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 concentration is intended for premed and other students having an interest in the human and animal health professions. This program meets the minimal requirements for admittance to most professional schools of health science. 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 who successfully complete the program will be prepared for admission to medical, veterinary, dentistry, chiropractic, or paramedical professional programs. They will also be prepared to continue their education in a wide range of graduate programs as diverse as microbiology and human physiology.
This would also be an appropriate concentration for students interested in working in health communication, pharmaceutical sales, hospitals, biotechnology companies, or government laboratories such as the Centers for Disease Control.
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.
- Junior 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
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
MATH 171 (4) 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 — 95 credits
Take all of the following courses (59 credits):
Choose from the following Chemistry options (3-5 credits)
| | Complete both: | |
| CHEM 331 | Organic Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM 331L | Organic Chemistry I Laboratory | 1 |
| | or complete | |
| CHEM 231 | Principles of Organic Chemistry | 3 |
Biomedical Electives — Choose at least 15 credits from the following courses (15-18 credits):
NOTE: Medical, dental and some other health professional schools (pharmacy, veterinary, etc.) will require PHYS 221, CHEM 332, CHEM 332L, and other courses. If you need to take two semesters of biochemistry or do not need a biochemistry lab, enroll in CHEM 481 (CHEM 481L optional) and CHEM 482 (CHEM 482L optional) instead of CHEM 381 and CHEM 381L. Graduate level courses may be substituted for some of the courses above. Consult an advisor to ensure that you are taking courses to match your career goals.
Professional Supporting Course - Take one of the following options (3 credits):
| ANT 110 | Introduction to Cultural AnthropologyLAB3LAIS | 3 |
| ANT 355 | Medical Anthropology | 3 |
| BAMG 350 | Management and Organizational Behavior | 3 |
| COMM 100 | Basics of Public Speaking | 3 |
| FND 245 | Introduction to Nutrition | 3 |
| LEAD 100 | Fundamentals of Leadership | 3 |
| PHIL 250 | Medical EthicsLAA3 | 3 |
| PSY 120 | Principles of PsychologyLAB3 | 3 |
| PSY 255 | Introduction to Mental Health | 3 |
| SOC 100 | Principles of SociologyLAB3 | 3 |
NOTE: Medical, dental and some other health professional schools (pharmacy, veterinary, etc.) require specific courses from the list above. Not all courses run in all semesters. Consult an advisor to ensure that you are taking courses to match your career goals.
Biological Science Advanced Study
Choose from BIO-prefix courses at the 300 level or higher to bring your Required Major Credits to 95 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 an advisor to ensure that you are taking courses to match your career goals.
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 |
3. University-Wide Credits — 0 credits*
*Note: Students must apply the recommended courses to both the liberal arts curriculum requirements and the major requirements to complete this degree program in 120 credit hours. Students may have an increased number of university wide electives to apply to this degree 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 |
| | Major Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
For Major Elective, take 3 credits from Professional Supporting Courses.
Year 2 – 31 credits
Fall Semester
| BIO 210 | Cell Biology | 3 |
| | Major Elective | 3-5 |
| | or | |
| CHEM 331 | Organic Chemistry I | 4 |
| | and | |
| CHEM 331L | Organic Chemistry I Laboratory | 1 |
| STAT 250 | Statistics for Life SciencesLAX1 | 3 |
| | LAC Social and Behavioral SciencesLAB1LAB2LAB3 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 12-14 |
Either CHEM 331/CHEM 331L or CHEM 231 can be taken.
LAC Social and Behavior Sciences: Choose U.S. Multicultural Studies (MS) or International Studies (IS) course.
Spring Semester
| BIO 220 | Genetics | 4 |
| | Major Elective | 3-5 |
| | or | |
| CHEM 231 | Principles of Organic Chemistry | 3 |
| MATH 171 | Calculus I for Life SciencesLAX1 | 4 |
| | Upper Division Major Elective | 3 |
| | and 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: | 15-17 |
Year 3 – 30 credits
Fall Semester
| BIO 341 | Human Anatomy | 4 |
| BIO 351 | Microbiology | 4 |
| | or | |
| BIO 360 | Ecology | 4 |
| PHYS 220 | Introductory Physics ILAS1LASL | 5 |
| | LAC Arts and HumanitiesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
Spring Semester
| BIO 350 | Human Physiology | 4 |
| BIO 351 | Microbiology | 4 |
| | or | |
| BIO 360 | Ecology | 4 |
| | Upper Division Major Elective | 3 |
| | LAC HistoryLAH1 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 14 |
Year 4 – 29 credits
Fall Semester
| BIO 465 | Evolution | 3 |
| | or | |
| | LAC Arts and Humanities, History, or Social and Behavioral SciencesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4LAB1LAB2LAB3LAH1 | 3 |
| | Major Elective | 5 |
| | or | |
| | Upper Division Major Elective | 5 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Spring Semester
| BIO 465 | Evolution | 3 |
| | or | |
| | LAC Arts and Humanities, History, or Social and Behavioral SciencesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4LAB1LAB2LAB3LAH1 | 3 |
| | Major Elective | 5 |
| | or | |
| | Upper Division Major Elective | 5 |
| | Major Elective | 5 |
| | or | |
| | Upper Division Major Elective | 5 |
| | Upper Division Major Elective | 1 |
| 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 –
- Many professional schools (Medical, Dental, etc.) require certain courses from Biomedical Electives and Professional Supporting Courses categories. Consult an advisor to make sure you are taking course to match your career goals. Many of the Professional Supporting Courses are LAC courses.
- Students can take CHEM 331/CHEM 331L (F) OR CHEM 231 (S). Students planning to attend medical or other professional schools should take CHEM 331/CHEM 331L AND CHEM 332/CHEM 332L as a Biomedical Elective. Consult an advisor to make sure you are taking courses to match your career goals
- 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 Advanced Biology Elective 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.
- PHIL 250 Medical Ethics (3) and/or PHIL 280 Philosophy of Science (3) are recommended to fill credit hours of the Arts and Humanities LAC requirement.
- Students who will be taking the MCAT should take both PSY 120 Principles of Psychology and SOC 100 Principles of Sociology.
- It is recommended that students who are planning to apply to medical school take CHEM 381 Principles of Biochemistry as this is now becoming a required course for many medical schools.
- Minimum entrance requirements for University of Colorado Medical School (as of June 2020). Check other schools in which you are interested in their current requirements