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Biological Sciences B.S. Degree

The Bachelor’s of Science in Biology degree is specifically designed for students wishing to pursue careers in scientific research and/or medicine. This degree provides a rigorous and well-rounded background in the Biological Sciences, while at the same time meeting the exam and pre-requisite requirements necessary for research graduate schools and medical schools. In this major, students are highly encouraged to do research in order to gain the academic and personal skills necessary for these careers.

Required Courses

Core Courses

BIO 1Biological Dynamics

4
BIO 1LBiological Dynamics Laboratory

1
or
BIO 1LHHonors Biological Dynamics Lab

1
BIO 2Biological Dynamics

4
BIO 2LBiological Dynamics Laboratory

1
or
BIO 2LHHonors Biological Dynamics Lab

1
CHE 1AGeneral Chemistry

4
CHE 1ALGeneral Chemistry Laboratory

1
CHE 1BGeneral Chemistry

4
CHE 1BLGeneral Chemistry Laboratory

1
CHE 6AOrganic Chemistry

4
CHE 6ALOrganic Chemistry Laboratory

1
CHE 6BOrganic Chemistry

4
CHE 6BLOrganic Chemistry Laboratory

1
MTH 38Elements of Probability and Statistics

3
or
PSY 40Basic Statistical Methods

3
MTH 5ACalculus I

4
MTH 5BCalculus II

4
PHY 1AIntroductory Physics IA

4
or
PHY 11AMechanics

4
PHY 1BIntroductory Physics IB

3
or
PHY 11BElectricity Magnetism and Optics

3
PHY 1BLIntroductory Physics Laboratory

1
CHE 107Biochemistry

3
CHE 107LBiochemistry Laboratory

1
BIO 111Ecology

4
BIO 111LEcology Laboratory

0
BIO 130Genetics

4
BIO 130LGenetics Laboratory

0
BIO 135Molecular Biology

4
BIO 135LMolecular Biology Laboratory

0
BIO 152Cellular Biology

4
BIO 152LCellular Biology Laboratory

0
BIO 195Senior Seminar in Biology

3

Upper Division Elective Requirements

Seven units in upper-division Biology courses, including at least one lab course.
BIO 103Microbiology

4
BIO 103LMicrobiology Laboratory

0
BIO 105Immunology

3
BIO 125Developmental Biology

3
BIO 125LDevelopmental Biology Lab

1
BIO 141Cancer Biology

3
BIO 141LCancer Biology Laboratory

1
BIO 151Medical Physiology

3
BIO 151LMedical Physiology Laboratory

1
BIO 157Advanced Topics in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology

3
BIO 157LAdvanced Molecular Biology Laboratory

1
BIO 158LStem Cell Research Techniques Laboratory

1
BIO 160Neurobiology

3
BIO 167Advanced Topics in Environmental Science

3
BIO 167LAdvanced Topics in Environmental Science Lab

1
BIO 169Introduction to Biological Oceanography

3
CHE 109Advanced Biochemistry

3

Seminar / Research Requirements

Either

BIO 196Seminar Readings

2

Or two courses in

BIO 197Research Readings

1,1
Minimum total units required for B.S. in Biological Sciences: 81 - 82.

Plus 34 units of the LACE General Education requirements. (NOTE: B.S. degrees do NOT have a LACE Language requirement, but some medical schools recommend a second language.) Overall, students must complete a total of 124 semester units, with at least 45 upper-division units, to fulfill all requirements for a B.S. degree at MSMU.

*BIO 195 fulfills the capstone requirement for Biology.