Courses | B.S. in Biological Science
Below are the course requirements for this academic program. In addition to these program-specific requirements, all majors include Biola's traditional undergraduate core curriculum. For more program details, including a sample course sequence, .
Graduate/Professional School Requirements
The student should be aware that most graduate programs and many professional schools require an overall minimum GPA of 3.0 and that a grade of C or better was earned for all science courses and they will not accept Advanced Placement science credit to fulfill the entrance requirements.
Curriculum Requirements
Concentrations
General Biology (65+ Credits)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| All Biological Science majors meet the Core Curriculum requirement of 6 credits in science and mathematics within the major. The foreign language requirement is met by two years of high school study in the same language or four credits of college foreign language. is strongly recommended and meets the Philosophy Core Curriculum requirement. | ||
| Program Courses | ||
& | Fundamentals of Cellular and Molecular Biology and Fundamentals of Cellular and Molecular Biology Laboratory | 4 |
& | Fundamentals of Organismal Biology and Fundamentals of Organismal Biology Laboratory | 4 |
| Sophomore Writing Seminar | 1 | |
| Botany | 4 | |
| Physiology | 4 | |
| or | Microbiology | |
| or | Advanced Microbiology | |
| or | Advanced Physiology | |
| Cell and Molecular Biology | 3 | |
| Laboratory in Cell and Molecular Biology | 1 | |
& | Genetics and Laboratory in Genetics | 4 |
| General Ecology | 4 | |
| Directed Research | 1 | |
| or | Seminar in Advanced Biology | |
| or | Internship | |
| Electives: Select a minimum of 8 credits of upper-division Biological Sciences courses. | 8 | |
| The following minimum of 27-30 credits of supporting sciences from the Departments of Chemistry, Physics and Engineering and Mathematical Sciences are also required including: 1 | ||
| Introduction to Chemistry 2 | 3 | |
& | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Lab | 4 |
& | General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Lab | 4 |
& | Organic Chemistry I and Laboratory in Organic Chemistry I | 4 |
& | Organic Chemistry II and Laboratory in Organic Chemistry II | 4 |
& | Physics I and Physics I Laboratory 3 | 4 |
| or & | Physics I with Foundations and Physics I Laboratory | |
| or & | General Physics I: Mechanics and Heat and General Physics I Laboratory | |
& | Physics II and Physics II Laboratory | 4 |
| or & | General Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism and General Physics II Laboratory | |
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Precalculus Mathematics | ||
| Calculus I | ||
| Introduction to Probability and Statistics | ||
| Biostatistics | ||
| Program Course Requirements: 65-69 credits | ||
| 57-61 | ||
| Total Credits | 122-130 | |
- 1
The following courses do not count as supporting science or major electives: , , , , .
- 2
is waived for students who meet the qualifications to enter . See the current Placement Options for CHEM 105 for more information.
- 3
All students who do not meet one of the Physics 111 Placement Options must enroll in . The prerequisite for is or an Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus AB or BC score of 4 or higher.
Environmental Science (63+ Credits)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| All Biological Science majors meet the Core Curriculum requirement of 6 credits in science and mathematics within the major. The foreign language requirement is met by two years of high school study in the same language or four credits of college foreign language. is strongly recommended and meets the Philosophy Core Curriculum requirement. | ||
| Program Courses | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Science | 3 | |
& | Fundamentals of Organismal Biology and Fundamentals of Organismal Biology Laboratory | 4 |
| Sophomore Writing Seminar | 1 | |
| Botany | 4 | |
& | Genetics and Laboratory in Genetics | 4 |
| or | Physiology | |
| or | Advanced Physiology | |
| General Ecology | 4 | |
| Directed Research | 1 | |
| or | Seminar in Advanced Biology | |
| or | Internship | |
| BIOS 300/400 Elective | 3 | |
| Select a minimum of 8 credits in Organismal Biology Electives | 8 | |
| Vertebrate Biology | ||
| Invertebrate Biology | ||
| Marine Biology | ||
| Parasitology 1 | ||
| Ornithology | ||
| Select a minimum of 8 credits in Environmental Science Electives | 8 | |
| Ecological Agriculture | ||
| Global Development and Ecological Sustainability | ||
| Land Resources | ||
| Lake Ecology and Management | ||
| Environmental Microbiology | ||
| Field Biology | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Bioethics | ||
| Environmental Health: An Ecological Perspective | ||
| Principles of Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Conservation Biology | ||
| Restoration Ecology | ||
| Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies | ||
| Topics in Environmental Science | ||
| Topics in Natural Resource Management | ||
| Directed Studies in Environmental Sciences | ||
| Seminar in Advanced Biology | ||
| Internship | ||
| Directed Research | ||
| Environmental Chemistry | ||
| Geology | ||
| Geology Laboratory | ||
| The following minimum of 23-26 credits of supporting sciences from the Departments of Chemistry, Physics and Engineering and Mathematical Sciences are also required including: 2 | ||
| Introduction to Chemistry 3 | 3 | |
& | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Lab | 4 |
& | General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Lab | 4 |
& | Organic Chemistry I and Laboratory in Organic Chemistry I | 4 |
| or & | Basic Organic and Biochemistry and Basic Organic and Biochemistry Lab | |
| Introduction to Probability and Statistics | 3 | |
| or | Biostatistics | |
& | Physics I and Physics I Laboratory 4 | 4 |
| or & | Physics I with Foundations and Physics I Laboratory | |
| or & | General Physics I: Mechanics and Heat and General Physics I Laboratory | |
& | Physics II and Physics II Laboratory | 4 |
| or & | General Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism and General Physics II Laboratory | |
| Program Course Requirements: 63-66 credits | ||
| 57-61 | ||
| Total Credits | 120-127 | |
- 1
Additional course(s), which are not program or concentration requirements, are required as prerequisites. See department for advising.
