The Department of Biological Sciences provides courses for both biology majors and non-majors. The core program for the BA major consists of seven lecture/laboratory courses which provide a strong foundation in biology. Beyond the core program, students take three additional majors-level biology courses, guided by their interests. There are a number of opportunities for learning outside the classroom, including a program of seminars, internships, and opportunities for research with a member of the faculty. Students are encouraged to use their open electives to complete coursework required for graduate or professional programs or to pursue minors in fields that will complement their training in biology.
| Program Requirements | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|
| Liberal Studies Requirements | 76-80 |
| Major Requirements | 56 |
| Open Electives | 56-60 |
| Total hours required | 192 |
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- Distinguish among the diversity of fields and approaches within Biology.
- Describe the relationships among Biology and other scientific and social disciplines.
- Describe how the scientific process is used to identify and resolve testable questions.
- Critically analyze and interpret the biological scientific literature.
- Effectively communicate scientific information to diverse audiences in both written and oral form.
College Core Requirements
Modern Language Requirements
Students who intend to graduate with the Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree will be required to demonstrate competence in a modern language equivalent to the proficiency attained from one year of college-level language study. Such competence may be demonstrated in one of several ways:
- completing the last course in the fourth-year high school sequence of any language
- completing the last course in the first-year college sequence of any language
- completing a college course beyond the first-year level in any language
- achieving a satisfactory score on any of the Modern Language placement examinations administered at DePaul
- achieving a satisfactory rating in a proficiency examination accepted by DePaul
- achieving a score of 3 or higher on the Advance Placement (AP) test for any language
- achieving a score of 5 or higher in the Language B assessment from a Standard or Higher Level International Baccalaureate (IB) program
- achieving a satisfactory score on the CLEP examination
Please note: Modern Languages courses with an E-designation are taught in English and may not be applied to the Modern Language Requirement.
For further information regarding satisfactory scores and possible credit from the DePaul placement, AP, CLEP, or IB examinations, please contact Student Records.
Students who complete an Inter-College Transfer (ICT) to the College of Science and Health will abide by the College of Science and Health Modern Language Requirement in place on the effective date of the ICT.
BA students who meet College requirements and wish to pursue further work in the language may elect the “Modern Language Option” of the Liberal Studies Program. While Bachelor of Science (BS) students are not required to demonstrate competency in a modern language, the “Modern Language Option” is available to them for language study at any level. Modern Languages courses with an E-designation are taught in English and may not be applied to the Modern Language Option.
Major Declaration Requirements
All students in the College are required to declare a major field prior to beginning their junior year. After researching College programs, the student should declare a major field by visiting Campus Connection and using the Declarations and Inter-College Transfer tool. The student will then be assigned a faculty advisor or staff advisor in the department or program and should make an appointment to see that advisor at his or her earliest convenience.
To change major fields, or to declare a minor or concentration, the student must use the Declarations and Inter-College Transfer tool described above. However, for the purpose of exploring the possibility of changing a major field, the student should consult an academic advisor in the College or an academic advisor in the Office for Academic Advising Support.
Liberal Studies Requirements
Honors program requirements can be found in the individual Colleges & Schools section of the University Catalog. Select the appropriate college or school, followed by Undergraduate Academics and scroll down.
| First Year Program | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Quarter | 4 | |
| DISCOVER CHICAGO or EXPLORE CHICAGO | ||
| Focal Point | ||
| LSP 112 | FOCAL POINT SEMINAR | 4 |
| Writing | ||
| WRD 103 | COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC I 1 | 4 |
| WRD 104 | COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC II 1 | 4 |
| Quantitative Reasoning | ||
| Not Required | ||
| Sophomore Year | ||
| Race, Power, and Resistance | ||
| LSP 200 | SEMINAR ON RACE, POWER, AND RESISTANCE | 4 |
| Junior Year | ||
| Experiential Learning | ||
| Required | 4 | |
| Senior Year | ||
| Capstone | ||
| BIO 395 | BIOLOGY CAPSTONE SEMINAR 1, 2 | 4 |
- 1
Students must earn a C- or better in this course.
