Apr 19, 2024  
2022-2023 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog 
    
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2022-2023 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Biology, B.S.

This degree is approved for distance education by the WSCUC.

Bachelor of Science in Biology

This degree includes a general option in biology and three additional options for those desiring a more specialized program.

Admission Under Impaction

Refer to the following website for additional impaction criteria: Enrollment Services Majors Specific Requirements. 

Biology (120 units)

This degree major is designed for students pursuing careers that involve the study of life. This general option is designed to expose students to a wide range of biological topics and is the most flexible option in terms of courses required. With the right elective choices, this option may work for students planning future careers in health professions or graduate and professional studies in Biological Sciences. Students may not combine this option with any other in the B.S. in Biology nor with the B.S. in Marine Biology or Microbiology as part of a dual major. This option requires approximately 78-82 units in the major, of which 37-39 are in lower division courses and 41-43 are in upper division courses.

All students must achieve at least a 2.0 grade-point average in each of the following: 1. the entire college record, 2. all units attempted at CSULB, and 3. all courses in the major.

In addition, students must receive a C or better in all upper division major courses.

Degree Progress

Pre-Biology majors must complete the following requirements within the specified time of declaring the pre-major. Some students may need to take courses during Summer Session to meet these requirements. Students who have not met the requirements by the required semester must either declare another major or meet with an Academic Advisor to determine if the student’s performance in the courses merits an additional semester to complete.

Pre-Majors:

A grade “C” or better must be achieved within one calendar year.

Lower Division:

Take all of the following courses:

Note(s):

CHEM 112A  and CHEM 112B  may be substituted for CHEM 111A  and CHEM 111B   with advisor substitution request.

Take one course from the following:

Take one of the following courses:

Take one of the following courses:

The following courses do not meet any specific or elective requirements for this major:

Upper Division:

Take all of the following courses:

Take at least one of the following courses/course pairs in physiology:

Take two of the following courses in organismal diversity.

One of the courses must be BIOL 313 , BIOL 316 , BIOL 324 , BIOL 427 , or BIOL 439 :

Three Additional Upper Division Courses

Take a three additional upper division courses in the Department of Biological Sciences totaling a minimum of nine units. At least six of these units must be at the 400 level. Three units of BIOL 494  /BIOL 495  /BIOL 496   in any combination may count toward upper division courses in this category.Courses outside of BIOL that may also count toward these units include GEOG 481 , CHEM 441A , and CHEM 448 .

Courses that will not count towards these units are

Prerequisites

To meet prerequisite standards for courses in this program’s requirements, a “C” or better is necessary in the following: