Biological Science Program

Biological Science Major Requirements

MAJOR REQUIREMENTS

The Biological Science B.S. major requirements are listed in the UVM Catalog under both the College of Arts and Sciences: B.S. in Biological Science, CAS, and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: B.S in Biological Science, CALS. This "cross-college" major spans departments as well, offering you the opportunity to tailor your academic experience at two levels:

College-level Requirements

The major requirements for the Biological Science B.S. are the same regardless of college. However, in addition to courses required for completion of a major program, (and University-wide required courses in writing, diversity, sustainability, and quantitative reasoning), each college has its own requirements to ensure graduates have received a well-rounded education. Outlined below are the descriptions for the ~11 courses required by each college that hosts the Biological Science major. Note: courses taken for the major (e.g. biology, mathematics, etc.) can doubly count toward these college-level requirements.

College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)	College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS)
Distribution Requirements: Two of the following three categories: (i) 2 fine arts/literature courses (one in each area), (ii) 2 foreign language courses (same language), or (iii) 2 humanities courses; and, 2 natural sciences courses with lab, 2 mathematics courses, and 2 social sciences courses. General requirement: one course in non-European culture that is not a language course. (May jointly satisfy distribution or diversity requirement.) 84 credits must be from within CAS.	Core Competencies: Knowledge: 2 humanities/fine arts courses, 2 physical/life science courses, and 2 social science courses. Skills: 1 mathematics course, 1 statistics course, 1 writing course, as well as CALS 001: Communication Methods and CALS 002: Information Technology (or equivalent courses).

College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS)

Distribution Requirements: Two of the following three categories: (i) 2 fine arts/literature courses (one in each area), (ii) 2 foreign language courses (same language), or (iii) 2 humanities courses; and, 2 natural sciences courses with lab, 2 mathematics courses, and 2 social sciences courses.
General requirement: one course in non-European culture that is not a language course. (May jointly satisfy distribution or diversity requirement.)
84 credits must be from within CAS.

Core Competencies:

Knowledge: 2 humanities/fine arts courses, 2 physical/life science courses, and 2 social science courses.
Skills: 1 mathematics course, 1 statistics course, 1 writing course, as well as CALS 001: Communication Methods and CALS 002: Information Technology (or equivalent courses).

Department-level Advanced Life Science Electives

The Biological Science major requires 26 credits of Advanced Life Science Electives - meaning 7-8 courses at the 100- or 200-level that you choose from a list of over 150. These courses come from 20 different departments, and include undergraduate research. You could take a variety of different topics, or all of your credits from one field; it’s up to you. In year two, meet with an advisor to map a plan of study for completing your Advanced Life Science Electives.

The following rules apply to the Advanced Life Science Elective requirement:

No more than 8 credits at the 100-level may be applied to the requirement (not including BCOR courses) except with written permission from an advisor and not exceeding three 100-level courses.
With an advisor's permission, biologically relevant 300-level courses may be applied to the requirement.
Up to 6 credits of undergraduate research in any biological discipline may be applied toward the requirement. Only three of these can be taken for credit at the 100-level, and these will be counted in the 8 credits allowed at the 100-level.

Advanced Life Science Electives List

The courses listed below, by department, are pre-approved to count toward the elective requirement for the B.S. degree in Biological Science. If you are interested in a life science course not on this list, consult with one of the Biological Science program directors to determine whether it can be used as an Advanced Elective. The Advanced Life Science Electives being offered in a given semester can be found in the 'See Also' section of the Schedule of Courses under BioCore.

The B.S. degree in Biological Science has an additional recommendation as to the types of skills one should obtain in taking their Advanced Life Science Electives. The minimum is that students should gain 12 credits in elective courses that include a quantitative ("Q") component, 3 credits that stress oral ("O") communication, and 3 credits that stress written ("W") communication. The Skillset column below indicates which of these skills a course includes. A blank in the skillset column indicates that it is unknown whether this course fulfills any of the skillset requirements; consult the course's instructor. A * indicates an assignment is optional; a student would need to complete the assignment to earn the skillset credit.

