One of the strongest departments at the University, the Biology Department is dedicated to excellence in teaching. The primary goal of the Biology program is to give students a strong background in the core fields of biology. Majors develop skills in critical and logical thought, acquire knowledge of the fundamental areas of biology, gain experience in the laboratory and field, and develop ethical decision-making ability.
The undergraduate program features intensive laboratory and field experience with close contact between students and faculty. All members of the Department hold the Ph.D. and are active as scholars in their respective fields. Strong features of the program are small class sizes and close personal attention to every student.
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The Bachelor of Science in Biology program provides excellent preparation for entry into graduate study or health professional programs in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, optometry, veterinary science, etc. This degree also prepares students for careers in pharmaceutical sales, medical technology, environmental biology and physical therapy.
See B.S. Curriculum. -
The Bachelor of Arts in Biology program, designed for students who plan to enter careers in teaching, provides a strong liberal arts core and allows students to pursue course requirements in education during their undergraduate years.
See B.A. Curriculum. -
Minor Requirements
- BIOL 101 General Biology I 3 semester hours
- BIOL 102 General Biology II 3 semester hours
- BIOL 111 General Biology I Lab 2 semester hours
- BIOL 112 General Biology II Lab 2 semester hours
- BIOL 201 Cell Function 3 semester hours
- BIOL 202 Genetics 3 semester hours
- CHEM 110 General Chemistry I 3 semester hours
- CHEM 112 General Chemistry II 3 semester hours
- Plus 7 semester hours in upper division BIOL courses
Note:
The upper division courses for the minor must be selected under the direction of the Chairperson of the Department.
An average grade of C (2.0) must be accumulated in all lower division requirements prior to taking upper division courses. An average grade of C (2.0) must also be accumulated in all upper division courses included in the minor.
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Interested in Teaching High School Science?
Click for details on programs in Secondary Science Education. -
- BIOL 101 General Biology I
- BIOL 102 General Biology II
- BIOL 111 General Biology I Lab
- BIOL 112 General Biology II Lab
- BIOL 114 Biology for Engineers
- BIOL 190 Freshman Biology Seminar
- BIOL 194 Introduction to Research
- BIOL 196 Independent Research with Faculty
- BIOL 198 Special Studies
- BIOL 199 Independent Studies
- BIOL 201 Cell Function
- BIOL 202 Genetics
- BIOL 216 Medical Microbiology
- BIOL 217 Medical Microbiology Lab
- BIOL 260 Human Biology
- BIOL 263 Natural History of Southern California
- BIOL 264 The Marine Environment
- BIOL 266 Sacred and Medicinal Plant Use
- BIOL 271 Human Reproduction and Development
- BIOL 272 Human Drug Use
- BIOL 275 Human Genetics
- BIOL 276 Epidemics and Infectious Diseases
- BIOL 277 Plants and Society
- BIOL 278 Tropical Marine Ecology
- BIOL 294 Independent Research
- BIOL 295 Biology Internship
- BIOL 296 Independent Research with Faculty
- BIOL 298 Special Studies
- BIOL 299 Independent Studies
- BIOL 304 Biostatistical Analysis
- BIOL 309 Applied Plant Ecology
- BIOL 311 Plant Interactions
- BIOL 312 Field Botany
- BIOL 314 Tropical Ecology
- BIOL 315 World Vegetation Ecology
- BIOL 316 Island Biology
- BIOL 318 Principles of Ecology
- BIOL 321 Urban Ecology
- BIOL 322 Urban Ecology Lab
- BIOL 325 Avian Biology Lab
- BIOL 328 Tropical Marine Ecology
- BIOL 329 Marine Ecology of Baja, California
- BIOL 330 Embryology and Development
- BIOL 333 Biology of Mammals
- BIOL 334 Invertebrate Zoology
- BIOL 335 Comparative Anatomy
- BIOL 338 Animal Behavior
- BIOL 340 Embryology
- BIOL 341 Embryology Lab
