Biology, BA

Requirements

In order to earn the Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Biology, students must complete a minimum of 180 quarter credits with a cumulative and major/department grade point average of 2.00, including the following:

I. Core Curriculum Requirements

Module I: Engaging Academic Inquiry

UCOR 1100 - Academic Writing Seminar
UCOR 1200 - Quantitative Reasoning (satisfied in major)
UCOR 1300 - Creative Expression and Interpretation
UCOR 1400 - Inquiry Seminar in the Humanities
UCOR 1600 - Inquiry Seminar in the Social Sciences
UCOR 1800 - Inquiry Seminar in the Natural Sciences (satisfied in major)

Module II: Engaging Jesuit Traditions

Module III: Engaging the World

II. Major Requirements

52 total credits in biology, including: ¹

Choose one of the following eight options:

See Notes below ^{4, 5}

* Only one course from BIOL 2100 or BIOL 3100 may count towards this degree.

Choose one of the following eight courses:

See Notes below⁴

Choose one of the following twelve courses:

See Notes below⁴

Senior Synthesis:

NOTES:

Grade requirements for prerequisite courses: a minimum grade of C (2.00) is required for any biology course that will serve as a prerequisite for another biology course; a minimum grade of C- is required in other science courses that serves as prerequisites.
If BIOL 2200 is selected, BIOL 2210 should be taken as an elective.
A maximum of five credits of research courses, which include BIOL 3990 and 4990, may be counted towards Biology Electives.
At least 15 credits of the biology elective courses (non-senior synthesis) must be from 3000- or 4000-level courses (see Course Descriptions ). Some of the course choices may require prerequisites beyond the minimal degree requirements.
BIOL 2100 and BIOL 3100 may not both apply towards this degree.

III. Other Major Department Requirements

40 credits in the natural sciences, including:

Chemistry

15 to 16 credits in chemistry, typically:

CHEM 1500 - General Chemistry I
CHEM 1501 - General Chemistry Laboratory I
CHEM 1510 - General Chemistry II
CHEM 1511 - General Chemistry Laboratory II
CHEM 1520 - General Chemistry III or CHEM 1590 - Research Focused General Chemistry III
Other courses with approval of Biology Department

Mathematics

Choose one for 5 credits:

Natural/Physical Sciences

Choose 10 credits from the courses in these departments (see course descriptions ):¹

Chemistry: CHEM 2100 or above
Computer Science: CPSC 1220 or above
Environmental Science: ENSC 3000-level or above
Mathematics: MATH 1210 or above
Physics: PHYS 1050 /1051 or above

Typically students choose 2 of the following:

Science Electives

10 credits of additional science electives approved by department.²

NOTES:

Natural science courses must be different from the Mathematics course chosen in the Mathematics section.
Science elective courses must be a major-level course for that department and may be a Biology course 2200 or above.