Animal Science

Course	Course Title	Skillsets	Credits	Fall	Spring	Summer
ASCI 111	Animal Anatomy	-,-,-	4	y
ASCI 118	Applied Animal Health	QOW	3		y
ASCI 120	General Physiology		3		y
ASCI 143	Forage and Pasture Management (crosslisted w/PSS 143)		4	e.o.
ASCI 147	SU: Wildife Health & Conservation				y
ASCI 168	Animal Genetics	---	3		y
ASCI 177	Animal Plagues & Global Health	O.W.	3		e.o.
ASCI 215	Physiology of Reproduction	Q, O	3		y
ASCI 216	Endocrinology	OW	3	y
ASCI 220	Lactation Physiology	Q, O, W	3		e.o.
ASCI 242	Advanced Animal Nutrition	QOW	4	y
ASCI 272	Adv. Topics: Zoos, Exotics, and Endangered Species	-, -, -	3		y	y
ASCI 277	Animal and Human Parasitology		3		e.o.

Biochemistry

Course	Course Title	Skillsets	Credits	Fall	Spring	Summer
BIOC 191/192	Undergraduate Research		variable	y	y
BIOC 201	Fundamentals of Biochemistry	QO*W	3	y	y	y
BIOC 205	Biochemistry (crosslisted w/CHEM 205 & MMG 205)	Q	3	y
BIOC 206	Biochemistry II (crosslisted w/CHEM 206 & MMG 206)	-, O, W	3		y
BIOC 207	Biochemistry Lab (crosslisted w/CHEM 207 & MMG 207)	Q, O, W	3		y
BIOC 263	Nutritional Biochemistry	Q, O, W	3		y
BIOC 275	Adv. Biochemistry of Human Disease		3	y
BIOC 292	Undergraduate Research		variable	y	y
BIOC 293	Independent Study		variable	y	y
BIOC 294	Teaching Assistantship	O*	1	y	y
BIOC 295/296	Advanced Special Topics		variable	y	y

Biology and BioCore

Course	Course Title	Skillsets	Credits	Fall	Spring	Summer
BCOR 189	Biology in Practice	W		y	y
BCOR 195	Intermediate Special Topics, or other		variable
BCOR 197	Teaching Assistantship	O*	1	y	y
BCOR 198/298	Undergraduate Research	Q* W*	variable	y	y	variable
BIOL 188	Soundscapes and Behavior Research	QOW	3	y	y
BIOL 189	Teaching Assistantship			y	y
BIOL 195/196	Special Topics		variable	y	y
BIOL 198	Undergraduate Research	Q*, W	variable	y	y
BIOL 199	Introduction to Marine Science	O	3		y
BIOL 205	Advanced Genetics & Proteomics Laboratory	QOW	4		y
BIOL 209	Field Zoology of Arthropods	Q O	4	y
BIOL 212	Comparative Histology		4		y
BIOL 217	Mammalogy	QOW	4	y
BIOL 219	Comparative Function of Vertebrate Anatomy		4		y
BIOL 223	Developmental Biology	-, -, -	3	y
BIOL 242	Research Mthds in Human Diversity (crosslisted w/ANTH 242)	QOW	4	y
BIOL 254	Population Genetics	Q-W	4	y		y
BIOL 255	Comparative Physiology	Q, O, W	4	y
BIOL 261	Neurobiology	-, O*, -	3	y	y
BIOL 264	Community Ecology	Q, O, W	3	y
BIOL 266	Neurodevelopment	O	3	y
BIOL 269	Plant-Animal Interactions	Q, O, W	3	y
BIOL 271	Evolution	Q, -, W	3	y
BIOL 276	Behavioral Ecology	Q, -, W	3	e.o.
BIOL 277	Sociobiology	-, -, W	3		e.o.
BIOL 292	Independent Study	-OW	variable	y	y
BIOL 295/296	Advanced Special Topics		variable	y	y	y
BIOL 298	Undergraduate Research	Q*, W	variable	y	y
BIOL 381A	Computational Biology	Q, ,	4		y

