Suggested Four Year Course Plans
Cell/Molecular Biology Track
Year 1
| Fall Semester |
16 credits |
| BIO190 Principles of Biology 1 | 4 |
| CHM190 General Chemistry 1 | 4 |
| MAT190 Calculus 1 | 4 |
| ENG105 Expository Writing, Oral Comm. and Research | 4 |
| SCI399 Natural Sciences Colloquium | 0 |
| Spring Semester |
15-16 credits |
| BIO191 Principles of Biology 2 | 4 |
| CHM191 General Chemistry 2 | 4 |
| MAT191 Calculus 2 | 4 |
| Liberal Education Requirement/General Elective | 3-4 |
| SCI399 Natural Sciences Colloquium | 0 |
Year 2
| Fall Semester | 14-16 credits |
| CHM201 Organic Chemistry 1 | 4 |
| BIO280 General Microbiology | 4 |
| BIO201 Invertebrate Zoology ¹ or BIO234 Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy or Liberal Ed. Requirement/General Elective |
3-4 |
| Liberal Education Requirement/General Elective | 3-4 |
| SCI399 Natural Sciences Colloquium | 0 |
| Spring Semester |
14-17 credits |
| CHM202 Organic Chemistry 2 | 4 |
| BIO210 Anatomy and Physiology ¹ or Liberal Educ. Requirement/General Elective |
3-4 |
| Liberal Educ. Requirement/General Elective | 6-9 |
| SCI399 Natural Sciences Colloquium | 0 |
Year 3
| Fall Semester | 14-16 credits |
| BIO240 Aquatic Ecology ² or BIO242 Terrestrial Ecology ² or Liberal Ed Requirement/General Elective |
3-4 |
| BIO307 Biochemistry 1 | 4 |
| PHY190 Fund. of Physics 1 | 4 |
| Liberal Educ. Requirement/General Elective | 3-4 |
| SCI399 Natural Sciences Colloquium | 0 |
| Spring Semester |
14-16 credits |
| BIO241 Marine Ecology ² or Liberal Educ. Requirement/General Elective ² |
3-4 |
| BIO358 Genetics | 4 |
| PHY191 Fund. of Physics 2 | 4 |
| Liberal Educ. Requirement/General Elective | 3-4 |
| SCI399 Natural Sciences Colloquium | 0 |
Year 4
| Fall Semester |
14-16 credits |
| BIO351 Cell Biology | 4 |
| BIO400 Undergraduate Research* | 1-4 |
| Liberal Educ. Requirement/General Elective | 6-12 |
| SCI399 Natural Sciences Colloquium | 0 |
| Spring Semester | 14-16 credits |
| BIO360 Developmental Biology | 4 |
| BIO400 Undergraduate Research* | 1-4 |
| Liberal Educ. Requirement/General Elective | 6-12 |
| SCI399 Natural Sciences Colloquium | 0 |
¹ Students must take BIO 201, BIO 210, or BIO 234. BIO 201 and BIO 234 are generally offered in alternating fall semesters. BIO 210 is generally offered every spring semester.
² Students must take BIO 240, BIO 241, or BIO 242. BIO 240 and BIO 242 are generally offered in alternating fall semesters. BIO 241 is generally offered every spring semester.
* Undergraduate Research is highly recommended.
All 4-credit science courses include a required laboratory component.
Ecology/Evolutionary Biology Track
Year 1
| Fall Semester |
16 credits |
| BIO190 Principles of Biology 1 | 4 |
| CHM190 General Chemistry 1 | 4 |
| MAT190 Calculus 1 | 4 |
| ENG105 Expository Writing, Oral Comm. and Research | 4 |
| SCI399 Natural Sciences Colloquium | 0 |
| Spring Semester |
15-16 credits |
| BIO191 Principles of Biology 2 | 4 |
| CHM191 General Chemistry 2 | 4 |
| MAT191 Calculus 2 | 4 |
| Liberal Education Requirement/General Elective | 3-4 |
| SCI399 Natural Sciences Colloquium | 0 |
Year 2
| Fall Semester |
15-16 credits |
| CHM201 Organic Chemistry 1 | 4 |
| PHY190 Fund. of Physics 1 | 4 |
| BIO201 Invertebrate Zoology or
BIO234 Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy * |
4 |
| Liberal Education Requirement/General Elective | 3-4 |
| SCI399 Natural Sciences Colloquium | 0 |
| Spring Semester |
14-16 credits |
| CHM202 Organic Chemistry 2 | 4 |
| PHY191 Fund. of Physics 2 | 4 |
| BIO241 Marine Ecology * ² or
Liberal Educ. Requirement/General Elective |
3-4 |
| Liberal Educ. Requirement/General Elective | 3-4 |
| SCI399 Natural Sciences Colloquium | 0 |
Year 3
| Fall Semester |
14-16 credits |
| BIO240 Aquatic Ecology ² *or BIO242 Terrestrial Ecology ² * |
4 |
| BIO351 Cell Biology | 4 |
| Liberal Educ. Requirement/General Elective | 6-8 |
| SCI399 Natural Sciences Colloquium | 0 |
| Spring Semester | 14-17 credits |
| BIO241 Marine Ecology ² * or Liberal Educ. Requirement/General Elective ² * |
3-4 |
| BIO358 Genetics | 4 |
| Liberal Educ. Requirement/General Elective | 6-9 |
| SCI399 Natural Sciences Colloquium | 0 |
Year 4
| Fall Semester |
14-16 credits |
| BIO310 Comparative Physiology | 4 |
| BIO201 Invertebrate Zoology or BIO234 Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy or BIO240 Aquatic Ecology or BIO242 Terrestrial Ecology * ³ |
3-4 |
| Liberal Educ. Requirement/General Elective | 6-8 |
| SCI399 Natural Sciences Colloquium | 0 |
| Spring Semester |
14-16 credits |
| BIO360 Developmental Biology | 4 |
| BIO241 Marine Ecology * ² ³ | 3-4 |
| Liberal Educ. Requirement/General Elective | 6-8 |
| SCI399 Natural Sciences Colloquium | 0 |
* Students must take an animal biology course (BIO 201 or BIO 234), an ecology course (BIO 240, BIO 241, or BIO 242), and an one additional animal biology or Ecology course chosen from those 5 courses. The courses a student chooses to take in any given semester will depend the student’s progress in meeting these requirements.
2 Satisfies either the ecology course requirement or the additional animal biology/Ecology course, depending on courses previously taken.
3 A liberal education or general elective course may be taken if the three biology course requirements above have been met*.
All 4-credit science courses include a required laboratory component.
