Biological Sciences BS
Total Units Required: 120
Students who pursue the Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences choose one of three options. The option in cellular and molecular biology prepares students for professional programs, graduate studies in cellular and molecular biology, or entry-level positions in the biotechnology industry. The option in ecological, evolutionary, and organismal biology prepares students for positions within environmental and resource management or graduate studies in ecology and evolutionary biology. The option in plant biology prepares students for positions in habitat restoration, field botany, forestry or range management, agricultural biotechnology, or graduate studies in plant biology.
Advising Requirement
Advising is mandatory for this program. Consult your department advisor or program coordinator for information.
E-advising Tools
Use the interactive e-advising tools designed to help students graduate within four years. These tools can be accessed through the Student Center in the Portal.
Grading Requirement
All courses taken to fulfill program course requirements must be taken for a letter grade except those courses specified by the department as credit/no credit grading only.
Some courses require a minimum grade to progress in the program. Minimum grade requirements, including those listed on course requisites, are considered graduation requirements.
Course Requirements for the Major: 78 units
Completion of the following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, is required of all candidates for this degree. Courses in this program may complete more than one graduation requirement.
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Division | ||
| BIOL 109 | The Biological University Experience | 1 |
| BIOL 161 | Principles of Ecological, Evolutionary, and Organismal Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 162 | Principles of Cellular and Molecular Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 163 | Principles of Physiology and Development | 4 |
| CHEM 108 | Organic Chemistry for Applied Sciences 1 | 4 |
| or CHEM 270 | Organic Chemistry I | |
| CHEM 111 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM 112 | General Chemistry II | 4 |
| ENVL 105W | Environmental Literacy (W) | 3 |
| or ENVL 105 | Environmental Literacy | |
| PHYS 202A | General Physics I | 4 |
| PHYS 202B | General Physics II | 4 |
| Select four units from the following: 2 | 4 | |
| Introduction to Statistics and Introduction to R | ||
| Survey of Calculus | ||
| Analytic Geometry and Calculus | ||
| Upper Division 3 | ||
| BIOL 350W | Fundamentals of Ecology (W) | 3 |
| BIOL 360 | Genetics | 4 |
| BIOL 492 | Seminars in Biological Science | 1 |
| MATH 315 | Applied Statistical Methods I | 3 |
| Select one of the following options: | 27 | |
| Total Units | 78 | |
- 1
Students should take CHEM 270 if their post-secondary education plans require it. Consult with an advisor before selecting organic chemistry and biochemistry courses.
- 2
MATH 105 and MATH 130 are recommended for most students. Students who need calculus may take MATH 109 or MATH 120.
- 3
Biological sciences majors are expected to have completed BIOL 109, BIOL 161, BIOL 162, BIOL 163, CHEM 111, and CHEM 112 before beginning their upper-division requirements.
Major Option Course Requirements
Select at least one of the following options to complete the major course requirements.
The Option in Cellular and Molecular Biology: 27 units
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 409 | Molecular Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 411 | Cell Biology | 4 |
| Select four-eight units from the following: 1 | 4-8 | |
| Introductory Biochemistry and Introductory Biochemistry Laboratory | ||
| Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry Laboratory and Biochemistry I and Biochemistry Laboratory | ||
| Select 11-15 units from the following: 2 | 15 | |
| Microbiology (W) | ||
| Clin Laboratory Observation | ||
| Special Problems | ||
Any 400-level Biological Sciences (BIOL) course or 600-level BIOL course | ||
| Total Units | 27 | |
- 1
Students should take CHEM 370/CHEM 370L and CHEM 451/CHEM 453L if their post-secondary education plans require it. Consult with an advisor before selecting upper division Chemistry (CHEM) courses.
- 2
Choose sufficient units in the option to ensure 78 units in the major. If you take CHEM 370/CHEM 370L and CHEM 451/CHEM 453L (8 units) instead of CHEM 350/CHEM 350L (4 units), you need 11 units .
A maximum of three units of BIOL 399 or BIOL 489 or combination of BIOL 399 and BIOL 489 may be credited toward the major.
Undergraduate students need permission to enroll in 600-level courses. Please see the Department of Biological Sciences to obtain permission.
The Option in Ecological, Evolutionary, and Organismal Biology: 27 units
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 408 | Principles of Evolution | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Advanced Plant Biology | ||
| Advanced Zoology | ||
| Select 17 units from the following groups, for 27 units total for this option: | 17 | |
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Waterfowl Biology | ||
| Field Ecology (W) | ||
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Microbial Ecology | ||
| Aquatic Ecology | ||
| Plant Physiology | ||
| Animal Behavior | ||
| Population Ecology 1 | ||
| Foundations of Ecology 1 | ||
| Foundations of Evolutionary Biology 1 | ||
| Community and Ecosystem Ecology 1 | ||
| Plant Ecology 1 | ||
| Applied Ecology | ||
| Select a minimum of three of the following: | ||
| Advanced Plant Biology | ||
| Advanced Zoology | ||
| Special Problems 2 | ||
| General Entomology | ||
| Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrates | ||
| Biology of Fishes | ||
| Herpetology | ||
| Ornithology | ||
| Mammalogy | ||
| Plant Morphology | ||
| Plant Pathology | ||
| Plant Diversity and Identification | ||
| Plant Geography | ||
| Internship in Biology 2 | ||
| Peer Mentoring in the Biological Sciences | ||
| Honors Research in Biological Sciences | ||
| Select four units from the following: | 4 | |
Any 400-level Biological Sciences (BIOL) courses | ||
| Total Units | 27 | |
- 1
Undergraduate students need permission to enroll in 600-level courses. Please see the Department of Biological Sciences to obtain permission.