Biomedical & Health Sciences

Course	Course Title	Skillsets	Credits	Fall	Spring
BHSC 242	Immunology	--W	3		e.o.
BHSC 244	Immunology Lab		1		y
BHSC 281	Applied Molecular Biology		3	y
BHSC 282	Applied Molecular Biology Lab		1	y

Communication Science & Disorders

Course	Course Title	Skillsets	Credits	Fall	Spring	Summer
CSD 281	Intro Cognitive Neuroscience	QO*W	3	y		y

Environmental Science

Course	Course Title	Skillsets	Credits	Fall	Spring
ENSC 148	Global Environmental Change		3		y
ENSC 160	Pollutant Movement Through Air, Land, and Water	Q, O, W	4	y
ENSC 201	Recovery and Restoration of Altered Ecosystems		4		y
ENSC 274	SU: Climate Change: Science & Perception		3		e.o.

Forestry

Course	Course Title	Skillsets	Credits	Fall	Spring	Summer
FOR 223	Multi-Resource Silviculture	Q, O, W	4	y
FOR 228	Ecosystems Ecology (crosslisted w/NR 228)		3	y

Honors

Course	Course Title	Skillsets	Credits	Fall	Spring
HON 208	Honors: Biology (Thesis Research)	Q,O,W	variable	y
HON 209	Honors: Biology (Thesis Research)	Q,O,W	variable		y
HON 210	Honors: Plant Biology	Q,O,W	variable	y
HON 211	Honors: Plant Biology	Q,O,W	variable		y

Mathematics and Statistics

Course	Course Title	Skillsets	Credits	Fall	Spring	Summer
MATH 268	Mathematical Biology and Ecology	Q,O,W	3		y
STAT 200	Medical Biostatistics & Epidemiology	QO*W	3	y	y

Medical Laboratory Science

Course	Course Title	Skillsets	Credits	Fall	Spring	Summer
MLS 231	Hematology	Q, O, W	4	y
MLS 255	Clinical Microbiology II	-,-,W	3	y

Microbiology & Molecular Genetics

Course	Course Title	Skillsets	Credits	Fall	Spring
MMG 101	Microbiology and Infectious Diseases	QW	4	y
MMG 104	Intro Recombinant DNA Tech	Q, O, -	3		y
MMG 106	Intro Biomedical Research Methods		3		y
MMG 192	Independent Study		variable	y	y
MMG 193	Teaching Assistantship		variable	y	y
MMG 195	Intermediate Special Topics		variable	y	y
MMG 197/198	Undergraduate Research	QOW	variable	y	y
MMG 201	Molecular Cloning Lab	Q, O, W	4	y
MMG 205	Biochemistry (crosslisted w/CHEM 205 & MMG 205)	Q	3	y
MMG 206	Biochemistry II (crosslisted w/CHEM 206 & MMG 206)	-, O, W	3		y
MMG 207	Biochemistry Lab (crosslisted w/CHEM 207 & MMG 207)	Q, O, W	3		y
MMG 211	Prokaryotic Molecular Genetics	Q, O, W	3	y
MMG 220	Environmental Microbiology	-, O, W	3		e.o.
MMG 222	Advanced Medical Microbiology	-, -, W	4		y
MMG 223	Immunology	-, -, W*	3		e.o.
MMG 225	Eukaryotic Virology	-, -, -	3	e.o.
MMG 230	Adv. Studies in Emerging Infectious Diseases	-, O, W	3	e.o.
MMG 231	QR: Bioinformatics and Data analysis	Q	3	y
MMG 232	QR: Advanced Bioinformatics	Q, O, W	3		e.o.
MMG 233	Genetics and Genomics	Q, O, -	3	y
MMG 235	Bioterrorism		3		y
MMG 292	Independent Study		variable	y	y
MMG 293	Teaching Assistantship
MMG 295/296	Adv. Special Topics, as appropriate		variable	y	y
MMG 297/298	Undergraduate Research	QOW	variable	y	y