- 2
The following courses do not count as supporting science or major electives: , , , , .
- 3
is waived for students who meet the qualifications to enter . See the current Placement Options for CHEM 105 for more information.
- 4
All students who do not meet one of the Physics 111 Placement Options must enroll in . The prerequisite for is or an Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus AB or BC score of 4 or higher.
Pre-Med/Pre-Health Care Professional (65+ Credits)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| All Biological Science majors meet the Core Curriculum requirement of 6 credits in science and mathematics within the major. The foreign language requirement is met by two years of high school study in the same language or four credits of college foreign language. is strongly recommended and meets the Philosophy Core Curriculum requirement. | ||
| Program Courses | ||
& | Fundamentals of Cellular and Molecular Biology and Fundamentals of Cellular and Molecular Biology Laboratory | 4 |
& | Fundamentals of Organismal Biology and Fundamentals of Organismal Biology Laboratory | 4 |
| Sophomore Writing Seminar | 1 | |
| Physiology | 4 | |
| or | Advanced Physiology | |
| Cell and Molecular Biology | 3 | |
| Laboratory in Cell and Molecular Biology | 1 | |
& | Genetics and Laboratory in Genetics | 4 |
| General Ecology | 4 | |
| or | Environmental Health: An Ecological Perspective | |
| General Biochemistry I | 3 | |
| or | General Biochemistry II | |
| Directed Research | 1 | |
| or | Seminar in Advanced Biology | |
| or | Internship | |
| Electives: Select a minimum of 9 credits of upper-division Biological Sciences courses. | 9 | |
| The following minimum of 27-30 credits of supporting sciences from the Departments of Chemistry, Physics, and Engineering and Mathematical Sciences are also required, including: | ||
| Introduction to Chemistry 1 | 3 | |
& | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Lab | 4 |
& | General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Lab | 4 |
& | Organic Chemistry I and Laboratory in Organic Chemistry I | 4 |
& | Organic Chemistry II and Laboratory in Organic Chemistry II | 4 |
& | Physics I and Physics I Laboratory 2 | 4 |
| or & | Physics I with Foundations and Physics I Laboratory | |
| or & | General Physics I: Mechanics and Heat and General Physics I Laboratory | |
& | Physics II and Physics II Laboratory | 4 |
| or & | General Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism and General Physics II Laboratory | |
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Precalculus Mathematics | ||
| Calculus I | ||
| Introduction to Probability and Statistics | ||
| Biostatistics | ||
| Program Course Requirements: 65-69 credits | ||
| 57-61 | ||
| Total Credits | 122-130 | |
- 1
is waived for students who meet the qualifications to enter . See the current Placement Options for CHEM 105 for more information.
- 2
All students who do not meet one of the Physics 111 Placement Options must enroll in . The prerequisite for is or an Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus AB or BC score of 4 or higher.
