THE BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Total Course Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree: 120 units
See "Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree" in The University Catalog for complete details on general degree requirements. A minimum of 40 units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.
A suggested Major Academic Plan (MAP) has been prepared to help students meet all graduation requirements within four years. Please request a plan from your major adviser or view it and other current advising information on the CSU, Chico Web.
General Education Requirements: 48 units
See "General Education Requirements" in The University Catalog and The Class Schedule for the most current information on General Education Requirements and course offerings. The course requirements marked below with an asterisk (*) may also be applied toward General Education.
Biological Sciences majors may meet the Breadth Area B2 requirement by completing BIOL 151.
Cultural Diversity Course Requirements: 6 units
See "Cultural Diversity" in The University Catalog. Most courses taken to satisfy these requirements may also apply to General Education.
American Institutions Requirement: 6 units
See the "American Institutions Requirement" under "Bachelor's Degree Requirements." This requirement is normally fulfilled by completing HIST 130 and POLS 155. Courses used to satisfy this requirement do not apply to General Education.
Literacy Requirement:
See "Mathematics and Writing Requirements" in The University Catalog. Writing proficiency in the major is a graduation requirement and may be demonstrated through satisfactory completion of a course in your major which has been designated as the Writing Proficiency (WP) course for the semester in which you take the course. Students who earn below a C- are required to repeat the course and earn a C- or better to receive WP credit. See The Class Schedule for the designated WP courses for each semester. You must pass ENGL 130 (or its equivalent) with a C- or better before you may register for a WP course.
Course Requirements for the Major: 63 units
The following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, are required of all candidates for this degree. Additional required courses, depending upon the selected option or advising pattern, are outlined following the degree core program requirements.
Lower-Division Requirements: 31-32 units
2 courses required:
| BIOL | 151 | Biological Principles | 4.0 | FS |
| BIOL | 152 | Biological Principles | 4.0 | FS |
| BIOL | 209 | General Botany | 3.0 | FS |
| BIOL | 210 | General Zoology | 3.0 | FS |
| BIOL | 211 | General Microbiology | 4.0 | FS |
NOTE: If BIOL 211 is chosen, the number of upper-division elective units required will be reduced by one unit.
5 courses required:
| CHEM | 111 | General Chemistry | 4.0 | FS * |
| CHEM | 112 | General Chemistry | 4.0 | FS |
| CHEM | 270 | Organic Chemistry | 4.0 | FS |
| PHYS | 202A | General Physics | 4.0 | FS * |
| PHYS | 202B | General Physics | 4.0 | FS |
Upper-Division Requirements: 31-32 units
Biological sciences majors are expected to have completed BIOL 151, BIOL 152, and CHEM 112 before beginning their upper-division requirements.
Upper-Division Core: 15-16 units
4 courses required:
| BIOL | 351 | Intro to Biological Literature | 1.0 | FS WP |
| BIOL | 360 | Genetics | 4.0 | FS |
| BIOL | 400 | Fundamentals of Ecology | 4.0 | FS |
| CHEM | 370 | Organic Chemistry | 3.0 | FS |
Physiology requirement:
| BIOL | 412 | Bacterial Physiology | 4.0 | SP |
| BIOL | 414 | Plant Physiology | 4.0 | FS |
| BIOL | 416 | Vertebrate Physiology | 4.0 | FS |
| BIOL | 417 | Cell Physiology | 3.0 | SP |
Upper-Division Electives: 15-17 units
15-17 units selected from:Any 400-level biology (BIOL) courses.
Select courses in addition to the Upper-Division Core requirement to complete the minimum required number of 63 units total for the major. A maximum of 3 units of BIOL 399 may be taken in one semester, and a maximum of 3 units of BIOL 399, BIOL 489, or BIOL 499H may be credited toward the major.
NOTE: With your adviser's approval, you may substitute one of BIOL 209, BIOL 210, or BIOL 211 for a 400-level course if it has not been used to meet the lower-division requirements. In addition, the following courses are acceptable substitutes for 400-level biology courses.
| BIOL | 380 | Computer Applications Biology | 3.0 | SP |
| BIOL | 399 | Special Problems1.0 | 3.0 | FS |
| CHEM | 370L | Organic Chem Laboratory | 1.0 | FS |
| CHEM | 451 | Biochemistry | 3.0 | FS |
In selecting courses to meet the 15-17 unit elective requirement, you should consult with your adviser to create a package of elective courses that will best meet your career goals. You could select groups of courses that will allow you to concentrate in a given area such as cell/molecular biology, ecology, botany, zoology, or select courses that will meet requirements for a teaching credential, graduate or professional school, or a specific occupation.
Electives Requirement:
To complete the total units required for the bachelor's degree, select additional elective courses from the total university offerings. You should consult with an adviser regarding the selection of courses which will provide breadth to your university experience and possibly apply to a supportive second major or minor.
Grading Requirement:
All courses taken to fulfill major course requirements must be taken for a letter grade except those courses specified by the department as Credit/No Credit grading only.
Advising Requirement:
Advising is mandatory for all majors in this degree program. Consult your undergraduate adviser for specific information.
Honors in the Major
Honors in the Major is a program of independent work in your major. It involves 6 units of honors course work completed over two semesters.
Your Honors work will be recognized at your graduation, on your permanent transcripts, and on your diploma. It is often accompanied by letters of commendation from your mentor in the department or the department chair. Most importantly, however, the Honors in the Major program allows you to work closely with a faculty mentor in your area of interest on an original performance or research project. This year-long collaboration allows you to work in your field at a professional level and culminates in a public presentation of your work. Students sometimes take their projects beyond the university for submission in professional journals, presentation at conferences, or competition in shows; such experience is valuable for graduate school and later professional life.
Some common features of Honors in the Major program are
1. You must take 6 units of Honors in the Major course work. At least 3 of these 6 units are independent study (499H) as specified by your department. You must complete each class with a minimum grade of B. 2. You must have completed 9 units of upper-division course work or 21 overall units in your major before you can be admitted to Honors in the Major. Check the requirements carefully, as there may be specific courses that must be included in these units. 3. Your cumulative GPA should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5 percent of majors in your department. 4. Your GPA in your major should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5 percent of majors in your department. 5. Most students apply for or are invited to participate in Honors in the Major during the second semester of their junior year. Then they complete the 6 units of course work over the two semesters of their senior year. 6. Your honors work culminates with a public presentation of your Honors project.
While Honors in the Major is part of the Honors Program, each department administers its own program. Please contact your major department or major adviser for further information.