In order to graduate, you will also need to complete your general education and university requirements.
The Biology major begins in the freshman year with specific math and science requirements because all upper-division (junior/senior) biology courses require lower-division (freshman/sophomore) courses as prerequisites.
Biology students complete the 'core' courses listed below and select a CONCENTRATION
Complete ALL of the following courses:
- CHEM 110/LCHEM 110/L: Chemistry I
- CHEM 111/LCHEM 111/L: Chemistry II
- BIO 210/LBIO 210/L: Molec&Cell Bio &Animal Phys
- BIO 211/LBIO 211/L: Ecol, Evol, Biodiv & Plants
- BIO 311BIO 311: Genetics
Complete ONE of the following, which also fulfils the CSU Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR):
- BIO 300BIO 300: Issues & Ethics in Biology
- ENVS 300ENVS 300: Crit Thkg & Comm in Env Sci
- MSCI 300MSCI 300: Marine Sci, Comm, & Policy
Complete ONE of the following Service Learning courses:
- BIO 378SBIO 378S: Health Sciences SL
- BIO 379SBIO 379S: Biology Service Learning
- ENSTU 349SENSTU 349S: Environmental Interpretation
- ENSTU 384SENSTU 384S: Social and Ecol Justice
- ENSTU 369SENSTU 369S: Com-Based Wshed Restor SL
- MATH 361SMATH 361S: Mathematics Tutors
- MSCI 359SMSCI 359S: Marine Service Learning
Complete ONE of the following Capstone seminar courses:
- BIO 491BIO 491: Biology Research Capstone
- BIO 492BIO 492: Course-Based Capstone
- BIO 493BIO 493: Biology Test-based Capstone
- ENVS 410ENVS 410: Capstone Integration Seminar
- ENSTU 403ENSTU 403: Capstone Seminar 2
SELECT A CONCENTRATION and complete the specified coursework. The concentrations offered are: Molecular Biology; Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology; and Teacher Preparation.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY CONCENTRATION:
Complete the following courses:
- MATH 150MATH 150: Calculus I
- STAT 100STAT 100: Introduction to Statistics OR STAT 250STAT 250: Applied Stat:Sci Tech
- PHYS 150PHYS 150: Physics for Biologists OR BOTH PHYS 220PHYS 220: Physics I AND PHYS 221PHYS 221: Physics II
- BIO 310BIO 310: Biochemistry OR BIO 414BIO 414: Molecular Cell Biology
- BIO 330BIO 330: Comparative Physiology OR BIO 411BIO 411: Evolution Bio & Pop Genetics
Complete ONE of the following course combinations:
- CHEM 210/LCHEM 210/L: Organic Chem for Biologists AND BIO 310BIO 310: Biochemistry
- CHEM 211CHEM 211: Organic Chemistry I AND CHEM 312CHEM 312: Organic Chemistry II
Complete ONE of the following courses:
- BIO 320BIO 320: Microbiology
- BIO 344LBIO 344L: Environmental Biotech
- BIO 461BIO 461: Eukaryotic Molecular Biology
- BIO 410BIO 410: Bioinformatics & Systems Bio
- BIO 430BIO 430: Marine Experimntl Physiology
- MSCI 430MSCI 430: Marine Experimental Physiol
NOTE: BIO 310BIO 310: Biochemistry or CHEM 312CHEM 312: Organic Chemistry II may double-count as a "Molecular Biology Elective" below
Complete FOUR of the following MOLECULAR BIOLOGY concentration electives.
