The BA in Biology is intended to provide students with knowledge and skills in the field of Biology while also allowing students to minor in another topic area in order to receive marketable training and skills that will offer them pathways into professions as diverse as Medical Technology, Pharmaceutics, Bio-Technology, Law, Government Service, Community Health, or Science Communication.
Unless otherwise noted, 120 credits of coursework is required for a baccalaureate degree with a minimum 2.0 overall GPA, and a minimum 2.0 major GPA.
Degree Requirements Overview
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| New Student Seminar | 1 | |
| SEEDS General Education Requirements | 24-27 | |
| Major Requirements | 70-74 | |
| Free Electives | 25-18 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Core | ||
| BIOL 112 | Principles of Biology: Introduction to the Cell | 4 |
| BIOL 113 | Principles of Biology: Organisms and Diversity | 4 |
| BIOL 213 | Introduction to Ecology | 4 |
| BIOL 230 | Cell and Molecular Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 315 | Science Literacy and Communication | 3 |
| BIOL 492 | Senior Colloquium | 1 |
| Community Engaged Service Learning Requirement | ||
| BIOL 409 | Externship in Biological Research (Co-operative Education) | 4 |
| Biology Electives | ||
| Complete 10 credits from the list below. | 10 | |
| Additional STEM Elective | ||
| Complete one course: | 3-4 | |
| Organic Chemistry I | ||
| Python Programming I | ||
| College Physics I | ||
| Collateral Requirements | ||
| CHEM 120 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM 121 | General Chemistry II | 4 |
| MATH 122 | Calculus I | 4 |
| STAT 230 | Data Science and Statistics | 3 |
| Required Minor | ||
| Choose any minor outside of the College of Science and Mathematics. Excluded minors include the minors in Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Data Science, Earth and Environmental Science, Geographic Information Science, Mathematics, Physics, Sustainability Science, or Urban Studies | 18-21 | |
| Total Credits | 70-74 | |
Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 300 | Environmental Biology and Related Controversial Issues | 3 |
| BIOL 319 | Genes, Brains, and Behavior | 4 |
| BIOL 320 | Social Neurobiology | 3 |
| BIOL 330 | Introduction to Animal Behavior | 3 |
| BIOL 350 | Microbiology | 4 |
| BIOL 351 | Introduction to Aquatic Ecology | 4 |
| BIOL 360 | Introduction to Bio-Imaging | 3 |
| BIOL 370 | Principles of Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 380 | Genetics | 4 |
| BIOL 404 | Plant and Animal Histological Techniques | 3 |
| BIOL 405 | Cell Culture | 3 |
| BIOL 406 | Scanning Electron Microscopy | 4 |
| BIOL 410 | Toxicology | 3 |
| BIOL 411 | Introduction to Transmission Electron Microscopy | 4 |
| BIOL 415 | Population Genetics | 3 |
| BIOL 417 | Evolutionary Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 418 | Biology Independent Research | 1-4 |
| BIOL 420 | Economic Botany | 3 |
| BIOL 422 | Community Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 425 | Elementary Plant Physiology | 3 |
| BIOL 426 | New Jersey Flora | 4 |
| BIOL 429 | Herpetology | 4 |
| BIOL 430 | Ornithology | 4 |
| BIOL 431 | Entomology | 3 |
| BIOL 432 | Medical Entomology | 3 |
| BIOL 433 | Developmental Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 434 | Molecular Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 435 | Experimental Molecular Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 436 | Phylogenetic Zoology | 4 |
| BIOL 439 | Biology of Animal Parasites | 3 |
| BIOL 440 | Gross Mammalian Anatomy | 4 |
| BIOL 441 | Comparative Anatomy of Vertebrates | 4 |
| BIOL 442 | Human Physiology | 4 |
| BIOL 443 | Vertebrate Embryology | 4 |
| BIOL 444 | Cell Physiology | 3 |
| BIOL 445 | Immunology | 3 |
| BIOL 446 | Endocrinology | 3 |
| BIOL 447 | Fundamentals of Pharmacology | 3 |
| BIOL 450 | Medical Microbiology | 3 |
| BIOL 451 | Comparative Animal Physiology | 3 |
| BIOL 457 | Virology | 3 |
| BIOL 458 | Microbial Genetics | 3 |
| BIOL 460 | Biological Oceanography | 3 |
| BIOL 461 | Aquatic Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 467 | Biology of the Fishes | 4 |
| BIOL 468 | Neurobiology | 3 |
| BIOL 475 | Medical Genetics | 3 |
| BIOL 476 | Biology of Cancer | 3 |
