Program Overview
College of Natural and Health Sciences
Contact: Mitchell E. McGlaughlin, Ph.D., School Director
Location: Ross Hall 2480
Telephone: 970.351.2921
Website: www.unco.edu/nhs/biology
Advising Information:
Students must consult with their assigned major advisor each semester prior to registering.
To find your advisor, log into ursa.unco.edu; go to 'Student' tab and click 'View Student Information' link. If no advisor is listed, contact the major program for advisor information.
In accordance with University Policies, coursework earned more than 10 years prior to the date of matriculation to UNC may not be used to satisfy any major or minor requirements. Any exception to this policy is at the discretion of the academic program. The school's transfer advisor can be reached at 970.351.2921.
The program consists of three parts:
- Liberal Arts Curriculum (LAC) Credits
- Required Major Credits
- University-Wide Credits
Program Description:
This program places emphasis on a broad understanding of the biological principles underlying all living systems. Undergraduates entering this program should have a strong interest in Biological Sciences and have completed general high school science and mathematics requirements. Given the technical nature of some required courses, additional preparatory coursework may be required for students with limited previous STEM experience.
Students successfully completing this program will be prepared to choose from a varied range of careers that require a solid foundation of biology knowledge in addition to other science and technology training. Such career paths include nursing, business, biotechnology industries, private consulting, scientific writing, curation of museums, foundation and non-profit positions, government, scientific illustration, and many others.
Students will also be prepared to continue their education in graduate biological sciences programs (microbiology, genetics, molecular biology, cell biology, physiology, organismal biology, ecology, evolutionary biology, etc.).
Program Admission Requirements:
Academic Good Standing
Program Requirements:
The State of Colorado has mandated that institutions of higher education assess student outcomes resulting from their college education. The School of Biological Sciences requires that all undergraduate students entering under this Catalog meet the following conditions in addition to meeting the graduation requirements of the University:
- In the senior year of study all undergraduates will take a standardized assessment administered by the School of Biological Sciences to assess the effectiveness of the curriculum.
- Juniors and seniors with a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher are permitted to take 500-level courses. Any 500 level BIO prefix courses will be applied to Biological Science Advanced Study requirements. Consult with faculty advisor to ensure courses are appropriate.
- NOTE: Students completing a major in Biological Sciences and a minor in Chemistry are exempt from the university policy that a maximum of 12 credit hours can be shared between a major and minor. A student must still complete a minimum of 6 upper-division UNC credits (300-400) or UNC approved Study Abroad credits in the minor.
Degree Requirements — 120 Credits
1. Liberal Arts Curriculum — 31 credits
To complete the degree in 120 credits as outlined, the program recommends the below LAC courses that also count toward the 85 required major credits.
Any additional coursework completed outside of the recommended list below may extend the length of the program of study.
Written Communication — 6 credits
SCI 291 (3) is recommended to fulfill Intermediate Written Communication requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.
See Written Communication courses
Mathematics — 3 credits
STAT 150 (3) is recommended to fulfill Mathematics requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.
See Mathematics courses
Arts & Humanities, History, Social & Behavioral Sciences, U.S. Multicultural Studies [MS], and International Studies [IS] — 15 credits
To complete the LAC in the minimum number of credits, be sure to choose at least one course with an IS designation and one course with an MS designation.
Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.
See Arts & Humanities, History, and Social & Behavioral Sciences courses
Natural & Physical Sciences — 7 credits
BIO 110 (4), BIO 111 (4), CHEM 111 (4), CHEM 111L (1) and PHYS 220 (5) are recommended to fulfill Natural & Physical Sciences requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.
See Natural & Physical Sciences courses
See Liberal Arts Curriculum
2. Required Major — 85 credits
Take all of the following courses (51 credits):
Supporting STEM Courses (12 credits)
Choose any courses at the 300-level or higher from among those with the following course prefixes: CHEM, MATH, PHYS, ESCI, FND, DIET, NURS, SOC, PSY.
Capstone Professional Experience (1 credit)
Take one credit (chosen in consultation with faculty advisor to help match career goals) from:
| BIO 422 | Directed Studies | 1- 3 |
| BIO 492 | Internship in Biological Sciences | 1- 3 |
| BIO 493 | Clinical Internship in Biological Sciences | 1- 3 |
| BIO 494 | Practicum in College Biological Science Instruction | 1- 2 |
Biological Science Advanced Study
Choose from BIO-prefix courses at the 200 level or higher to bring your Required Major Credits to 85 total.
