach 90 credits towards an undergraduate degree, ideally during the junior year. AGRADE status gives the applicant permission to take graduate level courses while still an undergraduate and have them count towards their B.S. degree.  Only graduate courses taken after being granted AGRADE status can be transferred to the M.A. degree program.  We encourage early discussions with an undergraduate student advisor during the sophomore year to identify undergraduate electives that are required prerequisites for upper level AGRADE eligible courses, while also ensuring that all requirements for the B.S. degree are completed.

Application procedures

Advising

Upon admission, the Graduate Officer of the Department of Biological Sciences will be assigned as the M.A. student Advisor. Alternatively, any graduate faculty member of the department may serve this role per request of the Graduate Officer or the student.

M. A. Program Plan of Work

Upon admission to the AGRADE pathway program, students will finalize their Plan of Work for the M.A. program, specifying the courses that will be taken in the AGRADE status as well as the courses required for the balance of the M.A. degree. The AGRADE courses must be approved by both the Undergraduate and Graduate Officers of the Department of Biological Sciences. Of note: 

Approval of regular graduate admission status

Students must also apply separately for admission to the M.A. program after admission to the AGRADE pathway program. They typically do so in their senior year when they are taking courses under the AGRADE status.  All admission application materials required by the department for regular M.A. program admission must be available at this time.  This application will be reviewed for formal admission into the department's graduate program. To qualify, students must have maintained a GPA average of 3.5 or higher in the courses taken after AGRADE admission. In the term of regular graduate admission, all AGRADE courses that were completed with a grade of B or higher will be assigned to the student's graduate record.

More information about AGRADE is available through CLAS.