Biophysics (BS)
The information on the tabs below will help students planning to major in Biophysics 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 Biophysics majors from Advising:
- Your ability to complete this major in eight semesters may be impacted if you do not begin with your recommended calculus course placement.
- Please take the math placement assessment if you do not have ACT, SAT, AP scores, or a final high school transcript that will place you in MATH 118 or higher at the time of your registration.
- If you are a pre-health student, you should replace one Core course with BIOL 101 (3 credits) and BIOL 111 (1 credit). More information on pre-health can be found here.
- 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.
- Check the AP/IB guide to ensure you know if you have any incoming credit that will count towards your Core requirements.
- If you are a pre-med student, consider taking SOCL 101 as it is a pre-med requirement.
First Semester Course Recommendations
As a Biophysics major, you will enroll in the following courses:
One Freshman Seminar:
- UNIV 101 (1 credit)
One of the following math courses based on your math placement:
- MATH 100, MATH 117, MATH 118 (3 credits each) or MATH 161 (4 credits)
- Biophysics majors DO NOT take MATH 131
From here, your math placement will have you enroll in Plan A, Plan B, or Plan C.
The total number of credits you will enroll in for the fall is 16-17 credits.
Plan A: If you have a math placement of MATH 161 you will register for:
- CHEM 160 (3 credits) and CHEM 161 (1 credit)
- PHYS 121 (3 credits) and PHYS 111L (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 118 you will register for:
- CHEM 160 (3 credits) and CHEM 161 (1 credit)
Three of the following Core classes (Pick only one course per category, 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)
Plan C: If you have a math placement of MATH 117 or below you will register for:
- BIOL 101 (3 credits) and BIOL 111 (1 credit)
Three of the following Core classes (Pick only one course per category, 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 Biophysics major, you will enroll in the following courses:
One of the following math courses based on your math placement:
- MATH 100, MATH 117, MATH 118 (3 credits each) or MATH 161 (4 credits)
- Biophysics majors DO NOT take MATH 131
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 Plan A, Plan B, or Plan C.
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 161 you will register for:
- CHEM 160 (3 credits) and CHEM 161 (1 credit)
Plan B: If you have a math placement of MATH 118 you will register for:
- CHEM 160 (3 credits) and CHEM 161 (1 credit)
- Optional: One of the following Core classes (Pick one course from a 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
Plan C: If you have a math placement of MATH 117 or below you will register for:
- BIOL 101 (3 credits) and BIOL 111 (1 credit)
One of the following Core classes (Pick one course from a 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 Biophysics 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.