Natural Resources

Course	Course Title	Skillsets	Credits	Fall	Spring
NR 220	Landscape Ecology	QOW	3	sporadic	sporadic
NR 228	Ecosystems Ecology (crosslisted w/ FOR 228)		3	y
NR 250	Limnology	QOW	4	y
NR 268	Soil Ecology (crosslisted w/ PSS 268)	QO*W	4		e.o.
NR 280	Stream Ecology	QOW	4	y

Neuroscience

Course	Course Title	Skillsets	Credits	Fall	Spring
NSCI 111	Exploring Neuroscience	-O-	3	y	y
NSCI 112	Exploring Neuroscience Lab	Q-W	1	y	y
NSCI 222	Cellular Neorophysiology	QOW	3		y
NSCI 225	Human Neuroanatomy	---	3		y
NSCI 255	Neuroregeneration	OW	3		y
NSCI 270	Diseases of the Nervous System	-, O, W	3	y	y

Nutrition & Food Sciences

Course	Course Title	Skillsets	Credits	Fall	Spring	Summer
NFS 143	Nutrition in the Lifecycle	QO-	3	y		y
NFS 163	Sports Nutrition	QOW	3	y
NFS 203	Food Microbiology	-OW	3	y		e.o.
NFS 213	Food Microbiology Lab	Q-W	1	y
NFS 243	Advanced Nutrition	QOW	3		y	y

Pharmacology

Course	Course Title	Skillsets	Credits	Fall	Spring
PHRM 200	Medical Cannabis	W	3		y
PHRM 201	Introduction to Pharmacology	Q, -, W	3	y
PHRM 240	Molecules and Medicine	QW*	3	y
PHRM 272	Toxicology	QW*	3		y
PHRM 290	Topics in Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology	Q, -, W	3		y

Plant Biology

Course	Course Title	Skillsets	Credits	Fall	Spring	Summer
PBIO 104	Plant Physiology	Q, W	4		y
PBIO 108	Morphology & Evolution of Vascular Plants	-, -, W	4		e.o.
PBIO 109	Plant Systematics	-, -, -	4	y
PBIO 117	Plant Pathology (crosslisted w/ PSS 117)	O	4	y	y
PBIO 133	SU: How Plants Can Save the World	Q*OW	3	y
PBIO 151	Plant Anatomy		3	sporadic	sporadic
PBIO 177	Biology of Fungi	O	4	y		sporadic
PBIO 192	Independent Study		variable	y	y
PBIO 195	Intermediate Special Topics		variable	y	y
PBIO 198	Undergraduate Research		variable	y	y
PBIO 209	Biology of Ferns	OW	3		e.o.
PBIO 223	Fundamentals of Field Science	QOW	3	y
PBIO 232	Botany Field Trip	O?	1	e.o.	e.o.
PBIO 241	Tropical Plant Systematics	OW	3	e.o.
PBIO 261	Plant Growth & Development	-, -, W	3		sporadic
PBIO 275	Global Change Ecology		3			y
PBIO 292	Independent Study		variable	y	y
PBIO 294	QR: Ecological Modeling	Q	3			y
PBIO 295	Advanced Special Topics		variable	y	y
PBIO 298	Undergraduate Research		variable	y	y