Please see course listings in the graduate catalog for additional course options (must be a junior or senior with a minimum 3.0 GPA to take graduate level courses). Consult with faculty advisor to match your career goals.
3. University-Wide Credits — 4-17 credits
Complete additional credits to achieve the minimum credits needed for this degree at UNC; for this degree, that will typically be 4-17 credits depending on the number of credits applied to both the LAC and the major. See your advisor for details.
Four Year Plan
This four year plan is a recommended schedule to complete this bachelor's degree in 4 years. Courses are subject to availability. Students must consult with their major advisor to receive information on any additional graduation requirements and course sequence guidance.
Year 1 – 30 credits
Fall Semester
| BIO 110 | Biology: Atoms to CellsLAS1LASL | 4 |
| CHEM 111 | Principles of Chemistry ILAS1 | 4 |
| CHEM 111L | Principles of Chemistry I LaboratoryLAS1LASL | 1 |
| ENG 122 | College CompositionLAW1 | 3 |
| | LAC Arts and HumanitiesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
LAC Arts and Humanities: Choose U.S. Multicultural Studies (MS) or International Studies (IS) course.
Spring Semester
| BIO 111 | Biology: Organisms to EcosystemsLAS1LASL | 4 |
| CHEM 112 | Principles of Chemistry II | 4 |
| CHEM 112L | Principles of Chemistry II Laboratory | 1 |
| SCI 291 | Scientific WritingLAW2 | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Year 2 – 30 credits
Fall Semester
| BIO 210 | Cell Biology | 3 |
| CHEM 281 | Fundamentals of BiochemistryLAS1 | 3 |
| CHEM 281L | Fundamentals of Biochemistry LaboratoryLAS1LASL | 1 |
| | Upper Division Major Elective | 3 |
| | LAC Social and Behavioral SciencesLAB1LAB2LAB3 | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
LAC Social and Behavior Sciences: Choose U.S. Multicultural Studies (MS) or International Studies (IS) course.
Spring Semester
| BIO 220 | Genetics | 4 |
| BIO 360 | Ecology | 4 |
| STAT 150 | Introduction to Statistical AnalysisLAX1 | 3 |
| | LAC Arts and HumanitiesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 14 |
Year 3 – 30 credits
Fall Semester
| PHYS 220 | Introductory Physics ILAS1LASL | 5 |
| | Major Elective | 3 |
| | Upper Division Major Elective | 3 |
| | LAC HistoryLAH1 | 3 |
| | Choose one of the following courses: | |
| BIO 422 | Directed Studies | 1- 3 |
| BIO 492 | Internship in Biological Sciences | 1- 3 |
| BIO 493 | Clinical Internship in Biological Sciences | 1- 3 |
| BIO 494 | Practicum in College Biological Science Instruction | 1- 2 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Spring Semester
| BIO 351 | Microbiology | 4 |
| | Major Elective | 3 |
| | Major Elective | 3 |
| | Upper Division Major Elective | 3 |
| | LAC Arts and Humanities, History, or Social and Behavioral SciencesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4LAB1LAB2LAB3LAH1 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
Year 4 – 30 credits
Fall Semester
| BIO 465 | Evolution | 3 |
| | Major Elective | 3 |
| | Major Elective | 3 |
| | Upper Division Major Elective | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Spring Semester
| | Major Elective | 3 |
| | Major Elective | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 4 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 14 |
Capstone Professional Experience requirement can be met by completing a minimum of 1 credit hour from the following courses: BIO 422, BIO 492, BIO 493, BIO 494
Advising Notes –
- Either PHYS 220 or PHYS 240 can be taken. PHYS 240 can be substituted but both MATH 131 and MATH 132 are required.
- Students can take either CHEM 281/CHEM 281L or CHEM 381/CHEM 381L (F). If CHEM 381/CHEM 381L are substituted, both CHEM 331 and CHEM 332 are required.
- All Biology majors are required to maintain a minimum of a 2.0 GPA to meet their graduation requirements.
- Student receiving an “F” in required courses must repeat the course.
- Some Biology Electives courses are offered every other year. Check with your advisor to find out when they are offered.
- Monitor your progress and requirements using DegreeWorks available on URSA each semester.
- Remember to get a graduation check after completing 90 semester hours.