| BIOL 480 | Research Community I: Organism Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 481 | Research Community II: Organism Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 482 | Research Community I: Molecular Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 483 | Research Community II: Molecular Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 484 | Research Community I: Ecology | 4 |
| BIOL 485 | Research Community II: Ecology | 4 |
| BIOL 486 | Special Topics in Biology | 3-4 |
| BIOL 487 | Statistical Genomics | 3 |
| BIOL 488 | Special Topics in Cell and Molecular Biology | 3-4 |
| BIOL 489 | Special Topics in Organismal Biology | 3-4 |
| BIOL 490 | Senior Seminar in Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 491 | Research in Biology Literature | 1 |
| BIOL 492 | Senior Colloquium | 1 |
| BIOL 493 | Molecular Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 495 | Special Topics in Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 497 | Genomics | 3 |
New Student Seminar
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Students in the Adult Learner program must take GNED 100. | ||
| Complete one course from the following. Some courses may be restricted by major. Consult with an academic advisor. | 1 | |
| Pathways to Success | ||
| Freshman Seminar in Chemistry | ||
| First Year Seminar | ||
| Adult Academic Success Seminar | ||
| New Student Seminar | ||
| Freshman Seminar in Health and Physical Education | ||
| Pathways to Adult Learning | ||
| New Student Seminar | ||
| New Student Experience for Mathematical Sciences | ||
| Freshman Seminar for Music Majors | ||
| Introduction to Nursing | ||
| Freshman Seminar in Political Science and Law | ||
SEEDS General Education Requirements
Click here for a list of courses that fulfill the SEEDS requirements.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations | ||
| Effective Writing I | ||
| Complete one Effective Writing I course. | 3 | |
| Effective Writing II | ||
| Complete one Effective Writing II course. | 3 | |
| Interactive Communication | ||
| Complete one Interactive Communication course. | 3 | |
| Quantitative Reasoning | ||
| Fulfilled by MATH 122 in the major. | ||
| Political and Civic Life | ||
| Complete one Political and Civic Life course. | 3 | |
| World Language | ||
| Complete two sequential classes in one World Language when starting at the Beginner I or Beginner II level. Complete one class when starting at the Intermediate/Advanced Level. | 3-6 | |
| Exploration | ||
| Complete one course from four different Exploration categories: | 9 | |
| Analyzing Cultures and Societies | ||
| Creative Expression | ||
| Ethical Inquiry | ||
| Historical Thinking | ||
| Literary and Artistic Analysis | ||
| Scientific Reasoning | ||
| Fulfilled by BIOL 112 in the major. | ||
| Total Credits | 24-27 | |
Recommended Roadmap to Degree Completion
This recommended degree plan is provided as an outline for students to follow in order to complete their degree requirements within four years and 120 credits. This plan is a recommendation and MUST be used in consultation with their academic advisor. Important note: Students should be aware this plan assumes no pre-requisite coursework is required. If pre-requisite coursework is needed, students may have additional requirements to fulfill which do not appear on the plan.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| BIOL 112 (Fulfills SEEDS: Exploration 1 - Scientific Reasoning) | 4 | BIOL 113 | 4 |
| MATH 122 (Fulfills SEEDS: Quantitative Reasoning) | 4 | STAT 230 | 3 |
| SEEDS: Effective Writing I | 3 | SEEDS: Effective Writing II | 3 |
| New Student Seminar | 1 | SEEDS: Interactive Communication | 3 |
| SEEDS: World Language 1 | 3 | SEEDS: World Language 2 or Free Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| BIOL 213 | 4 | BIOL 230 | 4 |
| CHEM 120 | 4 | CHEM 121 | 4 |
| SEEDS: Political and Civic Life | 3 | SEEDS: Exploration 2 | 3 |
| Minor Requirement | 3 | SEEDS: Exploration 3 | 3 |
| 14 | 14 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Biology Elective | 3 | Biology Elective | 3 |
| Additional STEM Collateral | 4 | SEEDS: Exploration 4 | 3 |
| BIOL 315 | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Minor Requirement | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Minor Requirement | 3 | Minor Requirement | 3 |
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Biology Elective | 4 | BIOL 492 | 1 |
| Minor Requirement | 3 | Minor Requirement | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| BIOL 409 | 4 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | ||
| Free Elective | 3 | ||
| 14 | 16 | ||
| Total Credits 120 | |||