Program Overview
College of Natural and Health Sciences
Contact: Scott Franklin, Ph.D., Department Chair
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 thorough understanding of the biological principles underlying all living systems through study of the basic unit of life, the cell. 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 widely varied range of careers in the basic or applied biological sciences such as public health, the pharmaceutical industry, cancer research, biodiversity research, forensic biology, animal and plant agricultural sciences, and many others.
Students will also be prepared to continue their education in graduate biological sciences programs (microbiology, genetics, molecular biology, cell biology, physiology, endocrinology, immunology, developmental biology, etc.) and in most professional schools (medical, veterinary, etc.). This program encompasses a minor in chemistry.
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
To complete the degree in 120 credits as outlined, the program recommends the below LAC courses that also count toward the 95 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 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 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, BIO 111, CHEM 111, CHEM 111L and PHYS 220 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 —75 credits:
Biochemistry — 4-6 credits
Choose 1 of the following courses:
Capstone Professional Experience — 1 credit
Take 1 credit (chosen in consultation with faculty advisor to help match career goals) from the following:
| 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 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 with faculty advisor to match career goals.
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 – 32 credits
Fall Semester
| BIO 102 | Success in Biology I | 1 |
| 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: | 16 |
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 |
| MATH 171 | Calculus I for Life SciencesLAX1 | 4 |
| SCI 291 | Scientific WritingLAW2 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
Year 2 – 30 credits
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
Year 3 – 30-31 credits
Fall Semester
| BIO 351 | Microbiology | 4 |
| | |
| BIO 360 | Ecology | 4 |
| or | |
| | Upper Division Major Elective | 3-4 |
| | |
| CHEM 381 | Principles of Biochemistry | 3 |
| and | |
| CHEM 381L | Principles of Biochemistry Lab | 1 |
| or | |
| CHEM 481 | General Biochemistry I | 3 |
| | |
| | LAC Social and Behavioral SciencesLAB1LAB2LAB3 | 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: | 14-16 |
If CHEM 481 is taken, CHEM 482 must also be taken for the major. If CHEM 381 is taken, the number of Advanced Biology Elective Credits required will be higher.
LAC Social and Behavior Sciences: Choose U.S. Multicultural Studies (MS) or International Studies (IS) course.
Spring Semester
| BIO 360 | Ecology | 4 |
| or | |
| | Upper Division Major Elective | 3-4 |
| | |
| CHEM 482 | General Biochemistry II | 3 |
| or | |
| | Upper Division Major Elective | 3 |
| | |
| | Upper Division Major Elective | 3 |
| | LAC Arts and HumanitiesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 12-13 |
Year 4 – 28 credits
Fall Semester
| BIO 425 | Molecular Genetics | 3 |
| | Upper Division Major Elective | 1 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 4 |
| | LAC HistoryLAH1 | 3 |
| 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.
Spring Semester
| BIO 450 | Cell Physiology | 3 |
| BIO 465 | Evolution | 3 |
| BIO 442 | Molecular and Cellular Laboratory | 2 |
| | Upper Division Major Elective | 3 |
| | LAC Arts and Humanities, History, or Social and Behavioral SciencesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4LAB1LAB2LAB3LAH1 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 14 |
BIO 450 satisfies the School's physiology requirement.
Advising Notes –
- Either PHYS 220/PHYS 221 or PHYS 240/PHYS 241 can be taken. PHYS 240/PHYS 241 can be substituted but both MATH 131 and MATH 132 are required.
- All Biology majors are required to maintain a minimum of a 2.0 GPA to meet their major 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.
- 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