The Biology minor provides a solid core of fundamental biology courses coupled with advanced biology electives you can choose to customize your minor. If you are interested in biology, but majoring in something else, this minor can give you the best of both worlds.

In addition to deepening your understanding and appreciation of the living world, a Biology minor expands your career and grad school opportunities by enabling you to take your non-biology major in exciting new directions.

Whether you are a Marine Science major, an Environmental Science, Technology & Policy major, or a non-science major who wants to bring a scientific understanding of animals, plants, human biology into your degree and your future, the Biology minor has been designed to work for you.

Required Courses

Minimum of 19 credits. At least 12 credits, including 6 upper-division credits, must be unique to the minor and not double-count for a student's major.

Complete all of the following pre-requisite courses:

Pre-requisite courses do not count towards the credit requirement for the minor

Complete both of the following core biology courses, or their equivalents:

  • BIO 210/L: Molecular and Cell Biology and Animal Physiology
  • BIO 211/L: Ecology, Evolution, Biodiversity and Plants

Complete at least three of the following for 9 to 12 credits, including at least one course with a lab component:

  • BIO 300: Issues & Ethics in Biology
  • BIO 310: Biochemistry I
  • BIO 311: Genetics
  • BIO 320: Microbiology (lab)
  • BIO 330: Comparative Physiology
  • BIO 340: Ecology (lab)
  • BIO 342: Plant Communities of CA (lab)
  • BIO 344L: Environmental Biotechnology (lab)
  • BIO 345: Marine Biology (lab)
  • BIO 360: Vertebrate Natural History (lab)
  • BIO 392: Biology Seminar Series
  • BIO 395: Special Topics
  • BIO 410: Bioinformatics & Systems Biology (lab)
  • BIO 411: Evolutionary Biology and Population
  • BIO 414: Molecular Cell Biology
  • BIO 420: Marine Invertebrate Zoology (lab)
  • BIO 430: Marine Experimental Physiology(lab)
  • BIO 448: Aquatic Ecology (lab)
  • BIO 461: Eukaryotic Molecular Biology (lab)
  • BIO 472: California Flora (lab)
  • BIO 495: Special Topics
  • BIO 494: Biology Internship
  • Other BIO course numbered 300 or above with advisor approval

The minor requires a minimum of 12 credits that do not double-count for the major. At least 6 of those 12 credits must be courses numbered 300 or above. Most BIO minors who take BIO 210/L: Molecular and Cell Biology and Animal Physiology and BIO 211/L: Ecology, Evolution, Biodiversity and Plants for their major will need 12 upper-division credits that do not double-count for their major.

Learning Outcomes

MLO 1: biological foundations

Students understand and describe the role of contemporary evolutionary theory as it applies to explaining the diversity of life and life processes on earth, including molecular and cellular biology, genetics, organismal biology and ecology, and medicine, and they apply basic scientific principles and methods to these biological processes.

MLO 2: advanced knowledge in biology

Students apply scientific principles and methods in one or more areas of Biology selected from among courses in molecular life processes, the structure and function of cells, organismal biology, genetics, evolution, or experimental and theoretical ecology.