Three Examples of Four-Year Curricula
for the Biology Degree
Use as a guide only. Talk with your advisor!
LL = Liberal Learning course
Sample One:
For students who enter Calculus-ready:
|
Semester 1 |
CU |
Semester 2 |
CU |
| BIO 201/Foundations of Biological Inquiry | 1 | BIO 211/Cell Bio and Biochemistry | 1 |
| CHE 201/General Chemistry I | 1 | CHE 202/General Chemistry II | 1 |
| MAT 127/Calculus A | 1 | MAT 128 / MAT 200 / STA 215; or LL | 1 |
| FSP | 1 | LL or Writing 102 if needed | 1 |
|
Semester 3 |
|
Semester 4 |
|
| BIO 221/Ecology & Field Biology, or BIO 231/Genetics | 1 | BIO 221/Ecology & Field Biology, or BIO 231/Genetics | 1 |
| CHE 331/Organic Chemistry I | 1 | CHE 332/Organic Chemistry II | 1 |
| MAT 128 / STA 215 / MAT 200; or LL | 1 | LL or Elective | 1 |
| LL or Elective | 1 | LL or Elective | 1 |
|
Semester 5 |
|
Semester 6 |
|
| Bio Option | 1 | Bio Option | 1 |
| Physics I or Bio Option | 1 | Physics I or Bio Option | 1 |
| LL or Elective | 1 | LL or Elective | 1 |
| LL or Elective | 1 | LL or Elective | 1 |
|
Semester 7 |
|
Semester 8 |
|
| Bio Option | 1 | Bio Option | 1 |
| LL or Elective | 1 | BIO 498/Bio Senior Sem | 1 |
| LL or Elective | 1 | LL or Elective | 1 |
| LL or Elective | 1 | LL or Elective | 1 |
Sample Two:
For students who enter needing MAT 120 (Pre-Calculus) and WRI 102.
Main elements to support success:
- No more than 3.5 course units the first semester
- No more than one science and one math in each of the first two semesters
|
Semester 1 |
CU |
Semester 2 |
CU |
| BIO 201/Foundations of Biological Inquiry | 1 | CHE 201/General Chemistry I | 1 |
| MAT 120/Pre-Calc | 1 | MAT 127/Calculus A | 1 |
| WRI 102 or LL | 1 | WRI 102 or LL | 1 |
| FSP | 1 | LL | 1 |
|
Summer 1 |
|
||
| CHE 202/General Chemistry II | 1 | ||
|
Semester 3 |
|
Semester 4 |
|
| BIO 211/Cell Bio and Biochemistry | 1 | BIO 221/Ecology & Field Biology, or BIO 231/Genetics | 1 |
| CHE 331/Organic Chemistry I | 1 | CHE 332/Organic Chemistry II | 1 |
| LL | 1 | LL | 1 |
| LL | 1 | LL | 1 |
|
Semester 5 |
|
Semester 6 |
|
| BIO 221/Ecology & Field Biology, or BIO 231/Genetics | 1 | Bio Option | 1 |
| Bio Option | 1 | Physics I | 1 |
| LL or Elective | 1 | STA 215 | 1 |
| LL or Elective | 1 | LL or Elective | 1 |
|
Semester 7 |
|
Semester 8 |
|
| Bio Option | 1 | Bio Option | 1 |
| Bio Option | 1 | BIO 498/Bio Senior Sem | 1 |
| LL or Elective | 1 | LL or Elective | 1 |
| LL or Elective | 1 | LL or Elective | 1 |
Sample Three:
For students who enter needing MAT 095, MAT 120, and WRI 102, and needing more science background.
Main elements to support success:
- Start with a non-majors biology course first
- No more than 3.5 course units the first semester
- Take biology major foundational course, BIO 201, in the second semester
- Start chemistry in the first summer
- Take Calculus A in the first summer
- Take Physics I during a summer
|
Semester 1 |
CU |
Semester 2 |
CU |
| BIO 171/Human Form and Function, or BIO 173/Humanity & the Natural World, (these count as college electives) | 1 | BIO 201/Foundations of Biological Inquiry | 1 |
| MAT 095/College Algebra | (0.5) | MAT 120/Pre-Calculus | 1 |
| FSP | 1 | LL | 1 |
| WRI 102 or LL | 1 | WRI 102 or LL | 1 |
|
Summer 1, Session 1 |
Summer 1, Session 2 |
|
|
| CHE 201/General Chemistry I | MAT 127/Calculus A | ||
|
Semester 3 |
|
Semester 4 |
|
| BIO 211/Cell Bio and Biochemistry | 1 | BIO 221/Ecology & Field Biology, or BIO 231/Genetics | 1 |
| CHE 202/General Chemistry II | 1 | CHE 331/Organic Chemistry I | 1 |
| LL | 1 | LL | 1 |
| LL | 1 | No course (or Physics I) | |
|
Summer 2, Session 1 |
|
|
|
| Physics I | 1 | ||
|
Semester 5 |
|
Semester 6 |
|
| BIO 221/Ecology & Field Biology, or BIO 231/Genetics | 1 | Bio Option | 1 |
| CHE 332/Organic Chemistry II | 1 | Bio Option | 1 |
| LL or Elective | 1 | STA 215 | 1 |
| LL or Elective | 1 | LL or Elective | 1 |
|
Semester 7 |
|
Semester 8 |
|
| Bio Option | 1 | Bio Option5 | 1 |
| Bio Option | 1 | BIO 498/Bio Senior Sem | 1 |
| LL or Elective | 1 | LL or Elective | 1 |
| LL or Elective | 1 | LL or Elective | 1 |