Along with specific requirements for any major, all students in the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degree programs must meet all general education and graduation requirements under a single catalog.
Requirements for a major are 36 hours in Biology including:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements | ||
| BIOL 241 | Organization of Life: Genetics and Cell Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 242 | Diversity of Life: An Introduction to Zoology and Botany | 4 |
| BIOL 243 | Processes of Life: Ecology and Evolution | 4 |
| BIOL 252 | Modeling the Systems of Life | 4 |
| BIOL 356 | Genetics | 4 |
| BIOL 494 | The Integrated Biologist | 2 |
| Electives | ||
| Select 14 credits of electives, including at least one course from each of three course clusters: | 14 | |
Cluster 1 - Cellular & Molecular Biology | ||
| Advanced Cellular and Developmental Biology | ||
| Introduction to Pharmacology | ||
| Microbiology | ||
| Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis | ||
| General Biochemistry | ||
Cluster 2 - Organismal Biology and Physiology | ||
| Human Anatomy and Physiology I | ||
| Human Anatomy & Physiology II | ||
| Parasitology | ||
| Invertebrate Zoology | ||
| Neurobiology | ||
| Economic Botany | ||
| Plant Physiology | ||
Cluster 3 - Ecology, Environment, and Evolution | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Ethics | ||
| Introduction to Bioinformatics | ||
| Plant Taxonomy | ||
| Disease Ecology | ||
| Evolutionary Biology | ||
| Marine Biology | ||
| Animal Behavior | ||
| Field Natural History | ||
| Total Credits | 36 | |
A student majoring in biology is also required to develop a sound understanding of chemical processes; this requirement is fulfilled in one of two ways:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following options: | 16 | |
| Option A | ||
| General Chemistry I | ||
| General Chemistry II | ||
| Organic Chemistry I | ||
| Organic Chemistry II | ||
| Option B | ||
| General Chemistry I | ||
| General Chemistry II | ||
| Principles of Organic Chemistry | ||
Additional 4 credits in 1-2 natural sciences course(s) 1 | ||
| 1 | Select 4 credit hours in 1-2 natural sciences course(s) that are not Scientific Issues & Perspectives (SIP) or Advanced Integrative Seminar (AIS) courses. |
Cross-referenced courses cannot be counted toward a Biology major if they are included in the major or minor program of another department.
Students may register for biology elective credit in courses within cooperative programs such as those offered by Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area (ACCA), the Morton Arboretum or the Shedd Aquarium.
Medical, Dental and Health Professions:
Biology majors interested in medical, dental and other health professions must meet specific requirements of the professional schools to which they apply. See these requirements and recommendations by the Health Professions Office. Please also talk to your Biology Major Advisor for guidance.