- 2
A maximum of three units of BIOL 399 or BIOL 489 or combination of BIOL 399 and BIOL 489 may be credited toward the major.
The Option in Plant Biology: 27 units
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 369 | Advanced Plant Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 408 | Principles of Evolution | 3 |
| BIOL 414 | Plant Physiology | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Plant Diversity and Identification | ||
| Plant Geography | ||
| Field Ecology (W) | ||
| Select 13-14 units from the following groups, for 27 units total for this option: 1 | 13-14 | |
| Select a minimum of one of the following: | ||
| Molecular Biology | ||
| Plant Pathology | ||
| Introductory Biochemistry | ||
| Introductory Biochemistry Laboratory | ||
| Select a minimum of one of the following: | ||
| Advanced Zoology | ||
| Microbiology (W) | ||
| Special Problems 2 | ||
| General Entomology | ||
| Plant Morphology | ||
| Plant Diversity and Identification | ||
| Plant Geography | ||
| Field Ecology (W) | ||
| Internship in Biology 2 | ||
| Peer Mentoring in the Biological Sciences | ||
| Honors Research in Biological Sciences | ||
| Total Units | 27 | |
- 1
Choose sufficient units to ensure at least 78 units in the major.
- 2
A maximum of three units of BIOL 399 or BIOL 489 or combination of BIOL 399 and BIOL 489 may be credited toward the major.
Electives Requirement
To complete the total units required for the bachelor's degree, select additional elective courses from the total University offerings. Consult with an advisor to help select courses that provide breadth to your University experience and possibly help satisfy credential, professional, or graduate school prerequisites or support completion of a minor.
Honors in the Major
Honors in the Major is a program of independent work in your major. It requires six units of honors coursework completed over two semesters.
The Honors in the Major program allows you to work closely with a faculty mentor in your area of interest on an original performance or research project. This year-long collaboration allows you to work in your field at a professional level and culminates in a public presentation of your work. Students sometimes take their projects beyond the University for submission in professional journals, presentation at conferences, or academic competition. Such experience is valuable for graduate school and professional life. Your honors work will be recognized at your graduation, on your permanent transcripts, and on your diploma. It is often accompanied by letters of commendation from your mentor in the department or the department chair.
Some common features of Honors in the Major program are:
- You must take six units of Honors in the Major coursework. All six units are honors courses (marked by a suffix of H), and at least three of these units are independent study (399H, 499H, 599H) as specified by your department. You must complete each course with a minimum grade of B.
- You must have completed 9 units of upper-division coursework or 21 overall units in your major before you can be admitted to Honors in the Major. Check the requirements for your major carefully, as there may be specific courses that must be included in these units.
- Your cumulative GPA should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
- Your GPA in your major should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
- Most students apply for or are invited to participate in Honors in the Major during the second semester of their junior year. Then they complete the six units of coursework over the two semesters of their senior year.
- Your honors work culminates with a public presentation of your honors project.
Honors in the Major is not part of the Honors Program. Each department administers its own program. Please contact your major department or major advisor to apply.
See Bachelor's Degree Requirements for complete details on general degree requirements. A minimum of 39 units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.
General Education Requirements: 43 units
See General Education and the Class Schedule for the most current information on General Education requirements and course offerings.
This major has approved GE modification(s). See below for information on how to apply these modification(s).
- BIOL 360 is an approved major course substitution for Upper Division Physical and Biological Sciences (UD-5).
American Institutions Course Requirements: 6 units
The American Institutions graduation requirement, as mandated in Title 5, Section 40404, requires that students satisfactorily complete courses in United States history, the US Constitution, and government and American ideals (including California state and local government). At Chico State, HIST 130 meets the US history requirement (US-1), and POLS 155 meets the US Constitution and government requirement (US-2) and the California state and local government requirement (US-3). POLS 155 also fulfills three units of GE Area 4, Social and Behavioral Sciences. See Bachelor’s Degree Requirements for more information.
Diversity Course Requirements: 6 units
You must complete a minimum of two courses that focus primarily on cultural diversity. At least one course must be in US Diversity (USD) and at least one in Global Cultures (GC). See Diversity Requirements for a full list of courses. Many courses taken to satisfy these requirements may also apply to General Education.
Upper-Division Writing Requirement
Writing Across the Curriculum (EM 17-009) requires you to take four Writing (W) courses, two of which are upper-division courses designated for your major. Specifically, you must:
- Take one Writing (W) course.
- Take one Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GW) course.
- Complete a GE English Composition (1A) course before taking the GW course.
- Earn a grade of C- or higher to receive GW credit.
See Writing and Math Requirements for details on additional writing requirements you need to complete for graduation.
Major-Designated Courses
Writing (W) Course
- Any upper-division Writing (W) course
GWAR (GW) Course
- BIOL 350W Fundamentals of Ecology (W)
Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) are clear, measurable statements that describe how students demonstrate mastery of the knowledge, skills, and values of the discipline as appropriate to the degree. Graduates of this program are expected to achieve the following PLOs:
- Describe the structure and function of cellular components and explain how they interact in a living cell.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the mechanisms driving evolution and describe similarities and differences of the major taxonomic groups.
- Describe how cells interact to develop tissues and organs and how these contribute to a functional organism.
- Describe how organisms interact with one another and with their environment, and explain interactions at the population and community levels.
- Demonstrate an understanding of, and ability to use, the processes and methods of scientific inquiry.
- Formally communicate the results of biological investigations using both oral and written communication skills.