- BIOL 343 Developmental Biology
- BIOL 344 Developmental Biology Lab
- BIOL 351 General Physiology
- BIOL 352 General Physiology Lab
- BIOL 353 Plant Physiology
- BIOL 354 Plant Physiology Laboratory
- BIOL 355 Plants, Pharmacy, and Medicine
- BIOL 356 Cell Biology
- BIOL 357 Comparative Animal Physiology
- BIOL 358 Hormones and Behavior
- BIOL 359 Cell Biology Laboratory
- BIOL 360 Comparative Animal Physiology Laboratory
- BIOL 361 General Microbiology
- BIOL 362 General Microbiology Laboratory
- BIOL 363 Microbial Genomics Laboratory
- BIOL 364 Cell Culture Laboratory
- BIOL 367 Biological Databases
- BIOL 368 Bioinformatics Laboratory
- BIOL 370 Plant Biotechnology
- BIOL 375 Advanced Genetics
- BIOL 376 Genetics Laboratory
- BIOL 380 Tropical Marine Ecology Laboratory
- BIOL 381 Baja Marine Ecology Laboratory
- BIOL 388 Biomathematical Modeling
- BIOL 394 Independent Research
- BIOL 395 Biology Internship
- BIOL 396 Independent Research with Faculty
- BIOL 398 Special Studies
- BIOL 399 Independent Studies
- BIOL 422 Marine Biology
- BIOL 423 Marine Conservation Biology
- BIOL 424 Marine Physiology Laboratory
- BIOL 433 Histology
- BIOL 437 Plant Development
- BIOL 438 Plant Development Laboratory
- BIOL 439 Molecular Biology Applications
- BIOL 440 Molecular Neurobiology
- BIOL 443 Molecular Biology
- BIOL 445 Endocrinology
- BIOL 446 Behavioral Endocrinology
- BIOL 449 Immunology
- BIOL 450 Physiology of Disease
- BIOL 456 Molecular Cell Biology and Lab
- BIOL 459 Stem Cell Biology
- BIOL 460 Environmental Microbiology
- BIOL 461 Microbial Genetics
- BIOL 472 Epidemiology
- BIOL 474 Principles of Evolution
- BIOL 475 Evolution
- BIOL 477 Conservation Genetics
- BIOL 478 Molecular Biology of the Genome
- BIOL 479 Molecular Mechanisms of Disease
- BIOL 490 Biological Teaching
- BIOL 491 Freshman Biological Teaching
- BIOL 494 Independent Research
- BIOL 496 Independent Research with Faculty
- BIOL 498 Special Studies
- BIOL 499 Independent Studies
- BIOL 515 Ecology of Mutualisms
- BIOL 518 Applied Ecology Research
- BIOL 521 Urban Ecology
- BIOL 522 Marine Biology Research
- BIOL 523 Marine Conservation Research
- BIOL 525 Marine Physiology Research
- BIOL 528 Invertebrate Conservation Research
- BIOL 531 Developmental Genetics Research
- BIOL 532 Drosophila Genetics Research
- BIOL 534 Cardiac Neural Crest Research
- BIOL 536 Functional Morphology Research
- BIOL 537 Vertebrate Paleo Research
- BIOL 551 Behavior and Physiology Research
- BIOL 552 Avian Biology Research
- BIOL 561 Bioinformatics and Genomics Research
- BIOL 562 Microbiology Research
- BIOL 563 Molecular Genetics Research
- BIOL 565 Plant Developmental Biology Research
- BIOL 566 Plant Research
- BIOL 567 Plant-Microbe Interactions Research
- BIOL 569 Ethnobotany Seminar
- BIOL 571 Conservation Biology Seminar
- BIOL 575 Mitochondrial Biology Research
- BIOL 584 Advanced Topics in Gene Expression
- BIOL 585 Issues in Biotechnology Seminar
- BIOL 586 Molecular Cell Biology Research
- BIOL 587 Molecular Mechanisms in Development Seminar
- BIOL 588 Advanced Systems Biology Research
- BIOL 594 Independent Research
- BIOL 598 Special Studies
- BIOL 599 Independent Studies
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Student learning outcomes for the biology majors:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the evolution of biological systems
- Demonstrate knowledge of the structure and function of biological systems
- Demonstrate knowledge of information flow, exchange, and storage in biological systems
- Demonstrate knowledge of pathways and transformations of energy and matter in biological systems
- Demonstrate knowledge of the interconnections and interactions in biological systems
- Be able to apply the scientific method to solve problems in biology
- Effectively communicate biological concepts in written and oral forms
- Have experience using field and laboratory skills
- Apply computational and quantitative methods to describe biological systems