Plant & Soil Science

Course	Course Title	Skillsets	Credits	Fall	Spring	Summer
PSS 106	Entomology and Pest Management	-, -, -	4	y
PSS 112	Weed Ecology & Management	QOW	3	y
PSS 117	Plant Pathology (crosslisted w/ PBIO 117)	O	4	y	y
PSS 138	Commercial Plant Propagation	-, O, W	4		y
PSS 143	Forage and Pasture Management (crosslisted w/ASCI 143)	-, O, W	4	e.o.
PSS 154	Composting Ecology and Management	-, O, W	3		y	y
PSS 156	Permaculture	O	3	y	y	y
PSS 212	Advanced Agroecology		4	y
PSS 232	Biological Control	Q, O, W	3		e.o.
PSS 268	Soil Ecology (crosslisted w/ NR 268)	QO*W	4		e.o.
PSS 295	Ecological Frontiers in Agroecology	Q, O, W	3		e.o.

Psychological Science

Course	Course Title	Skillsets	Credits	Fall	Spring	Summer
PSYS 115	Biopsychology	Q	3		y	y
PSYS 215	Physiological Psychology	W	4	y	y
PSYS 216	Psychopharmacology	QW	3	y	y
PSYS 218	Hormones and Behavior	OW	3	e.o.		e.o.
PSYS 220	Behavioral Genetics		3		y

Wildlife & Fisheries Biology

Course	Course Title	Skillsets	Credits	Fall	Spring	Summer
WFB 130	Ornithology	---	3		y
WFB 131	Field Ornithology	-, O*, -	2			y
WFB 141	Field Herpetology	QOW	4		y
WFB 150	Wildlife Habitat and Population Measurements	Q, -, W	1			y
WFB 161	Fisheries Biology and Techniques	Q, -, W	4	y
WFB 174	Principles of Wildlife Management	Q, -, W	3	y
WFB 195	Intermediate Special Topics, as appropriate		variable	y	y
WFB 224	Conservation Biology	Q, -, W	4		y	y
WFB 232	Ichthyology	-, -, W	3		e.o.
WFB 261	Fisheries Management	Q, O, W	3		e.o.
WFB 275	Wildlife Behavior	Q, -, W	3	y
WFB 283	Terrestrial Wildlife Ecology	Q, O, W	4		y

