Biology (BS)
The information on the tabs below will help students planning to major in Biology to choose appropriate classes for their first semester. The recommendations below are for your first semester only, so you may have additional Core requirements, for example, that you'll learn more about during your first semester here.
Advising Notes
Important Notes for Biology majors from Advising:
- The course recommendations for Biology majors are appropriate for both pre-health students and students not pursing pre-health.
- Your ability to complete this major in eight semesters may be impacted if you do not begin with your recommended math placement course.
- When registering for your courses, it's a good idea to prioritize lab courses first. Labs often require a significant chunk of time in a single day, sometimes spanning several hours. By registering for these early, you can plan your schedule around these time-intensive commitments and avoid conflicts with other classes or responsibilities. This will help you manage your workload and ensure you're not overloading yourself with back-to-back commitments.
- If you receive a math placement of 161, that means you are eligible to take either MATH 131: Applied Calculus (3 credits) or MATH 161: Calculus (4 credits), two different Calculus tracks. You can learn more information about the differences between Math 161 and Math 131 here. For your major, MATH 131 is the department recommendation as it will be tailored to the math that you will need and will leave more room in your schedule for other coursework.
- Don’t forget to check the AP/IB guide to ensure you know if you have any incoming credit that will count towards your Core requirements.
- This is a large major in terms of credits and academic requirements. It may not be practical to consider a double major but pursuing a minor or studying abroad may be possible with careful planning.
- If you are a pre-med student, consider taking SOCL 101 as it is a pre-med requirement.
First Semester Course Recommendations
As a Biology major, you will enroll in the following courses:
- BIOL 101 (3 credits) and BIOL 111 (1 credit)
One Freshman Seminar:
- UNIV 101 (1 credit)
One of the following math courses based on your math placement (3 credits):
- MATH 100 or MATH 117 or MATH 118 or MATH 131
From here, your math placement will have you enroll in either Plan A or Plan B.
The total number of credits you will enroll in for the fall is 14-17 credits.
Plan A: If you have a math placement of MATH 118 or above you will register for:
- CHEM 160 (3 credits) and CHEM 161 (1 credit)
One of the following Core classes (Pick only one course per category, 3 total credits):
- College Writing Seminar: UCWR 110, based on writing placement
- Foundational Historical Knowledge: HIST 101, HIST 102, HIST 103, or HIST 104
- Foundational Philosophical Knowledge: PHIL 130
- Foundational Literary Knowledge: UCLR 100M, UCLR 100C, or UCLR 100E
- Foundational Theological Knowledge: THEO 100 or THEO 107
- Foundational Societal & Cultural Knowledge: ANTH 100, PLSC 102, SOCL 101, or WSGS 101
- Artistic Knowledge: (see options in the Undergraduate Catalog)
Plan B: If you have a math placement of MATH 117 or below you will register for:
Two or three of the following Core classes (Pick only one course per category, 6-9 total credits):
- College Writing Seminar: UCWR 110, based on writing placement
- Foundational Historical Knowledge: HIST 101, HIST 102, HIST 103, or HIST 104
- Foundational Philosophical Knowledge: PHIL 130
- Foundational Literary Knowledge: UCLR 100M, UCLR 100C, or UCLR 100E
- Foundational Theological Knowledge: THEO 100 or THEO 107
- Foundational Societal & Cultural Knowledge: ANTH 100, PLSC 102, SOCL 101, or WSGS 101
- Artistic Knowledge: (see options in the Undergraduate Catalog)
Interdisciplinary Honors First Semester Course Recommendations
As a Biology major, you will enroll in the following courses:
- BIOL 101 (3 credits) and BIOL 111 (1 credit)
One of the following math courses based on your math placement (3 credits):
- MATH 100 or MATH 117 or MATH 118 or MATH 131
- If you have a math placement of MATH 131, we recommend you wait on taking MATH 131 until the spring semester to ensure you are not overwhelmed by your classes.
One Freshman Seminar:
- UNIV 101 (1 credit)
Interdisciplinary Honors Requirements (6 credits)
- HONR 101
- HONR D101
From here, your math placement will have you enroll in either Plan A or Plan B.
The total number of credits you will enroll in for the fall is 15-18 credits.
Plan A: If you have a math placement of MATH 118 or above you will register for:
- CHEM 160 (3 credits) and CHEM 161 (1 credit)
Plan B: If you have a math placement of MATH 117 or below you will register for:
One of the following Core classes (Pick only one course per category, 3 total credits):
- Foundational Historical Knowledge: Any 100/200/300-level HIST course
- Foundational Societal & Cultural Knowledge: ANTH 100, PLSC 102, SOCL 101, or WSGS 101
The information on the tabs below will help students planning to major in Biology to choose appropriate classes for their first semester. The recommendations below are for your first semester only, so you may have additional Core requirements, for example, that you'll learn more about during your first semester here.