Bachelor of Science in Biology
Compared to the B.A. program, the B.S. program requires 8-14 more units of physical sciences and mathematics support courses, more focused upper-division major course selections, a senior research project, and 132 total units for graduation. A total of 36 units of U.D. BIOL is required. Students must specify and meet requirements for a particular concentration for the B.S. The lower-division core is structured so that switching between the B.A. and B.S. programs in the first two years will not delay completing either degree.
| Courses | Units |
|---|---|
| Lower-Division Core | Identical to the B.A. degree |
| Upper-Division Core | Identical to the B.A. degree. |
| Additional Natural Sciences Support Courses | 22 |
| Courses | Units |
|---|---|
| MATH 161 Calculus | 4 |
| CHEM 335AB Organic Chemistry | 8 |
| PHYS 210 AB General Physics | 6 |
| PHYS 209A General Physics Laboratory (students with calculus may take PHYS 114 (4), PHYS 116 (1), and PHYS 214 (4) to meet the physics requirement) |
1 |
| Requirement | Course | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Lower-Division Core in Biology (12) | BIOL 121 | 4 |
| BIOL 122 | 4 | |
| BIOL 123 | 4 | |
| Physical Sciences & Mathematics (33) | CHEM 115A- General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 115B- General Chemistry | 5 | |
| CHEM 335A- Organic Chemistry | 5 | |
| CHEM 335B- Organic Chemistry | 3 | |
| MATH 165 - Elementary Statistics | 4 | |
| MATH 161 - Calculus I | 4 | |
| PHYS 210A - General Physics Lecture | 3 | |
| PHYS 210B - General Physics Lecture |
3 | |
| PHYS 209A - General Physics Lab | 1 | |
| Upper-Division Core Requirements (20) | Organismal Biology (complete the following): BIOL 322 Invertebrate Biology |
4 |
| Physiology (complete the following) BIOL 347 Environmental Physiology |
4 | |
| Molecular & Cell Biology (complete one of your choice) |
4 | |
| Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (complete both of the following): BIOL 335 Marine Ecology, and BIOL 341 Evolution |
8 | |
| Additional Upper-Division Requirements (19) | Take all of the following: BIOL 485 Biometry, and BIOL 331 Aquatic Botany |
8 |
| Take all of the following: BIOL 494 Independent Research Design, and BIOL 496 Senior Thesis Research |
3 | |
Additional upper-division electives: Complete biology major units of your choice |
8 | |
| Total Units | 84 |
Recommended Advisors for Marine Biology
- Dan Crocker
- Karina Nielsen
| Requirement | Course | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Lower-Division Core in Biology (12) | BIOL 121 | 4 |
| BIOL 122 | 4 | |
| BIOL 123 | 4 | |
| Physical Sciences & Mathematics (33) | CHEM 115A- General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 115B- General Chemistry | 5 | |
| CHEM 335A- Organic Chemistry | 5 | |
| CHEM 335B- Organic Chemistry | 3 | |
| MATH 165 - Elementary Statistics | 4 | |
| MATH 161 - Calculus I | 4 | |
| PHYS 210A - General Physics Lecture | 3 | |
| PHYS 210B - General Physics Lecture |
3 | |
| PHYS 209A - General Physics Lab | 1 | |
| Upper-Division Core Requirements (20) | Organismal Biology (complete the following): BIOL 340 General Bacteriology |
4 |
| Physiology (complete one of the following) BIOL 348 Plant Physiology, or BIOL 349 Animal Physiology |
4 | |
| Molecular & Cell Biology (complete both of the following): BIOL 342 Molecular Genetics, and BIOL 344 Cell Biology |
8 | |
| Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (complete the following): BIOL 341 Evolution |
4 | |
| Additional Upper-Division Requirements (19) | Take two of the following: BIOL 343 Molecular Microbiology BIOL 383 Virology BIOL 472 Developmental Biology BIOL 480 Immunology |
8 |
| Take one of the following: BIOL 544 Advanced Cell Biology BIOL 545 Recombinant DNA Laboratory CHEM 441 Biochemical Methods |
3-4 | |
| Take one of the following: CHEM 445 Structural Biochemistry, or CHEM 446 Metabolic Chemistry |
3 | |
| Take all of the following: BIOL 494 Independent Research Design, and BIOL 496 Senior Thesis Research |
3 | |
Additional upper-division electives: Complete biology major units of your choice |
1-2 | |
| Total Units | 84-86 |
Recommended Advisors for Molecular and Cell Biology
- Mike Cohen
- Joe Lin
- Murali Pillai
| Requirement | Course | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Lower-Division Core in Biology (12) | BIOL 121 | 4 |
| BIOL 122 | 4 | |
| BIOL 123 | 4 | |
| Physical Sciences & Mathematics (33) | CHEM 115A- General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 115B- General Chemistry | 5 | |
