Science (Biological)

Course Search Tips

Common subjects that count for high school science requirements are BIOL, HORT, GEOG, ANTH.
You can also use Schedule Builder and search for the Biological Science liberal education requirement.
Reminder: Always check with your high school counselor to see which PSEO courses your high school will accept for each graduation requirement. (4 college credits is equivalent to one year of high school instruction in a subject area.)

Common Introductory Courses

Courses Generally Geared Towards Non-Science Majors (4 credit)

These are some courses that in general (there are always exceptions) are designed for students not planning to major in sciences. They're often taken by students just filling a high school graduation requirement or knocking out a biology liberal education requirement.

BIOL 1001, Intro Biology: Evolutionary & Ecological Perspectives [offered online]
BIOL 1003, Evolution & Biology of Sex
BIOL 1015, Human Physiology, Technology, & Medical Devices
BIOL 1055, Environmental Biology
CI 1512, Nature in the City
ESCI 1007, From Microbes to Mammoths: History of Life on Earth
GEOG 1403, Biogeography of the Global Garden
PLPA 1005, Plants Get Sick Too
VBS 1001, Intro to Biotechnology

Courses Often Used for CSE & CBS Majors

These are some courses that in general are designed for students majoring in sciences-related fields. However, each major is different, so be sure to check the requirement lists for majors that interest you.

BIOL 1009, General Biology (4 credit) [offered online]
- - Caution: Does not count for College of Biological Sciences majors.
  - Rigorous introductory biology course used (for example) for:
    - - non-CBS biology-related majors such as Nursing, "Biology, Society & Environment," or Human Physiology
      - pre-med requirements for students not planning on CBS majors
      - Biology, Society & Environment and Human Physiology majors in the College of Liberal Arts
      - some College of Science & Engineering majors, such as mechanical engineering
  - Equivalent credit from earning 3+ on AP Biology.
BIOL 1951 + 1961, Foundations of Biology I (6 credits combined)
- - Caution: Often unavailable to PSEO students. See our Getting Into Closed Courses guide for details.
  - Required for College of Biological Sciences majors.
  - Can count towards Biology, Society & Environment and Human Physiology majors in CLA.
  - BIOL 1951 is a 4 credit lecture while 1961 is a 2 credit lab. They can be taken together, but you can also take the lecture before the lab. The content in the lecture and lab do not directly tie together.

Courses Used for Other Science Programs

ANTH 1001, Human Evolution: For Anthropology major.
HORT 1001, Plant Propagation: For Plant Science major.
ENT 1005, Insect Biology: For Insect Science minor.

Advanced Biology Courses

Your course choice after introductory biology depends entirely on your academic and career plans. Two key resources:

That said, here are a few common advanced biology courses our students have taken:

Advanced CBS Major Biology Courses

Head to the program page for a major that interests you and scroll down to the section titled "Content Area," listing advanced biology courses in categories like ecology, evolution, and cell biology.

These are different for each major, so check your favorite majors directly.

Pay close attention to prerequisites. Many require completing some or all of the Foundations of Biology sequence, chemistry, or sometimes even more advanced courses than those.

Here are a few sample courses from some of those lists with more limited prerequisites. Note that prerequisites of "one semester of college biology" or "BIOL 1009" also count a passing AP Biology score!

Content Area A: Ecology
- - EEB 3407, Ecology (3 cr): No prerequisites.
  - EEB 3408W, Ecology (4 cr): Prereq: calculus 1.
Content Area B: Evolution
- - EEB 3409, Evolution (4 cr): Prereq: one semester of college biology
  - EEB 3002, Sex, Evolution, and Behavior (4 cr): No prerequisites.
Content Area C: Organismal Biology
- - BIOL 3012, Animal Diversity & Evolution (4 cr): Prereq: BIOL 1001, 1009, or 1951.
  - EEB 3412W, Intro to Animal Behavior (4 cr): Prereq: one course among a long list of options including calculus, introductory biology, or certain chemistry or physics levels.
  - MICB 3301, Biology of Microorganisms (4 cr): Prereq: BIOL 1009 or 1951.
  - PMB 3007W, Plant, Algal, & Fungal Diversity & Adaptation (4 cr): Prereq: one semester of college biology.
  - PMB 3212 Fungi: A Kingdom of Their Own (3 cr): Prereq : introductory biology course

Advanced CLA Life Science Major Courses

Pay close attention to prerequisites, but here are a few popular options to consider after completing an introductory biology course:

Human Physiology major

GCD 3022, Genetics (4 cr)
GCD 3033, Principles of Cell Biology (4 cr)
ANAT 3001, Human Anatomy (4 cr)

Biology, Society, & Environment major

Ecology - one of the following:
- - EEB 3407, Ecology (3 cr)
  - EEB 3408W, Ecology (4 cr)
EEB 3409, Evolution (4 cr)
GCD 3022, Genetics (4 cr)
GCD 3033, Principles of Cell Biology (4 cr)

Find a course that you want to take but the section you are interested in is full or wait listed? Check out the Getting Into Closed Courses page to learn how to get into closed courses.

Report abuse