Full list

Course	Course Title	Skillsets	Credits	Fall	Spring	Summer
ANTH 242	Research Mthds in Human Diversity (crosslisted w/BIOL 242)	Q,O,W	4	y
ASCI 111	Animal Anatomy	-,-,-	4	y
ASCI 118	Applied Animal Health	QOW	3		y
ASCI 120	General Physiology		3		y
ASCI 143	Forage and Pasture Management (crosslisted w/PSS 143)		4	e.o.
ASCI 147	SU: Wildife Health & Conservation				y
ASCI 168	Animal Genetics	---	3		y
ASCI 177	Animal Plagues & Global Health	O.W.	3		e.o.
ASCI 215	Physiology of Reproduction	Q, O	3		y
ASCI 216	Endocrinology	OW	3	y
ASCI 220	Lactation Physiology	Q, O, W	3		e.o.
ASCI 242	Advanced Animal Nutrition	QOW	4	y
ASCI 272	Adv. Topics: Zoos, Exotics, and Endangered Species	-, -, -	3		y	y
ASCI 277	Animal and Human Parasitology		3		e.o.
BCOR 189	Biology in Practice	W		y	y
BCOR 195	Intermediate Special Topics, or other		variable
BCOR 197	Teaching Assistantship	O*	1	y	y
BCOR 198/298	Undergraduate Research	Q* W*	variable	y	y	?
BHSC 242	Immunology	--W	3		e.o.
BHSC 244	Immunology Lab		1		y
BHSC 281	Applied Molecular Biology		3	y
BHSC 282	Applied Molecular Biology Lab		1	y
BIOC 191/192	Undergraduate Research		variable	y	y
BIOC 201	Fundamentals of Biochemistry	QO*W	3	y	y	y
BIOC 205	Biochemistry (crosslisted w/CHEM 205 & MMG 205)	Q	3	y
BIOC 206	Biochemistry II (crosslisted w/CHEM 206 & MMG 206)	-, O, W	3		y
BIOC 207	Biochemistry Lab (crosslisted w/CHEM 207 & MMG 207)	Q, O, W	3		y
BIOC 263	Nutritional Biochemistry	Q, O, W	3		y
BIOC 275	Adv. Biochemistry of Human Disease		3	y
BIOC 292	Undergraduate Research		variable	y	y
BIOC 293	Independent Study		variable	y	y
BIOC 294	Teaching Assistantship	O*	1	y	y
BIOC 295/296	Advanced Special Topics		variable	y	y
BIOL 188	Soundscapes and Behavior Research	QOW	3	y	y
BIOL 189	Teaching Assistantship			y	y
BIOL 195/196	Intermediate Special Topics		variable	y	y
BIOL 198	Undergraduate Research	Q*, W	variable	y	y
BIOL 199	Introduction to Marine Science	O	3		y
BIOL 205	Advanced Genetics & Proteomics Laboratory	QOW	4		y
BIOL 209	Field Zoology of Arthropods	Q O	4	y
BIOL 212	Comparative Histology		4		y
BIOL 217	Mammalogy	QOW	4	y
BIOL 219	Comparative Function of Vertebrate Anatomy		4		y
BIOL 223	Developmental Biology	-, -, -	3	y
BIOL 242	Research Mthds in Human Diversity (crosslisted w/ANTH 242)	QOW	4	y
BIOL 254	Population Genetics	Q-W	4	y		y
BIOL 255	Comparative Physiology	Q, O, W	4	y
BIOL 261	Neurobiology	-, O*, -	3	y	y
BIOL 264	Community Ecology	Q, O, W	3	y
BIOL 266	Neurodevelopment	O	3	y
BIOL 269	Plant-Animal Interactions	Q, O, W	3	y
BIOL 271	Evolution	Q, -, W	3	y
BIOL 276	Behavioral Ecology	Q, -, W	3	e.o.
BIOL 277	Sociobiology	-, -, W	3		e.o.
BIOL 292	Independent Study	-OW	variable	y	y
BIOL 295/296	Advanced Special Topics		variable	y	y	y
BIOL 298	Undergraduate Research	Q*, W	variable	y	y
BIOL 381A	Computational Biology	Q, ,	4		y
CHEM 205	Biochemistry (crosslisted w/BIOC 205 & MMG 205)	Q	3	y
CHEM 206	Biochemistry II (crosslisted w/BIOC 206 & MMG 206)	-, O, W	3		y
CHEM 207	Biochemistry Lab (crosslisted w/BIOC 207 & MMG 207)	Q, O, W	3		y
CSD 281	Intro Cognitive Neuroscience	QO*W	3	y		y
ENSC 148	Global Environmental Change		3		y
ENSC 160	Pollutant Movement Through Air, Land, and Water	Q, O, W	4	y
ENSC 201	Recovery and Restoration of Altered Ecosystems		4		y