- BIO 310BIO 310: Biochemistry
- BIO 320BIO 320: Microbiology
- BIO 330BIO 330: Comparative Physiology
- BIO 344LBIO 344L: Environmental Biotech
- BIO 492BIO 492: Course-Based Capstone
- BIO 394BIO 394: Biology Internship
- BIO 411BIO 411: Evolution Bio & Pop Genetics
- BIO 461BIO 461: Eukaryotic Molecular Biology
- BIO 395BIO 395: Special Topics
- BIO 410BIO 410: Bioinformatics & Systems Bio
- BIO 414BIO 414: Molecular Cell Biology
- BIO 430BIO 430: Marine Experimntl Physiology
- MSCI 430MSCI 430: Marine Experimental Physiol
- BIO 494BIO 494: Biology Internship
- CHEM 312CHEM 312: Organic Chemistry II
- CHEM 395CHEM 395: Special Topics
- Upper-division KIN, PH, CHHS or PHYS course may replace ONE of the above courses
ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND BIO ORGANISMAL BIOLOGY CONCENTRATION
Complete ALL of the following courses:
- MATH 150MATH 150: Calculus I
- STAT 250STAT 250: Applied Stat:Sci Tech
- CHEM 210/LCHEM 210/L: Organic Chem for Biologists OR BOTH CHEM 211CHEM 211: Organic Chemistry I AND CHEM 312CHEM 312: Organic Chemistry II
- PHYS 150PHYS 150: Physics for Biologists OR BOTH PHYS 220PHYS 220: Physics I AND PHYS 221PHYS 221: Physics II
Complete ONE of the following courses:
- BIO 344LBIO 344L: Environmental Biotech
- BIO 410BIO 410: Bioinformatics & Systems Bio
- BIO 430BIO 430: Marine Experimntl Physiology
- ENVS 332ENVS 332: Intro to GIS/GPS
- ENVS 350ENVS 350: Quantitative Field Methods
- ENVS 355ENVS 355: Environmental Monitoring
- ENVS 440ENVS 440: Environmental Modeling
- PHYS 330PHYS 330: Robotics for Ecol Research
Complete TWO of the following courses:
- BIO 330BIO 330: Comparative Physiology
- BIO 340BIO 340: Ecology
- BIO 411BIO 411: Evolution Bio & Pop Genetics
NOTE: CHEM 312CHEM 312: Organic Chemistry II may double-count as a "Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology Elective" below
Complete FOUR of the following ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND ORGANISMAL BIOLOGY concentration electives for at least 12 credits.
- BIO 310BIO 310: Biochemistry
- BIO 320BIO 320: Microbiology
- BIO 330BIO 330: Comparative Physiology
- BIO 340BIO 340: Ecology
- BIO 342BIO 342: Plant Communities of CA
- BIO 344LBIO 344L: Environmental Biotech
- BIO 345BIO 345: Marine Biology
- BIO 360BIO 360: Vertebrate Natural History
- BIO 392BIO 392: Biology Seminar Series
- BIO 394BIO 394: Biology Internship
- BIO 395BIO 395: Special Topics
- BIO 410BIO 410: Bioinformatics & Systems Bio
- BIO 411BIO 411: Evolution Bio & Pop Genetics
- BIO 414BIO 414: Molecular Cell Biology
- BIO 420BIO 420: Marine Invertebrate Zoology
- BIO 430BIO 430: Marine Experimntl Physiology
- BIO 448BIO 448: Aquatic Ecology
- BIO 461BIO 461: Eukaryotic Molecular Biology
- BIO 472BIO 472: California Flora
- BIO 494BIO 494: Biology Internship
- BIO 495BIO 495: Special Topics
- CHEM 312CHEM 312: Organic Chemistry II
- ENVS 315ENVS 315: Soils & the Environment
- ENVS 332ENVS 332: Intro to GIS/GPS
- ENVS 350ENVS 350: Quantitative Field Methods
- ENVS 355ENVS 355: Environmental Monitoring