Secondary Instruction (72+ credits)
For those interested in teaching Biology at the high school level, this concentration provides coursework that, combined with successfully passing the California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET), leads to a California Single Subject Teaching Credential in Biology. The Professional Teacher Preparation Program leading to a California Teaching Credential at 今日黑料 is subject to change in response to new legislation. See a credential analyst in the School of Education for current information on completing the requirements for a teaching credential. Students must consult with both their major advisor and a School of Education advisor.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Biological Science, Secondary Instruction students meet the Core Curriculum requirement of 12 credits in behavioral science, history, science, and mathematics within the major. The foreign language requirement is met by two years of high school study in the same language or four credits of college foreign language. is strongly recommended and meets the Philosophy Core Curriculum requirement. | ||
| Program Courses | ||
| Students must complete a minimum of 31 credits of Biological Science courses and a minimum of 18 credits of Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics courses including the following: 1 | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Science | 3 | |
& | Fundamentals of Cellular and Molecular Biology and Fundamentals of Cellular and Molecular Biology Laboratory | 4 |
& | Fundamentals of Organismal Biology and Fundamentals of Organismal Biology Laboratory | 4 |
| Sophomore Writing Seminar | 1 | |
| Principles of Human Anatomy and Physiology | 4 | |
| or | Physiology | |
| Cell and Molecular Biology | 3 | |
& | Genetics and Laboratory in Genetics | 4 |
| General Ecology | 4 | |
| Introduction to Chemistry 2 | 3 | |
& | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Lab | 4 |
& | General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Lab | 4 |
| Organic Chemistry I | 3 | |
| or | Basic Organic and Biochemistry | |
| United States History To 1865 3 | 3 | |
| or | Survey of American Government | |
& | Physics I and Physics I Laboratory 4 | 4 |
| or & | Physics I with Foundations and Physics I Laboratory | |
| or & | General Physics I: Mechanics and Heat and General Physics I Laboratory | |
| Introduction to Psychology 5 | 3 | |
| Introduction to Probability and Statistics | 3 | |
| or | Biostatistics | |
| Select at least 4 credits of Biological Science elective courses | 4 | |
| Education Courses | ||
| Introduction to Teaching | 3 | |
| Psychological Foundations of Education | 3 | |
| Methods of Teaching Linguistically Diverse Students | 3 | |
| Secondary Content Area Reading | 3 | |
| Single Subject Pedagogy | 2 | |
| Secondary Curriculum, Differentiation, and Assessment | 3 | |
| Student teaching (12 credits) may be taken as a graduate student and is not required for undergraduate graduation. Please meet with an advisor in the School of Education. | ||
| Secondary Student Teaching I | ||
| Secondary Student Teaching II | ||
| Program Course Requirements: 72-75 credits | ||
| 51-55 | ||
| Total Credits | 123-130 | |
- 1
The following courses do not count as supporting science or major electives: , , , , .
- 2
is waived for students who meet the qualifications to enter . See the current Placement Options for CHEM 105 for more information.
- 3
The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing requires that a teaching credential candidate must have completed a minimum 2-credit course that covers the U.S. Constitution or fulfill this requirement by examination. 今日黑料 students may complete this requirement by taking either or with a grade of C or better. Students receiving AP college credit for either or will also meet this requirement. Transfer coursework must be reviewed by a credential analyst in the School of Education. Either course fulfills the History Core Curriculum requirement.
- 4
All students who do not meet one of the Physics 111 Placement Options must enroll in . The prerequisite for is or an Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus AB or BC score of 4 or higher.
- 5
Fulfills the Behavioral Science Core Curriculum requirement.
Secondary Education Minor
For those interested in teaching Biology at the high school level, this minor provides coursework that, combined with successfully passing the California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET), leads to a California Single Subject Teaching Credential in Biology. The Professional Teacher Preparation Program leading to a California Teaching Credential at 今日黑料 is subject to change in response to new legislation. See a credential analyst in the School of Education for current information on completing the requirements for a teaching credential. Students must consult with both their major advisor and a School of Education advisor. Refer to the Education section of the catalog or meet with a credential analyst in the School of Education for program requirements.
Candidates who take the following 20 credits qualify for a Secondary Education Minor:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Program Courses | ||
| Behavioral Science Coursework | ||
| Introduction to Psychology 1 | 3 | |
| Teacher Preparation Coursework 2 | ||
| Introduction to Teaching | 3 | |
| Psychological Foundations of Education | 3 | |
| Methods of Teaching Linguistically Diverse Students | 3 | |
| Secondary Content Area Reading | 3 | |
| Single Subject Pedagogy | 2 | |
| Secondary Curriculum, Differentiation, and Assessment | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 20 | |
- 1
will count toward the Core Curriculum requirement for Behavioral Science.
- 2
In order to apply the Teacher Preparation Coursework classes towards any California credential, students must earn at least a B- in each of these classes.