• Introductory Biology (8 credits): Choose two of the following four courses: BIOMG 1350, BIOG 1440, BIOG 1445 or BIOEE 1610, plus BIOG 1500.
• Biochemistry (4 or 5 credits): Recommended courses are BIOMG 3300 (Fall, Spring) or BIOMG 3350 (Spring, Summer) or BIOMG 3310+3320 (full year sequence).  BioMG 3330 (Summer) counts, but was discontinued in 2021.
• Advanced Biological Sciences (3 or 4 credits): Any biological sciences course at the 2000-level or above which has a biology prerequisite and is taken for a letter grade. This requirement may also be satisfied by
  • An upper-level course in a science department (excluding engineering, fine arts, liberal studies and mathematics) which has a biology (not social science) content of 95% or greater and a biology prerequisite. Students must receive approval for these alternative courses by consulting their BE faculty advisor or the main BE Advising Office.  For CEE 4510, see notes below.
  • One credit seminars may not be used to meet this requirement.

Notes:

• All Biological Sciences courses must be taken for a letter grade.
• If you received a 4 on AP BIO, you will receive 4 credits of intro bio. You will still need to take one of the four courses above plus the lab (BIOG 1500). If you received a 5 on AP BIO, you will receive 8 credits of intro bio and that will satisfy the intro bio requirement including the lab.
• CEE 4510, wastewater microbiology, counts as an upper level bio course even though it is offered in an engineering department. It’s an administrative and historical anomaly. No other engineering courses count for upper level bio, or ever will. Trust us on this.
• BIOG 4990 (undergraduate research in biology) and BIOG 4980 (undergraduate teaching in biology) may not be used for upper level bio if taken after Summer 2016.
• BIOMG 2800 will count for upper level bio starting in Fall 2020, but not before then, due to the addition of a biology prereq in Fall 2020.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: So what are some of the typical courses chosen by students to satisfy the Advanced Biological Sciences requirement?

A1: Students are encouraged to find upper level bio courses that suit their interests and are discouraged from taking “what everyone else is taking” simply due to the popularity of those courses. Having said that, here is a sampling of what the graduating class of 2015 took to meet this requirement.