ENSC 274	SU: Climate Change: Science & Perception		3		e.o.
FOR 223	Multi-Resource Silviculture	Q, O, W	4	y
FOR 228	Ecosystems Ecology (crosslisted w/NR 228)		3	y
HON 208	Honors: Biology (Thesis Research)	Q,O,W	variable	y
HON 209	Honors: Biology (Thesis Research)	Q,O,W	variable		y
HON 210	Honors: Plant Biology	Q,O,W	variable	y
HON 211	Honors: Plant Biology	Q,O,W	variable		y
MATH 268	Mathematical Biology and Ecology	Q,O,W	3		y
MLS 231	Hematology	Q, O, W	4	y
MLS 255	Clinical Microbiology II	-,-,W	3	y
MMG 101	Microbiology and Infectious Diseases	QW	4	y
MMG 104	Intro Recombinant DNA Tech	Q, O, -	3		y
MMG 106	Intro Biomedical Research Methods		3		y
MMG 192	Independent Study		variable	y	y
MMG 193	Teaching Assistantship		variable	y	y
MMG 195	Intermediate Special Topics		variable	y	y
MMG 197/198	Undergraduate Research	QOW	variable	y	y
MMG 201	Molecular Cloning Lab	Q, O, W	4	y
MMG 205	Biochemistry (crosslisted w/CHEM 205 & MMG 205)	Q	3	y
MMG 206	Biochemistry II (crosslisted w/CHEM 206 & MMG 206)	-, O, W	3		y
MMG 207	Biochemistry Lab (crosslisted w/CHEM 207 & MMG 207)	Q, O, W	3		y
MMG 211	Prokaryotic Molecular Genetics	Q, O, W	3	y
MMG 220	Environmental Microbiology	-, O, W	3		e.o.
MMG 222	Advanced Medical Microbiology	-, -, W	4		y
MMG 223	Immunology	-, -, W*	3		e.o.
MMG 225	Eukaryotic Virology	-, -, -	3	e.o.
MMG 230	Adv. Studies in Emerging Infectious Diseases	-, O, W	3	e.o.
MMG 231	QR: Bioinformatics and Data analysis	Q	3	y
MMG 232	QR: Advanced Bioinformatics	Q, O, W	3		e.o.
MMG 233	Genetics and Genomics	Q, O, -	3	y
MMG 235	Bioterrorism		3		y
MMG 292	Independent Study		variable	y	y
MMG 293	Teaching Assistantship
MMG 295/296	Adv. Special Topics, as appropriate		variable	y	y
MMG 297/298	Undergraduate Research	QOW	variable	y	y
NFS 143	Nutrition in the Lifecycle	QO-	3	y		y
NFS 163	Sports Nutrition	QOW	3	y
NFS 203	Food Microbiology	-OW	3	y		e.o.
NFS 213	Food Microbiology Lab	Q-W	1	y
NFS 243	Advanced Nutrition	QOW	3		y	y
NR 220	Landscape Ecology	QOW	3	sporadic	sporadic
NR 228	Ecosystems Ecology (crosslisted w/ FOR 228)		3	y
NR 250	Limnology	QOW	4	y
NR 268	Soil Ecology (crosslisted w/ PSS 268)	QO*W	4		e.o.
NR 280	Stream Ecology	QOW	4	y
NSCI 111	Exploring Neuroscience	-O-	3	y	y
NSCI 112	Exploring Neuroscience Lab	Q-W	1	y	y
NSCI 222	Cellular Neorophysiology	QOW	3		y
NSCI 225	Human Neuroanatomy	---	3		y
NSCI 255	Neuroregeneration	OW	3		y
NSCI 270	Diseases of the Nervous System	-, O, W	3	y	y
PBIO 104	Plant Physiology	Q, W	4		y
PBIO 108	Morphology & Evolution of Vascular Plants	-, -, W	4		e.o.
PBIO 109	Plant Systematics	-, -, -	4	y
PBIO 117	Plant Pathology (crosslisted w/ PSS 117)	O	4	y	y
PBIO 133	SU: How Plants Can Save the World	Q*OW	3	y
PBIO 151	Plant Anatomy		3	sporadic	sporadic
PBIO 177	Biology of Fungi	O	4	y		sporadic
PBIO 192	Independent Study		variable	y	y
PBIO 195	Intermediate Special Topics		variable	y	y
PBIO 198	Undergraduate Research		variable	y	y
PBIO 209	Biology of Ferns	OW	3		e.o.
PBIO 223	Fundamentals of Field Science	QOW	3	y
PBIO 232	Botany Field Trip	O?	1	e.o.	e.o.
PBIO 241	Tropical Plant Systematics	OW	3	e.o.
PBIO 261	Plant Growth & Development	-, -, W	3		sporadic
PBIO 275	Global Change Ecology		3			y
PBIO 292	Independent Study		variable	y	y