- ENVS 436ENVS 436: Rmt Sns/Image Process
- ENVS 440ENVS 440: Environmental Modeling
- MSCI 380MSCI 380: Scientific Diving Techniques
- MSCI 455MSCI 455: Marine Fish Ecology
- MSCI 470MSCI 470: Sci Pol & Mgmt in Marine Env
- PHYS 330PHYS 330: Robotics for Ecol Research
- Other upper-division course with advisor approval. Only ONE course may have a prefix other than BIO, CHEM, ENVS, MSCI, or PHYS
TEACHER PREPARATION CONCENTRATION
Complete the following courses:
- MATH 130MATH 130: Precalculus OR MATH 150MATH 150: Calculus I
- STAT 100STAT 100: Introduction to Statistics OR STAT 250STAT 250: Applied Stat:Sci Tech
- CHEM 210/LCHEM 210/L: Organic Chem for Biologists OR BOTH CHEM 211CHEM 211: Organic Chemistry I AND CHEM 312CHEM 312: Organic Chemistry II
- PHYS 150PHYS 150: Physics for Biologists
- GEOL 210GEOL 210: Introduction to Earth Science OR GEOL 260GEOL 260: Geology/Hydrology
Complete ONE of the following courses:
- BIO 320BIO 320: Microbiology
- BIO 344LBIO 344L: Environmental Biotech
- BIO 410BIO 410: Bioinformatics & Systems Bio
- BIO 430BIO 430: Marine Experimntl Physiology
- MSCI 430MSCI 430: Marine Experimental Physiol
- ENVS 332ENVS 332: Intro to GIS/GPS
- ENVS 350ENVS 350: Quantitative Field Methods
- ENVS 355ENVS 355: Environmental Monitoring
- ENVS 440ENVS 440: Environmental Modeling
Complete TWO of the following courses:
- BIO 330BIO 330: Comparative Physiology
- BIO 340BIO 340: Ecology
- BIO 411BIO 411: Evolution Bio & Pop Genetics
NOTE: CHEM 312CHEM 312: Organic Chemistry II may double-count as a "Teacher Preparation Elective"
Complete FOUR of the following TEACHER PREPARATION concentration electives for at least 12 credits:
- BIO 310BIO 310: Biochemistry
- BIO 320BIO 320: Microbiology
- BIO 330BIO 330: Comparative Physiology
- BIO 340BIO 340: Ecology
- BIO 342BIO 342: Plant Communities of CA
- BIO 344LBIO 344L: Environmental Biotech
- BIO 345BIO 345: Marine Biology
- BIO 360BIO 360: Vertebrate Natural History
- BIO 392BIO 392: Biology Seminar Series
- BIO 394BIO 394: Biology Internship
- BIO 395BIO 395: Special Topics
- BIO 410BIO 410: Bioinformatics & Systems Bio
- BIO 411BIO 411: Evolution Bio & Pop Genetics
- BIO 414BIO 414: Molecular Cell Biology
- BIO 420BIO 420: Marine Invertebrate Zoology
- BIO 430BIO 430: Marine Experimntl Physiology
- BIO 448BIO 448: Aquatic Ecology
- BIO 461BIO 461: Eukaryotic Molecular Biology
- BIO 472BIO 472: California Flora
- BIO 494BIO 494: Biology Internship
- BIO 495BIO 495: Special Topics
- CHEM 312CHEM 312: Organic Chemistry II
- ENVS 315ENVS 315: Soils & the Environment
- ENVS 332ENVS 332: Intro to GIS/GPS
- ENVS 350ENVS 350: Quantitative Field Methods
- ENVS 355ENVS 355: Environmental Monitoring
- ENVS 436ENVS 436: Rmt Sns/Image Process
- ENVS 440ENVS 440: Environmental Modeling
- MSCI 380MSCI 380: Scientific Diving Techniques
- MSCI 455MSCI 455: Marine Fish Ecology
- MSCI 470MSCI 470: Sci Pol & Mgmt in Marine Env
- PHYS 330PHYS 330: Robotics for Ecol Research
- Other upper-division course with advisor approval. Only ONE course may have a prefix other than BIO, CHEM, ENVS, MSCI, or PHYS