- 2
Students with a primary major in Biology are required to complete the Capstone offered by the Biology department. Students double majoring or pursuing dual degrees with the primary major or primary degree in Biology are required to complete the Capstone offered by the Biology department. Biology students in the University Honors Program shall take the University Honors Capstone. They are not expected to take both the Honors Capstone and the primary major or primary degree Capstone.
Learning Domains
Arts and Literature (AL)
- 3 Courses Required
Historical Inquiry (HI)
- 2 Courses Required
Math and Computing (MC)
- 1 Course Required
[1 CR Course]
Philosophical Inquiry (PI)
- 2 Courses Required; 1 Course required for Accelerated 3+ Pre-Medicine Concentration
Religious Dimensions (RD)
- 2 Courses Required
Scientific Inquiry (SI)
- Not Required
Social, Cultural, and Behavioral Inquiry (SCBI)
- 3 Courses Required
Notes
Courses offered in the student's primary major cannot be taken to fulfill LSP Domain requirements. If students double major, LSP Domain courses may double count for both LSP credit and the second major. Students who choose to take an experiential learning course offered by the major may count it either as a general elective or the Experiential Learning requirement.
In meeting learning domain requirements, no more than one course that is outside the student’s major and is cross-listed with a course within the student’s major, can be applied to count for LSP domain credit. This policy would apply only to those students in pursuit of a BA or BS degree, and not to those who are double majors or earning BFA or BM degrees.
Major Requirements
Course Requirements
Biology Core Requirements
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIO 191 | GENERAL BIOLOGY I FOR SCIENCE MAJORS | 4 |
| BIO 192 | GENERAL BIOLOGY II FOR SCIENCE MAJORS | 4 |
| BIO 193 | GENERAL BIOLOGY III FOR SCIENCE MAJORS | 4 |
| BIO 206 | BIOSTATISTICS | 4 |
| BIO 215 | ECOLOGY | 4 |
| or BIO 235 | EVOLUTION | |
| BIO 250 | CELL BIOLOGY | 4 |
| BIO 260 | GENETICS | 4 |
| BIO 307 | ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY | 4 |
| or BIO 308 | HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY | |
| or BIO 309 | PLANT PHYSIOLOGY | |
Chemistry
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following: | 4-6 | |
| GENERAL CHEMISTRY IP and GENERAL CHEMISTRY I LABORATORY | ||
| GENERAL CHEMISTRY I and GENERAL CHEMISTRY I LABORATORY | ||
| The following courses are required | ||
| CHE 132 & CHE 133 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY II and GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY II | 4 |
| CHE 134 & CHE 135 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY III and GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY III | 4 |
Biology Majors-level Electives
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select three additional majors-level biology courses, two of which must be 300 level 1 | 12 | |
- 1
Biology courses that fulfill the Scientific Inquiry Domain requirements, other than the General Biology sequence, do not generate credit toward the major.
Open Electives
Open elective credit also is required to meet the minimum graduation requirement of 192 hours.
Students are advised to talk with their advisor before double majoring, because some major combinations are prohibited. No more than 50% of the credits that apply to one major may be drawn from another major.
Honors in Research for BA students in Biology
The Honors in Research recognizes students who, with a faculty advisor in the Biology department, have developed a high-quality and novel research project that contains publishable data. The student will write a senior thesis and complete an oral presentation to the department. If the thesis is approved by the faculty mentor advisor, faculty reader, and the Honors in Research Program Director, the successful student will be awarded Honors in Research in Biology.
The concentrations listed below may only be taken by students who have been conditionally admitted into a corresponding pre-professional program. Details regarding application and admission are provided within each of the concentration descriptions.
Accelerated Programs
- Accelerated 3+ Pre-Medicine Concentration, Biological Sciences (BA)
- Accelerated 3+ Pre-Pathologists' Assistant Concentration, Biological Sciences (BA)
- Accelerated 3+ Pre-Physical Therapy Concentration, Biological Sciences (BA)
- Accelerated 3+ Pre-Physician Assistant Concentration, Biological Sciences (BA)
- Accelerated 3+ Pre-Podiatric Medicine Concentration, Biological Sciences (BA)