Major Requirements

Core biology courses are taken by students pursuing either the BA or the BS. BIOL 14, 15 and 16 can be taken in any order:

  • Cells and Organisms, BIOL 15b (typically offered every semester)
  • Genetics and Genomics, BIOL 14a (typically offered every semester)
  • Evolution and Biodiversity, BIOL 16a (typically offered every fall)
  • General Biology Laboratory, BIOL 18b (offered in the fall, after taking BIOL 15b)
  • General Biology Laboratory, BIOL 18a (offered in the spring, after taking BIOL 18b and BIOL 14a)

Required chemistry courses are taken by students pursuing either the BA or the BS.

  • General Chemistry I and II, CHEM 11a and 11b or CHEM 15a and 15b
  • General Chemistry Laboratory I and II, CHEM 18a and 18b or CHEM 19a and 19b
  • Organic Chemistry I and II, CHEM 25a and 25b
  • Organic Chemistry Laboratory I and II, CHEM 29a and 29b

Physics is required for students pursuing the BS, but not required for pursuing the BA.

  • PHYS 10a and 10b or PHYS 11a and 11b or PHYS 15a and 15b
  • Physics lab: PHYS 18a and 18b or PHYS 19a and 19b

Biology electives: A full list of courses in this group can be found in the University Bulletin.

  • BA requires 12 credits of biology electives (three 4-credit courses)
  • BS requires 16 credits of biology electives (four 4-credit courses)

This includes: BIOL 17b, any BIOL course numbered 23 or higher (excluding courses numbered 90-99), ANTH 116a, BCHM 88b or 100a (one but not both), BCHM 155b, COSI 178a, any BIBC course, any CBIO course, any NBIO course, any QBIO course, PHYS 105a

General science or biology electives: A full list of courses in this group can be found in the University Bulletin.

  • BA and BS require 2 additional electives from biology, biochemistry, chemistry, computer science, math, or physics

This includes any course from BCHM, CHEM, COSI, MATH, PHYS numbered 10 or higher (excluding courses numbered 90-99 and courses in the Biology Elective Group), lab courses not listed as core classes

Quantitative electives: A full list of courses in this group can be found in the University Bulletin.

  • BA requires one quantitative elective.
  • BS requires two quantitative electives.

General Notes:

  • Total number of electives:
    • BA: 5 electives total (3 from Biology group)
    • BS: 6 electives total (4 from Biology group)
  • Two semesters of supervised research (BIOL 93 plus BIOL 99; BIOL 95 plus BIOL 99 or BIOL 93; or two semesters of BIOL 99), if both supervised by the same Brandeis professor, may count as one elective in biology.
  • AP credit cannot be used to satisfy the quantitative requirement or the elective requirement. The Biology AP cannot be used to fulfil BIOL 14a or 16a.
  • Satisfactory grades (C- or above) must be earned in all Biology Core courses with BIOL designations (BIOL 14a, 15b, 16a, 18a, 18b), all Quantitative courses and in all Elective courses from the Biology Elective and the General Science Elective groups offered for the major in Biology. No more than one D or D+ may be earned in any other courses offered for the major. No grade of D- will be allowed.