| CHEM 335A- Organic Chemistry | 5 | |
| CHEM 335B- Organic Chemistry | 3 | |
| MATH 165 - Elementary Statistics | 4 | |
| MATH 161 - Calculus I | 4 | |
| PHYS 210A - General Physics Lecture | 3 | |
| PHYS 210B - General Physics Lecture |
3 | |
| PHYS 209A - General Physics Lab | 1 | |
| Upper-Division Core Requirements (20) | Organismal Biology (complete one of your choice) | 4 |
| Physiology (complete one of your choice) | 4 | |
| Molecular & Cell Biology (complete the following): BIOL 342 Molecular Genetics |
4 | |
| Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (complete both of the following): BIOL 333 Ecology, and BIOL 341 Evolution |
8 | |
| Additional Upper-Division Requirements (19) | Take all of the following: ENSP 322 Conservation Biology, and BIOL 485 Biometry |
8 |
Take one of the following: |
4 | |
| Take all of the following: BIOL 494 Independent Research Design, and BIOL 496 Senior Thesis Research |
3 | |
Additional upper-division electives: Complete biology major units of your choice |
4 | |
| Total Units | 84 |
Recommended Advisors for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
- Tom Buckley
- Dan Crocker
- Hall Cushman
- Nick Geist
- Derek Girman
- Karina Nielsen
- Nathan Rank
- Richard Whitkus
| Requirement | Course | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Lower-Division Core in Biology (12) | BIOL 121 | 4 |
| BIOL 122 | 4 | |
| BIOL 123 | 4 | |
| Physical Sciences & Mathematics (33) | CHEM 115A- General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 115B- General Chemistry | 5 | |
| CHEM 335A- Organic Chemistry | 5 | |
| CHEM 335B- Organic Chemistry | 3 | |
| MATH 165 - Elementary Statistics | 4 | |
| MATH 161 - Calculus I | 4 | |
| PHYS 210A - General Physics Lecture | 3 | |
| PHYS 210B - General Physics Lecture |
3 | |
| PHYS 209A - General Physics Lab | 1 | |
| Upper-Division Core Requirements (24) | Organismal Biology (complete one of the following): BIOL 322 Invertebrate Biology BIOL 327 Vertebrate Biology BIOL 329 Plant Biology |
4 |
| Physiology (complete three of the following): BIOL 328 Vertebrate Evolutionary Morphology BIOL 347 Environmental Physiology BIOL 348 Plant Physiology BIOL 349 Animal Physiology |
12 | |
| Molecular & Cell Biology (complete the following): BIOL 344 Cell Biology |
4 | |
| Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (complete one of your choice) | 4 | |
| Additional Upper-Division Requirements (15) | Take all of the following: BIOL 372 Developmental Biology, and CHEM 446 Metabolic Chemistry |
7 |
| Take all of the following: BIOL 494, Independent Research Design, and BIOL 496 Senior Thesis Research |
3 | |
Additional upper-division electives: Complete biology major units of your choice |
5 | |
| Total Units | 84 |
Recommended Advisors for Physiology
- Tom Buckley
- Dan Crocker
- Nick Geist
- Murali Pillai
| Requirement | Course | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Lower-Division Core in Biology (12) | BIOL 121 | 4 |
| BIOL 122 | 4 | |
| BIOL 123 | 4 | |
| Physical Sciences & Mathematics (33) | CHEM 115A- General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 115B- General Chemistry | 5 | |
| CHEM 335A- Organic Chemistry | 5 | |
| CHEM 335B- Organic Chemistry | 3 | |
| MATH 165 - Elementary Statistics | 4 | |
| MATH 161 - Calculus I | 4 | |
| PHYS 210A - General Physics Lecture | 3 | |
| PHYS 210B - General Physics Lecture |
3 | |
| PHYS 209A - General Physics Lab | 1 | |
| Upper-Division Core Requirements (16) | Organismal Biology (complete the following): BIOL 340 Bacteriology |
4 |
| Physiology (complete one of the following): BIOL 347 Environmental Physiology, or BIOL 348 Plant Physiology, or BIOL 349 Animal Physiology |
4 | |
| Molecular & Cell Biology (complete one of the following): BIOL 342 Molecular Genetics, or BIOL 343 Molecular Microbiology, or BIOL 344 Cell Biology |
4 | |
| Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (complete one of the following): BIOL 333 Ecology, or BIOL 341 Evolution |
4 | |
| Additional Upper-Division Requirements (23) | Take two of the following: BIOL 382 Parasitology BIOL 480 Immunology BIOL 481 Medical Microbiology |
8 |
| Take one of the following: BIOL 338 Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology CHEM 255 Quantitative Analysis |
4 | |
| Take all of the following: BIOL 494, Independent Research Design, and BIOL 496 Senior Thesis Research |
3 | |
Additional upper-division electives: Complete biology major units of your choice |
7-8 | |
| Total Units | 84 |
Recommended Advisors for Microbiology
- Mike Cohen
- Murali Pillai