The Bachelor of Science in Biology degree provides students with a rigorous general background in the field of biology to prepare for graduate or professional school or science-related jobs requiring bachelor's-level training. The requirements in chemistry, mathematics, and physics have been selected to optimize the student's future opportunities. The degree provides a rigorous background in fundamental biology and cognate areas, and prepares students for professional or research-oriented careers and graduate work in a selected area of biology.
Requirements
- BIOL-L 101* (4 cr.)
- BIOL-L 102* (4 cr.) prerequisite of BIOL-L 101
- BIOL-L 211 (3 cr.) prerequisite of BIOL-L 101
- BIOL-L 311 (4 cr.) prerequisite of BIOL-L 211
*BIOL-L 101 and BIOL-L 102 must be taken in sequence.
- At least 25 additional credit hours in Biology upper- level (300-400) courses must be completed.
- Students must complete at least four additional upper level labs.
- BIOL-L 403 (Senior Seminar) must be completed during the senior year (1 cr.).
BIOL-L 473, BIOL-M 440, or BIOL-Z 466 may satisfy the capstone requirement.
A minimum of one course must be taken from the listed courses in each of the areas below
- Molecular and Cellular Biology
- BIOL-L 312 (3 cr.)
- BIOL-M 310 (4-5 cr.)
- BIOL-L 321 (3 cr.)
- BIOL-L 323 (3 cr.)
- Genetics, Development, Evolutionary Biology
- BIOL-L 318 (3 cr.)
- BIOL-Z 317 (3 cr.)
- BIOL-L 331 (3 cr.)
- BIOL-Z 466 (3 cr.)
- Ecology, Physiology, and Organismal Biology
- BIOL-B 351 (3 cr.)
- BIOL-B 352 (2 cr.)
- BIOL-Z 406 (3 cr.)
- BIOL-L 473 (3-4 cr.)
- Select one of the following
- BIOL-P 416 (3 cr.)
- BIOL-P 461 (4 cr.)
Students should consult with the Biology faculty for additional information concerning prerequisites and course content.
In addition to the required biology courses, the student must complete
- The following are required and should be taken concurrently with BIOL-L 101 and BIOL-L 102
- CHEM-C 105 (3 cr.)
- CHEM-C 106 (3 cr.)
- CHEM-C 125 (2 cr.)
- CHEM-C 126 (2 cr.)
- CHEM-C 341 (3 cr.)
- CHEM-C 342 (3 cr.)
- CHEM-C 343 (2 cr.)
- Select one of the following
- CHEM-C 344 (2 cr.)
- BIOL-L 323 (3 cr.)
- Select one of the following
- PHYS-P 201 (5 cr.) - PHYS-P 202 (5 cr.)
- PHYS-P 221 (5 cr.) - PHYS-P 222 (5 cr.)
- MATH-M 215 (5 cr.)
- PSY-K 300 statistics (3 cr.)
- Select one of the following:
- CSCI-A 106 (3 cr.)
- CSCI-C 106 (3 cr.)
- CSCI-A 201 (4 cr.)
- CSCI-C 201 (4 cr.)
Students may specialize in the following emphasis areas by choosing at least 12 credit hours from the listed courses within the specialty area (courses not listed may be substituted with consent from the departmental chair):
Biotechnology and Molecular Biology
- Select from the following
- BIOL-L 312 Cell Biology (3 cr.)
- BIOL-L 323 Molecular Biology Laboratory (3 cr.)
- BIOL-M 310 Microbiology (3-4 cr.)
- BIOL-M 430 Virology (3 cr.)
- BIOL-Z 317 Developmental Biology (3 cr.)
- BIOL-Z 318 Developmental Biology Laboratory (2 cr.)
Biomedical Sciences
- Select from the following
- BIOL-L 312 Cell Biology (3 cr.)
- BIOL-L 321 Immunology (3 cr.)
- BIOL-L 331 Human Genetics (3 cr.)
- BIOL-L 391 Special Topics in Biology (including Autoimmunity) (1-3 cr.)
- Select one from the following
- BIOL-L 498 Professional Internship (cr. arr.)
- BIOL-L 490 Individual Study (cr. arr.)
- BIOL-M 310 Microbiology (3-4 cr.)
- BIOL-M 430 Virology (3 cr.)
- BIOL-M 440 Medical Microbiology (3 cr.)
- BIOL-P 431 Human Physiology (3 cr.)
- BIOL-Z 317 Developmental Biology (3 cr.)
- BIOL-Z 466 Endocrinology (3 cr.)
Ecology and Conservation Biology
- Select from the following
- BIOL-L 473 Ecology (3-4 cr.)
- BIOL-L 476 Regional Ecology (2 cr.)
- BIOL-L 482 Restoration Ecology (3 cr.)
- BIOL-L 483 Conservation Biology (3 cr.)
- BIOL-L 490 Independent Research (cr. arr.)
- BIOL-Z 406 Vertebrate Zoology (3-4 cr.)
- BIOL-B 355 Plant Diversity (4 cr.)
In addition to the above courses, the student is responsible for fulfilling the general requirements of the Bachelor of Science degree as established by the College of Arts and Sciences.
For more information, visit the Biology page on the IU Northwest Bulletin.
