Biology (BS)

This program was approved for students entering the university in the Summer 2022–Spring 2023 catalog year. For more information about catalog year, go to Catalog Year Information.

Bachelor of Science in Biology
Unit: College of Arts and Sciences (AS)
Departmental Website: Biology 
Academic Plan Codes: See Track Requirements tab.

Program Information

There are two undergraduate degree programs offered in the Biology Department, a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Biology and a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Biology. 

Bachelor of Science degrees are designed so that students get a particularly strong background in their area of interest in biology, cell/physiology, or ecology, but still have some flexibility to take courses of interest. Compared to the BA degree, the BS degree requires more science, both in biology and in another field (physics or geosciences), a specific calculus course, and one less course in a foreign language.  Each of the tracks in the BS degree also requires courses specific to the field of interest. BS degrees are valuable for students wanting to find employment in a biological field without further formal education, for students planning to attend graduate or professional school, and for students who hope to become teachers. 

Completion of this degree requires work to be submitted for the department’s Learning Outcomes Measurement. For details, email the department.

Degree Summary

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Some courses required in this degree program may satisfy multiple requirements. To complete the degree in the minimum number of hours listed, some hours from the General Education Requirements must be satisfied by courses defined by the unit and/or program. Using other courses to satisfy General Education requirements will require additional hours to complete the degree requirements. See the Degree Requirements and Track tabs for specific coursework.

Specific coursework information can be found on the Degree Requirements tab.

Accelerated BA-BS/MS in Biology

Biology majors who are considering pursuing a non-thesis master's degree (MS) in Biology can speed up the process by applying some of their undergraduate credit hours toward a master's degree.  Students accepted into the Accelerated BA-BS/MS program take three graduate courses (9 credit hours) as an undergraduate that apply toward both the bachelor's degree and the eventual master's degree. 

Early Start Program (with the College of Education and Human Development)

The Master of Arts in Teaching program in conjunction with the undergraduate programs in Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics offers a comprehensive and professionally-focused program leading to an additional degree of MAT Middle or Secondary Education. This early start program enables superior students to receive two degrees within five years. A total of 148 credits are required for the dual degrees: 121 credits of coursework devoted toward the baccalaureate degree and 36 credits toward the MAT, with nine hours double-counted. This program will be available for students who are entering their junior year. They may take graduate level courses in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) in their 4th year of study.

The current qualifications for the joint degree program have been agreed upon by discipline faculty from the Colleges of Arts and Sciences and Education and Human Development. The criteria vary by discipline. Students enrolling in the accelerated program will be non-thesis students and must adhere to all policies pertaining to Graduate Students. All interested students must submit an application to the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) MAT program and meet the admission criteria.

Departmental Admission Requirements

Admission to the Bachelor of Science in Biology requires the following: 

• Completion of BIOL 240, BIOL 241,  BIOL 242, and BIOL 243 with a grade of C or better.
• Completion of MATH 111 with a grade of C or better OR placement into a mathematics course above the level of MATH 111 on the basis of either the University of Louisville mathematics placement examination or ACT/SAT score.
• A minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.0. 

The Application for Major form can be found on the Arts & Sciences Advising Center website.

General Education Requirements

*All degrees require the completion of the University-wide General Education Program (link provided above).  To complete the degree in the minimum number of hours listed on the Overview tab, some hours from the General Education Requirements must be satisfied by courses defined by the unit and/or program. If additional hours taken within the program also satisfy General Education requirements, students may need to take additional electives to satisfy the minimum hours required for the degree. 

College/School Requirements

Program/Major Requirements

At least 50 of the total minimum hours required must be at the 300 level or above. 

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Completion of the second semester of a single foreign language; hours will vary depending on language taken

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In addition to courses counted toward General Education

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May be incorporated into other degree requirements

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Note: BIOL 102, BIOL 104, BIOL 257, BIOL 258, BIOL 260, BIOL 261, BIOL 262 and BIOL 263 do not count toward electives in the major.

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Fulfills General Education requirement.

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A maximum of 6 hours of undergraduate research or independent study may count toward the major.

BS in Biology Tracks

Track in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Academic Plan Code(s): BIOLBS_MCD

Track in Ecology

Academic Plan Code(s): BIOLBS_ECO

Flight Plan

Track in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

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Fulfills the requirement for one of two required Gen Ed courses. However, only one Gen Ed course from each program will be counted towards your degree.

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Students with high school language experience or multilingual backgrounds should consult the Classical and Modern Languages department for information on partially or completely satisfying the language requirements through testing.

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This is a good time to think about performing undergraduate research.  Look at faculty websites here and at the HSC, then email faculty whose research you find interesting.  See if they have openings.

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Biology WR courses that fit well in this track include: BIOL 359, BIOL 415,  BIOL 416, BIOL 480, BIOL 485, BIOL 511, BIOL 541, and BIOL 542 but note that only some of these are offered in a given semester. BIOL 406 (undergraduate research) would be appropriate if you plan to do an honors project, and is also a good source of writing credit.  You MUST have mentor approval.

Track in Ecology

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Fulfills the requirement for one of two required Gen Ed courses. However, only one Gen Ed course from each program will be counted towards your degree.

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Students with high school language experience or multilingual backgrounds should consult the Classical and Modern Languages department for information on partially or completely satisfying the language requirements through testing.

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Track-specific Electives (choose 1 from each category and at least 1 additional class from these lists, 12 h):

Category I: Plant Ecology

BIOL 300 WR – Plant Biology

BIOL 304 WR – Plant Taxonomy

BIOL 435 WR – Chemical Ecology

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Category II: Animal Ecology

BIOL 308 – Vertebrate Zoology

BIOL 310 – Animal Behavior

BIOL 347 – Comp. Vertebrate Anatomy

BIOL 382 – Entomology

BIOL 510 – Animal Behavior

BIOL 514 – Ornithology

BIOL 515 – Environmental Physiology

BIOL 571 – Invertebrate Zoology

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Category III: Community Ecology

BIOL 372 – Evolutionary Ecology and Disease

BIOL 440 – Global Change

BIOL 560 – Urban Ecology

BIOL 562 – Ecosystems Ecology

BIOL 567 – Conservation Biology

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This is a good time to think about performing undergraduate research.  Look at faculty websites here and at the HSC, then email faculty whose research you find interesting.  See if they have openings.

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Biology courses often listed as WR that fit well in this track include: BIOL 304, BIOL 404, BIOL 405, BIOL 406, BIOL 415, BIOL 435, BIOL 443  but note that only some of these are offered in a given semester.  BIOL 406 WR (undergraduate research) would be appropriate if you plan to do an honors project, and is also a good source of writing credit.  You MUST have mentor approval.

Degree Audit Report
Degree Audit reports illustrate how your completed courses fulfill the requirements of your academic plan.  What-if reports allow you to compare the courses you have completed in your current academic plan to the courses required in another academic plan.  Should you have questions about either report, please consult with your academic advisor.

To create either report:

1. Log into your ULink account.
2. Click on the Academic Progress tile.
3. Next, click on "View my Degree Audit" to run a Degree Audit report in the Undergraduate Advising area. 
4. To create a What-if report, click on "Create a What-if Advisement Report."

Click here to run a Degree Audit report, or create a What-if report.

Flight Planner
Based on your major, the Flight Planner tool may be available for you to create a personalized Flight Plan.  The Flight Planner can be found in the ULink Student Center.  Consult with your advisor for assistance with the Flight Planner.