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Biology Major

(Catalog Majors Fall 2000 and Later)

Procedures and Requirements

capuchin monkey!

All Life Science Core Curriculum courses must be passed with a letter grade of C- or better and must be completed with an overall GPA of 2.0 (C) or better. If you receive a grade of D or F in two core curriculum courses, either in separate courses or in repetitions of the same course, you are subject to dismissal from the major.

A maximum of four units of graduate work may be applied on the major (if approved).

A maximum of four units of EE Biol 199 OR eight units of EE Biol 198A & 198B may be applied to the major.

Each course applied toward the upper division major must have a minimum of 4 units.  Courses with fewer units may be combined to equal one course equivalent, if they are applicable to the major (i.e., EE Biol 180, EE Biol 188); thus, (2) courses worth 2 units each (for a total of 4 units) could equal one course requirement on the major.  A maximum of (1) course on the major is allowed in cases where two 2-unit courses are combined to equal one course equivalent.  A six-unit course counts as one course on the requirement for the major (i.e., EE Biol C119 (4 units) and C119L (2 units) count as one course).

All courses to be applied on the major must be taken for a letter grade.

The College of Letters and Science requires a total of 60 upper division units for graduation.

To graduate, students must earn a minimum global (major) GPA average of 2.0 (C) in all courses applied toward the major and a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 (C).

Departmental Honors

An overall GPA of 3.4 and a 3.4 in the global GPA of the major are required for graduation with honors in Biology.  Highest honors in Biology are awarded to majors who have global and overall GPA's of 3.6 at graduation and who have satisfactorily completed EE Biol 198A & 198B.  Students need not apply for departmental honors; all students are reviewed for honors following the receipt of final transcripts.

Life Science Core Curriculum:

  1. Life Sciences 1, 2, 3, and 4
  2. Chemistry 14A, 14B/BL, 14C/14CL, 14D
    OR Chemistry 20A, 20B/L, 30A/30AL, 30B/30BL
    (Students considering medical or pharmacy school who take the 20 series should also take 30C.)
  3. Mathematics 3A, 3B, 3C
    OR Mathematics 31A, 31B, 32A
    (If you are considering the EBE major, you should take the 31 series; some pharmacy schools also require the 31 series.)
  4. Physics 6A, 6B, 6C OR Physics 6AH, 6BH, 6CH
    OR Physics 1ABC, 4AL, 4BL
  5. Stats 13

Requirements for the Biology Major:

Lab Requirement:

Of the courses that you choose for your major from categories 2-5 below, (2) courses must be LABORATORY courses from the following list: 
EE Biol 101, 103, 105, C107, 110, 112, 128, 136, 152, 157, M158, 162, M166, 167, 170, 181.

You may apply ONE of the following courses toward the laboratory requirement:
EE Biol C109, 111, 113A, 114, C115.

You may apply ONE of the following courses or sets of courses toward the laboratory requirement:
MIMG 101+101L, MCDB 104, 120(before Fall 2005) or 120L(Fall 2005 and later), or 155, or Phy Sci 107 or 111L+111A, B or C.

  1. Chemistry 153A and 153L (Chem 153L does NOT count toward the two lab course requirement.)
  2. Two courses in morphology and systematics, and/or ecology, behavior and evolution from the following list:  EE Biol 100, 101*, 103*, 105*, 110*, 116, 120, 122, C126, 129, 130, C135, 136*, 154, 157*, 181*, Anthro 128A, MIMG 101+101L* (must take both to count as one course)
  3. Two courses in developmental and molecular biology and/or physiology from the following list:
    EE Biol 121, 128*, C134A or 134B, 146, M158*, 162*, 165, M166*, 167*, 168, 170*, 179, Chem 153B,MCDB 104*, 120*, 138, M140, C141, 144, 155*, 165, 171, MIMG C132, Neurosci M101A, M101B,M101C, Phy Sci 111A, 111B, 111C, C125, 142
  4. Two additional upper division courses in ANY EE Biol or MCDB (EXCLUDES EE Biol 192, 194, 195, 196; MCDB 188-199)
  5. Three upper division courses from the following list:
    Anthropology 120 and/or ONE of 124, 127P, 128A;
    Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (ONE of 102, 103, 104, M105, 130);
    Biomathematics 110 and/or Biostatistics 100B;
    Chemistry and Biochemistry (EXCLUDES 188-199);
    Earth and Space Sciences 116;
    Geography 112 and/or ONE of 108, 111;
    Mathematics (EXCLUDES 104, 105A, 105B, 106, 188-199);
    Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics (EXCLUDES 188-199);
    Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology (EXCLUDES 188-199);
    Neuroscience M101A, M101B, M101C, 102, M130, M148;
    EE Biol (EXCLUDES 192, 194, 195, 196);
    Physics (EXCLUDES 199);
    Physiological Science (EXCLUDES 188-199);
    Psychology 115.
    ONE of this group: 
    Human Genetics C144, Life Sciences 100HA, 100HB, 100HC;
    (190's and 199's with sponsors outside EEB do not apply on the major unless approved by special petition after the course is completed.)

* Denotes possible laboratory courses

NOTE:  Effective Fall 2004 and thereafter, enrollment in ALL Physiological Sciences upper division courses will be restricted to their majors. Enrollment in MCDB upper division courses will be restricted to their majors on the first enrollment pass and open to all students on the second pass, space permitting.

 

IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO BE AWARE OF THE REQUIREMENTS LISTED ON YOUR DPR
AND TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS UP TO DATE!

Revised 06/23/04

Before Fall 1995  |  Fall 95 to Summer 2000  |  Fall 00 to Summer 06