PBIO 294	QR: Ecological Modeling	Q	3			y
PBIO 295	Advanced Special Topics		variable	y	y
PBIO 298	Undergraduate Research		variable	y	y
PHRM 200	Medical Cannabis	W	3		y
PHRM 201	Introduction to Pharmacology	Q, -, W	3	y
PHRM 240	Molecules and Medicine	QW*	3	y
PHRM 272	Toxicology	QW*	3		y
PHRM 290	Topics in Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology	Q, -, W	3		y
PSS 106	Entomology and Pest Management	-, -, -	4	y
PSS 112	Weed Ecology & Management	QOW	3	y
PSS 117	Plant Pathology (crosslisted w/ PBIO 117)	O	4	y	y
PSS 138	Commercial Plant Propagation	-, O, W	4		y
PSS 143	Forage and Pasture Management (crosslisted w/ASCI 143)	-, O, W	4	e.o.
PSS 154	Composting Ecology and Management	-, O, W	3		y	y
PSS 156	Permaculture	O	3	y	y	y
PSS 212	Advanced Agroecology		4	y
PSS 232	Biological Control	Q, O, W	3		e.o.
PSS 268	Soil Ecology (crosslisted w/ NR 268)	QO*W	4		e.o.
PSS 295	Ecological Frontiers in Agroecology	Q, O, W	3		e.o.
PSYS 115	Biopsychology	Q	3		y	y
PSYS 215	Physiological Psychology	W	4	y	y
PSYS 216	Psychopharmacology	QW	3	y	y
PSYS 218	Hormones and Behavior	OW	3	e.o.		e.o.
PSYS 220	Behavioral Genetics		3		y
STAT 200	Medical Biostatistics & Epidemiology	QO*W	3	y	y
WFB 130	Ornithology	---	3		y
WFB 131	Field Ornithology	-, O*, -	2			y
WFB 141	Field Herpetology	QOW	4		y
WFB 150	Wildlife Habitat and Population Measurements	Q, -, W	1			y
WFB 161	Fisheries Biology and Techniques	Q, -, W	4	y
WFB 174	Principles of Wildlife Management	Q, -, W	3	y
WFB 195	Intermediate Special Topics, as appropriate		variable	y	y
WFB 224	Conservation Biology	Q, -, W	4		y	y
WFB 232	Ichthyology	-, -, W	3		e.o.
WFB 261	Fisheries Management	Q, O, W	3		e.o.
WFB 275	Wildlife Behavior	Q, -, W	3	y
WFB 283	Terrestrial Wildlife Ecology	Q, O, W	4		y

Biological Science 4-yr Roadmap (PDF)

Starting out as BioSci major

Interested in biology, but not sure what you want to focus on? NO PROBLEM. The first and second years of study in the Biological Science major impart core knowledge and skills in biology, chemistry, and math. This core set of prerequisites is the same across several life science majors, so you’ll be learning alongside like-minded students from various departments, garnering insight into what biological disciplines you’d like to pursue as an upperclassman.

Picking your BioSci electives

Broad or narrow? The focus of this major is your choice. Choose 7-8 courses from a huge list of offerings representing 20 different departments ranging from Neuroscience to Biochemistry to Wildlife & Fisheries Biology.

Being an Undergraduate Researcher

BioSci majors can apply up to 6 credits of undergraduate research to their advanced elective requirements! Whether through a department (e.g. MMG 198/298), a program (e.g. BCOR 198/298), or the honors college (HON 208/209), doing undergraduate research is learning beyond the classroom - in the real, active research labs of our university.

Going Pre-Med

Headed for medical or dental school? All course requirements for most medical/dental schools and MCAT preparation can be satisfied by the BioSci major and associated college and university requirements. Be sure to visit the Pre-Health Advising center.

Integrated Biological Sciences